Qantas was unable to freight the aircraft to London as previously planned and, after sitting at Mascot Airport until 19 May, Lang and UFZ were loaded onto Martinair freight aircraft and were transported to Amsterdam where they were offloaded at Schipol Airport. More frustrations ensued when the Dutch customs could not come to grips with the fact that this aircraft had not flown in but wanted to fly out of the country.
They flew in bad weather down the coast landing in Calais. From there they crossed the Channel to Dover and on reaching the English coast were forced to land immediately because of continuing bad weather and missed the planned reception at Biggin Hill arranged by our major sponsors Cox Aviation Insurance. The next day the weather was still poor, and a flight into Duxford Museum was all that was managed.
UFZ was put in a hanger for the next three days until the weather improved and Lang was able to make Woodford Airfield at Manchester ready for our first airshow in the UK. We were given a wonderful welcome at the British Aerospace Airfield at Woodford as this is where the A. UFZ was returning after 71 years, and as it is the only one flying in the world it attracted an enormous amount of attention.
I arrived from Australia per favour of Garuda Airlines and met up at Woodford with Lang and our campervan we have purchased for our gypsy like existence doing the airshow circuit over the next three months. The Woodford Airshow was on 6 June and the morning after Lang flew out of the airfield. Continuing atrocious English weather meant he did not make Biggin Hill airshow that same day. We met up again at Brooklands Museum in Surrey where, coincidently on the 9 June the Friends of Brooklands were having their annual Summer Party celebrating this year, the 90 th anniversary of the first ever flight made from the airfield by Alliot Verdon Roe.
UFZ took pride of place in a large marquee sheltering invited guests. Prince Michael of Kent, who is the patron of Brooklands introduced Lang to the guests and, resplendent in his dinner suit and Australian flag bowtie, Lang gave a short address about the project which was very well received.
