Light Aviation May 2021

LIGHT AVIATION VOLUME 14 ISSUE 5 MAY 2021

THE MAGAZINE OF THE LIGHT AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

LIGHT

Aviation May 2021 £4.25

GIFT THAT HITS THE JACKPOT!

Paul Bussey flies a genuine WWII Spitfire

Light Aircraft Association WWW.LAA.UK.COM

PROJECT NEWS

BARRIE’S SUPER STARLET HITS COMPLETION TARGET… LA5.cover.V4.LB.GRN.indd 1

LOW-BUDGET FLYING BARGAIN BASEMENT AIRCRAFT YOU CAN BUY…

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Chris Skelt happy at last that the surface preparation of his Lancair 320 is complete.

The Team Chairman TIM HARDY CEO STEPHEN SLATER Chief Engineer FRANCIS DONALDSON B.Tech C.Eng FRAeS Chief Inspector KEN CRAIGIE President ROGER HOPKINSON MBE Vice Presidents BRIAN DAVIES & JOHN BRADY Engineering email engineering@laa.uk.com COMMERCIAL Email office@laa.uk.com Office Manager Penny Sharpe Head Office Turweston Aerodrome, Nr Brackley, Northants NN13 5YD Telephone for engineering and commercial 01280 846786

LIGHT AVIATION MAGAZINE Editor BRIAN HOPE

60 Queenborough Road, Sheerness, Kent ME12 3BZ Telephone 01795 662508 Email bfjjodel@talktalk.net

Soon be time to Rally round…

I

must start by apologising for the problems of last month’s delivery of the mag. It went to press on schedule, but a glitch occurred when the printer modified the membership address data file from membership number order to postcode order, and all the postcodes moved down by one address. That meant that most members’ addresses were OK up to the second part of the postcode, but it was enough to delay delivery by several days. I received my membership copy on the 10th.

By the time you read this I will, like many of you I expect, have had my second jab. My elder brother had Covid, thankfully not needing to be hospitalised, but his son, only in his mid-forties, was critically ill for more than three weeks, which was very scary. We can but hope the progress we are making towards a return to normality continues. We are certainly moving forward with LAA Rally plans, quietly confident that it will go ahead and be a credit to rallies of the past.

I hope that those of you who have been able to fly have not had any hiccups, I know we’ve had a handful of mishaps, but thankfully I’m not aware of any serious personal injury. It does highlight that technical and personal failings are a fact, and not simply undue concern from our technical and flight advisors.

So, if you haven’t flown yet, take a bit of time and effort to make sure the aircraft and you are ready, fit and able.

As encouragement to get back out there, Martin Ferid is back with a trip to Beccles, which by all accounts has had something of a facelift, and Derek Thorpe recalls a trip he made to Menorca by Jodel in 1988. We can’t do that at the moment unfortunately, but we can dream and plan for the future. If we’ve

learned anything over the past 12 months, surely it’s that we simply don’t know what’s coming around the corner. So, don’t put off something you want to do because ‘there’s always next year’, sadly, there just might not be.

Sorry if I’m getting a bit maudlin, but on a more upbeat note, for those who aren’t flying but would love to be, we have a feature on budget single-seaters. They really can be a low-cost option, especially if a small group gets together to operate one. I recall not so many years ago, hearing about a group who flew a VP1 for a relatively small monthly fee and about a fiver-an-hour, plus fuel.

We have a nice piece on a Sopwith Pup restoration too, a long-term job but it’s coming together nicely, and it is a very rare original WWI machine. I’m sure we would all love to see that flying again.

I wonder how many of us have forgotten, or maybe never realised, that our aircraft’s software needs updating now and again. Ian Fraser reminds us that most of our electronic kit has the ability to be upgraded, or glitches solved so no, it isn’t just the data file in your tablet nav or GPS. Unlike the GPS though, you probably won’t have to pay to upgrade most of tour kit!

Have fun and be safe, Brian.

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President’s Ponderings

Advocacy update

By Roger Hopkinson MBE

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n my role as Facilitator of the General Aviation Alliance, creating a series of coordinated responses on behalf of all the various GA organisations including the LAA, BMAA, British Gliding Association and many others, I produce regular reports of our progress in the different discussions we are having. I thought that it might be timely to provide an update.

As Steve mentioned in his CEO Chat last month, personnel changes at many levels within the CAA have led to a loss of corporate knowledge and associated frustration at stakeholder level. This was raised in a meeting with the CAA board in the context of Engagement and stakeholder inclusivity; an approach being strongly led by the CAA Chairman Sir Stephen Hillier, who has stated his desire to ensure ‘balanced inclusivity for all stakeholders’. Within that, we suggested actions including a stakeholder survey on needs and effectiveness. It received a positive reaction on the day.

The CAA has just announced a new Head of Airspace Modernisation and that a Communication and Engagement Plan would lead to a Public Consultation in Q3 of 2021.

There is now a firm commitment to have (the previously rejected) Lower Airspaces Strategy within the revised Airspace Modernisation Strategy.

The GAA has reached out to a number of Airspace Modernisation Strategy programme stakeholders to identify a common position. This resulted in a two-page joint statement from five organisations (FISO/BALPA/ GAA/GATCO and Air Pilots) covering key issues, calling for a holistic approach and an overarching strategy to meet the needs of all stakeholders.

This is the first time such a joint position has been created – a situation noted by DfT and CAA. See https:// tinyurl.com/3rxxpxhb

More airspace

Brize Norton and Oxford Airspace Change Proposals (ACP) have both been rejected; in both cases the CAA concluded that the airspace design included in the final proposal was significantly different from the preferred options during consultation, and that further consultation should have been undertaken with all

stakeholders to better record and assess the impacts of their final proposal. The GA Alliance has issued a formal request to call in the Inverness ACP for a ‘gross breach of ACP requirements’ – the reasons align closely with the above recorded issue with Brize and Oxford We have been advised that the initial Airspace Classification review will focus on the Cotswold Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR).

The process will stretch over a year before any results can be expected and any such changes should, it is suggested, be based on persuading operators to initiate any actual change.

Given this was a specific initiative of the Secretary of State (SoS), included we understand in directions to CAA, such frustration of the SoS intent with maximum delay is simply unacceptable.

The well-known ‘class D excess’ at Glasgow and Doncaster, obvious quick wins, have been actively set aside. Doncaster has previously been one where they simply refused to reduce the excess and CAA have no powers to enforce the change.

Glasgow has been festering as a known class D reduction opportunity for years with no real action, and the CAA is not minded to push that. GAA will be following up on this.

Non-airspace

The GAA has also been actively engaging on non-airspace matters, including asking questions of the CAA on their contentious decision to no longer support GASCo in providing Safety Promotion activities, instead awarding the contract to a new company formed by a former CAA manager.

We are also pushing for better communication of Medical Unit strategy after clear problems regarding access to medicals and the roll-out of the new software based (Cellma) medical system. Initial system errors deleted the sub 2000kg PMD option completely, which even when restored was not an option on the website! Other errors have resulted in pilots being unable to fly and, in at least one case, instructors being unable to work. Recent Skywise communications now indicate appropriate action is being taken.

06 NEWS

Francis Donaldson to step down as LAA Chief Engineer; help needed for proposed Kent airfield

10 LETTERS

Turbis, D9s, DH.6 and crop sprayers

12 PROJECT NEWS

Skyfox Gazelle, Stolp Starlet, Lancair 320, Cleared to Fly and New Projects

18 FLYING ADVENTURE

Martin Ferid travels to Beccles in the ancient English county of Suffolk…

22 PROJECT NEWS SPECIAL

The intriguing tale of the Sopwith Pup, B1807. By Nick Harris and Clive Davidson…

26 COACHING CORNER

Keep a weather eye post-lockdown flying, advises David Cockburn…

30 STRUTS4U

Anne Hughes profiles Strut activities…

32 CONSULTATIONS

Two vital consultations, please comment!

34 HRH PRINCE PHILIP

Steve Slater looks back at one Turbulent flying episode of the late Prince Philip

36 LANDING VOUCHERS

Check out the vouchers on offer…

37 WHERE TO GO

Put these dates in your 2021 diary…

38 SOFTWARE UPDATE

Ian Fraser says keep your tech up to spec with software updates…

42 SINGLE SEATERS

The benefits of low-cost single-seaters

48 SPITFIRE

Trip of a lifetime in a genuine WWII Spitfire

52 MENORCA

We meander down Memory Lane with a 1988 trip to Menorca by Jodel…

58 MEET THE MEMBERS

We talk to Ian Corse, RV Forum administrator and a passion for speed…

62 CEO THOUGHTS

The far from perfect drone regulation…

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Contents

Contents May 2021

48 Perfect present for Paul!

Photo: Richard Paver

42

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LA News

News

Plenty more news is available on the LAA website at www.laa.uk.com check it out every day!

Francis Donaldson to stand down as Chief Engineer later this year After more than 30 years in post, Francis Donaldson has announced that he plans to relinquish the post of Chief Engineer later this year. Francis will become involved in other external projects, but he will remain contracted to the Association to provide specialist services and expertise on a consultancy basis.

This will likely come into effect from late 2021, following the appointment of an Engineering Director to manage and oversee the activities of the LAA Engineering Department.

A recruitment advert for the new post will appear shortly. Of course, any member who believes they meet the criteria for the post is invited to apply.

Francis has held the post of Chief Engineer of the Association since September 1990. In that time the engineering team has grown from two engineers, one secretary and three telephones, to the current eight engineers and two admin staff, plus external Quality Manager, Contract Design Engineer, Chief Test Pilot and three external Night IFR assessors.

“It inevitably marks the end of an era both for Francis and the LAA, but the good news is that Francis will be continuing to work with us in future years,” says Steve Slater. “Francis is perhaps the most familiar name and face to many LAA members and has acted as a guide and mentor to many since 1990. His depth of knowledge, both theoretical and practical, is unrivalled and we owe Francis a huge debt of gratitude for his past work, as well as looking ahead to continuing to work with him in the future.”

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LA News

French overflight approved In what is welcome positive news for recreational aviation post-Brexit, the DGAC has announced that amateur built aircraft and historic types, operating on a UK Permit to Fly, will continue to have overflight permissions in France.

Britain’s departure from the European Community had created a problem because the previous letters of agreement stated, ‘aircraft of the EC and Switzerland’, thereby excluding the UK. The DGAC’s new arrete, https:// tinyurl.com/3rbmyfuj, defines the status of the UK as being equivalent to other European countries in relation to Permit aircraft overflight, effectively returning us to where we were before leaving the EC. Other European nations, including Germany, have similar recognitions in place.

Reciprocal recognition agreements are also in place with the CAA, allowing European permit aircraft to visit the UK when Covid restrictions allow.

The LAA Rally in September hopes to host many such visitors as a European Federation of Light, Vintage and Experimental Aircraft (EFLEVA) gathering is planned as part of the event.

Let’s hope we can soon resolve the LAPL issue so it too will allow the pre-Brexit status quo of being able to fly in EU states without the requirement of a Class 2 Medical.

Bursary recipients’ success

It’s always great to hear from our Armstrong-Isaacs Bursary recipients, and with the lockdown now easing and flying resuming, they have been able to continue their flight training.

We recently heard from Jake Gazzard: Hello! Today I passed the GST for my Touring Motor Glider rating with the incredible help of the Armstrong-Isaacs Bursary. I cannot put into words what it means to me and

how grateful I am. I started my TMG training some time ago but it was a struggle financially to train regularly, and I never thought I’d get the rating.

Now I can work towards the 21 hours P1 required to convert to the LAPL A. Again, thank you to all at the LAA for the incredible opportunity, I can’t wait for the LAA Rally and to finally meet you all and thank you in person.

Kind regards, Jake.

We have also heard from Jade Collett who writes: Hi, just a quick email with an (overjoyed) update to my training. Due to the Armstrong-Isaacs Bursary from the LAA, I have finally been able to complete my PPL! I managed to undertake my qualifying solo cross country from my home base of Halfpenny Green, landing at Oxford and Sleap, on 17 March and sat my skills test on 30 March with a pass. Happy would be an understatement and I cannot wait to begin my ATPL training soon and continue with my aviation dream. I had

already begun revising Human Performance and AGK (Aircraft General Knowledge) to get a step ahead of my ATPL revision and used my Pooleys voucher to purchase a subscription to AvExam so as to test my knowledge (Thank you again Tim [Tim Watson, who very kindly donated his LAA video competition winnings to the bursary recipients to buy flight equipment from competition sponsors, Pooleys Flight Equipment. Ed.]). I cannot thank you enough for this opportunity!

Kind regards, Jade.

Vaccinations side effects Quite a few of us have probably received the first of our Covid vaccinations, and some will have received two. At the time we were probably warned of the possibility of side effects, and some of us may well have felt one or more of these. Although the CAA has offered no advice to pilots who have been vaccinated, EASA has produced a Special Information Bulletin on the subject, suggesting that pilots should consider a waiting period of 48 hours after each dose of Covid-19 vaccine before flying, and consult their AME if side effects persist for more than 48 hours following the vaccination.

Although this is only advice, I suggest that we ought to take notice of it when we consider whether we are fit to undertake a particular flight.

David Cockburn, PCS Head of Training.

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LA News

Rex Edward Coates 14 February 1937 – 4 April 2021 Despite not being born into an aviation environment, from a young age Rex Coates always felt he was destined for a career in aviation.

As a youngster, growing up with his twin brother during the war years, Rex enjoyed watching aircraft operating from the air bases near to his home, commencing his chosen career at the age of 14 as an engineering apprentice.

Rex entered the Royal Air Force in 1954 where he served for five years at RAF St Athan and Thorney Island, following which he found employment with British European Airways at Heathrow Airport. He remained with BEA, BOAC and subsequently British Airways until his retirement in 2002, employed initially in engine overhaul, then major maintenance and finally as an overseas engineer, serving around the globe and finishing his time with BA at Charles de Gaulle airport, Paris.

Rex’s involvement with light aircraft, and particularly with vintage types, began in the early 1960s when he assisted Alan Chalkley with the rebuild of his Piper J3, G-ASPS (now owned by LAA CEO Steve Slater).

He subsequently purchased a Miles M.17 Monarch in need of considerable rebuilding, following which he found a Miles M.18 which he rebuilt in the BEA hangars at Heathrow with several of his colleagues, together with the engineering apprentices.

After a period when he owned and flew a NORD 1203 Norécrin, Rex later acquired and operated a Miles M.38 Messenger. It’s no surprise that he later became known as the ‘go to’ person for all things Miles related. Rex continued to be involved with aircraft restoration, rectification, and inspection, both large and small, throughout his career and retirement, commenting that he was licensed to release aircraft to service from Jodels to Concorde.

On retirement from the airline industry, Rex initially chose to remain close to CDG, where he was living at the time, as he had recently acquired a Morane 733 Alcyon, which had not flown for a number of years. Rex restored the aircraft to its former glory, a superb paint job finishing the aircraft in its original yellow ‘training’ scheme. Rex continued to operate the aircraft from its base at Le Plessis Belleville, north-east of CDG Airport, for several years during which time he was a much-appreciated member of the airfield community, offering advice and assistance to other private operators, together with his aero club, named after the French WWII ace René Mouchotte. Together with other members of that community, Rex accomplished the rebuild of an Aeronca Defender, which was finished in the colours it wore on active service with the French Air Force in North Africa.

At the same time as he was living in France, Rex was very active in the UK in his role as a LAA Inspector, taking responsibility for a large and varied collection of aircraft in both build and operation and, for some years, he was

also responsible for oversight at several aircraft renovation facilities in the UK. Being conveniently located while in the UK – his UK base was his town house a stone’s throw from Tower Bridge – Rex was able to travel widely within the country and abroad, often taking advantage of his airline retirement travel benefits.

Having enjoyed a long life of generally excellent health, Rex was hospitalised in London in late 2020, later moving to a nursing home near Cannes, France, close to his daughter so she could care for him more easily.

He finally succumbed to his condition, passing peacefully on Easter Sunday, an auspicious date for Rex to take his last flight, as in 1967, he was instrumental in starting the Easter Fly-In at Blackbushe where he had been a significant player in creating a centre for light aviation on what had previously been a wartime military airfield.

Rex leaves two daughters, Penny in France and Wendy in Australia, together with three granddaughters.

RIP old friend.

Richard Wald.

Rene’s 100th birthday René Fournier, right, designer of the much-loved Fournier motor gliders and light aircraft, celebrated his 100th birthday on 14 April with a small group of family and friends, a big party arranged by Club Fournier International unfortunately had to be cancelled due to Covid restrictions.

Driven by a love of music and crafts, Fournier worked in ceramics as a young man but had a desire to design and build a motor glider.

He honed the design of his RF01 for

over a decade before building and flying it in 1960.

Although he never intended becoming an aircraft manufacturer, his improved RF03 went into production with Alpavia at Gap Tallard, shortly followed by the aerobatic RF4 and two-seat RF5 with Sportavia in Germany.

The RF6B went on to become the Slingsby Firefly, and the RF10 the composite Aeromot Ximango from Brazil.

In all, almost 1000 RF designs and derivatives have been produced.

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LA News

Little Mongeham Airfield We are very excited down here in east Kent, more so than normal! As we all know in the UK aviation community, the loss of airfields over the recent past is more than a worry. It seems like not a month goes by without either an airfield going into a precarious at-risk state or developers move in to bury them under housing estates or commercial developments. Aviation is then lost to the area forever, apart perhaps from the use of aircraft names as street names!

But alas, when did you hear of a brand-new airfield being created? I struggle to think of one with planning consent I’m afraid. Well, here’s our chance to buck the trend and add a new airfield to the list – Little Mongeham Airfield in East Kent.

After years of dreams down in these parts, where incidentally we lost Maypole Airfield earlier this year, we have found a fantastic site which has so much promise. The project consists of a 750 metre long grass runway orientated 04/22 (22 being straight into our prevailing wind) and, being extremely well drained, it provides the anticipation for plenty of winter flying.

Hangars will accommodate 20 resident aircraft with a flight office with excellent internet access, with facilities for visitors to make tea or coffee and of course, toilets.

Alongside the airfield will be a brand-new glamping site with 10 glamping pods, each with toilet, shower, sink and microwave etc., each able to be configured into two single beds or a double.

With the onset of fully electric aircraft like the Pipistrel Alpha Electro, our aim is to have fast airside charging available for these and other types which will soon be with us, plus charging in the car park for electric cars.

We hope to attract day visitors as well as pilots and passengers who want to holiday down in the lovely southeast of England in the comfortable pods. A short walk across the open countryside via a public footpath is the village of Northbourne, with a lovely pub serving great food, and for those wanting to explore further afield, the airfield will have free mountain bikes to borrow.

For the less energetic, the glamping site will hire you an e-bike. The surrounding villages have a lot to offer, and of course Deal, which has its lovely seafront and pier.

The site is very close to the recognised flying route across to the continent (Dover / Cap Gris Nez) so this proposed airfield would make a great stop off before leaping across the English Channel, and somewhere to return to after your Continental adventures, closing flight plans, clearing customs and having a nice cup of proper English tea!

I could gush all day about this exciting project, but at the end of the day it’s only a proposal at present. We need all of you to help us make this real and create somewhere for all of you to visit and enjoy.

After a very long and costly process of consultations with acknowledged

experts in all manner of planning disciplines, we have prepared a full planning application for both the airfield and glamping site, which has just been submitted to Dover District Council Planning Department. The submission can be viewed on their website at www.dover.gov.uk/planning under planning reference 21/00626.

I urge you all, as pilots and enthusiasts, to support this application, either online or via letter. We have to replace lost airfields because without airfields, light aviation will wither and die.

We have learned a tremendous amount about the planning system while preparing this submission, and we would like nothing better than to not only succeed with this application, but also to use that knowledge to help fellow flyers around the country endeavouring to prepare their own airfield planning applications.

Airfields are a national resource, and we need to help each other if we are to succeed in adding new sites to offset the losses. Showing your support by responding to the planning application will make a difference to the outcome, but the planning process only provides a small window of opportunity to do that.

Please do not delay, don’t put it off to another day, it will only take a few moments of your time but could make a lasting positive impact on the future of our chosen hobby.

Thank you, Steve Hoskins. hoskinsltd@outlook.com

Return to the Skies It is a rare thing to have an entire book, in this case Return to the Skies, dedicated to just one aircraft. But then again, this aircraft is quite different from the norm. G-AVDF was the prototype Beagle Pup, which made its maiden flight in 1967. It flew for just two years, and was then out of the air for almost half a century before its painstaking restoration began.

This is the story of a unique project, much more than the renovation of a moribund aircraft. It was a re-invention of a hand-built first of its kind, very different from the further four prototypes (one of which was load tested to destruction) and the 172 production aircraft which followed.

It’s a fascinating tale, well told by Anne Hughes and fellow Pup historian Andy Amor.

This book also tells the story of the Beagle aircraft company and its high hopes for the Pup, which came tantalizingly close to being a world-beater.

It was more than a match for anything coming out of the US or Europe at the time, but politics and the economy conspired against it.

However, in the form of G-AVDF and its surviving siblings, the story lives on.

The book is A4 format with 96 pages and 160 mostly colour photographs. £14.95 incl. P&P and available from the LAA online shop or email gavdbook@gmail.com.

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Your Post

Letters We are always pleased to receive your letters and feedback. Please email the editor at bfjjodel@talktalk.net

B

Turbi G-APBO

rian. Following the interesting article on the early history of the three Druine Turbis in the last LA magazine, I thought readers might like to hear of the more recent activity of my Turbi G-APBO. I bought ‘BO in 1992 from Dave Silsbury, who had overhauled it and installed a Continental C-75 taken from his Pietenpol Aircamper. Tim Cox once told me of flying this Turbi south from Usworth, Sunderland behind a poorly performing Walter Mikron. I believe he fitted a Cirrus Minor briefly, but I do not know if it flew with this engine. There is an example flying with a Cirrus Minor in Australia.

