Sheer Bliss In G-LISS

I met Arnold and Sophie around this time last year at the North Weald Battle Of Britain fly past. The three of us gave our thoughts on the occasion to BBC radio. Arnold mentioned that he was learning to fly.

He now has his pilot's licence and is the proud joint owner of a beautiful Calidus autogyro. He contacted me yesterday to tell me that he and Sophie planned to fly in to North Weald today. I jumped at the chance to catch up. It was lovely to see them, they're so happy and loving the freedom that flying gives them.

We discussed their craft's reg, G-LISS and that it's short for glissando. What a surprise that Sophie is a trombonist, glissandos are their stock in trade. I immediately thought of a song MrQ plays, "Me And Jane In A Plane". He owns a trombone but doesn't actually play one but is able to do the required glissando whilst wearing a pilot's helmet a la Pasadena Roof Orchestra. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm16-tQNFKw Hope Sophie gives it a go. :)

They took me airside to have a close look at their craft. Made of carbon fibre, the weave of which is just visible through the paint, the finish is known as flip-flop or chameleon. This is created using a special pearl pigment and a black base coat resulting in a beautifully nuanced effect. Wonder if Arnold knows that Calidus means hot, fiery, lusty, and eager. ;) 

His take off lived up to the name, the climb out looked nearly vertical. :)