DIY mic wind muff or 'dead cat'...

From shooting video on various digital cameras wind noise on airfields can be a real pain. Plenty of solutions for external microphones are on the market but trying to find something for the small pinhole microphone openings on digital cameras is not so easy to find.
So, having sourced a piece of faux fur I set about making my own. I found some Scotch reusable clear sticky pads in my local Staples and, finding I'd only need to use a quarter of a pad on each mic slot, I made a hole in each one with a standard office hole punch. As each pack has 18 tabs that is more than enough for the foreseeable future.

From shooting a couple of sample clips with and without the muff, it does seem to cut down the wind noise by a large amount. Of course, just when I want a good stiff breeze to really try it, the weather gods decide to only provide a gentle breeze!

Thankfully the fur muffs/brows can be removed when not shooting video so saving me from any Duxford snaparazzi humour.

No Muppet Show jokes please...

Once again....

...the roar of eight Merlins in tight formation, had me leaping from my chair, to catch a brief glimpse of the "2Lancs" wending their (low level) way northwards!
And again, no sign of  C-GVRA on Flightradar 24....

What's that rumble?

Just spotted the two Lancasters heading in a southerly direction, passing just to the east of us, with a Spitfire/Hurricane trailing behind.

They were pretty low level so no chance of a photo and by the time I'd grabbed the camera they were obscured by trees!

Still, impressive to see these two together - quite stirring...

North Wales Detachment :: 2-9.VIII.14

Spent the last week in and around my childhood "stomping ground" of Llanuwchllyn, visiting relatives and sightseeing. Frustratingly, it's an area used by the Brylcreem Boys on a regular basis as they blast around "The Mach Loop", the northern entry/exit point to the "loop" being along the A494 which runs along the valley floor and right over the cottage.
The first I'd know about it was the sound of the aircraft lifting the tiles and usually I was in the wrong place! Hence the frustration!...
So, the Hawks, Typhoons, Tucanos and Tornadoes managed to slip by when at low level but they spent some time dog fighting at higher levels.
A family of Buzzards seem to occupy the area between the valley sides and often soar at the height the fast jets transit through at - wonder how often they suffer bird strikes...

Overlooking Llanuwchllyn and Llyn Tegid (Lake Bala) 

Tucano

Typhoon dogfighting...

Tornado 

Resident Buzzards (or bird strike in waiting)...