Straight and Level

Challenges to come…

Eryl Smith Chairman

Hardly a day goes by without the media carrying news stories of airline cancellations, staff shortages, lengthy delays and queues at airports as the industry grapples with the recovery and the desire of so many to want to travel over the summer months. Closer to home we are coming to terms with the significant hikes in fuel prices that are likely to be with us for the foreseeable future, and as I write we are facing unprecedented temperatures across large parts of the country. The silver lining has been the lengthy period of high pressure which has enabled many to get in some long overdue flying!

Together with representatives from GA and other sports and recreational flying associations I attended a recent CAA General Aviation Partnership (GAP) meeting. These meetings, chaired by the Head of the CAA’s GA and RPAS Unit are intended to provide a forum for debate and discussion across the community on matters of mutual interest. Of late these appear to have become more of a ‘telling’ forum, as the CAA seeks to appraise the community of the myriad of initiatives and projects that it is pursuing, affording limited time for genuine debate, discussion and exchange of views. While fine words of collaboration, transparency and proportionality are spoken, it has frequently felt like one way

Updates from the Chairman and CEO

traffic. It is understandable that, as the regulator, CAA wishes to ensure that the GA community is fully sighted on its intentions and actions. However, without two-way dialogue this is not an effective means of engagement. As a community we seek dialogue, consensus and frank conversations to ensure that our issues and concerns are fully taken into account as policy and oversight is developed and implemented. Like other Associations we have considerable knowledge and experience to offer.

The most recent meeting covered a number of topics of great importance to the GA community: CAA Scheme of Charges Review (SoC); Airspace Modernisation Strategy (AMS) Update and Performance Based Regulation (PBR). Each of which has the potential to have a significant impact on our activity. Thankfully, sufficient time was allocated to enable meaningful discussion to take place. Nevertheless, together with other Associations we will maintain a watchful eye on developments, present a robust case to protect members’ interests and report progress as it arises.

By the time you read this edition of Light Aviation many members will have attended Oshkosh and, whether it’s the annual pilgrimage or as any on the LAA tour visiting for the first time, I am sure you will have returned inspired with the sights, sounds and experiences from a truly awesome event.

Closer to home we continue with Meet the LAA events at Bodmin and Rufforth East in Yorkshire and just around the corner is our Grass Roots Fly-in at Popham, which replaces our annual LAA Rally for 2022.

I hope you continue to take advantage of the fine weather and look forward to seeing you at Popham – and around the country. ■

Looking ahead

Steve Slater CEO

Writing this at the height of the summer fly-in season, I’ve got a mounting feeling of anticipation about the Grass Roots Fly In at Popham. From what I hear from all those who say they are coming, I just hope we can fit everyone in!

As you will read elsewhere in the magazine, the former Rally Working Group, headed by our chairman Eryl Smith and the Popham team under Mike Pearson have done a great job in the pre-planning. No, it doesn’t have the concrete runway, wide-open spaces and large hospitality hangar of Sywell, but the green ambience of Popham will make for a different and, I think, equally attractive event.

Another reason for a sense of anticipation is that I am writing this on the eve of (BA permitting) flying out to EAA AirVenture.

Unlike some, this is my first visit and partly the result of conversations during LAA virtual pub nights. Earlier in the year there were discussions between rookies like me and Oshkosh veterans, which culminated in around 50 or so members getting together to share the cost of coach transfers between Chicago and Wisconsin. It’s not a package tour, but rather a great example of LAA members pulling together. A big thanks to Brian Mellor and George Pick for their heroic efforts in coordinating the planning!

The only downside of attending Oshkosh, is that I’ll miss out on the Meet the LAA Day, which is being organised by Pete White, the Cornish LAA Strut and Cornwall Aero Club at Bodmin at the end of July. I know though that the LAA will be well represented by Cornish Strut and Devon Strut members, as well as the Vintage Aircraft Club. Don’t forget though, we have two more Meet the LAA Days, at Leeds East in association with the Vale of York Strut on 6/7 August and at Rougham in Suffolk on 17-18 September, organised by the Suffolk Coast Strut and our friends the North Weald Marshallers, who welcome us at so many fly ins during the summer. Do join us at one of those events if you can.

Of course, one thing that is affecting us all is the rising price of fuel and costs in general. As the majority of income to the LAA comes from membership and engineering fees, and we have worked hard to keep them level over recent years, we have a relatively fixed income, and therefore any inflation will eat into our reserves. At some point we may need to look at whether we increase fees or reduce the number of services we can offer. Which should it be? The good news is that our engineering restructuring is going well and Jon Viner, our Chief Technical Officer has put together a focused team, which is working ever more efficiently.

Of course, we don’t get everything right every time, but it was disappointing to note a small number of cases recently where members have been overly aggressive or abusive to LAA staff over the telephone. Our staff have the right to work in a safe environment, are required to report any such behaviour and all complaints are followed up. The LAA will not tolerate behaviour which is abusive, offensive or threatening, so please treat our staff