Low level …

… over London (inverted)

For reasons of safety to the general populace, single-engined aeroplanes are absolutely banned over central London west of the Thames Barrier.

But, once each year, the UK CAA grants a special exemption to a favoured few. In 2008, over the weekend of August 2-3, these were the Red Bull racers in their powerful Edges, Extras and MXSs, German aerobatic champion Klaus Schrodt in his Extra 300, and little old me, back in England for the summer, in my 40 year-old wooden Fournier motor glider, powered by a similarly ancient, 39hp (29kW) Volkswagen Beetle car motor.