Over nearly 30 years I have flown 388 hours (airframe now 758 hours, engine now 623 hours) with very little other than routine servicing required.

On one occasion a broken tail spring required a rudder repair, and a propeller was stolen – this latter event noticed when I went to start it!

Neil Harrison of the TK group flew with me once and remarked how much livelier mine was than the Mikron powered ‘TK. But of course, the

C-75 does not give such an attractive nose shape as the in-line Mikron.

I have flown her to France on five occasions and particularly enjoyed the welcome at RSA Blois 2012 and RSA Vichy 2013, but have never seen one of the French Turbis. At Blois, a French pilot got into a very animated conversation describing how he had flown with the leading edge slots blocked up and warned me never to try it. Why would anyone do that anyway?

The advent of tablet navigation aids has hugely eased long trips in an open cockpit. On my earliest trips to France the cockpit walls were covered in scribblings of frequencies for alternates, grass runways available etc. Two noteworthy flights were landing in heavy rain in a field just North of Lewes, only for a passing walker to point out the farm strip a few fields away; and when, with you ahead in your Jodel in 1996, we used a tiny weather slot to depart Abbeville at 0545 to return to UK. It’s been a delight to own, often admired, often misidentified, but now sometimes passed over in favour of a less vigorous flight in my Jodel.

Yours, Rupert Hibberd.

Turbis and atomisers

Dear Brian. The April issue of Light Aviation spurs me to send you a picture of one of the three Druine Turbis that you may not have seen.

Dr Frank Roche of the Rutherglen Flying Group was a larger-than-life character and one hell of a great enthusiast. On several notable occasions he and, usually, one or two friends used to drive down from Glasgow in those pre-motorway days to discuss Turbi construction details. His visit would be accompanied by a bottle of whisky, which would be downed during our three-hour-plus discussion. At the end of it all, he would drive

Above The pavement outside a Glasgow tram works where Dr Frank Roche put the Rutherglen Group Turbi together.

Above Rupert Hibberd’s Turbi, which he has now owned for nearly 30 years, is still looking great!

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Letters

Above A Tiger Moth wingtip showing the attachment and drive details of the Micronair 400 Rotary Atomiser. back through the night! I recall barely having the clarity of head to negotiate the staircase even after I had paused to let it slow down.

He’d be behind bars today, I fear.

However, his construction of G-APBO took place in a central Glasgow tram depot and this picture was taken on its removal, and traffic-compromising first rig.

I was also interested to see the letter from Stuart McKay. In the 1980s, he and I produced the PFA Technical Notes, a short-lived addition to Popular Flying magazine devoted to practical engineering.

Stuart mentions the Britten-Norman rotary atomisers. The ones fitted to the Tiger Moth seen in the picture in the March issue were Micronair 400s, designed by John Britten and me. Attached is a close-up of the detail attachment. They were extremely difficult to manufacture as the numerous liquid traps with concentric seals called for very close machining tolerances for the mating parts.

Interestingly, all these atomisers – and there were at least 40 of them – were made by the man who ran Ryde Model Shop in the High Street. The street shop front was that of a normal model shop but out the back he had a fully equipped engineering shop of top-quality machines.

The replacement was the Micronair 1000, which was far neater and incorporated an integral drive fan. Auster Workmasters were fitted with four for better coverage.

Without going into the technicalities of crop-spraying, rotary atomisers imparted a swirl to the droplet pattern which allowed both sides of a leaf to be treated. The alternative spray-bar and multiple nozzles gave better coverage of larger-sized droplets. It tended to be a case of swings and roundabouts, people tended to be advocates of one technique or another.

Yours, Arthur W J G Ord-Hume.

Early Jodel D9s

Dear Brian. May I make a correction to Paul Fraser-Bennison’s letter re the late Mike Bowden and his Jodel D9? (Light Aviation, April 2021, page 9.)

The first Jodel D9 to be registered in GB was my own, G-AVPD, which took up the letters from 15 June 1967. The second of the type was Bill Cole’s G-AWFT, which was registered on 29 March 1968 and issued with a Permit to Fly on 23 July 1968, certainly the first in the country.

G-AVPD’s first flight was from Heathrow to Booker on 14 June 1969.

Bill completed his aircraft in about six months by working on her before breakfast, at lunchtime and in the evenings, while running his building business. I took three years to build G-AVPD, because after the project was launched a lot of my spare time was devoted to PFA administration.

I chose to build a Jodel D9 rather than a Turbulent after exhaustive studies over a period of three years of the wooden single seaters then available.

I spent a lot of time discussing the merits with Frank Parker, a future PFA Chairman, while he was completing his own Turbulent, G-ASSY, in the garage of his home at Horsell near Woking.

Frank’s advice was not to build a Turbulent due to two major influences: the exceptionally difficult slot in the leading edge of the wings, and the geometry of the undercarriage, which he was convinced could never be made to fit if manufactured from the drawings. He advocated the Jodel D9 although, perhaps strangely, nobody in GB had even started one at that time. The fact that Rollason Aircraft took on series production of the Turbulent and could offer advice, assistance and parts, made life much easier for people.

Perhaps ironically, for his own familiarisation, Bill Cole bought a Turbulent, G-APYZ, which he very generously allowed me to fly too from Jenkins Farm, Navestock, in July 1968.

Regards, Stuart McKay

Aunt’s old photos

Brian. I always enjoy reading, and I am informed, by the articles in the Light Aviation magazine. Having read Ultralights for the RAF in the March 2021 edition, I thought I would pass on the following in case it is of interest.

During lockdown I had a look again at an aunt’s old photo album and came across a photo of G-EBEB, on the beach, presumably giving joy rides. I’m not sure where it was taken, but it must have made an impression as they took a photo! It made me wonder how many people were inspired to become aviators by such cheap and accessible flights.

A little research found reference to it in A Flying Life: An Enthusiast’s Photographic Record of British Aviation in the 1930s and showed it to be ‘The well-known DH.6 Maysbus G-EBEB of the Giro Aviation Co. Ltd.’, with a photo of it flying over Southport Sands, so perhaps that is where aunt’s photo was taken. It was assembled at Hesketh Park in 1925 and also pictured shoved forlornly in a corner of a hangar (minus its engine) in 1936, having been withdrawn from service in 1930.

Kind regards, Ian Graham. ■

Above A DH.6 pictured on a beach, possibly Southport Sands, giving joy rides in the 1902s and captured by Ian Graham’s aunt’s camera.

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Project News

Projects which inspire others to build their own aircraft Compiled by Mike Slaughter

Project News T here is a healthy mix of New Project registrations this month, at one end of the spectrum is a Replica Sopwith Triplane, at the other a brace of the eternally admired Van’s, the newly popular Sling 4, and not to overlooked, a new start on a Kitfox 7. The Kitfox doesn’t crop up so often these days, due I’d imagine, to the many derivatives available more locally.

As an Avid owner myself, I thought I was pretty much on top of all of the Avid/Kitfox derivatives, but no, there is yet another from the land Down Under… where beer does flow and men chunder (Men at Work, 1982). Graham Johnstone introduces us to his appropriately registered Skyfox Gazelle and his struggle to break free from a CofA would you believe.

On building one’s first project, people will ask you, “When will it be finished?” and of course we’d trot out some naive response based on hope. With the benefit of experience next time around, our answer may well be ‘when it’s finished’. I remember Barrie

Towers stating in his report last of last autumn that his Starlet should be finished around the start of this year, and ready for testing in the spring – and he was spot on! The true voice of experience. I believe there is only one other flying example in the UK and more conventionally powered, so Barrie’s early performance data is interesting for this Rotax 912 powered variant.

Chris Skelt started his project in Surrey back in the early 1990s, finished it in Texas nearly 25 years later, and is hoping for one final ‘season’ out there before returning home without his creation.

There are only a handful of Lancair 320s in the UK and Chris has decided that he’ll need something more suitable for our grass airfield scene when retirement returns him to these shores. I’m sure parting with a project that has been part of his life for so long will be difficult.

To get in touch with Project News, and tell your story, report a milestone or just to send a picture, email: projectnews@laaarchive.org.uk. Please share your story!

G-IDAY (s/n CA25N028) Skyfox CA-25N Gazelle

By Graham Johnstone

G

’day, and welcome to our journey. It’s quite a chequered history and it’s still going…

As with many aircraft on the LAA register, G-IDAY’s origins can be traced back to the early Avid and Kitfox designs. However, after a few false starts with Skyfox Ltd, a start-up company in the Philippines, and then with Calair in Australia, eventually Skyfox Aviation Ltd got off the ground in Australia in 1992. The first aircraft model was the CA22, a lightweight ultralight aircraft which sold quite well.

It was then decided that a beefed-up version was needed for ‘flight training and rural property use’, so a Kitfox on steroids was developed and called the CA25N Gazelle. It was anticipated that it would be a low-cost alternative to a helicopter, with very low loiter speeds, superb visibility (certified to fly doors off) and very safe low-speed handling. In addition, it had a tall tricycle undercarriage that was designed to be able to taxi over irrigation ditches, and folding wings so it

could be put into a trailer. All this on an 80hp Rotax 912 was quite a challenge, however it sold quite well and 76 were produced.

G-IDAY started life as VH-RCR and was imported to the UK as a demonstrator in 1996. It is the only example flying in the UK, Europe, and probably the Northern Hemisphere.

G-IDAY was originally on the fleet of Tayside Aviation, who used it as a low-cost hour builder for new PPL holders, and this was where I first encountered it in 1996 at Fife Airport. However, it was on a public CofA and proved quite costly to operate for such a robust simple aeroplane. Consequently, as one of its regular pilots, I was offered the opportunity in 2003 to buy G-IDAY from Tayside, and we are still together today a few hundred hours later. Pockets are lighter too, due to CofA and ARC maintenance costs, but we got there.

Since those early days of ownership, it was always the intention to try and get G-IDAY onto a Permit to Fly,

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Project News

Above The Gazelle, is a fine-looking, rugged aeroplane.

Photo: Graham Johnstone Right Test flight day at Kingsmuir in Fife with Archie Liggat as the appointed air test pilot. Photo: Graham Johnstone.

Below Graham at the controls of his Gazelle before the transfer.

Photo: Wallace Shackleton

but due to various reasons, mainly that it had a type holder certificate still active with CASA in Australia, it was not possible to go down the LAA orphanage scheme route until now, 17 years later.

In late 2020 I was given the green light that we could proceed, and transfer G-IDAY onto the LAA register, and we applied for a Permit to Fly. That’s where the real learning began. To fly an aeroplane that someone else maintains for you is one thing, but to start preparing the aircraft for its Permit to Fly is a whole new ball game, and I must say a great personal learning experience around airframes and engines. It also allows you to get to know some very talented people and meet real characters along the way.

For this part of the journey, I have been guided by my LAA inspector Sandy Hutton, and supported by Rotax guru Alan Gilruth, fellow LAA member Peter Mair (G-BYBY) and my appointed test pilot Archie Liggat.

G-IDAY was cleared to fly in January and, while

observing all Covid-19 restrictions, Archie conducted the test flying schedule in late February. All went as expected without any surprises, so fingers crossed that we had completed the next stage of our journey. The paperwork was submitted, and hopefully we may get a Permit issued soon, as Covid-19 restrictions recede, and the weather improves…

However, the journey may not stop here. In Australia, the Gazelles still flying are on the LAA equivalent organisation, the RAAus, and over time have acquired CASA approval for shiny new composite props, 100hp engines, and have even had turbos fitted.

These are things I couldn’t do readily while on a CofA. So, on this new LAA journey who knows what improvements or modifications might be allowed as we go down the track.

Watch this space… and say G’Day to G-IDAY, Archie, or me, if you see us out and about!

Safe flying.

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Project News

G-CLNP (LAA 292-15599) Stolp Starlet SA-500

By Barrie Towers

I

thought I would give a final update to everyone on my plans-built aircraft that I started in November 2018 and, after two years and two months (2,890 hours of work), the aircraft was completed, and all paperwork ‘signed off’ on 21 December 2020.

The paperwork was dispatched to Turweston HQ as soon as I could in January, and after providing some additional details that were requested, I received my permit to test fly on 8 March. She finally took to the air with my inspector, Peter Montgomery, at the controls on 24 March.

Below The unique Rotax installation provides the required power without the CofG issues of Lycoming or Continental powerplants.

There is nothing quite like a single-seat aeroplane, whether one flies warbird’s, antiques or homebuilts, when there is room for just one, the thrill is the same and that first flight is also your first solo, which can make things quite interesting! Open cockpit flying has always had a following, and fills your head with a bygone golden era of aviation, although it’s not for everyone, especially when the weather turns colder!

The Stolp Starlet is fantastic for sightseeing as its fuselage is narrow, also making take-off, taxi and landing easier due to the improved view compared to aircraft with a broader fuselage.

I believe it’s also attractive, with its semi elliptical wing, and as with a few other designs, if you want one, building from plans is your only option as, understandably, only commercially viable aircraft are produced in kit form today.

For those who like detail, November Papa has an empty weight of 618.4lb (281kg) and will accommodate pilots from 121 to 215lb (55-98kg) with full fuel of 11 gallons (50lt) and 20lb (9kg) of baggage and therefore has a MAUW of 933lb (424kg). The Rotax 912 installation, as expected, brings the aircraft into the middle of its CofG range, rather than flying on the forward limit, and will benefit from this in many ways. At normal Rotax cruise power it looks like she’ll cruise at around the 100mph mark and climb at best rate is in the region of 1,500ft min. Fettling and debugging continue, but it’s pleasingly close to all being there.

For those interested in seeing a video of ’NP’s first couple of flights, go to https://tinyurl.com/StolpG-CLNP.

Right Peter returning to home base with Barrie’s fantastic looking creation.

Photo: Peter Montgomery Below Already for Peter to make that all important first flight.

Photo: Barrie Towers

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Project News

G-BSPX / N1990L (PFA-191-11865) Lancair 320

By Chris Skelt

L

ike many builders, I started with radio-controlled models that became larger and more complex, until a resolution in my teens to control the next one from on board. By my mid-thirties I was living in Houston Texas, had UK and Irish PPLs, a US Instrument Rating, about 200 hours in rented spam cans and was looking for more performance and ramp presence. It was time to activate the resolution.

After a demo flight in the Lancair 320 factory demonstrator in Santa Paula California, I left with a copy of the builder’s manual, from which I concluded it would be a doable project and committed to go ahead.

What is in the manual is indeed relatively easy. It subsequently became clear that what is barely covered – for example building accurately with ill-fitting moulded parts, panel design and getting all the components to communicate, and selecting and installing the engine and accessories – is much more of a challenge. It is though, an education, which is after all, one of the EAA’s stated goals.

Work and family circumstances brought us back to the UK, so the ‘fast build’ kit was shipped across the Atlantic, arriving in June 1990 and remaining in storage during a year in Aberdeen.

We moved to Reigate and then converted a large 1960s Marley garage into an insulated workshop that could be heated to 25°C throughout the year for fibreglass work. The first entry in the builder’s log was in September 1992.

The only major airframe issue was the ‘small tail’ controversy that has been thoroughly discussed elsewhere, which required junking the original tail and replacing it with a larger and better engineered version to improve low speed pitch stability and control feel – and comply with a PFA mandate. Subsequent comparative measurements by the Lancair community of control forces and landing incident statistics have endorsed the PFA’s demands and resulted in an aircraft that is safer for amateur pilots without sacrificing performance.

Below The now rolling airframe is being readied for its Atlantic crossing in February 2002.

Photo: Chris Skelt Below left March 2015 and just about 18 months before her first flight, the interior just needed a little final trimming.

Photo: Chris Skelt Below right Surface preparation for painting being supervised by the ‘ship’s cat’. Photo: Chris Skelt

Then 2002 brought a move back to the US, so the project was loaded into a container for its second Atlantic crossing, and work continued in the garage at home in Houston. On leaving the UK I removed G-BSPX from the UK register before determining that my US H1-B visa didn’t permit me to own an aircraft and, because I wasn’t allowed to own it, nor could I transfer it to my American wife. Fortunately, the FAA were able to find a way around this unforeseen glitch and register it as N1990L, with Carole as the proud owner, until I obtained permanent residency in 2007 and bought it back for $1.00.

The first two flights in November 2016 (so just under a quarter century from start to wheels up) were by a professional who followed the traditional single circuit with a 45-minute check of the entire operating envelope, and declared it a good one. Reassurance indeed from a retired Navy test pilot, and an auspicious start to the formal 40-hour test programme.

N1990L has Dynon EFIS and EMS, Garmin GPS, NavComm, Transponder and ADS-B in and out, and

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Project News TruTrak altitude and roll autopilot. I have incorporated several of the subsequent airframe improvements, such as the forward hinged canopy and torque tube latch, as well as the seat belt anchor and firewall modifications mandated by the then PFA for UK builders.

A Lycoming Thunderbolt IO-360 engine drives a Hartzell constant speed propeller giving ’90L a 195kt cruise at 8,500ft burning 8 US gallons (30l) per hour at peak EGT, about average for the fleet. It has a benign stall, and responsive handling with no vices once you have climbed the steep learning curve.

However, it demands concentration on final approach and landing as it doesn’t forgive imprecise height and airspeed control during the last few seconds before touchdown.

N1990L is coming up to 300 hours, has been to Sun ‘n’ Fun twice, to Cleveland to visit the US Airforce National Museum, and has visited many destinations in

Below Fully finished and looking great against the Houston skyline. Photo: Chris Skelt

Texas and Louisiana to sample the barbecue and gumbo that we locals prefer to $100 hamburgers.

I know of no other aircraft with the Lancair’s combination of performance, handling and economy, but it’s not grass strip friendly, and so not very compatible with the UK GA environment. I have therefore decided that 90L will stay when we return to retire in the UK at the end of this year. It will be replaced by an aircraft that will take two adults plus bags in and out of short, rough fields.

I’ll miss passing the upwind end of our local 4,000ft runway with wheels up, accelerating through 120kt before pulling up into a 2,000fpm climb, but that’s not the only way to enjoy the sky.

Hopefully Covid will have receded enough by the summer to permit some intensive travel in North America before selling, and 90L will find a buyer who appreciates the only Lancair on the FAA register with a PFA serial number, sporting a colour scheme inspired by a Cambridge college scarf.

New Projects If your aircraft has been featured in the New Projects list, please let Project News know of your progress at: projectnews@laa-archive.org.uk n Van’s RV-8 (LAA 303-15759) 26/3/2021 Mr I Belmore, Broadoaks, Dragons Lane, Dragons Green, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 8GD n Sling 4 TSi (LAA 400A-15753) 10/3/2021

Mr K Jobling, High Barns, Bellerby, Leyburn, N Yorkshire, DL8 5AF n Replica Sopwith Triplane (LAA 366-15757) 17/3/2021 Mr R Merewood, 14 Wainwell Mews, Off Winnowsty Lane, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN2 4BF n Denney Kitfox MK 7 Supersport (LAA 172D-15755) 15/3/2021 Mr J Kemp, 48 Ledbury Road, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 2SY

n X’Air Hawk (LAA 340-15758) 23/3/2021 Name & Address held by LAA Engineering n Van’s RV-14A (LAA 393-15756) 16/3/2021 Name & Address held by LAA Engineering n Sling 4 TSi (LAA 400A-15754) 11/3/2021 Name & Address held by LAA Engineering n Van’s RV-7A (LAA 323-15752) 3/3/2021 Name & Address held by LAA Engineering

n G-CLMW Mission M108 (LAA 370-15620) 9/3/2021 Mr David Collins, Horseshoe Cottage, Chapel Hill, Kington Magna, Gillingham, SP8 5ER n G-CJBV Yak-52 867203 3/3/2021

Name & Address held by LAA Engineering n G-CLNP Starlet SA500 (LAA 292-15599) 9/3/2021 Mr Barrie Towers, 32 Hunter Rise, Pershore, WR10 1QZ

Cleared To Fly If your aircraft has featured recently in the magazine and has subsequently completed its maiden flight, Project News would love to hear from you at: projectnews@laa-archive.org.uk

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Flying Adventure

EASTWARD HO! ...

Martin Ferid travels to Beccles in the ancient English county of Suffolk – home to artists, musicians and – aspiring archaeologists…

E

ven for the most Panglossian commentators among us, this has been a testing year, and the glorious 12th could NOT come quickly enough. The 12th in question is not the one in August, which heralds the start of the grouse shooting season, not that there’s too much that’s glorious about shooting innocent wildlife; but rather the date in April selected for the easing of a bout of flying restrictions.

Solo flights had already been permissible for two weeks, but with everyone and his uncle out of currency, those first few flights were sure to be filled with a mixture of emotions.

Being airborne again after any length of time evokes feelings that can range from pure delight to abject fear, and very likely everything in between. Being scared is no fun, but in truth, the lucky ones manage to blow off the cobwebs in an hour or two and emerge from the cockpit full of vernal joy.

Above The small Suffolk market town of Beccles stands on the River Waveney, on the edge of the Broads National Park and makes a pleasant destination for a weekend or longer away.

Others are most definitely behind the aircraft and a decision has to be made on the best way forward. Simply being diffident and doing nothing, merely exacerbates the situation for the next time. I know it’s not macho admitting to the anxiety, and the Yorkie bars or builders bum go some way in hiding the truth, but there are tell-tale signs if you look for them. On the ground, the systematic, well-oiled routine becomes more of a haphazard flit from one task to another and airborne, the controls are searched for in a distracted and clumsy manner, rather than handled intuitively.

