On Friday 22nd February 2002, the Windjet team were again out on the Waddington Airfield in Lincolnshire, UK. However, although fresh westerly winds prevailed (the preferred direction for Windjet), the day was fraught with problems including rain and military flying requirements, which meant that our time on the airfield was very limited.

Morning showers prevented any early testing, but after the runway had dried and a number of false starts due to aircraft movements, Richard and Windjet finally made it out on the runway at 3.30 pm. With a wind strength of around 23 kts the very first run clocked 113.4 mph. However, the gods were not smiling, for as Richard sped around the taxiway in preparation for the next flying run, the skies cleared and the wind eased, meaning the next 18 runs were all between 85-100 mph as the wind fluctuated between 15-20 kts.

However, the day proved invaluable to fully test the new timing equipment and the impartial observer procedure required for the official ratification process. Hence, with triplicate raw data logging, filmed evidence and two impartial observers, we can confidently claim an Official British record of our top speed for the day, 113.4 mph, a tantalisingly close 3 mph away from the current world record!