News from the Aviat Aircraft site:

Husky A-1B delivered to its new owner

The latest Husky A-1B to find a new home was handed over to its proud new owner, Ron Armitage yesterday (10th August). Ron will be keeping the airplane at Maypole Airstrip in Kent and when we asked him what he thought of his new airplane he eloquently stated "It really is the dogs ********". He plans to use his Husky "purely for pleasure".

WING WALKERS MAY SPEND MORE TIME IN SKIES OVER KENT

Oyster Festival crowds at Whitstable thrilled at the weekend to the daring wing-walking activities of the girls of the world famous Team Guinot.

However, that may not be the last we shall see of these classic planes, and the young girls who thrive on the adrenalin rush of being strapped to the top of the wing when plane is doing things that would make most people’s blood run cold even if they were sitting firmly strapped into one of its seats.

The two Team Guinot vintage 1940s Boeing Stearman biplanes and their crews used Maypole airfield just outside Herne Bay as their base for the weekend show and airfield boss, Andy Haigh, says he is hoping they’ll be back again.

“I’ve told them they’re welcome to use Maypole as a base any time they want,” he said. “They make a terrific addition to the skies over our area and it’s a privilege to have them.”

One of the wing-walking girls is actually from east Kent. Blonde Lucy Foster, 22, comes from Ashford and has been wing-walking for three years.

In the summer of 2007 she even pioneered a daring new manoeuvre called the “flying lady” in which she sits on the leading edge of the centre section of the top wing.

Before take off at Maypole at the weekend she commented : “It’s just amazing fun!”

Her fellow wing walker, Danielle Hughes, is just 19 and comes from Malmesbury in Wiltshire and says the thing she likes best about her airborne antics is that “the freedom and amazing views!”

The daring young men and women of Team Guinot who will hopefully be spending a bit more time in the future in the skies over east Kent. The two teams, left to right, in front of their 1942 built vintage bi-plane are : Dave Barrell, Lucy Foster (who comes from Ashford), Danielle Hughes and Martyn Carrington.

One of the vintage Stearmans powers down the Maypole runway for take-off on its way to Whitstable