Then there is a final group whereby the sum-of-theparts can be so overwhelming that the ‘Captain’ has little mental capacity remaining for a safe or enjoyable flight.

For those that experience feelings of uncertainty or vulnerability, you are not alone, and things can be done to alleviate the majority of concerns.

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Flying Adventure Left The River Waveney meanders across the East Anglian countryside, inspiring recollections of Swallows and Amazons. There are plenty of opportunities to take to the water.

Firstly, and probably most importantly, give yourself time. Rushing to squeeze in a flight after work on the way home may have been fine, under normal circumstances, but whatever this last year has given us, it is certainly not the definition of ‘normal’. It should go without saying to choose a nice day, not only weather-wise but also, a day when you possess a positive mental attitude. The fact that Bill and Ben have gone flying should not add undue pressure or be a defining factor. A decent cloud base, 5-10kt down the runway and visibility from Land’s End to John O’Groats works for me! Stiff crosswinds and poor visibility can be left for another day, as anything less than ideal is likely to stress a pilot with rusty skills. Taking an Instructor or LAA coach with you is by far the best option, the cost is negligible and those first few flights can be approached in a much more relaxed manner.

After not having used my trusted two-wheeled stallion for months, there was a feeling of optimism in preparing it for the road and its MoT. On the way to the garage, I realised that I hadn’t given a second thought to the forthcoming ride. There was no fuss, no problem, and although it was a comparatively sedate journey, the bike seemed to fit in with the other traffic more or less as it was meant to. Having the metaphorical wind through my hair coupled with the thrills of riding again, resulted in the lyrics of Patrick Hernandez’s Born to be Alive running through my head. That degree of comfort and confidence is what we would all like in aviation and achieving it is no great secret.

Just fly more! For most pilots, ‘more’ doesn’t mean the promise you make yourself every year, or an hour or two more but, significantly more. The minimums are just set for a basic ‘standard of safety’ and not expected to produce the degree of confidence we may like.

Another incentive for making flying a priority right now is the possibility of another lockdown. It’s a good idea for pilots to book their biennial revalidations and get their hours in as early as possible, as the CAA doesn’t appear to be granting further extensions.

Other serious considerations are the technical gremlins

that are prone to infiltration after any period of inactivity. It’s not the wisest of moves to have a cursory walk around, kick the tyres and gun the engine. Last month, we did the equivalent of a permit inspection on the mower that cuts the runways. It was not just a case of a bit of grease here and there, the fuel tank was removed, the fuel lines replaced and the carburettor inspected etc. The result should have given us a trouble-free year as the whole machine was running smoothly. And it did, until halfway through its first cut when it stopped without warning, with fuel flowing out of the carburettor. After a closer look, the synopsis was that ethanol in the fuel had made the float sufficiently porous, so it could no longer shut off the fuel flow. It was sudden, unexpected and more than a little inconvenient, but as the mower only ever stays on the ground, there was no lasting harm. As far as preventative maintenance goes, we couldn’t have done more, and there is no full-proof answer, but a good inspection makes sense and to quote a famous Sergeant in Hill Street Blues, “Let’s be careful out there!”

I shall now depart the lectern, leaving it to more knowledgeable folk, only to add that it’s great to be back in the air and wonderful to be flying again! A question that is often asked is whether the time and effort associated with this activity of ours is really worthwhile? Well, the frustration can be disheartening, particularly with needless bureaucracy, technical issues and unreliable engineers.

Oh! and the weather, of course, but all in all, the simple answer is – Yup! Especially when you get to fall in love with the wonderment of flight all over again each season.

For those with a penchant for good old-fashioned, Anglo Saxon words, it is said that Beccles comes from the word ‘clisson’, meaning ‘an enclosure’. Although others have translated its meaning as ‘pasture by the stream’.

Either way, it lies in Suffolk, more or less 12 miles due west of Lowestoft. Being the UK’s most easterly airport makes it the closest to Holland, at around an hour across the North Sea. The airfield is about three miles to the south-east of May 2021 | LIGHT AVIATION | 19

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Flying Adventure Beccles, at the village of Ellough (population, less than 100). In the Doomsday Book, it is listed as Elga, consisting of four or five families. Interestingly, William the Conqueror’s inspectors were dispatched to document the number ‘hundreds’ (administrative regions) and ‘hides’ throughout the land. A ‘hide’ being 120 acres, the minimum land decreed to sustain a family. Once the hides were established and documented, instead of using the information for philanthropic purposes, it was used as a means of determining taxes that duly filled William’s coffers.

The airfield is one of the many built for use of the US during WWII and became operational in 1943. Shortly after

it served as the HQ for RAF Coastal Command and RAF Bomber Command. These days it is home to Rain Air flying club www.becclesaviation.com, a Parachute Club ukparachuting.co.uk/, as well as a Microlight School – MidAnglia Microlights mamicrolight.co.uk/ In general, I tend to view one airfield much like another, as in truth, they are much the same. Well, that’s not the case at Beccles anymore. The landing fees have been reduced to £10, with tea and coffee included. The place has been fully refurbished and B&B is available on site with three rooms available, plus camping under the wing is perfectly acceptable.

The restaurant serves good café-type meals at a reasonable price and the outside terrace has a marquee in case of less than clement weather. The runway has also been refurbished and if you plan to go, and you really should, give Mandy a call on 07920 067285 for a friendly welcome. With all the doom and gloom, it is so refreshing that at least one airfield is thinking positively and investing in the long-term future of aviation.

A bite to eat…

Posh Pigs Café is a 20-minute walk from the nearby Industrial Estate. Turn right out of the airfield for one of the cleanest, friendly cafés I've come across.

17, Ellough, Beccles NR34 7TD. 01502 717596 The Three Horseshoes Pub requires a left turn out of the airfield and follow the road for about 25 minutes.

Alternatively, if you ask nicely, you can walk across the runway and over the fields saving a few minutes, and it’s also a much more pleasant walk.

North Cove, Beccles NR34 7PH 01502 476601 thethreehorseshoesnorthcove.co.uk/ The Waveney House Restaurant is located at the hotel in the town. Picture a summer’s day, a taxi from the airfield, Above Glamping with an aeronautical theme. This Lynx is an Afghanistan and Hollywood veteran, and is quite modestly priced.

Left Beccles Tower was built in the early 1500s and stands 97ft (29m) tall. If you are feeling energetic you can climb the 122 steps to the top and enjoy views across the town and Broads. Norfolk is just across the Waveney.

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Flying Adventure lunch on the terrace and the tranquillity of watching the boats along the river. Life shouldn’t seem so bad after all.

If you’re looking for nouvelle cuisine with light, delicate food and a plate adorned with a pretty display, you’re going to be disappointed. This is an area for pubs serving pies, steaks etc, plus cafés and ethnic restaurants.

Bearing in mind that I’m a wine lover, I can also be tempted by a nice lager or bitter and Adnams, my second favourite bitter, is brewed locally at nearby Southwold. adnams.co.uk

Out & about…

The SJL9 is the bus to get from near the airfield into Beccles, but first, you have to walk to the phone box at Henstead with Hulver Street. The whole journey should take around 45 minutes, although a taxi would have you in town in 10 minutes or so.

Going in the other direction to the coast at Lowestoft by public transport is not straight forward, as the train runs from Beccles and takes about an hour-and-a-half all told.

Lowestoft has an abundance of typical seaside places to stay or eat, a few museums and is about 20 minutes away by taxi.

The Farmers Market is conveniently located at the airfield and takes place twice a month. It has been running for around 20 years and I sometimes visit armed with an ice pack and a cool bag for fresh fish, Suffolk sausages and other locally made produce. Why? Simply because I can! becclesfarmersmarket.co.uk/ Henstead Exotic Garden. For anyone with a horticultural bent, the garden is interesting, with a tropical feel about it. hensteadexoticgarden.co.uk/ Beccles and District Museum is small but free to enter, although a donation is appreciated. It details the history of the town and the surrounding area. becclesmuseum.org.uk/ Beccles Public Hall & Theatre. An idea for a night of culture, if staying in the town for a couple of nights or so and tickets are generally available. becclespublichall.co.uk/ Big Dog Ferry runs excursions along the river and is owned by the same company that operates the lido. bigdogferry.co.uk

And so to sleep…

The Waveney House Hotel sits on the banks of River Waveney close to the centre of town. Being one of the nicer hotels, it is well worth a weekend away. Expect to pay around £120 per night depending on when you go.

Puddingmoor, Beccles NR34 9PL. Tel: 01502 712270 waveneyhousehotel.co.uk/ Glamping in a Lynx AH9A Helicopter can be found less than 15 minutes away by taxi in the other direction, near the sea at Kessingland. The helicopter is not just an attraction but the location for a wacky weekend away, as it has been converted into a glamping pod, with the back serving as the bedroom. This particular Lynx saw service in Afghanistan, after which it was used by Hollywood in the Fast & Furious films before being purchased by the current owners. It costs around £75 per night and is only a short walk from the beach. airbnb.co.uk/rooms/41373024?

Three Rivers Campsite is the place to make the most of the great outdoors at a lovely location with all of the facilities and none of the hardships. Camping is available for anything from a motorhome to a one-man tent, with bikes and boats available for rent.threeriverscamping.co.uk.

Walking around the town is quite pleasant, but the real charm of the place is messing on, in or around the river.

Above Beccles town sign depicts Queen Elizabeth I handing the Charter of the Corporation of Beccles to John Baas Port Reeve in 1584.

This could easily be the 1930s set for Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons. If you’ve never read the adventures of John, Nancy, Susan, Peggy, Titty and Roger, dig out some children and make a point of doing so, for their sakes, naturally! Apart from an abundance of ‘little blighters’, be on the lookout for kingfishers, otters, marsh harriers and other birds of prey.

Whether it’s a ride on the ferry, lazing on the banks with a picnic, or something comestible at one of the pubs or restaurants, the settings are hard to beat. Canoes and paddle boards are available for hire, but for a truly, memorable day out, try hiring one of the day boats. Boats are available for up to six people for around £110. hippersons.co.uk.

The appeal of mooring up for lunch at the idyllic setting of a 14th Century Inn must even permeate the most ardent Victor Meldrews among us. With holidays abroad currently off the menu, a boating holiday cruising the Broads may just put life back into a better perspective. ■

Go touring with the author…

Martin Ferid is a Class Rating Instructor and Revalidation Examiner who specialises in accompanying qualified pilots throughout the UK and Europe in their aircraft. As a confidencebuilding exercise, either as day trips or for a few days at a time, just get in touch. The ‘favourite destinations’ on the website should provide some inspiration, or try the ‘bit of fun’ section on the contact page for wet weather days.

Email: lightaircrafttraining@yahoo.com Tel: 07598 880178 Website: www.lightaircrafttraining.co.uk Next month: Haverfordwest (EGFE) in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

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Cockpit audio

Project News Special

History in the making…

T

The intriguing tale of Sopwith Pup, B1807…

By Nick Harris and Clive Davidson

ucked neatly into the side of the Tiger Moth Training Hangar at Henstridge is a rare and marvellous example of an aircraft destined to return to a full flying life. It is, at the moment, the uncovered fuselage of Kelvyne Baker’s Sopwith Pup which was airborne in 1917, defending London at night against the German Gotha bombers.

It sits on its undercarriage with an 80hp Le Rhône

Above Three of the team behind the Sopwith Pup restoration, from left Jason Nuttal, Kelvyne Baker and Nick Harris.

rotary up front, the bare sides revealing original illuminated night-flying instruments – still working even after all these years. It also has the narrow wickerwork chair. This appears to be too small, but the average height of an RFC pilot was 5ft 4inchs back then.

Alongside, covered in protective blankets and resting on a pair of wooden trestles, are the spars, awaiting their completion, and on the wall behind, rows of wing ribs and their upper wing centre section,

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Project News Special

awaiting their turn to be added to the growing structure.

When recently being assessed by the LAA as the continuation of a once vital but dormant project, and inspected by Francis Donaldson, the Pup was a completely erect, and the bare frame drew an inspired and surprised intake of breath, its stature and presence dominating the hangar.

While instructing 50 years ago, Kelvyne, although enjoying the upper end of the single Cessna range, wanted a Puss Moth. He was given a lead and visited an old barn, part of a farm being auctioned, where he found NOT the Puss Moth of his dreams, but two WWI fighters, the other being a Bristol Fighter. Time was short, they were due to be auctioned and would, if acquired, have to be moved pronto.

Pickfords charged as much as their acquisition!

Kelvyne got in touch with Wally Berry, the then Chief Engineer of the Shuttleworth Collection, and admitted he wasn’t quite sure what he had. Along with Stan Lawrence, his PFA Inspector, they dug into the records and analysed various fittings, and naturally the Bristol Aeroplane Company was also interested. Their apprentices contributed and understandably, centred on ‘their’ fighter.

Top On arrival at Henstridge. The engine is a Le Rhône but the cowling is that of its original 100hp Monosoupape engine.

Above left B1807 while serving with 198 (Night) Training Sqn, based at Rochford, Essex in 1918.

Above right Standard Motor Company (Coventry) photograph showing the usual fit of the cockpit area, before fabric was applied to the fuselage.

Swaps benefitted both projects, and in time Bristol gained its fighter parts and Kelvyne had his Pup advanced. The continuing aim is to be able to bring it back into being within this country, avoiding it being lost to a foreign collection.

As with all such aircraft, its background has to be known, and a few inconsistencies arose with the examinations of plans from Sopwith, and research by Cross and Cockade. Research has found that this Pup is the only remaining original. Most others are replicas or constructed from parts of original Pups. The only exception to that is the airworthy Shuttleworth Collection Pup, which was originally built post-1918 as a Dove, a two-seat Pup, and has subsequently been converted into a standard Pup. Designed by Herbert Smith in the latter part of 1915 and drawing from an earlier machine designed for Sopwith Aircraft Company’s test pilot, Harry Hawker, called The Bee, the Pup is a single bay, single-seat biplane fighter of all wood construction, with staggered equal span wings.

Power was courtesy of a nine cylinder, 80hp (60kW) Le Rhône 9C rotary engine, the armament being a single May 2021 | LIGHT AVIATION | 23

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Project News Special Vickers machine gun with interrupter gear. The aircraft was first flown in February 1916 and proved a success, both the RNAS and the RFC ordering substantial numbers. In all, 1,796 examples were built, 850 by the Standard Motor Co., 820 by the Whitehead Aircraft Co, of Richmond, William Beardmore & Co. built 30, with Sopwith themselves building only 96 as its production capability was tied up with the Sopwith One and a Half Strutter.

The type went on frontline service in France in October of 1916 and, due to its better agility afforded by having ailerons on top and bottom wings, plus superior climb performance, it was immediately successful against the inferior German opposition. Such was the rapid progress of fighter aircraft during the war that, by the spring of 1917, they were already outclassed by new German machines, and by late-1917 they had been replaced by the Sopwith Camel, and assigned to duties on the home front.

Construction difference

Pup B1807, the aircraft featured in this article, was built in 1917 by the Standard Motor Company in Coventry, this ‘heritage’ being shown by the construction difference of the wing ribs and how they were slid onto the spars with their attachments. It was one of a small number fitted with a 100hp Monosoupape engine, a motor that proved less reliable than the usual Le Rhône. It was issued to 112 HD (Home Defence) Sqn at Throwley, near Faversham in Kent, and flew on anti-Gotha patrols in August of that year. It was then reassigned to 36 Home Defence Sqn, which is believed to have been based at Cramlington, in Northumberland. On an unknown date it then moved back down south to 198 (Night) Training Sqn, based at Rochford (now Southend Airport).

On 18 September 1918 it moved again, this time just up the road to No.39 Sqn at North Weald Bassett, where it remained until after the Armistice. During its Military career, the original 100hp Monosoupape rotary engine was replaced with the standard fitment of an 80hp Le Rhône, although it retained its distinctive ¾ cowling, complete with cooling louvres …which it retains to this day.

Above In its civilian guise in 1921 as G-EAVX following its groundloop accident at the Hendon Derby, the last time it is known to have flown.

Below The assembled airframe on display in 2015.

Note original wicker seat. The small prop on the undercarriage leg drives a fuel pump.

With the war over, B1807 left military service and was struck off charge and sent to the Aircraft Disposal Company at Croydon. It was purchased by A R M Rickards and registered as G-EAVX. Rickards was an RAF officer who was forced down at Croydon by bad weather while on a cross-country flight with his friend and Commanding Officer, Norwegian, Tryggve (pronounced Trig) Gran. Both men were serving Officers based at No 2 Navigation School, RAF Andover. They bought a Pup each during their enforced visit, while looking around the serried rows of brand new and old aircraft waiting to be disposed of by the then new Handley Page Company1.

The aircraft were bought with the intention of them being flown around Europe by their owners on various trips, most notably to Norway. However, in Gran’s 1979 book Mitt Liv Mellom Himmel og Jord (My Life between Heaven and Earth) he wrote that bad weather and engine problems forced them both down in Kent the week before Christmas 1920. A decision was made to use the prevailing wind and fly to Newcastle, to embark aboard a ship instead. Rickards went on to complete some astounding work surveying Yemen and other areas in what is now Saudi Arabia. He was killed in the area in a flying accident in 1937.

Tryggve Gran had been the ski instructor on the ill-fated Scott Antarctic Expedition of 1912 who found the bodies of Scott and his unfortunate comrades (using his own skis to fashion a cross placed on the cairn of ice and snow built over the collapsed tent).

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Project News Special On 30 July 1914, Gran became the first pilot to cross the North Sea in a heavier than air machine, taking off in his Blériot XI-2 monoplane, Ca Flotte, from Cruden Bay, Scotland, and landing 4 hours 10 minutes later at Jæren, near Stavanger, Norway, after a flight of 320 miles (510km). There is a monument to the flight at Cruden Bay and his aircraft is preserved in the Technical Museum in Oslo. Unfortunately for him, this major event in aviation history was overshadowed by other international events, as some five days later Britain declared war on Germany.

He became a national hero in Norway but fell from public grace when he became involved with Quisling2 before WWII. He died in 1980, aged 91.

‘VX re-appeared at the 1921 Aerial Derby at Hendon, an event which sadly saw the death of the renowned Harry Hawker during a test flight. It was flown in the Derby by Dring Leslie Forestier-Walker, who ground looped the aircraft after feeling unwell during the flight on 16 July 1921. Forestier-Walker was lucky to escape unhurt and the aircraft was taken to the Graham-White hangars on the airfield (the same hangars are now preserved as part of the RAF Museum). It remained for what is believed to be two years, during which time the wings were sold to P T Capon, the Chief Engineer for Cierva (UK), after which it was supposedly disposed of.

Nothing further is known until Kelvyne Baker acquired the aircraft in 1972, when he discovered the remains in an estate sale in Dorset, thinking he was on the track of a long-forgotten Puss Moth… Work started on rebuilding the aircraft almost immediately, although the aircraft was moved to several different workshops, where Kelvyne and his friends managed to almost complete the fuselage.

The then PFA scrutinised the work throughout that build, so the fuselage is ostensibly airworthy. Due to workshop ownership changes, the aircraft had to be placed in storage in 1985, and was subsequently moved to Kelvyne’s garage, where the build had almost stopped due to lack of space. A chance meeting with Nick Carey-Harris put Kelvyne in touch with the then Royal Naval Historic Flight Director, John Beattie. On seeing the aircraft, John immediately offered space in a hangar at RNAS Yeovilton for the rebuild to continue.

Volunteer work begins…

The aircraft was filmed by the BBC during its move to RNAS Yeovilton on 30 March 2007, where a team of volunteers commenced work on the aircraft.

The wings are probably the biggest job to complete now. The Sitka Spruce for the spars was obtained at great cost and has been machined to the required shape. The now completed main spars are currently being populated with ribs, compression struts, interplane wiring and a myriad of other bits and pieces. In late 2010 the Pup was moved to a private airfield, owned by a North Somerset businessman, Derek Paget, but was later moved to the owners workshop.

Other work outstanding includes refitting the turtle decking behind the cockpit, assembling the port side cowl fairing, and building from scratch the front fuselage lower cowl which forms part of the engine exhaust vent… a major piece of kit! The team have been promised, in principle, the use of a flight-worthy 80hp Le Rhône, although negotiations for that have still to be concluded.

Progress has been painfully slow due to all the team members using their own funds to contribute to the costs of the restoration. It is still actively seeking sponsorship, however, and any contributions would be gratefully received!

Above Original instruments and the panel lights for night flying – pea bulbs in a tube with holes drilled in it to throw light onto the instruments. Sick ‘grip’ is temporary.

The people currently involved in the restoration include Kelvyne Baker, Nick Harris, Jason Nuttall and Mike Waldron.

Obviously, we’re receiving lots of encouragement and assistance, which we are all very grateful for, especially from Kelvyne’s wife, Sue. Other supporters include Standard Motor Company Club members Phil Homer, Bob Richards and Joe Wardby.

The project is now being driven by Jason Nuttall, carrying out most of the restoration work, with the historical research being carried out by Nick Harris.

Working from a complete set of digitised plans, the metal fittings for the spars are in progress, with the aim of the wings being constructed and covered this season (regulations permitting).

As an incentive, which must be quite a spur, Jason has been checked out on the Tiger Moth and is continuing to maintain recency (except during lockdown) and gain experience so that he may fly the Pup when complete. For Kelvyne, this long-lived project has been, and continues to be, a long road, but with an LAA road map it is my fervent hope that this historic aircraft will grace our home skies in the not too distant future.

