June 25, 2007

Postal Strike

Another "Secret mission in uncharted space" for Airads this coming Thursday, as the postal workers union asks us to fly around the M25 motorway from Rochester with the message: "CWU SOS Save Our Postal Services."

My guess is that it's a three hour flight, depending on the wind direction, so no coffee, as there's nowhere to stop in between without having to drop the banner!

June 18, 2007

The Big Day

From the weather perspective, June 16th was a day we would rather forget.

Even though we managed to open the air show ("Margate's Big Day") on the Isle of Thanet, scrape in a marriage proposal in low cloud over Brighton pier and a birthday party over Bexley in a rainstorm, we lost the pop concert at Swansea and the Geopost "Fun Day" in Birmingham.

One expects to have reasonably decent weather in June but this year, we are apparently encountering the El Ninio effect from the Pacific, which is impacting our own summer.

July can only be better, we hope!

June 15, 2007

Welcome Kilo India

In time for the busiest weekend of the year so, far, which involves opening Thanet's "Big Day" airshow on Sunday, we can now welcome Golf-Kilo-India to the Airads 'fleet'.

More powerful and with a seven hour endurance, we expect her to keep busy this season with a first job at Singleton Park, Swansea on Saturday afternoon, followed by a marriage proposal at Brighton Pier on the way home.


June 13, 2007

England for Sale

Seen along the M25 motorway this week an advert from http://www.weblo.com/.

What does it mean? Find out more on about the campaign on their website at www.weblo.com/uk

June 10, 2007

Captain Cupid's World of Love

Three women proposed to in less than 24-hours and each of them said "Yes". I suppose it may be a new world record of sorts!

I suppose if the weather if good enough over a summer weekend, we may even be able to manage four proposals in 24-hours but we need the volunteers first.

In fact, banner proposals are now so effective, with a recorded 100% success rate in the cases that have reported back to us - just under 100 women - that we're thinking of offering a money back guarantee if it doesn't succeed.

Only thinking though!

June 8, 2007

Make My Day with Airads

Three more romantic Lemmings are keen to leap over the edge of the matrimonial cliff this weekend, with two of them at the Isle of Wight festival tomorrow, which is a coincidence but makes the travelling a little easier in terms of a single flight into Bembridge to set-up the "Will you marry me?" banners.

Good luck to Jeremy, Paul and Toks on Saturday and Sunday as they wait for the Airads aircraft to put in an appearance at a precise time and place. If we are lucky the weather window may just be enough for it to happen smoothly. Four more and I think we are up to our 100th proposal!

A curious challenge arises in the week ahead from Tuesday, over Kent and the motorways at rush hours, with three days of aerial publicity for a Canadian website Weblo.com. Weblo are apparently auctioning off England to the highest bidder and have asked for a rather "cheeky" message to be added to the banner, regarding someone called "Tony."

Now once upon a time, Airads was asked to fly a banner with "Bollocks to Blair"; the hunting ban I think and now it looks as if someone sharing the PM's first name is going to have similar treatment. I did suggest "Gordon for President" but they preferred to stay with what they have, so watch out for BBC or Meridian news reports as they will have been told about it but I'm not allowed to spoil the surprise.

In a little more orthodox messaging exercise with a big sheet banner, I'll be the first flight through Thanet's "Big Day" airshow- on Sunday 18th at 13:30 so best have your anti-aircraft guns trained at the rather slow target heading towards Palm Bay.

The good news from our point of view is that the new aircraft and addition to the "squadron", G-CEKI, passed its CAA inspection today and will be ready in time for its first job over Swansea, next weekend, oh, and another marriage proposal at Brighton on the way home.

June 1, 2007

Hot and Sticky

No thunderstorms today, thankfully, as they were forecast, which allowed us to get in a "Happy 60th" birthday over Brighton Marina and a proposal for the lucky Karen, from her partner, Mark, at Knole Park, near Sevenoaks in Kent.

In fact the latter area was getting quite busy with aircraft arriving at Biggin Hill for this weekends Air Show and we had to share the skies with two RAF Tornado fighters and two Tucano trainers, practising before the event.

Good news. G-CEKI, the new Cessna 172 with a more powerful engine and super-long-range tanks is almost ready and I took here up for her CAA flight test this afternoon. Some small technical tweaks are still required but she should be signed-off for work in time for a busy weekend on 16th June.

Back down to Weymouth tomorrow to hit the beaches in the sunshine!