The weather forecast wasn’t the best as 200 pilots, friends and family headed to a couple of small fields just outside Cheltenham for three days. 

It was a new site for the Summer Fly-in, fields which have often been used for car boot sales and are adjacent to a main road for easy access. However, during the weekend those small fields in a corner of Gloucestershire experienced something rather different to car boot sales.  

By Friday evening the first field was spilling over into the second reserve field and paramotors were in the sky. It wasn’t the best flying air but plenty of pilots enjoyed themselves. Killins Kitchen, as at previous events, were supplying hot food, the bar was being run by PMC this time and the posh toilets had been installed. From then on it was everything you'd expect a PMC fly-in to be, laid-back, happy and friendly. And, despite the bumpy air, a massive amount of flying took place on all three days. 

On Saturday night we were all treated to the best fireworks display we’ve ever had at a PMC event. Simon and Col worked for the best part of two days to install a display which was operated by remote control (so that they could actually stand back and watch it properly themselves this time) and which was all over in just a few minutes. But what a stunning few minutes - it was incredible … and clearly expensive. 

And as a PMC member, we got all of this for no cost. Every fly-in comes free with the annual full membership. It’s easy to forget that sometimes and take it for granted. 

This event was being tied in to a local charity, Riding for the Disabled. This meant everyone was asked to put a tenner in the pot and by the end of the weekend this had raised over £1,600.  

Despite imperfect flying weather, everyone had a good time and the most common thing I heard on Sunday as people walked around saying their goodbyes was ‘See you at the next one’. It’s never up for question, as soon as you leave a PMC fly-in you start looking forward to the next one.

For over 130 more photographs of the event, visit Facebook.