If you would like to help with any information for the team, please feel free to contact Nick Harris at Nickh2437@gmail.com NB: 1. Gran was a highly experienced ‘Pup’ pilot. Very unusually he had been issued with his own Pup (B2188), whilst he was a pilot operating under the name ‘Teddy Grant’, with a Special Duties Unit attached to 101 Squadron in France in 1917. He was delivering Spies behind enemy lines, which could not have been easy in a single seat aircraft. A 101 Sqn. pilot, Claude Wallis, stole into the secret hangar and later described what he saw as ‘something like a motorcycle sidecar attached to the aircraft’.

We have no record of Rickards having flown in a Pup, but it seems likely that he may have, as the type was famed as one of the most benign handling aircraft of its day.

The team are of the opinion that Gran may well have ‘persuaded’ Rickards to buy a Pup, because of his deep association with the aircraft type.

2. Gran’s involvement with Quisling may not have been entirely voluntary. He was a national hero at the outbreak of WWII and there are indications that he was threatened with harm directed at his family if he didn’t co-operate. ■ May 2021 | LIGHT AVIATION | 25

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Coaching Corner

Coaching Weather Corner… watch…

Keep a weather eye post-lockdown flying, reports PCS Head of Training, David Cockburn

H

opefully, the Government Covid rules and guidance will now be allowing us to fly, and even take passengers. We can hope that the advice to minimise travel will also shortly be removed, so perhaps those of us with families at the other end of the country will be able to visit them, which I know from personal experience will be most welcome. If things have gone to plan, we should be looking forward to being allowed even more ‘freedom’ from 17 May, and I’m sure several Clubs and Struts will have organised fly-outs or fly-ins to take advantage of the increased flexibility.

I don’t want to dampen enthusiasm, but human factors suggest that having an opportunity to fly after a long period of restrictions is liable to colour our judgement. There is a strong temptation to exercise our freedom, and that can easily lead to ‘press-on-itis’.

Even those of us who pride ourselves on careful pre-flight planning can be caught out by the pressure, from ourselves probably more than from others, to finally achieve what we’ve been looking forward to for

Above What’s the back-up plan?

such a long time. It would be a dreadful shame if that long anticipated event was spoiled by a damaged aircraft or worse, so it’s a good idea to avoid challenging situations, at least until we have got back into full currency.

One of the major factors affecting flight safety is the weather. According to the Met Office, UK weather forecasts are a lot more reliable than they were in previous decades, and that may indeed be quite true, especially for forecasts issued a few days in advance.

However, one has to question whether there has been any particular improvement in meeting the needs of light aircraft pilots, many of whom certainly believe that it is now more difficult to obtain suitable weather information than in the past.

One possible reason for this perception is the reduction in reporting weather stations. For example, there used to be a network of RAF aerodromes offering TAFs and METARS throughout the year, but many of these have now closed. And those that are still open frequently only provide meteorological

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Coaching Corner Haze

information for limited periods, and very few open at weekends. Plus, the consequence of recent travel restrictions due to Covid has seen a considerable reduction in the operating hours of many civilian aerodromes, with a resulting loss of even more weather information.

It’s not just the wind which can cause us problems. If we are fortunate to experience what to the public is ‘glorious summer weather’, for example if high pressure dominates, visibility may deteriorate during the day. We are often advised to fly above a haze layer in order to improve air-to-air visibility, but haze tops have been known to turn into cloud banks.

Even if the surface is still in sight from above, if the visibility has reduced below that layer, we can find ourselves with navigational problems. Hopefully GNSS can tell us where we are and help us avoid notified airspace but landing into a late sun when the haze has thickened close to the ground has caused accidents in the past, and no doubt will continue to do so.

TAF and METAR reliance

The general forecast charts (Met Forms 214 and 215) provide the basic needs for planning, but by their nature provide limited guidance. Winds at 1,000ft are available from the 214, but what will the surface wind be? They also tend to warn of what the forecaster considers the worst case scenario, so as a result, we pilots have become used to studying aerodrome TAFs close to our route and destination for more detail and have confirmed their accuracy with METARs. The reduction in reporting stations means we are less able to refine our own expectations of what the weather may hold.

Cunim build up

Limited updates

Another concern about weather information is that once a forecast is produced, it remains as the official view until the next routine forecast is produced, unless a pretty major change is required. AIP Gen 3.5 describes at para 4.11 the criteria needed for a TAF to be amended. For example, if it becomes obvious that the wind is stronger than the original forecast, an amendment to the TAF need not be issued unless the new mean speed expected differs by at least 10kt from the original figure. That means that, if the forecast wind at an aerodrome with a runway 27/09 is 180/12, the expectation has to be that it will increase to over 22kt before an amendment is issued. Reports suggest that crosswind speed increases of close to 10kt have been experienced at UK aerodromes quite frequently in recent years. Unfortunately, the change criteria are internationally agreed and are aimed at commercial operations.

So, weather forecasting, despite continued improvements, is still far from easy, and small changes in pressure patterns can produce apparently disproportionately large changes in specific items such as crosswinds.

Therefore we should be alert to the fact that published forecasts may not reflect the actual situation, and we must always compare actual reports (METAR and SPECI) with the forecast to make our own decisions about the amount of faith we place in the TAFs.

Below Cumulonimbus is often easy to see and avoid. Keep well clear, if it’s blocking your progress, talk to ATC to seek entry into controlled airspace or turn back.

On the other hand, April may have passed, but the weather does not restrict itself to traditional patterns. A clear morning may encourage us to set off on a long-awaited flight, but as convection builds during the day, heavy showers, and even thunderstorms can sneak up and trap us in the afternoon. The hazards associated with cumulonimbus clouds ought to be well known to pilots, but if we are looking forward to a long anticipated visit it is easy to overlook that ‘ISOL’ or even ‘OCNL’ threat of severe icing and turbulence.

Not that I should expect any of us to fly in, or even close to, a Cunim, but rain, hail and suddenly forming stratus under what may have seemed quite high cloud, can be disconcerting, as well as an indication of potential carburettor icing. It is important to remember that if a CB is within 10 or even 20 miles of our airfield, wind direction and strength can change

Note the TREND and call

Also, note any TREND – the little bit of forecast at the end of the report – it is actually a more accurate and recent forecast than the TAF. However, less information available means such decisions are less well informed. Not, of course, that most pilots rely solely on official information.

Even if there is no requirement for PPR, it is always a good idea to telephone an intended destination before take-off for updated information on local procedures, runway state, and of course the current weather.

However, we must beware the natural optimism of an aerodrome operator or whoever is on the other end of the telephone – their perception of the weather conditions may not completely reflect reality!

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Coaching Corner dramatically on the approach. Even if we have a good indication of that wind, are we as competent at crosswind landings as we used to be before the lockdown?

Have a back-up plan

I’m not suggesting we don’t fly if the forecast isn’t perfect, but we do need to consider what we can do to minimise the risk from whatever possible hazards we might encounter. We don’t ever want to find ourselves ‘out of options’ and forced to accept damage, or worse, as a result of being unprepared.

Always have a back-up plan in case things go wrong, which in the case of avoiding bad weather means an available safe diversion airfield, which we can reach with the fuel we are carrying. Airline pilots are used to planning such potential diversions.

Don’t leave the divert too late

That back-up plan can often be to turn back to the better weather through which we have just flown, although we must keep an eye out behind us to make sure that cloud isn’t thickening.

However, our diversion doesn’t have to be behind us and there are quite a few airfields marked on UK charts, so if we are still flying in clear weather and can see wide gaps between the showers, we may be able to continue safely – but only if we know the gap we fly through leads to a usable runway.

The problem which has caught out many accident pilots is that they did not realise they needed to adopt their back-up plan until it was too late – either fuel ran low, or the gaps in the weather closed, or both.

Below Low Stratus is the most likely cloud that will catch you out in the UK. It can deteriorate rapidly so don’t get suckered into the situation you see here, decide early to divert.

basic service if we ask. Most of us have access to other available sources of weather information, including rainfall radar pictures on a mobile phone, which it would be silly to ignore (although we need to look out, so I suggest a passenger checks that if possible).

Even our normal lookout/listen out procedures can help us during our flight, we don’t have to make calls on the radio to glean information from it. Reports of weather conditions from other pilots should obviously alert us to them, but if we hear someone changing their route plans, or going around from an approach, that should cause us to consider whether the cause of their action might affect us. A ground speed different from that expected, or an increase in drift, can indicate a change in gradient wind which we can expect to be reflected in the surface wind at our destination. If we know what information our navaids and personal devices can give us, we can be ready to change our plans while we still have enough time and fuel to do so.

A good lookout scan does not just help us avoid other aircraft, it can also provide warning of unexpected weather deterioration. Smoke or wind turbine orientation provide an indication of local surface wind direction and, to some extent, speed… although convection can cause considerable local variations, several similar indications are likely to indicate a general trend.

Patches of low cloud may indicate thicker cloud ahead, and a darkening horizon, or an apparent reduction in visibility in one area, can indicate precipitation in that direction. Puffy little cumulus clouds which seem to grow upwards rapidly may be the harbingers of storms to come. However, Cunims can expand rapidly and even a well-prepared pilot may find themselves unable to reach a diversion airfield safely.

When all else fails…

En route weather updates

Anticipating problems can reduce that risk. It goes without saying that we should always check the likely weather around our intended route before take-off, but as already described, conditions change. VOLMET (you remember VOLMET, don’t you?) can provide recent METARs or SPECIs from major airfields, but we can obtain reports (including any TRENDS) from these and any airfields which provide them from an air traffic

And at this point a really well-prepared pilot will enter the circuit around a large flat field oriented into the current wind for a precautionary approach and subsequent landing. Earlier, I suggested that we only fly through gaps between showers if we knew the gap leads to a usable runway. At the same time, because such a gap may well close suddenly, we should be constantly choosing potential landing fields ahead of us and considering how best to make an approach into them. While a field landing may cause inconvenience and possible aircraft damage, if our original and back-up plans have all come unstuck, at least we and our passengers should be safe.

This may sound like doom and gloom, and there will actually be very few occasions when unexpected weather changes prevent us from carrying out a planned flight. However, having well prepared back-up plans ‘just in case’ not only reduces the risk of an accident, but can actually improve our enjoyment of the flight. If, for example, halfway along a homeward flight we detect that things may not be quite as good as we expected, we can concentrate on the flying rather than considering possible courses of action. Provided we have checked that the back-up plan is still achievable, we can continue as planned for as long as it is safe to do so. If it does appear unsafe to carry on, we just have to concentrate on carrying out that plan. ■

28 | LIGHT AVIATION | May 2021

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LAA Strut News

T

he skies around Turweston have been buzzing in the last weeks with a combination of fair weather for flying and the easing of restrictions. One aircraft type you might be lucky enough to see is the Aeronca, designed and built by the Aeronca Aircraft Corporation. The C-2’s distinctive design gave it the nick-name of The Flying Bathtub, in the 1920s, and later models include the Chief, Champ, Chum and Sedan. In Cornwall, Pete White, Chairman of the Aeronca Club of Great Britain, has been focusing his thoughts on flying for fun again and sent us the following.

“The Aeronca Club of Great Britain was formed in 1992 after an Air Britain Aeronca-themed fly-in at White Waltham Airfield. This was instigated by Alan Biggs, who was soon joined at the helm by Roger Jones and then Pete White. The Club grew and established itself as a worthy and very active ‘type club’, which enables owners/operators to keep in contact and meet at regular fly-ins around the UK, with occasional trips to France and Ireland.

“Roger Jones left the fold in 1994, and in 1997 Alan Biggs passed the reins to Pete White, who has been at the helm ever since. The Club has successfully maintained a casual approach but has gained more useful contacts worldwide for advice and spares with the help of the Club website (www.aeronca. co.uk), initiated by Bob Swan, then Jon Turner and now in the capable hands of Seth White. The stalwarts on the committee that assist in the running of our Club are Alan Crutcher, Reg McComish, Rich Valler, Derek Boyce and John Colgate. All are flyers of the Aeronca breed, a type that is very special in the world of US Classics.

“Part of the joy of Aeronca ownership is being able to self-maintain the aircraft through the LAA Permit to Fly scheme, and it gives you the unique opportunity to really get to know your aircraft.

Struts 4U

by Anne Hughes

Above Aeronca Club Chairman Pete White, left and fellow members enjoy a drink and a chinwag.

Left A period Aeronca advert encouraging farmers to take up flying.

Below A gathering of Aeroncas at a Club Fly-out.

The Club holds about six fly-ins a year around the UK, and we stay in touch using email to assist our members, and other enthusiasts, to make their ownership and flying of Aeronca aircraft as pleasurable as is possible. Have fun, fly an Aeronca!”

Informative

There have been many excellent and informative Strut Zoom evenings over the last few months, including David Cockburn’s fascinating talk, Chipmunk over Berlin, when he told us about working in Berlin during the Cold War. I’m sure it would be a popular talk for many Struts, should David wish to talk about his experiences again at a future date. His presentation had all the ingredients of a Cold War thriller!

During the March edition of the LAA end of month zoom pub night, Noggin and Natter, we discussed the situation regarding Strut zoom evenings that are arranged after this

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LAA Strut News column has gone to press. It was suggested that if Struts wanted a wider audience for a special evening, it could be communicated to members on the LAA website Strut Forum.

Alan Kilbride, from the Vale of York Strut, uses Facebook and the Forum to advertise some of the arranged online meetings. Not all Struts may be able to facilitate larger numbers, but it is good to look at various ways of sharing programmes, as it is beginning to look as if online events may become a useful alternative to gatherings during the winter months. We have learned a lot over the last 12 months that will be of benefit to groups and clubs in the future.

We would like to extend our best wishes to Ellie Carter who is the new Chair of the LAA YES Strut. It is to be hoped

A

t this time some Struts are continuing their monthly meetings using Zoom and you are welcome to contact any Strut should you be interested in the advertised talk or to find out if fly-ins, fly-outs or BBQ’s have been arranged.

Andover Strut: Spitfire Club, Popham Airfield, SO21 3BD. 1930. Contact: keith.picton@ntlworld.com Bristol Strut: BAWA Club, Filton. 1930.

Contact: chairman@bristolstrut.uk www.bristolstrut.uk 4 May - Zoom. Steve Slade & Eddie Clapham - Kiev to Odessa microlight rally 1988.

Cornwall Strut: The Clubhouse, Bodmin Airfield. Contact: Pete White pete@aeronca.co.uk 01752 406660 Devon Strut: The Exeter Court Hotel, Kennford, Exeter. 1930. Contact: david.millin@sea-sea.com 19 June - Terry Case Memorial Fly-In at Farway Common.

East of Scotland Strut: Harrow Hotel, Dalkeith. 2000. Contact: inrgibson001@btinternet.com 0131 339 2351.

East Midlands Strut: Please contact: tonyrazzell2@gmail.com for meeting details a few days beforehand, or to be added to our email circulation to get details automatically.

We also have a Facebook group and upload recordings of some meetings where we have speakers.

Gloster Strut: The Victory Club, Lypiatt Road, Cheltenham, GL50 2SY. Contact: harry.hopkins@talktalk.net Highlands & Islands: Highland Aviation, Inverness Airport. Contact: b.w.spence@btinternet.com 01381 620535.

that we can start to engage with young people again later in the year, and look forward to seeing the new programme for YES when it becomes available.

We have been asked on several occasions if there is enough interest in Northern Ireland for setting up a new LAA Strut there. It has in fact been a matter of debate several times over the years, and we would certainly welcome positive news from across the water should a group of like-minded NI aviators wish to make a formal arrangement.

LAA member Scott McMurray is happy to be a contact/ coordinator in this respect. If you would like to be involved, please get in touch with LAA HQ and we will be pleased to report the outcome in this column.

Strut calendar 19/20 June - Easter Airfield Fly-In (dates provisional).

Kent Strut: Cobtree Manor Golf Club, Maidstone, Kent. 2000 (currently Zoom).

Contact: Steve Hoskins hoskinsltd@outlook.com 07768 984507.

LiNSY Trent Valley Strut: Trent Valley Gliding Club, Kirton Lindsey. pilotbarry1951@gmail.com http://linsystrut.wixsite.com/website North East Strut: Fishburn Airfield. Brunch third Sunday of each month. 1130-1330 at Fishburn Aviator Cafe. Contact: alannixon297@btinternet.com North Western Strut: Veterans Lounge, Barton, Manchester, 1930 for 2000. Contact: cliffmort@btinternet.com 07813 497427.

North Wales Strut: Caernarfon Airport, Dinas Dinlle. HEMS Bistro Café 1300. Contact: Gareth Roberts gtrwales@gmail.com 07876 483414.

Oxford Group: New Venue TBC. Second Wednesday each month. Zoom meetings.

Email for joining details. Contact LAAOxford@gmail.com www.oxfordlaa.co.uk 12 May - Flying on Green Ammonia by Mike Mason.

Redhill Strut: The Dog and Duck, Outwood, Surrey, RH1 5QU. Third Tuesday of each month at 1930. Contact: david@milstead.me.uk Shobdon Strut: Hotspur Café, Shobdon Airfield, Hereford HR6 9NR. 1930. Meetings (once lockdown completed) second Thursday of month. Contact: Keith Taylor bushebiggles@sky.com 19 May - Zoom meeting 1930, Flying Dakotas

by Kath Burnham.

16 June - Strut BBQ, location and time to be confirmed.

Southern Strut: The Swiss Cottage, Shoreham-by-Sea. 2000. Normal meetings will resume on the first Wednesday of the month when permitted. Contact: palmersfarm@sky.com Strathtay Strut: Scottish Aero Club, Perth Airport, Scone. Scone Clubhouse. Contact: keith.boardman@peopleserve.co.uk 07785 244146.

Suffolk Coastal Strut: Crowfield Airfield Clubhouse.1900. Contact: Martyn Steggalls events@suffolkcoastalstrut.org.uk 07790 925142.

19 May - Zoom meeting 1930, Flying Dakotas

by Kath Burnham.

Vale of York Strut: Chocks Away Café, Rufforth East Airfield. Contact: Chris Holliday 07860 787801 valeofyorkstrutlaa@gmail.com www.valeofyorkstrutlaa.wordpress.com Wessex Strut: Henstridge Airfield Clubhouse.

Contact neil.wilson@laa.uk.com 26 June Wessex Strut Invitation Mid-Summer Evening BBQ, Middlezoy Airfield. Fly or drive-in.

West Midlands Strut: Navigator Café, Halfpenny Green Aerodrome 1930. Contact: Graham Wiley westmidlandslaastrut@ googlegroups.com Stuart Darby stuartdarby134@hotmail.com. or visit our website wmstrut.co.uk West of Scotland Strut: Bowfield Country Club, Howwood, PA9 1DZ. 1900. Contact: Neil Geddes barnbethnkg@gmail.com 01505 612493.

Youth & Education Support (YES): Contact: Graham Wiley gw20home@outlook.com NB: Thank you to all Struts and clubs for getting in touch. If you have any stories, items you wish to share or updates for the calendar, please contact me at struts@laa.uk.com ■ May 2021 | LIGHT AVIATION | 31

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Consultations

Headset review

Consultation is key

T

Could this be a threat to our Permit to Fly… Steve Slater reports

he word ‘consultation’ seems to be a fashionable buzzword at the moment, whether it is born out in actual listening by those involved is of course another matter. Currently we’ve got more than 20 airspace change consultations on the go, but two recent consultations on other subjects stand out, as they could have potentially serious implications on how we fly in the future.

CAA FUTURE PERMIT AIRWORTHINESS CONSULTATIONS

After much to-ing and fro-ing over an 18-month period, the CAA has moved to a public consultation

stage on their review of the BCAR CAP 553 regulations by which they delegate their authority for permit to fly aircraft airworthiness to the BMAA and LAA. As I wrote in CEO Thoughts last month, both Associations queried the need for this, but were merely told ‘it’s in the programme’.

A bit of background

The LAA (and previously PFA and ULAA) approvals from the CAA date back to 1948, when the first agreements to delegate oversight of aircraft on Permits to Fly were developed with the Ministry of Aviation. Then, in November 2013, after more than three years’ work by a joint CAA Airworthiness and LAA Engineering team, the current A8-26 publication was drawn up for the ‘Approval of Organisations Supporting Recreational Aviation’.

The actual agreement is part of a wider CAA regulation, British Civil Airworthiness Requirements, known as BCAR or CAP 553, and its Section A has two segments which are of direct relevance to the LAA and BMAA. Section A3-7 states that it establishes the measures to be taken to ensure that the aircraft remains airworthy and includes details of the maintenance to be carried out. It also specifies the conditions to be met by the persons or organisations involved in such continuing airworthiness management.

A8-26 is effectively one step down from this and is the mechanism by which the CAA delegates the oversight privileges to an approved organisation. It is, of course, dependent on each bit of the approval meeting the requirements of A3-7. We then demonstrate our compliance with A8-26 by the production of a comprehensive Exposition and Engineering Procedures Manual (EPM), to which we are regularly audited, either internally via our Quality Manager ‘Taff’ Stone, or externally by CAA Surveyors.

The devil is in the detail

So, what’s being changed and why is it important?

While all of this may appear as dull as ditchwater at first sight, these documents regulate the whole airworthiness oversight processes of both the BMAA and LAA, and some of the changes will likely fundamentally change the way we process, in particular, Permit renewals. If they go ahead in their present form, they may also lead to added costs as 34 | LIGHT AVIATION | May 2021

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Consultations

“We ask all LAA

members take a look at it online and prepare to comment” we, and you, and your inspector, will have to add extra layers of administrative oversight to each permit renewal application.

