Is that Ed Milliband?

A banner pilot's view at 11:15 this morning, as the Airads plane arrives as scheduled, over the TUC Congress in Bournemouth, flying a special, "Leave the EU' banner message, to the Labour Leader from Bob Crow of the RMT Trade Union.

Tolpuddle Rally 2013

Community Banner

Just a couple of photos from the Tolpuddle Martyrs Rally this afternoon in deepest tropical Dorset.



The South-west is still basking in Mediterranean-like heat as you might notice but the weather changes past Ashford to a much cooler climate indeed.

Listening to the radio traffic, I gathered that a light aircraft has crashed in the English channel some fifteen miles from Dungeness, with no sign of any survivors at present. At the moment it remains a mystery and I can only hope the Coastguard searchers from France and RAF Wattisham, find something in the next three hours as both daylight and hope fade.

RMT Banner

More news later I hope but here's a passing photo of HMS Victory.

HMS Victory

A Stella Weekend for Airads

It's been a busy weekend again for Airads, flying between Norfolk and Brighton with a proposal from the pier, a society wedding at Tenterden in Kent and a banner for the RMT Trade Union leader, Bob Crow, at the Burston Strike School rally in Norfolk.

The first banner photo is the proposal from Mark to Louise being picked-up on the way to the pier at Brighton. He called us this morning to let us know it's also in the Brighton Argus newspaper.

"Romantic Mark Harman, 35, from Seaford, decided to surprise partner Louise Coles, 44, with a Saturday morning stroll along the seafront. Shortly before 1pm, he dropped to one knee and told Louise to look above her head. She said: “I was half expecting a proposal but did not know anything about the plane. It was an extremely romantic gesture and certainly brought a tear to my eye.” Here's a photo of the happy couple caught by the local paper:

The third photo, further below, is from the society wedding at Tenterden where it apparently captures Stella McCartney and her husband Alasdair Willis having a chat with the groom and the bride's father. Not that I could make out faces at 1,000 feet.

More Airads excitement next week, with 'Bark in the Park' at Portsmouth and a very special 50th birthday celebration in Westgate on Sea.

Durham Miners Gala 2012

The message from Bob Crow of the RMT Trades Union to Labour leader, Ed Miliband at the annual Durham Miners Gala

Womad and Tolpuddle Weekend

It’s Tolpuddle time again. This weekend Airads has two aircraft up simultaneously over the Tolpuddle Martyrs anniversary rally.

Organised by the TUC, this festival takes place in the village of Tolpuddle, Dorset and takes place from Friday the 18th to Sunday the 20th July. One of the banners we are flying is for the RMT Union – we flew it at the miners march in Durham last week – and one is for the Community trades union.

Last year the weather was pretty miserable on the same occasion and so we are hoping for clear skies, for a change this summer at least.

On Saturday we are at Kemble and operating around Swindon, advertising the Womad, ‘Charlton Park 2008 Festival’ which takes place between 25th and 27th July at Malmesbury in Wiltshire.