For old times sake

I couldn’t resist dipping back into the photo archives this morning where I came across the following shots. So here’s a little bit of nostalgia.

First, 288AAD then and now. The first shot below was taken by its previous owner, under very different weather conditions to now I must say, before it had its accident.

The next shot was taken yesterday and shows the little Weedhopper back in its prime again, fully repaired and airworthy and ready to go. And I can’t wait to get it back into the air where it belongs 🙂

And looking back even further now, to when I’d finished rebuilding MYRO right back in July 2010. The next shot was taken at Linton in the UK when MYRO was fully back in one piece for the first time with its new engine and instruments.

But what a coincidence, I happened to take an almost identical shot of 28AAD yesterday, once again under rather different weather conditions. And as it happens, this picture shows the Weedhopper with the same engine and various other MYRO parts including its panel and most of its instruments, so pure nostalgia for me.

I was greatly saddened when I lost MYRO after its accident shortly after I came to France. It may have taken the best part of 6 years, but having now made one good aircraft out of the two damaged ones, I at last feel that the situation has been redeemed, the page can be turned and the book finally closed 😉

But before doing so, one last shot of MYRO taken after its final rebirth in October 2011 before I flew it the following spring all the way to its last resting place, back in the country of its birth here in the Dordogne in south-west France.

So it’s so long old friend, we had some really good times together and you’ll not be quickly forgotten. But after all this time, it’s finally time to move on.