At first sight, the wording at the start of the consultation is innocuous. It states that The changes to Chapter A3-7 have been made largely to reflect the introduction of the new privileges in A8-26. There have also been minor updates to reflect the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and EASA. So far, so good but the actual terms of the ‘consultation’ only reflect the items to which the CAA has proposed changes. There has been no working group, such as with the 600kg and ab initio training projects, to look at it in the round. Effectively the CAA is saying, ‘we’ve come up with this, now go away and get on with it’. Actually, it’s a huge, missed opportunity for us to all work together to develop something newer and more flexible for the future.

Worse still, the proposals for the two CAA codes add additional requirements for us to demonstrate levels of compliance which are higher than those used for larger GA and commercial aircraft, certainly disproportionate to light aircraft being flown for recreation and inspected by volunteers. In fact, the new EASA Part ML regulations are now more flexible than the revised A3-7 and, as the CAA has proposed not to amend A8-25 for CAMO maintenance organisations, it remains more flexible and less proscriptive. We believe that as a red line, we should not be required to operate under more onerous requirements than the certified world.

What can we do about it?

The public consultation runs to 27 May and we recommend that all LAA members at least take time to look at it online and prepare to comment. Currently we are continuing to work through the point-by-point detail of the proposed changes and reviewing the wider documents of the approvals as there appear to be other elements, which have been changed in recent years, which have not been included in this review or consultation.

We will aim to post our guidance on key areas and our responses on the LAA website by 14 May, and recommend you look out for these and frame them in any response you might wish to give.

The link to the CAA consultation document is at https://tinyurl.com/ynubhcbx

OFCOM LICENSING CHANGES

This was a case of the ‘consultations that never were’ from our point of view, in that we were never even told they had happened. But at least, we hope, we can still influence a positive outcome.

You may recollect that back at the beginning of March, many radio licence holders got, out of the

blue, a letter from Ofcom stating there would be changes to the holder’s radio licence conditions requiring compliance with new regulations. This caused significant disquiet, not least because even our technical experts struggled to unravel the technical gobbledegook in the letter. A triumph of plain English it was not!

The Ofcom licensing changes are apparently driven by a need to meet internationally agreed guidelines on electromagnetic fields (EMF) to help ensure services operate in a way that will not adversely affect health. These guidelines include limits on EMF exposure for the protection of the general public, including a requirement to calculate a minimum safe distance from transmissions.

Ofcom had held two consultations on the matter last year, but in neither of these had the aviation sector been consulted. We (and the Royal Yachting Association, who are similarly affected) both sent letters of complaint to Ofcom, asking them for an explanation of their oversight and for greater clarity around just what they are seeking.

That resulted in a meeting between Ofcom and LAA Engineers Jon Viner and Joe Hadley, and we have formally requested, in view of their flawed consultative process, that any licence amendment activities in association with aviation be deferred until appropriate impact assessment and mitigation reviews are carried out.

It is clear from our research that the risk to uninvolved third parties from light aircraft radio transmissions is minimal. It is also noteworthy that Ofcom wishes to comply with advice from ICNIRP (the International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection – since you ask) which were initially just guidelines. These were then interpreted by HSE in the UK as appropriate guidance. Ofcom have then elected to escalate this to a mandatory requirement by amending license conditions. We have queried the basis for this.

At the same time, we have agreed with Ofcom that we are happy to assist in achieving their desired aim of ensuring EMF protection, by offering proportionate guidance based on the ICNIRP guidelines. In its current form, the proposed Ofcom requirements indicate that all equipment that transmits with an output power greater than 10W EIRP must be assessed.

As we discussed at our recent technical meeting between ourselves and the Ofcom team, this impact would be mitigated by an amendment to requirements to state that only equipment with an output power greater than 10W EIRP, after factoring for the amount of time transmitting within a six-minute period, need be assessed. For a VHF transmitter this typically results in less than 10%, and 0.5% for a transponder.

Using these criteria, virtually none of the installations in the recreational aviation fleet need further technical assessment.

We are now working with Ofcom to produce aviation-specific guidance for licence holders that will include practical, step-by-step instructions for demonstrating compliance, that will help members to achieve the anticipated requirements. We’ll keep everyone apprised of progress and we’ll ultimately produce an LAA Technical Leaflet for further guidance.■ May 2021 | LIGHT AVIATION | 33

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HRH Prince Philip

By Royal Appointment…

Steve Slater looks back at the Turbulent flying episode of the late Duke of Edinburgh…

P

rinces Harry and William have rightly hit the headlines in past years with their rotarywing flying and their father, Prince Charles, was an enthusiastic pilot too. However, so far only one member of the Royal Family has ever flown a single-seat aircraft, and that is the late and much-mourned, HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

While Prince Philip had been RAF-trained (on a DH82A Tiger Moth and a Harvard), the single-seater that he flew wasn’t a fighter type. It was a Druine Turbulent, owned by the Tiger Club and powered by a 1500cc Volkswagen. It was a sign of a passion for flying, which led to the Duke clocking up 5,986 hours in 59 types of aircraft before hanging up his headset in 1997.

The invitation to fly the Turbulent came from his equerry, Squadron Leader John Severne (a former Lightning pilot, later to become Captain of the Queen’s Flight, and later still Air Vice-Marshal Sir John Severne).

He had used the aircraft, G-APNZ, in the 1959 King’s Cup Air Race, ‘entered’ by Prince Philip in the manner of a racehorse owner and trainer. The aircraft was specially painted white with a green flash with the Duke’s crest painted on the cockpit side.

On 24 October of that same year, the Turbulent was flown from the Tiger Club’s base at Redhill to White Waltham, while Prince Philip arrived from Windsor Castle and donned his RAF flying suit.

After a quick briefing from the Tiger Club’s ‘Le Patron’, Norman Jones, the Prince gleefully climbed aboard, observing with a wry grin that the publicity-conscious Jones had replaced his Royal cypher with a Tiger Club sticker on the side facing the photographers, and also noting the traditional Tiger Club warning placard on the dashboard, ‘All Aeroplanes Bite Fools’.

The prop was duly swung, and Prince Philip taxied out and took off. Whether the story that the Prince cheerfully infringed Heathrow’s airspace to take a look at ‘the family home’ is true or not, is open to conjecture. Even if it was, attitudes to airspace were rather different in those days.

Wherever he flew, the Prince arrived back half-anhour later with a big grin on his face, but in the absence of a helmet on a cold autumnal day, complained that the top of his head had got a bit chilly!

It was then realised that the Prince was about six inches taller than Severne and that the top of the Turbulent’s windscreen had been trimmed to gain a few extra miles an hour in the King’s Cup.

Top HRH Prince Philip prepares to fly the Tiger Club’s Turbulent G-APNZ in October 1959.

Above HRH had no problems flying the aircraft and came back with a broad grin on his face.

In 1960, Severne and ‘the Royal Turbulent’ were entered in the King’s Cup again. This time the aircraft took victory in the prestigious event, leading home fellow Tiger Club member Clive Francis for a Turbulent 1-2, at an astonishing 105mph. The Turbulent flew with the Tiger Club until being heavily damaged in an accident in 1995.

The remains were subsequently acquired by Martin Jones and his team at Derby Airfield, who are also involved in the long-term restoration of the DH88 Comet racer, G-ACSP Black Magic.

After a number of years of hard work by LAA volunteers, including the late Stuart Jackson of the East Midlands LAA Strut and engine builder David Beale, the aircraft is almost ready for flight once again. Rather appropriately, among others the volunteers restoring the aircraft to flight are students working on the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. Before his passing, Prince Philip was approached by the team for permission for the aircraft to carry his ducal coat of arms once again, but one wonders, might a ‘By Appointment’ royal cypher on the fuselage perhaps be more appropriate? ■

34 | LIGHT AVIATION | May 2021

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EXCLUSIVE LAA MEMBER INSURANCE BY AIR COURTAGE CALL US ON 03306 845108 TO DISCUSS YOUR AVIATION INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS. WWW.AIR-ASSURANCES.UK/LAA LAA@AIR-ASSURANCES.COM

A DEDICATED INSURANCE PROGRAMME FOR LAA MEMBERS

Landing vouchers

LANDING VOUCHERS We are delighted to restart our landings offers page, and the first vouchers are for the month of June for Longside in Aberdeenshire, Netherthorpe in Nottinghamshire, and Shipdham (weekends only) in Norfolk. Vouchers are for light single-piston engined aircraft.

JUNE 2021

In light of the current situation, it makes sense to call the airfield, even if they are not PPR, to ensure they and any facilities you may need are fully operational. Please take the voucher with you, not a photocopy, and have a great day out.

✁

Aviation Longside 07825 811111 LIGHT

Free landing June 2021

Longside is a former RAF station two miles inland from Peterhead on the north-east coast of Scotland. It is located in an ideal place for touring the Highlands. Visiting pilots are very welcome but PPR is essential, as there is intense helicopter activity nearby. Do not overfly Torterston or other nearby residential buildings. Mogas available by arrangement – text the day before.

Circuits at 1,000ft to the south on the Aberdeen QNH. A/G Radio is 118.280, if there’s no answer make blind calls. Aberdeen radio is 119.050 www.buchanaeroclub.co.uk

Aviation Netherthorpe 01909 475233 LIGHT

Free landing June 2021

Home of the Sheffield Aero Club, Netherthorpe offers a warm welcome and an excellent refurbished restaurant, which is open every day. Two grass runways available. PPR please, and get a number. Ask for advice if you have not flown in before. Overhead joins 1800ft and circuit height is 800ft.

Avoid local villages. Safety briefing also required for departure as the airfield is located under the Doncaster/Sheffield CTA. Avgas by arrangement. A/G Radio is 123.280 www.sheffieldaeroclub.net

Aviation Shipdham Aerodrome 01326 820709 LIGHT

Free landing June 2021 Weekends Only

Shipdham is a very friendly aerodrome located in deepest Norfolk, one of the driest parts of the UK! Only open on weekends, please, and avoid overflying Shipdham village. The café should open from 9.30am. Avgas available. Used by the USAF during the war, it operated B-24 Liberators.

The well looked after runway was resurfaced a few years ago A/G is 132.250 (make blind calls if no answer) and nearby Marham is on 124.150.

LAA England Tour The LAA Tour will soon be upon us, it is planned for July 5-8, although no doubt many will wish to overnight at Henstridge on the 4th following the Wessex Strut Fly-in and Meet the LAA Day. Those wishing to do that should PPR Henstridge nearer the time, so that the

airfield owner has an idea for overnight/ morning meals.

Participants will be responsible for paying their own landing fees (although we are working on most being reduced or free), and arranging and paying for their own accommodation, food and fuel etc.

BBQs and evening meals have been arranged at a number of the destinations, payable on the day.

If you wish to participate on the tour, either for the duration or just a day or two, and have not yet registered, please contact Neil.Wilson@laa.uk.com for further details.

36 | LIGHT AVIATION | May 2021

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Where to go

N

Where to go

Where T To oG Go o

ice to see fewer cancellations again but please do check events are on before heading out. This list comes courtesy of David Wise and the Royal Aero Club, see http://events. royalaeroclub.org/eventeu.htm for further details of these and

MAY

1 Compton Abbas Vintage Saturday Fly-in 2 Old Warden Shuttleworth Drive-In Air

Show [see Notam Y002/2021] 15 Old Warden Shuttleworth Drive-In

Evening Air Show [see Notam Y002/2021] 22 Duxford Flying Day [pre-book] [SOLD OUT] 22 Old Warden Chipmunk 75th Anniv

Fly-in [PPR] [see Notam Y002/2021] 22-23 Beccles RRRA Air Race 28-30 Perth Scottish AC Fly-in 01738-550055 28-30 Sandown Spamfield Microlight Fly-in 01983-716926 29 Halfpenny Green Aerobility Fly-in 29-30 Damyns Hall FSTVL Music Festival -

Airfield Closed 29-31 Glenforsa, Mull Glenforsa Fly-in

JUNE 4-6 Ragley Hall, Alcester Midlands Air Festival 5 Fenland VAC Tulip Fly-in 5 Sandown Vintage Fly-in 01983-716926 5 Compton Abbas Vintage Saturday Fly-in 1-3 Sandown Vintage Fly-in 01983-716926 6 Duxford Flying Day [pre-book] (SOLD OUT] 6 Old Warden Shuttleworth Festival

of Britain Drive-In Air Show [see

Notam Y002/2021] 11-13 Newark Retro Festival inc Airshow 12 Buckingham Palace Queen’s Birthday

Fly Past (@1300) 17 Old Warden Shuttleworth Workshop

Tour & Lunch 19 Old Warden Shuttleworth Chipmunk

Drive-In Evening Air Show [see

Notam Y002/2021] 19-20 Turweston Air Britain Classic Fly-in

(tbc) [PPR] 01376-344441/ 01280-705400 19-20 Easter Midsummer Fly-in [PPR] 07967-715304 19-20 Hinderclay Meadows Suffolk Soaring

Fly-in 07485-072155 19-20 St Michaels Wings & Wheels

Microlight Fly-in 19-20 Weston-s-Mare Helicopter Museum

Spotters Weekend & Memorabilia Sale

other events in the UK and beyond. If you have an event you would like to add to the list, contact Dave at dave.wise@btinternet.com It is great to get out and about but please remember that social distancing rules still apply. Here’s hoping to some nice weather!

20 Duxford Flying Day (pre book) [SOLD OUT] 20 Priory Farm, Tibenham PFA

Fathers’ Day Fly-in & BBQ [PPR] 07799-695144 20 Halfpenny Green Project Propeller

WWII Aircrew Event 20-22 Texel (PH) Texel Fly-in 20-22 Wels (OE) Rotax Engine Fly-in [pre-register] 25-27 Headcorn Battle of Britain Air Show 25-27 Penrith NWBAC Midsummer Madness

Balloon Meet 26 Scarborough National Armed Forces

Day Event 26-27 Breighton VAC Fly-in {PPR} 01757-288987 26-27 La Ferte Alais (F) Salis Collection Air Show 26-27 Haverfordwest RRRA Air Race 26-27 Sleap BAeA Aerobatics Introduction

[see NOTAM Y008/2021]

27 Sandown Bader Braves Event 01983-716926

JULY

3 Middle Wallop Army Flying Museum

Wings & Wheels Show 3 Duxford Flying Day [SOLD OUT] 3 Compton Abbas Vintage Saturday Fly-in 3 Headcorn Armed Forces Day Event 3-4 Bodmin Aerobatic Competition 07803-128000 3-4 Swansea Bay Welsh National Sea

Front Air Show 3-4 Southport Sea Front Air Show 4 Old Warden Shuttleworth Military

Drive-In Air Show [see Notam Y002/2021] 4 Henstridge LAA Wessex Strut Fly-in

& Meet the LAA Day [PPR]

01963-364231 5-8 Henstridge to Leicester LAA Tour

of England (nightstops Bodmin -

Barton - Breighton) 9 Weston-super-Mare Helicopter

Behind-the-Scenes Spotters Event 9-11 Enstone BMAA SSDR Freedom Rally 10-11 Sywell Flying Legends Air Show 11 Brimpton VAC Picnic [PPR: air & road] 16-18 Silverstone Car Races F1 British

Grand Prix 17/18 Old Warden Shuttleworth LAA 75th

Anniv Drive-In Evening Air Show

[see Notam Y002/2021]

17 Branscombe LAA Devon Strut Fly-in 17-18 Breighton Vintage Aerobatics

Competition & Hangar Party [PPR] 17-18 North Coates Wings & Wheels Event 01472-388850 23-25 Brienne-le-Chateau (F) RSA Euro Fly-in 24 Brooklands Museum Vintage Aviation Festival 24 Firs Farm, Newbury Bring your own

Sausages Fly-in & BBQ [PPR by air & road] 24-25 Duxford Air Festival (pre-book) 24-25 Sandown RRRA Air Race 24-25 Bodmin VAC Fly-in 01752-406660 24-25 Old Warden Shuttleworth Model

Show – airfield closed [see Notam Y002/2021] 26-Au 1 Oshkosh, Wi (N) EAA AirVenture

National Fly-in & Display 30-Au 1 Old Buckenham Old Buck Air Show 31 Westonzoyland Scrumpy N Cheese

Fly-in [PPR] 31-Au 1 Rufforth East LAA Vale of York Strut

Fly-in & Meet the LAA Day 31-Au 1 Headcorn Fire Show 31-Au 7 Cowes Yacht Racing Cowes Week

AUGUST

1 Lundy Island Lundy Fly-in [PPR

essential] 01752-406660/ 7805-805679 1 Old Warden Shuttleworth Air Show

[see NOTAM Y002/2021] 4 Duxford Flying Day 6 Leeds East Private Flyer Exhibition 7 Compton Abbas Vintage Saturday Fly-in 7 East Kirkby LAHC Museum Air Show

[advance booking] 7 Popham Classic Car Show & Anglo-

French & Vintage Fly-in 01256-397733 7-8 Blackpool Sea Front Air Show 7-8 Purleigh nr. Maldon choes of History

Mil Vehicles & Air Show 7-8 Headcorn Combined Ops Show 8 Popham Motorcycle Magameet &

Anglo-French Fly-int 01256-397733 11 Duxford Flying Day 14 Old Warden Shuttleworth Flying

Circus Drive-in Evening Air Show [see

Notam Y002/2021] 14-15 Popham Microlight Trade Fair 01256-

397733 14-15 Sleap VAC Fly-in 15 Weston-s-Mare Helicopter Museum

Spotters Weekend & Memorabilia Sale May 2021 | LIGHT AVIATION | 37

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Software updates

Headset review

Stay tech savvy…

Ian Fraser says keep your tech up to spec with software updates…

B

oeing and the FAA say they have learned a valuable lesson from the 737 Max software (SW) saga, but is there a lesson there for us too? Most modern electronic devices in our aircraft are, in effect, computers and use software (a computer program) as a key part of their function.

This approach offers manufacturers an easier and cost-effective way of designing their devices (avoiding the expensive process of redesigning electronics every time there is a minor change). They then have the ability to adjust or tweak the devices later through user (you and I) installed SW updates if something is not right or they want to add features. The downside is that while changes and fixes are easy, and thus tempting, comprehensive re-testing is still very

Above Typical download page as the new software package is loaded, here on Ian’s Avmap.

expensive and time consuming, however minor the change.

Software is everywhere

SW applications abound in our aircraft these days not just in the form of navigation devices in a tablet or smartphone, but also in permanently installed devices such as 8.33 radios, transponders, engine management systems, flight instrument systems, autopilots, electric trim systems, integrated glass cockpits, electrical switch systems and even intercoms. Many of them can now be updated by simply downloading a software file to your computer, then to a memory stick or card, and plugging that into your aircraft device.

Others are a little more complex. The latest devices will even update themselves automatically if they can access a Wi-Fi hub such as your smartphone’s Wi-Fi hotspot.

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Software updates

Users test the product

While many of the basic functions of modern electronic devices are well tested by their manufacturers before initial product release to the end user, the sheer scale and complexity of comprehensively testing the millions of permutations of data within a typical avionic device could mean testing may not have been as thorough as one might like. This has led to the aviation world adopting the computer industry ethos that customers test applications through using them.

Problems do occur, are found, fixed and regular SW updates are becoming increasingly common.

Indeed, it seems that some of our well-known manufacturers / suppliers deem it OK to deliver new avionics devices with out-of-date software even if they are brand new. It’s still up to us to determine if it’s got old SW and needs an update.

Updating a new bug!

I was happily flying back from the LAA AGM a couple of years ago and having departed Sywell was heading round Northampton before tracking south to Bicester, round Oxford and on to my way home. I had the route in a portable navigator, which is linked to my autopilot, but wasn’t following it exactly, due to the runway in use not being that which I’d planned for.

Oxford Airport (near my route) sounded busy, but I didn’t want to make it worse by talking to them.

Instead, I decided to use the listening squawk but needed to look that up. Normally, I’d just temporarily engage my Autopilot (AP) while I look for things like that so would set the AP to ‘intercept’, i.e., steer a course to gradually converge with the route in my navigator, a simple one button action.

However, this time it didn’t behave as I had

Top The USB slot for downloading new software into Ian’s Trig radio.

Above Memory sticks and SD cards are popular ways to load software, but some systems rely on a wi-fi connection.

anticipated (when you engage an autopilot, always check that it is doing what you expect). Instead, it seemed to want to turn much further than necessary. I disengaged it, got back on the right heading and sorted out my listening squawk while hand flying. I did wonder if I was just too close to a waypoint on the route and the navigator was trying to regain the previous leg (a quirk of NMEA based GPS / AP links common to many of our AP equipped aircraft).

I flew on for a while close to my planned route until there was no doubt, and tried again. It still wanted to turn away, so I switched the AP off for about 10 seconds, back on again (which resets it) and re-engaged it.

The same happened, so it didn’t look like an AP fault. Checking the navigator this time, it still seemed to be returning to an earlier waypoint even though that was well past, and was not the nearest on route by some margin. I checked that the route in the navigator was correct and not inverted, all OK. I reset the navigator, reloaded its route and tried again. This time it intercepted the route perfectly well May 2021 | LIGHT AVIATION | 39

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Software updates and steered the aircraft correctly through the next two waypoints. What had happened? Something went wrong, which if I had not checked could have got me seriously lost or resulted in infringement of controlled airspace. But why? It had not done this before in the five or so years that the system has been in my aircraft.

Thinking it through, I recalled that when I powered up the navigator the night before to check my route, it had prompted me that there was a SW update available and it asked, ‘did I want to install it?’.

I checked the purpose of the update before I loaded it (you should always do that) and it seemed innocuous ‘just fixing bugs, no functional change’, so I said ‘yes’. But could this ‘bug fix’ have caused my other problems (as is often the case on smart phone apps which have lots of complex software)?

What went wrong? Was it the navigator SW update?

