Patney, Wiltshire.
(Close to Patney bridge, near to Etchilhampton) In the photo you can see a train thundering pass as we flew over
the circle.
On the 9th of August we flew both the new Patney and the Uffington White Horse formations.
The weather has been less than helpful. These flights took place during an unprecedented period of high pressure
and temperatures in the UK. It’s been extremely hot in the UK , but unfortunately that has not materialised clear skies for photography. We have had cloud in the mornings which has been slow to clear, and our studies of all the weather information just really left us confused as the weather forecasts did not agree with each other. So on the 9th of August we took to the skies only to be disappointed as we arrived on location at each site. We took insurance shots (just in case the formations were
cut out) but then headed back to the airfield as the weather was poor. The next day on the 10th we took to the skies again and although it was hazy, and an almost dirty atmosphere generated by the heat, we managed to get sunlight. The images we took of the Patney formation can be seen on our website.
At this time of year, there are several issues we are battling against. One is the weather, then there is the
harvest which is in full swing, then there is the availability of the pilot we use, and the aircraft, and then as has happened recently, one of the formations was in a military danger zone so we could not get permission to enter the airspace. As we write this the harvest is happening at a fast rate and any formations that appear now, it will be a race to get them before they are cut. This is always a stressful time of year, and one we are not particularly fond of, and it can be very frustrating.
But we do our best as always.
