My wings for the day, a Pegasus Quantum 15-912 microlight as well as one willing pilot. To be honest I was a bit nervous about this flight - my 'wings' are normally a Boeing 747 or a 777 so this 'motorcycle of the air' was a departure from the normal for me.

A nice view over my pilot's shoulder. The sky is a bit moody and we were caught by strong updraughts several times which is actually quite scary! We are heading South West with a view to bisecting the Salisbury-Exeter railway line.

Our first view of the former Baverstock Base Depot which was constructed in 1944 for the 9th Air Force (USAAF). It is now a civilian site.

A good view of the former RAF Chilmark, a major underground bomb store dating back to before WW2.

Lots more detail of the former RAF Chilmark, many of the ammunition storage bunkers are clearly visible in the photo.

A good view of Moses Wood with two bunkers still clearly visible from the air.

"Where to now?" my pilot asked. "Follow the railway west to Semley then head south just beyond Shaftesbury" I replied. This photo shows the complex controls used to fly the microlight!

This is HMP Guy's Marsh, located just a few miles SW of Shaftesbury. It became a borstal in 1960 and is now a prison. I was interested in this site because it was originally built as a rest and recuperation centre for the USAAF in WW2 and the Luftwaffe attempted to bomb it during the war. It then became a transit camp for USAF airmen entering Great Britain via Marchwood in the 50's. I really wanted to take a look at this site to see if there were any remains to indicate its use prior to 1960.

On our flight back to Old Sarum, we skirted just south of the former RAF Chilmark again and I managed to get this photo of the old rail transfer sheds (the L/H of the photo) and the RGHQ (Regional Government Headquarters) which served the eastern zone of the Number 7 South Western Home Defence Region, covering the counties of Gloucestershire, Avon, Wiltshire, Somerset and Dorset. It was designated as RGHQ 7.1. I remember this being constructed (I lived in the area) and seems strange that this is now in private hands.

Heading back to Old Sarum, we were just south of the old RAF Dinton ordnance site and the former L&SWR rail route. This was a great view down into the Fovant Woods which used to be a major ammunition storage area with many bunkers. I believe there was a narrow gauge railway connecting the bunkers with the Dinton rail head area. Catherine Ford Lane is at the top of the photo.

Another aerial view of the Fovant Woods ammunition storage area. I forget where I found out that this was believed to be a Soviet counterforce nuclear target however at the tender age of 15 in the 70's I was horrified to discover that my whole day could be seriously be ruined by the 'popping' of a nuke over this site. 30 years later I am older and wiser but still thankful that it never happened.

A nice view of one of the Fovant Wood ammunition storage bunkers.

The Fovant Badges, these are clearly visible from the A30. During WW1 this whole area was a vast military camp with a light railway running from Dinton to the camps - some of the track of this railway is still visible today. East Farm is in the lower R/H of the photo as is Chiselbury iron age fort in the centre.

A distant view of Dinton and Baverstock from my perch atop the microlight.

Just south of Baverstock, a close-up aerial view of the former Dinton-Baverstock 9th USAAF Supply Depot, 455th AAA.

A larger view of the former Baverstock depot with some of Dinton village visible in the background. The railway line in the foreground is the former L&WSR main line from Salisbury to Exeter, now operated by South West Trains.

From Wikipedia: Old Sarum is the site of the earliest settlement of Salisbury, in England. The site contains evidence of human habitation as early as 3000 BC. Old Sarum is mentioned in some of the earliest records in the country. It sits on a hill about two miles north of modern Salisbury. Old Sarum was originally a hill fort strategically placed on the conjunction of two trade routes and the River Avon, Hampshire. The hill fort is broadly oval in shape. 400 m (1300 feet) in length and 360 m (1200 feet) in width, it consists of a bank and ditch with an entrance on the eastern side.

This photograph was taken from the south east of Old Sarum while crossing over the grass runway and joining the landing pattern in the downwind leg. Much of the old military airfield has become industrial units however the middle third of the hangars etc are still used for aviation purposes. Careful viewing will reveal that there are still some remnants of use by the Royal Air Force many years ago.

In a few seconds we will have landed at Old Sarum! A grass field landing in a microlight is quite disconcerting as the rate of descent in comparison to forward speed is relatively high. Sitting on a lightweight fibreglass body suspended beneath a flimsy fabric wing is not for the faint-hearted!

Having landed at Old Sarum my UE quest is not yet finished! This is one of the old Belfast type hangers which was constructed at Old Sarum in 1917 by the Royal Flying Corps. These large hangers were quickly constructed using the cheap and easy to assemble Belfast type of roof truss, of which few examples remain in the UK. Absolutely beautiful!