Was it me? Or was it just a random fault? I may never know, nor may the circumstances that caused it occur again either. But such is the challenge with complex SW systems.

Ideally, testing of a new device should be a comprehensive review of all operational functions in all operational scenarios if a manufacturer wants to attain any type of market credibility. However, in the case of several well-known and popular products that I have tested, I have found faults that perhaps the manufacturer should have uncovered. But never mind, they thanked me for reporting it and gave me a SW upgrade to fix it.

Non ‘approval’ of upgrades

What about the SW upgrades themselves? Do (or should) the manufacturers retest the whole device after a SW fix to see if the upgrade has affected any of the other functions? Do the authorities (LAA, CAA, EAA, FAA etc.) who govern (if anybody does) the gadgets we use require comprehensive retesting prior to an ‘approved’ SW upgrade release? No, it’s an expensive process and I’m not sure they do. It’s often just up to us to test and provide feedback.

Software is something we (and the various authorities) have to learn to live with. The comprehensive testing we used to expect for older more basic aviation electronic systems is just not

Headset review affordable, or even attainable, with modern avionics.

We can buy equipment to fit in our Permit aircraft which, in many cases, is far more sophisticated than the certified stuff for a fraction of its price. But there is no free lunch. The reason it is affordable (and available long before certified versions) is because corners have been cut on development and testing. It may be perfectly OK and work forever, but it may not.

It’s a risk we all take.

Make sure you know which of your devices have updateable software (my aircraft has six) and what the latest version should be (see the manufacturer’s support website) – a fault may well have been discovered and fixed that you do not know about.

There are no Airworthiness Directives (ADs), Service Bulletins or Service Information Leaflets on most of our electronic devices, so be careful.

Nor will the LAA tell you there is an update. Just because an LAA (or other) approval says ‘use SW release xyz or above’ does not mean it is up to date, guaranteed, supported or tested. What it normally means is that anything less than ‘SW release xyz’ is definitely not approved, but even that doesn’t mean you can’t have it in your aircraft. You just can’t use it for what it is ‘not approved’ for.

Be vigilant

It is your responsibility to decide if you need to update SW. Is your device’s SW up to date? Have the manufacturers discovered and fixed a fault? Have they added or changed a feature? If you do update, make sure you know and are happy with what has changed. Be cautious when first using updated SW and don’t depend on it until you are confident any ‘fix’ has not broken some other aspect.

Equipment handbook issues are often aligned with SW releases. Make sure that you are using the right version of your handbook and, for your own sanity, write the SW status of your devices (portable or not) in your maintenance records or aircraft log. And check their status regularly (my tailored maintenance schedule covers it for my aircraft). But despite this, have fun with your gadgets, they add to the enjoyment and, if properly used, the safety of our hobby.

What do you think? As usual I will start a forum topic in Hangar Chat on the LAA forum.■

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Low-cost flying

Budget flying

Brian Hope and Clive Davidson look at low cost single-seaters and the joy they can bring…

A

s we celebrate the Association’s 75th anniversary, it is natural that we consider some of the aeroplanes which members have built and enjoyed over those seven-plus decades.

Of course, in the early days the Air Registration Board, which initially only very begrudgingly allowed us to build anything at all, permitted only single-seat ultralight types, which undoubtedly spawned a number of suitable designs over the ensuing years.

When it became possible to build two-seaters, one of the principal problems was the lack of suitable engines, high purchase tax rates making them very expensive to ship in from the US. As Britain moved out of post-war austerity the two-seater, seen by most as a more practical machine, outgrew the single-seaters in popularity. However, although something of a niche market these days, they continue to have a following and new types do occasionally become available.

For those on a tight budget, a single-seater may well make the difference between flying, or taking up tiddlywinks, so don’t be too fast in discarding what can certainly be an affordable entry into aircraft ownership – and a lot of fun! The earlier types in particular, with VW or Rotax two-stroke engines, can be bought and maintained for what is in aviation terms, a very affordable amount of money – a set of four VW barrels, and pistons costs less than the typical aero engine’s set of spark plugs for instance.

So, let’s take a look at some of the bargain bucket single-seat machines that have formed part of the LAA fleet over the years.

Most were built in tens at best, not hundreds, but there are undoubtedly many languishing in barns and sheds, no longer loved and possibly available for the asking at not a lot of money. My advice, if you are serious about doing some investigations about the possibility of acquiring a budget single-seater, and you don’t mind getting your hands dirty learning how to bring it back to flying condition, is to join your local Strut, and also get in touch with LAA members at local airfields and strips. They are the people who will know what’s out there and you will almost certainly make the acquaintance of members who know the ropes when it

comes to VW and two-stroke Rotax engines. I’ve said it before, I know, but the LAA is a self-help organisation, it provides a variety of routes to enable you to fly affordably, but you have to put in some effort if you want to make things happen.

Another piece of worthwhile advice is not to take book figures at face value. Useful loads in lightweight single seaters can be tight, so check a particular aircraft’s weight and balance to make sure you are not too heavy for it. Empty weights of aircraft are generally heavier than manufacturer’s quoted figures. You may need to join Weight Watchers!

When we first get into owning an aircraft, most of us are wet behind the ears so take a knowledgeable friend or, better still, an LAA Inspector to look at anything you may consider buying. If it’s a bit tired and tatty, that doesn’t mean it’s a non-starter – literally or metaphorically speaking – but knowing it’s likely pitfalls before you part with your cash gives you bargaining power that might still make it a viable proposition.

Duplicate checks

How much can you expect to pay? Well, I would be surprised if any of the aircraft listed, other than a Colibri or a Nipper, reached £10K in very tidy condition with a Permit. Some, Turbs and D9s may make £8K. If it’s tired, sad and unused in a barn somewhere, then considerably less. Most of the rest will be around £3K-£5k in running order. These are ballpark figures based on typical sales but I have known of aircraft being given away just to get rid of them, and there are undoubtedly particularly nice examples of all types that fetch above the norm. Just don’t pay a lot of money for an aeroplane that needs a lot of work!

Whether you buy something that needs work or not, I say again, seek help from knowledgeable members; you’ll make friends, learn a lot and will save a fortune, one way and another. And don’t house your new acquisition at a strip or airfield if it needs work before it is ready to fly.

Take it home, or to a mate’s place, so you aren’t haemorrhaging money on hangar rent.

And finally, before I keep going for another three pages, when the aircraft is ready to fly, let an experienced pilot of the type take it aloft for the first time as he will be able to quickly assess if everything is as it should be.

Let’s take a look at what you may find available.

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Low-cost flying The Luton Minor

The Luton L.A.4 Minor has a parasol wing and was designed by C H Latimer-Needham specifically to appeal to homebuilders, and first flew in 1937. Arthur W J G Ord-Hume collaborated with Latimer-Needham after the war and the design was improved to become the L.A.4A and enjoyed a fair degree of success There are still a number flying, most using the VW Beetle, although in the dim and distant past they used such as the pre-war JAP J99 and Bristol Cherub flat twin engines. There is certainly still one extant with a J99, but a VW is a far less expensive engine to keep running.

Length: 20ft 9in (6.32m) Wingspan: 25ft 0in (7.62m) Wing area: 125 sq ft (11.6m2) Empty weight: 390lb (177kg) Gross weight: 627lb (284kg) Powerplant: VW Conversion Approx cruise: 70mph

Jodel D9 Bébé

Below Luton Minor Photo: Anthony Noble Below right Jodel D9 Bébé Photo: Neil Wilson

The Turbulent

Pretty well the first post-war design available for UK builders was the Druine Turbulent, the plans for which were sold by the Association following one of the leading lights, Harold Best-Devereaux, travelling to France to test fly the aircraft and arrange an agreement with designer Roger Druine. This cantilever low wing monoplane has stood the test of time and is still in use by the Tiger Club display team. Rollasons Aircraft and Engines built 31 examples from 1957 and the type was also popular with homebuilders.

Length: 17ft 4.5in (5.30m) Wingspan: 21ft 5in (6.53m) Empty weight: 349lb (158kg) Gross weight: 620lb (281kg) Powerplant: VW conversion Approx cruise: 80mph

The D9 Bébé was the first successful design for Jean Delemontez and Edouard Joly and first flew in 1948.

Popular with French homebuilders, only a relatively small number were built in the UK compared to the Turbulent and the British Taylor Monoplane. The D9 is the grandaddy of the many two-seat and larger Jodel variants, all of which feature the trademark cantilever cranked wing but in the PtF world, the two-seaters have enjoyed significantly more success as factory-built aircraft. That’s a shame because, if you can find one, the D9 is a very nice little machine. JodelAircraft@groups.io Length: 5.45m (17 ft 11in) Wingspan: 7.00m (23ft 0in) Wing area: 9.0 m2 (97 sq ft) Empty weight: 162kg (357lb) Gross weight: 272kg (600lb) Powerplant: VW conversion Approx cruise: 80mph

Taylor Monoplane

Below Turbulant Photo: Neil Wilson

The most popular of the pioneers was the Taylor Monoplane. Designed by John Taylor to be built in a single car garage, he in fact built the prototype in the lounge of his first-floor flat. The prototype flew with a JAP J99 in 1959 but was soon modified for the VW. It was the first post-war British design made available to builders.

TaylorTitch.co.uk Length: 15ft 0in (4.57m) Wingspan: 21ft 0in (6.40m) Wing area: 76 sq ft (7.06 m2) Empty weight: 410lb (186kg) Powerplant: VW conversion Approx cruise: 100mph

Right Taylor Monoplane4 Photo: Neil Wilson

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Low-cost flying

Brügger Colibri

Swiss designer Max Brügger’s MB-2 Colibri first flew in 1970 and proved a popular plans-build project at home and abroad. A number have been built in the UK, their roomy blown canopy and general design presenting a relatively modern appearance.

In 1977 Max flew an MB-3 all metal example but none have been built in the UK. Length: 4.80m (15ft 9in) Wingspan: 6.00m (19ft 8in) Wing area: 8.20 m2 (88.3 sq ft) Empty weight: 215kg (474lb) Max take-off weight: 330kg (728lb) Approx cruise: 100mph

Evans VP1

The Voksplane VP1 was designed in the US by aeronautical engineer William ‘Bud’ Evans, although,

Above Brügger Colibri Photo: Neil Wilson Below Evans VP1 Photo: Neil Wilson

no disrespect intended, it looks like it could have come off the drawing board of a cartoonist. However, in its own way it is actually very clever as it was designed to be very simple to build, very minimalist and boxy so that the non-craftsman could build one relatively easily.

The prototype first flew in 1968 and over 6,000 sets of plans have been sold worldwide – so simple certainly has appeal.

Here in the UK it was also popular with a reasonable number being completed. evansvolksplane.com Length: 18ft 0in (5.49m) Wingspan: 24ft 0in (7.32m) Wing area: 100 sq ft (9.3 m2) Empty weight: 440lb (200kg) Max take-off weight: 750lb (340kg) Approx cruise: 70mph

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Low-cost flying

Clutton FRED

Designer of FRED, the Flying Runabout Experimental Design, schoolteacher Eric Clutton, took a similar path to Bud Evans, in that he designed the aircraft to be simple to construct, but also with foldable wings, so it could be towed to and from the airfield, thus saving hangarage. In reality, foldable aircraft tend to be kept at an airfield anyway, and usually rigged, but the ability to take it home for maintenance or repair off season is certainly useful.

First flight was in 1963 and initially the aircraft was powered by a Triumph 500cc twin with a chain reduction drive. This was soon replaced by a VW. https://cluttonfred.info Length: 17ft 0in (5.18m) Wingspan: 22ft 6in (6.86m) Empty weight: 533lb (242kg) Gross weight: 773lb (351kg) Approx cruise: 60mph

Above FRED Photo: Dave Marshall below Tipsy Nipper Photo: Nigel Hitchman

Tipsy Nipper

The Tipsy Nipper is unique in this list or aircraft in that it is aerobatic. Designed by Belgian Ernest Oscar Tips of Avions Fairey, it features a steel tube fuselage and rudder with a wooden wing and tailplane, and first flew in 1957.

Around 110 were factory built, including 32 by Slingsby Sailplanes in the UK, and perhaps 100 kits were also sold, mostly by Fairey in Belgium.

Many pilots have been introduced to aerobatics via the very affordable Nipper over the years. www.tipsynipper.com Length: 4.5m (14ft 9in) Wingspan: 5.99m (19ft 8in) Empty weight: 299kg (659lb) Powerplant: Stark Starmo VW conversion Approx cruise: 90mph

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Low-cost flying

Whittaker MW5, MW6 and MW7

Mike Whittaker’s family of aircraft were all designed in the 1980s around the Rotax 477 and 503 twin cylinder two-stroke engines, the five being a microlight singleseater, the MW6 a microlight two-seater, and the MW7 a light aircraft due to its reduced wing area and higher stall speed. Construction is mainly of aluminium tube, fabric covered. The MW5 is now operated as an SSDR (Single Seat Deregulated) microlight, and if modified as a single-seater, so too can the MW6 be. The MW7 remains a light aircraft but is an eminently affordable machine to buy and operate.

The aircraft have been quite popular over the years and a number of MW5s have been factory built. Specs are for the MW5. www.mwclub.org Wingspan: 8.54m (28ft 0in) Wing area: 11.2 m2 (121 sq ft) Empty weight: 145kg (320lb) Gross weight: 285kg (628lb) Powerplant: Rotax 447 twin cylinder, 40hp.

Approx cruise: 60mph

Above Whittaker Photo: Alan D R Brown Below TEAM Minimax Photo: Neil Wilson

Powerplant: Rotax 503 twin cylinder, 50 hp (37 kW) two-stroke.

Approx cruise: 75mph Like all SSDRs, the Minimax and the MW5 (and MW6 if it is operated as a single-seat SSDR) are no longer considered as part of the LAA or BMAA fleets and do not require an annual Permit to Fly. However, if you skimp on maintenance and thorough inspections, don’t be surprised if something goes wrong.

You would be very wise to have your aircraft receive a thorough check each year by a suitably experienced person, even if you are yourself, a qualified engineer – two pairs of eyes are better than one.

Have fun and be safe.

TEAM Minimax

The Minimax first flew in 1984 and was sold as a kit or plans. It was popular in the UK with more than 70 being built and an active club supported builders. The aircraft itself is a wooden structure with a fabric covering and can be built as an open or closed cockpit. The wings are demountable so the aircraft can be trailered. Engine of choice is generally the Rotax 447 40hp or 503 50hp two-stroke. This microlight category aircraft is now an SSDR, so can be operated very inexpensively. www.teammini-max.com Length: 16ft 0in (4.88m) Wingspan: 26ft 6in (8.08m) Wing area: 118 sq ft (11.0 m2) Empty weight: 400lb (181kg) Gross weight: 700lb (318kg) 46 | LIGHT AVIATION | May 2021

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Low-cost flying

Flying single-seaters…

By Clive Davidson

D

uring the winter before I started to learn to fly, I bought a book on homebuilt aircraft so that I had some idea of the type of aircraft that I might be able to afford, once I had my licence.

The aircraft were mostly two-seaters but several single-seaters caught my eye, and one made me laugh out loud in near disbelief! That was the Tipsy Nipper and my uncharitable thought: ‘...who on Earth would fly one of those?’, came back with total clarity five years later.

Within that time, I had gained a PPL, and had become a member of the Wasp Flying Group at Panshanger, with our orange and black Auster.

I had also managed to log my target of an hour a week for three years to have the then required 150 hours’ P1 to start my IMC rating at RFC Bourne and go on to become an AFI and QFI at Elstree, as well having the aerobatic restriction removed.

By now I had a wider understanding and involvement of light aviation and as Ron Mitcham had now hangared his red and white VW-powered Tipsy Nipper in the hangar, I had to have a gander. Not only did I have a look at it, but I met Ron who, with great enthusiasm, showed me his pride and joy. When he had completed his narrative of how he had to come to the inescapable conclusion as to why he had decided to track one down, he paused and asked, “Would you like a go?” My derogatory comment rushed back to me, but I looked down at the open cockpit canopy, raised my head to look at him and with a smile said that I would be delighted!

I was soon sitting in the snug cockpit, strapped in comfortably with elbows in the wing roots and sufficient room for a headset to clear the large Perspex canopy. The one thing I do remember from his briefing was that it was both a high-lift wing, but also a high-drag wing, and that on the final approach to land I should carry some power and not get slow as she will sink with a high rate of descent. This was to be my first singleseater and this ‘baptism’ was to prove an absolute gift and a changer of my outlook.

As always caution held sway, it’s a simple machine with few checks to do,

but each vital. I had great fun getting aloft, and climbing out of the circuit I reminded myself never to judge a book by its cover, as this was both entertaining and a very practical, inexpensive means of flying.

Having left the circuit and banking rolling from side to side, stalling and visiting a few local spots, I returned, joining deadside. All checks carried out, and turning onto final, all was well. But from having a standard approach picture with the nose slightly to one side to offset the crosswind, reduced power and pulled the carb heat on, I have to admit to losing the plot. I should have carried more power to counter the drag of the wing and the low inertia of this lightweight machine at a slow approach speed.

The threshold was slowly making its way up the windscreen as I sank further and further below the glide path. Yes, I had been feeding in more power with each supposed correction reducing my rate of sink, but too little and too late. It didn’t quite happen that the trees on the undershoot masked my intended touch down point, but I had to respond finally by adding full power to arrest the far too premature descent and fly level. I avoided the tree tops and the squawking, nesting birds, which could have quite easily become my neighbours, to fly over them and regain the full sight of the runway. The landing itself was fine, with the nosewheel held in the air as the mains touched. All well and good but I had learned a valuable lesson!

Engine problems…

Sometime later, I was attempting to improve my aerobatics. I was at a sensible height, had chosen my field, in fact I had two parallel fields, both into wind, to put down should I have an engine problem.

Well, I did have a problem, I had managed to stop the prop with a bit of negative ‘G’ while inverted, trying to give the manoeuvre, a Cuban, a better shape rather than letting the nose drop of its own accord when upside down. So, I pushed from inverted and the prop obliged by standing still. Oops!

“No problem, I will restart it from a dive,” I thought. And dive I did, with great gusto

towards my fields. But, and it is a rather big ‘but’, as the small prop and the relatively high compression VW resisted any more than one encouraging prop rotation, she was having none of it… and I was chucking height away at a prodigious rate.

I chose the right-hand field of the two and shot off a Mayday. I was still a bit high and started to turn away but realised my mistake as that reserve of height was squandered just by turning away!

Boy does this aircraft lose inertia and gain drag!

My father for some inexplicable reason had impressed upon me from a very early age, never to stretch my glide. I came close to bruising that immutable law, but just made it over a hedge and into a very, very muddy field. I hauled the stick back as the ground rushed up to meet and grab the Nipper. The mains squelched in and the nosewheel leg compressed to the shortest possible size and stayed down. I am not claiming the shortest of landing runs for a fixed-wing aircraft, but the Nipper must have come astonishingly close! I got out and pulled the nosewheel up from its low stance. I thanked my lucky stars walking around the mud-bespattered airframe.

I had learned another valuable lesson, little aeroplanes are not toys and need to be taken seriously. They lose energy very quickly, because they have such low mass, so make sure you don’t let the speed fall below best glide speed due to inattention.

It has been many years since I have had the good fortune to fly a Nipper, but I have learned from mistakes and experience and taken on board the briefings and advice given by those who know a specific aeroplane.

So, I hope some of you reading this article decide to search out some of the interesting and fun aeroplanes Brian has outlined above. But remember, these lightweight machines are not going to handle exactly like the larger two-seaters you are probably used to. Heed the advice of an LAA coach, an Instructor and owners of the same or similar types before you fly it.

Build up your experience slowly, only flying in benign conditions initially, and they will all give you a huge smile every time you fly.

Happy landings… from a good, stable approach of course. ■

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Spitfire flight

Present… and correct!

Paul Bussey had always wanted to fly in a WWII Spitfire, and after years of flight vouchers, of varying degrees, as presents from his everthoughtful wife, in 2017 she ramped it up a gear!

K

nowing that I have a passion for flying in a wide variety of different aircraft, for as long as I can remember, my wife Elaine has always given me some kind of flight voucher for my birthday and Christmas present. Over the years these have varied from aerobatic flights in open cockpit biplanes, loads of gliding flights (motor glider too) aerobatics in a Chipmunk and a flight in a microlight. However, at

Above The Heritage Hangar Spitfire experience can certainly include aerobatics if you wish, and a chance to handle the controls. Photo: Richard Paver

Christmas 2017, I opened my envelope, thinking it was a gliding voucher, only to discover it was a flight in a two-seater Spitfire at Biggin Hill! I had to take a second, third and fourth look, just in case my eyes were deceiving me. No, there was no doubt, it definitely was a flight in a Spitfire – yeehaaaaaarh!

After Elaine had recovered from being showered with kisses and my pulse had resumed to a more normal level, a celebratory drink was in order, to toast

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Spitfire flight

a long-held dream that looked like it was going to reach fruition. A great many years ago I’d said the two biggest ticks on my bucket list were a flight in Concorde, and a flight in a Spitfire. Well, I’d left it too late for Concorde, but the Spitfire flight was imminent.

Included with the flight voucher, was comprehensive documentation on what I could expect on the day and safety information.

It was, of course, December 2017 and it looked like I was going to have to wait many months before the Spitfire flight would happen. I chose one of the dates on the availability list, Sunday 13 May 2018, on the assumption the weather could be more favourable than March or April. They say you should never wish your life away, but in this instant, I did eagerly await May’s arrival – like no other month. Even though we only live 1.5 hours drive from Biggin Hill, we decided that we would stay overnight at a hotel in Kent, to be close to the airfield for the first Spitfire flight of the day at 10am.

