I was offered to fly with the Chipmunk OY-ALD in the back seat for this year’s Chipmeet, but since it is very expensive to fly to Belgium in such an aircraft, I chose to take time off to counterbalance overtime and instead drive in my car.

          Because this year’s Chipmeet was held on Ascension Day I had to get two days off and at the same time there was a DC-3 Fly-in in the Netherlands, so these two events made it an easy choice for me to drive southwards. I ordered the hotels in Belgium and the Netherlands on the internet one month beforehand to be sure that I would get a place to stay the night. I had stayed at the hotel in Lelystadt Airport previously and therefore I knew that it was a good hotel. It also had to be a good hotel at this price, and I even could get it 10 € cheaper if it was ordered on the internet. The hotel in Belgium was situated a drive of 5 minutes away from Zoersel, where the Chipmeet was held.

          On my first day I made it to Belgium - app. 1100 kilometres away from home. Tired as I was I looked for a cheap hotel to stay the night. I also found a hotel, but it was not very low-cost. The price was 90 €. I simply did not have the energy to continue my search for a low-cost hotel, so the only thing to do was to pay the money and try to look happy. On my next day the journey went to Brussels where I had planned to visit the Air Museum that is situated in the centre of the city. On my map I had almost figured out how to find it, but it did not look the way in the real world that I had imagined. I used my feeling to find it and suddenly I came to an unexpected larger roundabout. Quickly I had to decide in which direction to go, and I chose to drive to the right. After 50 metres I saw a map board, and there was a vacant parking spot. It turned out that I just had to drive app. 200 metres extra - then I was there.

          I got my first surprise when I came to the counter inside the museum. It was free to visit the museum. My second surprise was when I entered the hall of the museum. The word enormous is an understatement. A Caravelle hangs under the ceiling. Well, it is not all true since it stands on three high, narrow pillars. Besides, a great number of different aircraft – older and newer – is at the museum, and the best thing is that the aircraft are not shut off – with a few exceptions. In this way you can walk around them or under them. You can see them and touch them. Some pictures from this visit will later on appear.

          In a neighbouring building there was a car museum called Autoworld. I wanted to pay this museum a visit. But it was not for free. I thought it was allright. But then it happened that I was told that I had to pay double price to bring a camera. Then I simply forgot the whole thing – it was too much.

          After my visits to the museums the journey went to Oostmalle to take lodgings with Hotel ‘ t Vlimmershof that was an excellent hotel. The price was 49 €, including breakfast. I could get it without breakfast for 7 € less. Then it was time to find the location that did not look like something special, even though it was an old Nato base. The name was Zoersel (EBZR), and only nice people were there.

          Next late morning on Thursday I drove to Zoersel again, and then tree Chipmunks and an Aztec from the United Kingdom had arrived. The Aztec was called G-TAPE (previously OY-RPF) and on its nose it said “Red Tape” since the aircraft was alarmingly red. At 4.30 P.M. OY-POT with Viggo, Yrsa and Kim arrives. Nobody knew that I was there, and on Kim’s face you could clearly see that he thought: “You don’t say – this guy looks like Poul-Jørgen”. When I smiled to him he was aware that it was not a copy of me who stood there. An hour later the three Danish Chipmunks OY-ATO, OY-ATR and OY-ATF came in formation flying over the location. They had made an intermediate landing in Emden to refuel. Both legs had Flying Hours of  app. one hour and 45 minutes.

          It was actually moderately bad weather. It rained most of the time, but some aircraft were in the air in the middle of Thursday. This was also the last thing before Sunday, where we travelled home. It was a pity because 8 English instructors had offered their help for those who wanted an experienced man in the back seat for some ordinary flight or perhaps somewhat more advanced flight. This could be very exciting for an owner for a Chipmunk. In the evening there was barbecue, and while I walked on the location one of the nice Chipmeet helpers came and asked me if I would like to participate since I looked like somebody with some  interest in the things that happened around us. I gladly accepted the offer, and for a minor amount I got all I could eat. In the bar you could buy excellent beer to go with food – I guess one is in Belgium.

          Friday late morning I heard an excellent lecture by a person who had worked with Chipmunks for more than 40 years, and he knew many things. He had also brought some exciting material that was shown on the wall in the shape of slides. Among other things we heard that there had previously been experimented with six-cylinder engines in Chipmunks to attain more power. Supercharger had apparently also been on the trial stage.

          Unfortunately I had to leave Zoersel at Friday noon since I was going to the DC-3 Fly-in in Lelystadt on the next day and before this I had an agreement with Danny Cabooter from the Stampe Museum in Antwerpen. Povl Toft had been so kind to get me this contact and to get him to open the museum for me. This was a very nice gesture since the museum is normally only open on Saturdays and Sundays. Many thanks to Povl Toft and Danny Carbooter for this. Danny Carbooter told me that he daily flies Citation and in his sparetime Harvard and Spitfire. Try not to be just a little envious of this.

          Well, now I have realized that there is something called Chipmeet and next year I hope that I will be able to participate all four days it is definitely worth a visit. If it is possible I will buy the right to walk into the locaton next year to take pictures, and if the weather permits it. This year the weather was very bad – this can also be seen on the pictures.

Poul-Jørgen

All photos - © Poul Jørgen Christensen