We stayed in Tunbridge Wells and it poured with rain most of the afternoon and evening, which wasn’t exactly a good omen for the following day. However, the forecast promised that the front that brought all the wet weather, would be miles away by Sunday morning, and it did dawn dry, if rather cloudy. The flight looked like it could be on. After a very light breakfast for me of just tea and toast, my wife Elaine tucked into a full English, we headed off to Biggin Hill.

We arrived at the Heritage Hangar well in advance of the allocated time, which wasn’t a problem, and we

Above The Spitfire Experience includes a tour of the Heritage Hangar, a flight certificate and a video of your flight.

Right Paul and wife Elaine, who generously bought him the flight as a Christmas present. I hope he didn’t buy her a new iron…

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Spitfire flight Below The rear cockpit, everything you would expect it to be. A video camera records you throughout the flight, and another camera records the forward view.

Below right Paul with Anna Walker, who conducted the flight. The whole exercise was friendly, slick and highly professional.

were welcomed inside. For most of my life I’ve been something of a stickler for time keeping and almost without exception, I’m early for practically anything, which has paid extra dividends on many occasions.

Prior to any flight, there is a full and thorough safety briefing, which is in the form of two video recordings that cover the aircraft, equipment and safety procedures.

It’s made very clear that you will be flying in a genuine WWII aircraft, which although is maintained to exacting standards, it’s not the same as a commercial airliner. Having been an avid aircraft enthusiast since my early teens and flown in a great variety of aircraft, both as P1, P2 and passenger, and knowing the dedication that goes into maintenance of light aircraft, as far as I was concerned the Spitfire maintenance is every bit to the standard of an airliner and beyond. It’s also made very clear to you that at any time, should you wish to pull out of the flight, a full no quibble refund is available.

My wife had also said, on a number of occasions, if I changed my mind and didn’t want to fly in the Spitfire, she would understand, and it wouldn’t be an issue. Pull out? Change my mind? Have second thoughts? No way! This was going to happen, right here, right now… well, in a few minutes time anyway.

While I do have my own full flight kit, Nomex flight suit and gloves, etc, I was still fully kitted out with the Heritage Hangar approved apparel, including a parachute. Once the briefings were fully completed and understood, it was time to meet my pilot for the flight and I was absolutely delighted to be introduced to Anna Walker, whose reputation precedes her. What a stroke of luck, to be sharing the flight with someone who also enjoys my passion for classic and vintage aircraft, kindred spirits united. Anna’s brother also raced vintage and classic cars and after perusing a copy of my book, The Life & Times of a Classic Car Journalist & Photographer, she purchased one!

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Spitfire flight So now it was time to wave goodbye to Elaine (who could watch all proceedings from the viewing veranda) and get strapped into the Spitfire, MJ627. The history of this particular aircraft is already very well documented, so I will gloss over that and concentrate on the flight itself. Unbeknown to me, the rear seat can be raised or lowered, by means of what looks like a car’s handbrake lever to the right of the seat. Once comfortably ensconced in the seat and strapped in, the canopy was closed and locked.

I then had to prove that I’d been giving the safety briefing video my full and undivided attention. I had to open the rear canopy myself, just in case of, perish the thought, a forced landing. I managed this successfully and it was deemed safe for the flight to proceed. I was given one final chance to change my mind and pull out of the flight, because once the engine had been started, you had gone beyond the point to cancel.

While the weather wasn’t exactly gin clear blue skies and sunshine, it was pretty good, with excellent visibility, if a tad cloudy, though the base was quite high.

Beating heart!

It was now time to start the mighty Rolls-Royce Merlin engine and while I was relatively relaxed, I’ll admit to my heart beating a great deal faster than normal, in excited anticipation of what the next 30 minutes would reveal, not to mention having a rather dry mouth.

The dream of a lifetime was about to happen, bring it on. In reality I could not have been in safer hands, with my wife Elaine being a chief cardiac physiologist and Anna Walker an ace pilot. Go women!

The Merlin engine was initially rather reluctant to start. The propeller turned over, the engine fired but did not run. Anna made one or two adjustments and soon the Merlin fired up and settled into a steady tickover. Then it was a case of ‘chocks away Ginger’ (with apologies to the imaginary Ginger) and we were taxying towards the holding point for Runway 21.

This was the first flight of the day, so the engine run up and power checks were quite a leisurely affair, getting it nice and warm. Then it was time to go and enjoy The Weald of Kent Spitfire experience.

We lined up on the centreline of 21, full power was gradually applied, and we hurtled down the runway.

OMG, the mellifluous crescendo of the Merlin engine was music to my ears. Soon we were airborne, climbing out over the Kentish countryside and then turning left towards the River Thames. This was it, I was flying in a genuine WWII Spitfire, totally absorbed in the noise, vibration and smell, constantly glancing at those magnificent elliptical shaped wings, happy days!

Anna initially flew the aircraft before handing control over to me. Knowing my previous background in aviation and my general flying experience, I guess she was more than happy to do so, confident that I knew what I was doing.

Once we had reached a safe height, Anna took control again and we completed the obligatory (for me anyway) Victory Roll to the left, and then Anna encouraged me to try one too!

We then completed plenty of tight turns. I’m not sure how much stick time I had, but it was most gratefully received. It really was a case of: Look mum, I’m flying a Spitfire!

Then Anna took control again and we flew over towards Brands Hatch racing circuit and completed a

few more tight turns and general handling, prior to us heading back to Biggin.

All too soon it was time to land, after which we taxied back to the Heritage Hangar. It seemed almost surreal.

I’d just flown a Spitfire, did it really happen? Most certainly ‘yes’, and I could not have been in a happier place. Months of waiting, checking the weather, would it go ahead, would it be postponed? The actual relief and jubilation that the flight had gone ahead was immeasurable.

Once we had parked up and the Merlin shut down, it all went very quiet. I clambered out and it was now time for the customary photographs, with Anna and Elaine, to record this momentous occasion. I thanked Anna enormously for making my flight so enjoyable and she went off to greet her next paying punter of the morning.

But my day wasn’t quite over yet , the Spitfire flight experience also included a guided tour of the Heritage Hangar, to see their other Spitfires and aircraft being restored, not to mention quite an interesting collection of military and classic vehicles too.

Also included on the day, was a framed and signed Flight Certificate, with Anna’s signature as Commander and mine as 2nd Pilot, a couple of splendid embroidered patches for my jacket, one being the Heritage Hanger Spitfire design and the other, most appropriately, a side view of MJ627 and the word Aircrew. Last but not least, you receive a set of Spitfire pilots notes and not one, but two recordings of the flight itself, one taken from the front of the rear cockpit and one from just behind your left shoulder.

The cameras are of superb quality, with crystal clear footage and no vibration or blurring. I’ve since watched these on numerous occasions, reliving that fantastic day, like no other.

How would I rate the Spitfire experience flight? Well, my Weald of Kent flight cost £2,550 (it’s currently £2,750). That’s a huge amount of money to part with, especially if you’re not well-heeled (which incidentally I’m most certainly not) and that’s just the short minimum flight time of approximately 30 minutes duration, of which 20 is airborne. My flight was the first of the day and was around 40 minutes from the time I got strapped in, to getting out after the flight.

There are options to spend a whole lot more on extended flights. You can spend far in excess of £2,750 on a week’s holiday, or always justify it on something more practical. However, for an avid aviation enthusiast, flying in a Spitfire, must surely be the ultimate, or very close, depending on your viewpoint.

For me, it’s an emphatic YES, I’d definitely recommend it. The Heritage Hangar runs a very slick, professional and friendly operation. While there are other flights on the day and they have a time schedule, at no time was I ever hurried.

Go and realise the dream of a lifetime, there’s no point being the richest man, or woman, in the graveyard, you can’t take your money with you, but you can fly in a Spitfire! As a friend used to say on frequent occasions, “Get your mouldy old money out of your wallet/purse and go spend it!”

My eternal thanks to my wife Elaine for giving me the flight voucher for my Christmas present. How do you follow up a flight in a Spitfire? In February 2018 I jumped off the foothills of a mountain in Tenerife and completed a tandem paragliding flight. Crazy or what?

Absolutely, make a habit of it! ■ May 2021 | LIGHT AVIATION | 51

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The way we were…

The thought of being up in the gin clear blue skies with the azure waters below is still a bit of a dream. But Derek Thorpe takes us on a meander down Memory Lane with his 1988 trip to Menorca by Jodel…

T

he seed had been sown the previous year, when I had great difficulty getting last minute flights for my wife Marnie and me to join friends in Menorca for a holiday. The suggestion was made that we should ‘consider flying ourselves down the next time’, we laughed but later, after a few cool drinks sitting on the terrace in the warm sunshine, we thought well, why not, we’ll do that next year.

After a lot of thought I bought the latest French charts, the Spanish ones were a bit of a problem as there didn’t appear to be any half mil. aeronautical charts. Airtours was able to supply me with two tactical pilotage charts, although they were dated 1981 and didn’t have any control zones printed on them. I arranged a visit to A.I.S at Pinner, and they were very helpful and gave us some useful advice on our trip and copies of the relevant A.I.Ps. I was then able to mark out CTR and TMA boundaries onto our charts.

We planned to clear customs at Lydd and fly to

Above Derek and Marnie Thorpe with their Jodel D120, which was restored by the late Richard Yates.

Le Touquet to clear into France, then on to Troyes for lunch and refuel before heading down the Rhone Valley to Saint-Rambert-d’Albon, where we would stay the night. The following day we’d continue to Montpellier, then along the French coast to Perpignan for lunch, refuel and clear customs for Spain. We’d clear Spanish customs at Gerona and then continue our journey along the Spanish coast to Castellon (a pleasant unlicensed airfield right on the coast), where we would stay for two nights. From Castellon we would fly across the Mediterranean to Ibiza to refuel and then route along the south coast of Majorca and on to Menorca. However, things don’t always go to plan when flying!

We spent some time improving the engine cooling on the Jodel and adding extra cabin air vents. Shades were also made and fitted to the top of the cabin as it is clear Perspex. I also wrote to the Spanish and French aviation authorities to request permission to fly in Spanish and French airspace, imperative as neither recognised the British Permit to Fly. Thankfully permission was granted.

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Menorca Finally, Saturday 17 September dawned… cloudy and rainy, but by midday the weather improved so Marnie and I headed down to Crowland Airfield, pulled the Jodel out and loaded our luggage. We took off at 1245 with a 1,500ft cloud base, on our way at last to join our friends in Menorca. Routing Brookman’s Park and Lambourn VORs we landed at Lydd at 1405, Brian Lecomber having just landed after an impromptu aerobatic display. Unfortunately, there was another delay for the weather to clear at Le Touquet, and by the time we landed there at 1545, the weather was too poor and it was too late to continue to Troyes, so we spent a pleasant evening in town.

Sunday morning after breakfast, we walked back to the airfield, and again had a late start due to poor visibility. After replacing a missing bolt from a spat and chatting with a couple on their way to Cannes, the weather at Troyes had improved.

Taking off at 1225 we routed via ABB, CTL and TRO VOR’s, the weather improving on the way. After refuelling and a coffee, the weather at our proposed night stop of Saint-Rambert was showing the Mistral was gusting 30kt, but at Lyon Bron it was only 12.

Airborne at 1530 and routing via Dijon, the Rhone Valley visibility getting clearer all the way, we called Lyon Bron and were asked to use the transponder for the first time on the trip. Landing at 1715 the wind was 16/20kt, fortunately straight down the runway.

Saint-Rambert wind was now 20kt, gusting 40kt, but expected to improve tomorrow, so we stayed at a nice hotel just outside the airport.

Monday morning had low cloud yet again, a stop at the Met office confirming we would not be flying before midday, although further south it was CAVOK. To fill in time I asked the girl in the departure lounge if I could have a bucket of water to wash the aircraft, much to her amusement and Marnie’s embarrassment. A bucket of water was supplied, and the aeroplane was washed.

Below Over the Med and rounding the end of the Pyrenees, en route to Girona in Spain.

Middle Marnie and the Jodel on the Apron at Girona

We made our usual visit to the met office, which we found in France to be very well equipped and helpful, with televised satellite pictures.

Gerona was CAVOK so, flight plan filed, customs cleared and briefed on our route to Gerona, we took off at 1535, flew down the coast and around the seaward end of the Pyrenees to the French / Spanish border.

The scenery was by now spectacular, with snowcapped mountains in the distance.

Above Derek with the Jodel D120 at Perpignan, where the weather finally warmed up.

Departing midday for Perpignan and continuing down the Rhone Valley, the weather was improving all the way, although it was still hazy. Orange gave us clearance through restricted area 55 so we could route direct to Montpellier, and then transferred us to Nimes Approach. They were very quiet and transferred us to Montpellier who cleared us overhead and en route. By now the sky was clear so I climbed to 3,000ft, took a few photos and followed the coast to Perpignan, who cleared me to join base leg and we landed at 1430.

The sun was shining, and it was warm… at last.

Above Running down the coast to Castellon – not a great place for a forced landing!

I called Gerona, who advised me of activity at Empuriabrava and instructed me to report when east of their airfield, from where I was then cleared inbound and landed at Gerona at 1625 in what was now, thankfully, typical Spanish weather. We cleared customs, had coffee and a sandwich then decided maybe there wouldn’t be enough time to continue to May 2021 | LIGHT AVIATION | 53

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Menorca Castellon, so we got a taxi to take us to a hotel in Gerona.

Tuesday morning dawned warm and hazy, so we made our way back to the airfield and checked with the met office; Barcelona and Valencia were 5km in mist with an improving forecast. I refuelled and leathered down the Jodel as it was covered in dew. DI done and the flight plan filed, the weather had improved enough to go so we took off for Castellon at 11.35. Gerona cleared us from their frequency 12 miles from the airfield, and I called Barcelona to inform them I was routing north west of their zone and they passed me straight to Sabadell (these days a perfect stop for Barcelona. Ed).

They cleared us over their airfield and advised me to call Reus. Visibility was pretty good now, and Reus directed me to route down the coast to clear them by 10 miles. When clear of their zone we continued down the coast between 1,000 and 1,500 ft and I took some photos of Salou, where we had enjoyed a holiday a few years previously.

On approaching Castellon, I gave them a call but it took a long time for them to answer – maybe they were looking for someone who could speak English…

Eventually I was asked to call airfield in sight and then base leg. We walked to the Hotel Golf close by, it was rather posh and the most expensive yet, and Marnie wished she had brought some nicer clothes with her! After booking in, we went straight down to the beach and had a swim.

Below Tied down at the pleasant little airfield of Castellon.

We found Castellon to be the ideal airfield, right next to the beach, surrounded by mountains on the other three sides, and very friendly, with a good hotel close by… what more can you ask?

Wednesday morning we woke to the sound of a Pawnee taking off, and it continued to be busy with two Pawnees crop spraying from the field, a Cessna doing circuits and several other aircraft arriving and departing. We had planned to stay a couple of nights in Castellon, so after breakfast we went to the beach for a swim and relaxed in the sunshine, but after a couple of hours gazing out to sea in the direction we would be heading, we both decided we couldn’t really relax, so would continue on our way.

Back at the airfield, while doing our flight planning, we met Vincent Nebot, an ex-military pilot who had 1,000 hours on Jodels, and he gave us useful advice on our crossing to Ibiza and Menorca. All packed and flight plan filed for the 85nm flight over the Mediterranean, we took off from Castellon at 1130 and climbed straight out over the sea, setting course for Ibiza and calling Valencia just down the coast. I had planned to fly at 2,500ft, but the horizon was disappearing in the haze so elected to stay at 2000ft.

Ibiza didn’t have a VOR, so it was a case of relying on dead reckoning. About 30 miles from the island I tried to contact Ibiza Approach several times, without success but Ibiza began to appear out of the haze, and as we got nearer I could see the reporting point of San Antonia Bay straight ahead, so we were spot on track.

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Menorca

On reaching the bay, I tried to call Ibiza on their tower frequency, but still received no reply and after circling for 10 minutes (it seemed much longer) and making several more calls, I began to wonder what to do next, as there were no other airfields on the island.

My flight planned alternative airfields were Valencia back on the mainland, and Palma on Majorca. There was no point in going back to Valencia, so I decided I would fly to Palma, keeping clear of the Ibiza control zone, and if it was a radio problem, I could land without radio at Son Bonet Airfield on Majorca. I gave Ibiza one more try on their approach frequency before diverting when they finally answered, much to my relief. I was cleared to route around the coast at 1,000ft to land on 07. It was quite impressive to fly round the high ground at 1,000ft and suddenly have the huge airfield right there ahead of us.

After landing we refuelled, checked the weather and filed a flight plan, which took a long time as I had difficulty finding the met and planning office, which was in an odd building well away from the main airport building.

We eventually took off on Runway 25 at 1540, and five miles south of Ibiza I cleared their frequency and set course for the south coast of Majorca and called up Palma. Maximum height permitted was 1,000ft to keep below the Palma TMA, but visibility was good at that

Above left St Antonia Bay, reporting point for Ibiza International, the sea crossing is 85 miles.

Above right On Final for Ibiza.

Below right Menorca’s Mahon Airport, a week’s parking and two landings was the equivalent of about £6.

height and Majorca soon came into view.

After an hour’s flying, we reached Majorca (slightly off track to the south) and flew along the beautiful sandy bays of the south coast, the sun shining on the turquoise sea. Leaving the island we set track for Menorca’s reporting point Alfa, which is four miles out from Santo Tomas. I called Menorca who answered straight away and, on arriving at Alfa, I was asked to hold as they had other traffic, but we were soon cleared to final. This track took us over the villa we would be staying in with our friends Pat and Brian.

They had spotted the Jodel and were standing on the

Below Running along the beautiful southern coast of Majorca en route for Menorca.

roof waving frantically.

I hadn’t time to orbit because as we left the reporting point a Boeing 737 had requested taxi clearance for take-off, and was cleared to taxi and hold because he had other traffic (us). He was now holding ready for departure, and we were going as fast as the Jodel would go. I think the 737 pilot was getting impatient because as we turned final, he called again to say he was ready for departure and requesting to alter his reporting point time because of the delay. I did wonder what the captain thought when he saw what had been holding him up!

After landing at 1730 the Jodel was unloaded, secured, and tied down – it looked very small in the huge parking area. When leaving I tried to find somewhere to report and to advise I would be parking May 2021 | LIGHT AVIATION | 55

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Menorca for the week, but security just directed us to the exit.

I found it much harder to get back to the aeroplane later! When we were out of the airport we sat and had a drink, and felt rather deflated now the journey was over.

We got a taxi to the villa in Calen Porter, where our friends were waiting with a bottle of Champagne to celebrate our arrival.

The rest of the time in Menorca was spent relaxing, swimming and travelling around the island on hired scooters. Brian and I paid a visit to Mahon’s old airport, which is now used by San Luis Aero Club. I had a notion to fly the Jodel over there as it would be easier to operate from, and indeed we were made very welcome and were told we could park without charge.

Unfortunately, the tarmac runway was covered in loose stones, which seemed to have taken its toll on the Jungmeister which they operated from there, so I decided it would be wiser to leave it parked at Mahon.

A couple of days later Brian (who is also a Jodel pilot) and I went to the airport to take a flight around the island. We found it quite difficult to get through airport security and to the aeroplane, as we were both in T-shirts and shorts. Trying to explain that I had an

aeroplane parked on the apron and wanted to fly it around the island wasn’t helped by our very limited Spanish and their non-existent English. We eventually managed to get through and, flight plan filed, we were able to take-off and once cleared of Mahon CTR, which is only five miles from the airport, we were free to fly around as we wished below 1,000ft and request entry to the zone on return.

The return journey…

Below Held up for two days on the way home, Perpignan is fortunately a beautiful city.

Thursday morning, 29 September, it was time to start our return journey, and the night before I had planned two routes. One to fly across Majorca and Ibiza to Castellon the way we had come, and the other to fly direct to GABUR VOR on the Spanish coast south of the French border, and then along the coast to Perpignan. My decision would depend on the weather.

Ray took us to the airport at about 0915 and the visibility was the best it had been all week. It took a long time to get things done at Mahon Airport, first we had to get through police to Traffic Control, who gave us a ticket to clear us to Met and Flight Planning. On checking the weather, Barcelona and Gerona were

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Menorca reporting mist and low cloud, but Perpignan was giving 6km vis and forecasting 8km vis and 2,000ft cloud base. So I decided to route direct to Gabur VOR and on to Perpignan, 122 nautical miles and an estimated 1 hour 22 minutes over the sea.

I filed the flight plan and returned to traffic control where I was presented with my bill – an ‘unbelievable’, 1,265psts – about £6 for two landing fees and one week’s parking; you can’t complain at that! We were then escorted to customs and through the departure lounge and out onto the apron. Refuelled and DI done, we were ready to depart at 1120, just before a Dan-Air 737 was due to depart.

Air traffic requested I report at Alfa reporting point, and I then flew across the island to the north coast at Cabo de Cavalleria, where I picked up Mahon VOR radial. Keeping below Palma TMA at 1,000ft for 35 miles, visibility was good. I called Palma ATC on both frequencies but received no reply. When we were 35 miles out from Menorca, I climbed to 1,500ft, but visibility was deteriorating so we went no higher. Palma still didn’t reply and we ended up with no radio contact over the entire crossing.

Forty miles out from Menorca the VOR began to fade, so I switched to BGR VOR, which we picked up immediately. I was slightly to the right of track so adjusted my heading accordingly. One hour 10 minutes after leaving the coast of Menorca we reached the coast of Spain, sooner than expected, but it was a very welcome sight. There were layers of low cloud drifting between the mountains and the visibility was deteriorating, so I flew along the coast to the French border, where I then called Perpignan, who gave me clearance to their airfield and to call final for Runway 33.

Toulouse St Bernard, our next destination, was expecting rain, so we decided to stay the night in Perpignan. The girl at the information bureau was kind enough to book us into a good but reasonably priced hotel close to the town centre, which is very attractive with a river running round the centre with greenery, flowering trees and fountains. The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent wandering around the picturesque narrow streets with cafés and French boutiques (very chic) and classy perfume shops.

While sitting in a café, it started to rain. Thunder, lightning and heavy rain continued throughout the night and it did not cease until mid-morning, with low cloud hanging around all day and the temperature dropping significantly. So, Friday was spent sightseeing on foot, which is how we came across Majorca Castle. Climbing to the top of the tower presented an excellent view of Perpignan and the Pyrenees, although in the direction we wanted to go, the cloud was hanging around the hills and in the valley.

We would be held up for a second night, so I planned to get to Le Touquet by nightfall the next day. My route was to be Lézignan-Corbières, along the valley to Castelnaudary, then on to GAI VOR and LMG VOR to Poitiers for lunch and refuel, a total of 273 nautical miles.

After lunch routing was Le Mans and Le Touquet, a total of 244 nautical miles.

Fortunately, Saturday morning had clear blue sky and CAVOK for the whole of France. Refuelled, fees paid, and DI completed we were airborne by 0935. We made good progress to Castelnaudary but turning to 354° to track the GAI VOR we were into wind, which was stronger than expected, and our ground speed was only 70kt – it was

going to take us a long time to reach Poitiers.

As we approached the GAI VOR there’s a large forest and the ground was beginning to rise, and although very attractive it didn’t look very inviting for a forced landing.

I began to climb to give us reasonable ground clearance and the engine started to run a bit rough.

Getting worse, I pulled out the carb heat and switched on the electric fuel pump, it didn’t improve so I turned back to Gaillac-Lisle-Sur-Tarn, a small airfield we had not long passed over. As we approached the overhead, the engine was beginning to run smoothly again, so I returned the carb heat to cold and switched off the electric fuel pump while circling overhead the airfield. I tried full power and I had got maximum rpm so, satisfied it had been carb icing, we continued. I selected carb heat more frequently, even so I encountered icing three more times on the way to Poitiers. It was the first time I had encountered carb icing in 10 years of flying.

One thing I learned from this experience was to select carb heat immediately, and keep it selected, although it seems a long time before there is any improvement. And the second was the importance of filing a flight plan when flying in France (although it’s not compulsory). There are vast wooded areas with very little habitation, and on this occasion I hadn’t. Perpignan Control questioned if I had filed a flight plan when we were leaving, and I had wondered why! Eventually we did reach Poitiers and were certainly ready to stretch our legs after 3 hours 40 minutes in the air.

We refuelled and had lunch in their very smart restaurant while watching the gliding activity on the grass beside the runway. After checking the weather at Le Mans and Le Touquet and paying our landing fees, we took off at 1520 wondering if we would make it in time. Reaching Le Mans, we were still only averaging 80kt, but I calculated that we would be OK. As we passed Rouen it was beginning to get hazy (fortunately the sun was behind us) but we landed at Le Touquet at 1820. Marnie said she was very cold and shattered after seven hours’ sitting in a Jodel. We spent the night in a nice little hotel where we had a hot bath to warm us up, had a nice meal and were in bed by 2130.

Much refreshed, we woke on Sunday morning to sunshine, but it had clouded over by the time we got to the airfield. Lydd had 5,000 metres but was forecasting CAVOK, so we waited an hour, filed a flight plan and departed at 1125. Visibility was not too bad along the coast but very murky across the Channel. As soon as I could see land, I asked Lydd for a QDM, and we landed at 1200. The weather home to Crowland was CAVOK all the way and we landed at 1505 after circling for 10 minutes waiting for the runway to be cleared of gliders. It was nice to be back, and when a club member approached and asked, “Have you had a good trip, where have you been?” as we climbed out of the Jodel, it was nice to be able to reply, “Yes, great thanks, we have been to Menorca…” ■

Journey statistics

Total distance flown: 2,267nm Total hours flying: 24 hours 50 mins + 50 mins local Menorca Fuel: 537 litres, and one litre of oil: £315.45 Landing and parking fees: £73.80 Accommodation, incl. meals: £206.75 May 2021 | LIGHT AVIATION | 57

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Meet the Members

Par for the Corse…

This month we chat with Ian Corse, oil man, RV Forum administrator, Scottish Aero Club Chairman and a man with a passion for speed…

W

elcome Ian, can you tell us something of your career?

I was born and bred in Scotland, with a brief four years in the Isle of Man. Bit of a nomad in early life due to my father being a lighthouse keeper, which led to being moved around every three to four years. Started off at Killantringan near Portpatrick, before moving to Rattery Head between Peterhead and Fraserburgh, then to Point of Ayre IoM, before finishing school in Stromness, where my father was stationed on Copinsay and later Pentland Skerries. Sailing and the sea played more of a role in early life before heading to Aberdeen in 1982 and four years at Robert Gordon’s Institute of Technology (now RGU) to become an electronics engineer.

I graduated in 1986 with a BSc(Hons), and have been involved with the oil industry ever since. I started off picking up the development of a computer system which monitors and controls the assembly of the pipe, known as tubing and casing, which brings the oil and gas to the surface. After that I spent a few years designing instrumentation for offshore, before jumping ship – pun intended – and spending 15 years offshore looking after all things electrical on several semi-submersible drilling rigs, initially as electronics tech, then as chief electrician.

Most of the rig runs on electricity and it’s a lot for four guys to look after. In 2010 I gave up the offshore life and joined with a previous colleague who had emigrated and started up his own company in the USA. This was a return to where I started – pipe running equipment, working mainly from home with many trips to the USA, where I still work part-time. On the aviation front, for the

last four years I’ve been chairman of the Scottish Aero Club at Perth.

What started your interest in aviation?

I’ve always had a passing interest in aviation, possibly from seeing/hearing Concorde doing test flights up the Irish Sea in 1969/1970 when we were at Killantringan. I started aeromodelling in 1987, flying various model aircraft, including helicopters. In 1991 I got involved in running the Scottish Model Helicopter championships near Aberdeen, and 30 years later I’m still looking for someone else to take it over. I haven’t flown many models for a long while but still own quite a few… maybe when I retire!

In what, where and when was the first flight?

My first commercial flight was on an Occidental charter from Kirkwall via Flotta to Aberdeen, in a Twin Otter to start college in 1982. This was organised by my brother, who worked on Flotta, and spare seats were available to the family. My second flight was in a Bo105 helicopter from Stromness to Pentland Skerries. My father was looking after the light on Pentland Skerries, and as he wasn’t to be home during my Easter break from college, I was offered a run in the 105 to see him for a few hours.

Later in the day I was collected and dropped off at Dounreay for an hour or so before heading back to Stromness, low-level through the hills of Hoy. It was a few years later before I got airborne again, Air UK 146 to Amsterdam for work. The flight went from Aberdeen via Edinburgh and on the 20 minute flight they served coffee… just.

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Meet the Members Where did you do your flight training?

Do you have a favourite and less so type?

I started my PPL with Tayside Aviation at Dundee in March 2000, and passed, complete with a night rating, in April 2001 with 49 hours 20 minutes logged. First solo was at 10 hours 45 minutes. Half my PPL was on C152 and then the DA20, sometimes both on the same day, DA20 during the day, C152 after dark!

Post-PPL I progressed onto the PA28 and started an IMC rating in Oct 2002, and completed in March 2003. In 2006 Tayside bought five Grob Herron G115Ds. These were aerobatic, which was next on my list, and after following the AOPA course, I passed the test in October.

In 2019/2020 I completed the 14 ATPL exams with the help of Bristol Groundschool and I’m presently working towards the Competency Based Instrument Rating (CBIR), with the plan being formulated, as I write, for later in the year to do an instructor rating.

Favourite is probably the RV-6A, quick, nimble and can be turned upside down, but I’m just slightly biased. Least is probably one of the old 172s for the opposite reasons.

What aircraft have you owned?

I’ve only ever owned the RV-6A. I bought the empennage complete, unseen, from a nice, now former, Virgin Atlantic pilot in late 2000. The build was part of the journey for me and hence the enjoyment was spread over 14 years, with the first flight being in March 2015.

After the first flight I dropped the empennage builder an email and he and his wife met me at the Rally in 2016 to inspect the final product.

Most of the build was single-handed with assistance, when required, from my ever-enduring wife, who was pregnant while riveting on the lower wing skins. A couple of friends, when visiting, were also pressed into action.

RV’s feature highly in my aviation, not only as I built and fly one, but I also look after the rvuk.co.uk website and help moderate one of the UK forums, which earned me a Royal Aero Club Certificate of Appreciation in 2014.

How did you hear about the LAA ?

My first encounter with the LAA, PFA as it was, would have been in 1993 when I went to work for a fellow member who was building a RV-6A at the time, the wings of which were stored on a mezzanine deck above my office / workshop. I have flown in the completed aircraft many times, and to several rallies before my own 6A was completed. Both aircraft now sit next to each other at Perth. I joined the PFA in 2000 when I started to build my 6A.

What is your best aviation moment?

How many types of and hours have you flown?

I’ve flown 10 types, C152, DA20, C172, PA28, G115D, EV97, RV-6A, RV-12, T67M-250 and SNJ-6 – with 26 different instructors, mostly club check rides and for rentals in the USA. I currently have 570 hours total time, mostly in the last six years, helped with getting my RV flying, which accounts for 328 of them.

Below Ian’s very nice Van’s RV-6A which first flew in 2015.

There are several; the lighthouse Bo105 has to be in there. The first flight of my RV-6A, and the second flight where I got to fly as well. The test flying was conducted

by Dai Heather-Hayes, who can’t help but teach no matter what the mission. On the second flight Dai was keen to ensure the engine was run in properly, and so 2.5 hours later the job was done. The last 30 minutes at full power at 1,500ft, the RV doing 179kt, the report from my wife later, when I phoned to say all was well, having pre-warned her we may fly over the house was, ‘by heck you were shifting’. The RV grin is a real factor.

Then there’s the Texan, especially when the instructor found out I had a RV and an aerobatic rating, and so the

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Meet the Members

45 minutes aero flight was going to be just that. His attitude changed completely, nailing the first barrel roll plus his comment of appreciation made the day.

I spent far too much time in the back of helicopters, around three hours a month for 15 years would give a rough number. Two flights are of note, first was when I knew the pilot, who also flew models, he had arranged for me to sit jump seat and I got the full tour. Second was when the pilot saw me sitting front and centre, where you can see what’s going on up front, reading FLYER magazine so called me forward, which resulted in another jump seat ride. On discovering my connection with Orkney, and the planned flight was overhead Kirkwall, he asked where my mother’s house was. Given a general direction of just right of the Highland Park distillery, which happened to be the track we needed anyway, we flew down the street at 1,000ft.

What do you need to be mindful of while flying in Scotland?

Flying around Scotland has a lot of plus points, not least the scenery and lack of controlled airspace to play in.

There are however, large areas that are far from help should the fan stop up front. Then the famous mountain wave, which the glider guys love so much, can catch the uninitiated out with rotor from the mountains, a real hazard if not just turbulence. The club lost its secretary and a member in a flexwing, due to this, not long after I started at Perth.

Have you done much touring?

I haven’t done a lot of touring other than the annual pilgrimage to the Rally. We did take the Warriors from Dundee to St Omer one year, and the following year over to the west coast for a weekend. Mostly we fly out to lunch, which can even be to Carnarvon, that’s where the 140-150kt cruise comes in handy.

Above Landing at Glenforsa in the RV. One of those aviation ‘must dos’.

Below When the weather is good, flying in Scotland is incredibly beautiful.

Do you land away on the Scottish Isles?

There are some great places to visit, such as Glenforsa on Mull, Oban, and Plockton, which are regular lunch venues. Bute is also good, sadly the hotel near the airfield is closed at present. There’s normally a fly-in or two at Lamb Holm on Orkney, and Easter to the north of Inverness is popular. The annual, when the weather plays, Sollas fly-in is also a must do, best to go only on the fly-in weekend when the beach is checked out by the organisers, they even mark out a runway with a rake in the sand. All the isles are also great to visit, just remember to phone ahead, some want four hours PPR! In 2019 I co-organised a RV Scottish tour, which had 20 aircraft based at Perth flying out to various venues each day. The week was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended and featured many of the places above. If any groups would like to do similar, we would be happy to help. The airport is generally open to assisting with reduced landing fees for such events.

Who are your aviation heroes?

Any of the pioneers really, and the designers of Vulcan, Concorde, Spitfire – art forms that happen to fly really well.

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Meet the Members

Have you had any ‘learned about flying’ moments?

During one of the test flights of the RV we were setting up the stall warner, which involved climb above the airfield, couple of stalls, land, adjust, repeat. On one of the last ones the cloudbase was around 3,000ft. It was late March and the temperature was around 5°C. Just below the clouds I pulled the throttle back to idle and started the stall test, quite quickly I noticed the rpm dropping below the usual 650rpm and called to Dai, engine out, lowered the nose and advanced the throttle and it came back to life, however with a high fuel flow rate and not the usual smooth running.

Dai quickly recognised the problem, having seen it before, and pulled the mixture back to regulate the flow to somewhere it should be to restore normal running.

Fortunately, we were over the airfield and so landed without fuss and taxied in during which we noticed the flow rate still high, even at tick over it was in the 20+ l/h range and stayed there. We shut down and waited a few minutes, restarted and all was normal, and it has been ever since.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that carb icing can’t happen on an injection engine, it’s then called ‘induction icing’ and screws up the fuel metering, we’d had a rich cut at idle. It was surprising how quickly the ice formed, and it wasn’t going away.

Otherwise, nothing too hairy. I forgot to move the kneeboard once, so an aileron roll turned into a slow roll, but that’s what the training is for. One other would be the return from Lamb Holm when the weather closed in around Inverness. Again, training and an IMC rating being current gave the option of going on top if required, being the better option than dodging the high ground. It turned out not to be required as we stayed in sight of the surface, but with less than ideal horizontal vis for a bit but we were well above MSA, which was the main concern.

Do you have an aircraft or vehicles wish list?

I’d quite like to build another aircraft, probably a Van’s, possibly a RV-7 unless the 15 is announced and a step change, whatever that might be. There is a plan to get a tailwheel rating, possibly in the Pits with Dai, hence the RV-7.

Above Ian having fun at Knockhill motor racing circuit in his Lotus Exige.

Below Ian quickly attained aerobatic training so he could enjoy aeros in the RV.

I’ve had two Lotus Elise and now have an Exige Roadster. No real intention of changing the Exige as long as I can get into it! It has been on the track at Knockhill a couple of times, it’s amazing how it handles. The challenge is to keep the driving licence clean, although the F-Pace has more chance of spoiling that, being less noisy and having less impression of speed. The Exige is just nice to take on the Scottish back roads, Applecross is on the hit list for example, we opted not to do that bit of the scenic North Coast 500 road with the motorhome!

Do you have other non-aviation hobbies/ interests?

I occasionally do a bit of clay pigeon shooting, having been bitten by the bug a few years back. I don’t do enough of it to be that good but tend to hit more than I miss – some days. Also, a passing interest in F1 and I will watch the races if I can, but I don’t get too upset if I miss one.

Any advice for fellow pilots?

Keeping current and safe is the main advice. All too often we see things which a little forethought and planning would help avoid. Simple things like starting up and blowing prop wash over other aircraft or trying to taxi through a gap that’s only just big enough rather than going round the longer way. Find a good club and/or Strut with people of similar interests. I learned to fly at Dundee, which is a great training establishment, but with little club atmosphere to talk of. Perth is a large club, over 240 members, with 80+ members’ aircraft on site, so is always busy… apart from when Covid hit. ■

May 2021 | LIGHT AVIATION | 61

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CEO Thoughts

A level playing field

T

here’s been plenty of recent discussion around Unmanned Aerial Systems, UAS, drones, whatever you might like to call them, and at last we seem to at least be developing some meaningful dialogue with some of the more responsible UAS operators. Recent meetings with other UAS operators seeking to segregate airspace for more operational trials have proved ‘interesting’, and others still seem to avoid dialogue on the basis that since they are recipients of Government grants, they seem to think they have a ‘God-given right’ to sequester any airspace they think fit.

Those attitudes cannot be allowed to go unquestioned.

We are keen to integrate with UAS operations in a safe and equitable manner, but current practice is to segregate rather than integrate. That doesn’t just apply to the airspace, it applies to wider thinking too, and past CAA policy has played a role in this.

The creation of a CAA UAS Unit, treating them separately from other lower airspace users, created a ‘silo’ mentality, with many UAS operators exhibiting a lack of knowledge on established aviation protocols, and an inability to accept the need to integrate with others. The UAS Unit is still gaining in experience, but it appears that there is some way to go in its understanding of the wider aviation community. As far as we are aware, it has only one person with manned flying experience in its team (a retired military helicopter pilot).

Out of touch

There was no better example of how out of touch that segment of the CAA is with the wider community than the recent GA ‘Virtual Voyage’ presentations. In those presentations, a CAA Innovations Manager proudly (and repeatedly) proclaimed the excellence of the consultations between the GA community and Skyports, the UAS operator running trial operations under a Temporary Danger Area between Oban and Mull.

In fact, there were widespread complaints at an almost total lack of consultation with the local flying community, something which the CAA had failed to check when they allowed the original TDA to proceed. When this came to light, the CAA subsequently denied Skyports’ subsequent TDA application on the grounds of inadequate consultation. Need I say more?

The current round of UAS trials do little to genuinely demonstrate the safe operation of UAS activities, and a number have been set up with demonstrably dubious justifications attempting to justify a business or humanitarian case. This does little for the credibility of UAS operators, or their CAA oversight, and risks long-term damage to the reputation of the industry.

Forget the 2019 dodgy drone demo at Goodwood, which gained strong AAIB criticism. In at least two recent trials, the carriage of dangerous goods appears to have been permitted in breach of the third-party risk protocols that would have been

CEO Thoughts

By Steve Slater

demanded of manned aviation. There have also been third party reports of UAS ‘incidents’ which have not been properly reported.

While there are certainly sensible operators, there are clearly some whose business and operational practices come out of the Wild West. An appropriate operational audit system, like that in place within manned aviation, would ensure greater compliance.

One asks, “How many operational audits has the UAS Unit carried out?”

Who’s in charge?

With all other areas of aviation, the captain of the aircraft is responsible for the safe operation of the flight. That applies to UAS operations too. However, under the current CAA CAP 722 regulations, the current operators / remote pilots and even the CAA identified Responsible Person, are not required to have any formal qualification in aeronautical knowledge or air law to the level required by even a first solo student pilot in manned aviation. The responsibility, as well as ability, of the operator is unclear under the ANO, but a reduced level of remote pilot qualification to that of a manned aviation pilot would rectify this gap. CAP 722 lacks specifics and is currently of little benefit.

Incorporating UAS operators into the current licensing system would achieve consistency, continuity in the longer term, and placement of responsibilities in common with other operators.

Licensing of commercial operators at scale should be at a level appropriate for the type of operation, aimed at risk management without hindering the development of the segment.

In the longer term, unless similar protocols to manned aviation are developed and enforced, UAS operators cannot safely share airspace with manned aviation. Continued segregation will severely constrain UAS commercial operations and sector growth, and continue to impose ever-increasing barriers to other airspace users. It will mean that both sides lose out.

Don’t forget, on the DfT’s own calculations, the GA sector is worth £3.3 billion each year to the UK economy. The LAA alone is a £1.3 million turnover business. In some cases, as well as the safety implications of ‘funnelling’ and an increased risk of mid-air collision, airspace favouring UAS has led to restriction of use of neighbouring manned flying sites and established routes, impacting negatively upon the local ‘Class G economy’.

A change of thinking would benefit both parties. We should establish clear requirements for UAS to match manned aircraft safety and operating standards, enabling their safe integration into wider airspace.

We all need to work together to develop a proportional, risk and evidence-based strategy, allowing manned aircraft pilots to continue to fly as we wish, while ensuring the development of unmanned emerging technologies too.

Our door is open – UAS industry, over to you.■

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22/04/2021 10:56

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TIME TO BUILD? When evaluating kits/designs, it should borne in mind that technical details, performance figures and handling characteristics are often quoted for a factory-produced aircraft flying under ideal conditions. It is wise, therefore, to seek the opinion of existing builders and owners of the type. You should also take your own skill and circumstances into consideration when calculating build times. The manufacturer’s build time should be taken as a guide only.

Maurice Kirk is selling four D-Day Piper Cubs, two Taylorcraft, one Challis Chaffinch, spare engines, including Gypsy, vintage Lycoming, A65 and shed of post and pre-war propellers incl. 4 blade WW1. 1931 ohc 4 seat Morris Minor convertible. Breton cottage next to strip £30,000.

EDO Air Float. Will exchange the lot for third wife. +447708586202 maurice@kirkflyingvet.com www.mauricejohnkirk.com

AMATEUR BUILDING All LAA aircraft builders and potential builders are reminded that in order to qualify for a LAA Permit to Fly, homebuilt aircraft must be genuinely amateur built. For these purposes the CAA provide a definition of amateur built in their publication CAP 659, available from LAA. An extract from CAP 659 reads “The building and operation of the aircraft will be solely for the education and recreation of the amateur builder. This means that he would not be permitted to commission someone else to build his aircraft”. An aircraft built outside the CAA’s definition could result in an expensive garden ornament.

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64 | LIGHT AVIATION | May 2021

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May 2021 | LIGHT AVIATION | 65

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