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

The LAA Courses are a great way to learn about build techniques and keeping your aircraft in tip top condition, so why not enrol and learn or refresh your skill sets. The courses are held at the LAA Training facility at LAA HQ, Turweston Aerodrome, unless otherwise stated. Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided.

Currently available at time of writing are:

Wednesday 19 October sees a Fabric Covering course presented by Poly-Fiber agents Aircraft Coverings. £150.

Ken Craigie retires

In early September, retiring Chief Inspector Ken Craigie was presented with a presentation plaque marking his 30 years in the role. Also on hand to receive a similar tribute was former Chief Engineer, Francis Donaldson.

Ken remains on hand for a little while longer to assist with the handover to new Chief Inspector, Lucy Wootton. Francis is continuing to share his extensive knowledge and lend a hand while he works on a consultative basis.

Tuesday 8 November and Tuesday 29 November and we are Building in Wood. Dudley Pattison presents two opportunities to learn the skills of building with wood at his workshop near Swindon. £120 including lunch.

Tuesday 29 November another woodworking course by Dudley Pattison. £120 including lunch.

Tuesday 22 November sees another Caring for your Gipsy Major course presented by acknowledged DH Gipsy

Smart Skies users wanted

Smart Skies, a new app to help pilots and airfields, is seeking test users. The app has a number of features for pilots

New General Aviation Advocate appointed

Mike Pearson, well known as airfield manager at Popham and a seasoned GA professional, has been recruited by the Department for Transport as the new General Aviation (GA) Advocate to support the GA industry and provide advice to Ministers.

The GA Advocate role was created in 2017 and serves to represent and raise the profile of GA. Mike will build on the important work of the previous GA Advocate, Phil Dunnington, who very sadly passed away in 2021, and on the work of the former GA Champion role created in 2015.

Mike is a member of the Royal Aero engine aficionado, Dennis Neville. Dennis will explain the ins and outs of these vintage aircraft engines and solve those starting difficulties. £120. including the facility to arrange PPR, pay for fuel and a digital logbook as well as social features to share flight information and help arrange meetings with friends.

Please note: An additional £20 is charged for non-LAA members. Course information is available on the LAA website at www.laa.uk.com via a tab on the Main Menu. Please check regularly as additional courses are being added.

It’s currently free to sign up, while the test period is on. www.smartskies.app

Club, an airfield manager for Popham Airfield and served as a Chair of the Airfield Operators Group (AOG). He also served as a chairman of the Blackbushe Airport Consultative Committee and as the Director of Enterprise for Southwark College.

Aviation Minister, Robert Courts, said, “Mike is a longstanding role model in aviation and an ideal Advocate for the General Aviation sector. His career shows not only his excellent suitability for the role, but also how exciting the sector is, and I take great pleasure in welcoming

The appointment is key to the delivery of the GA Roadmap tinyurl. com/GovGAroadmap which aims to make the UK the best place in the world for GA. The appointment is also an important step in delivering the commitments on General Aviation in Flightpath to the Future tinyurl. com/Flightpathfuture

Detect CO with new Lightspeed headset

Headset manufacturer Lightspeed Aviation has launched its new ANR Delta Zulu headset that includes a number of new features including a built-in Carbon Monoxide (CO) detector and HearingEQity, a system which tests wearers hearing and balances the sound in each ear.

Delta Zulu is fitted with ‘Kanari smart alert technology’, placing a CO detector close to the head of the pilot. This measures cabin carbon monoxide levels and provides an audible warning through the headset if levels are high. A Lightspeed App allows wearers to check the CO sensor data visually during flight and also review the full history later.

LAA Service Awards

Each year the Light Aircraft Association makes awards for direct or indirect service to the Association during the year.

The awards available are listed opposite.

If you know of a member whose work deserves recognition, please send your nomination to the LAA Office in the form of a maximum 150 word citation stating what it is they have done to warrant consideration. As the presentations are made at the Annual General Meeting, please submit your nomination(s) by Monday 10 October.

Fly Tex sunshade

Spotted at Popham during the Grass Roots Fly-in, aircraft covers manufacturer Cambrai Covers had a new product on display, which promises to help keep pilots cool in the cockpit. The Fly-Tex fabric sun shade fits inside your canopy using locking suction cups at either end of a rail, which can be adjusted to the shape of the Perspex. Price is from £145. For details visit: www. cambraicovers.com

The headset also features a built-in audio equalisation system called HearingEQity.

Lightspeed explained, “Through an automated 12-frequency hearing test that can be taken through the Lightspeed App, HearingEQity sets the hearing level in each ear of your headset to create your individual hearing profile to compensate for any hearing variations between ears.”

978MHz UAT obstruction beacon trial

A UK-wide trial of ground-based ADS-B ‘obstruction’ beacons at gliding sites around the UK, which will provide pilots flying with suitable equipment, and real-time warnings that gliding activity – such as winch launches – is taking place.

As part of the ongoing Airspace Modernisation Strategy, the CAA is looking for measures to mitigate the risks of overflying winch launch sites, and other similar risks, using the 978Mhz spectrum.

It’s commonly used in the USA as a secondary ADS-B frequency and for Traffic Information System Broadcast (TIS-B) and Flight Information System – Broadcast (FIS-B).

performance ear seals, cables uAvionix is supporting the trials by providing purpose-built powered obstruction beacons that will be placed at 13 gliding club sites throughout the UK. battery

The sites will be shown when operational on any Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) with ADS-B IN devices such as uAvionix skyEcho2 and ForeFlight Sentry.

Like other Lightspeed headsets, the Delta Zulu has high performance ear seals, cables built around a Kevlar core, full Bluetooth integration, and a seven-year warranty. It weighs 14.9oz (422g) and comes with a carrying case, single port wall charger, lithium-ion battery cartridge, AA battery cartridge, UAC to USB-A cable, a cord shirt clip, and a set of personalised icon chips to distinguish multiple headsets.

List price is $1,099 www.lightspeedaviation.com

● The Lois Parker – for distinguished service in an administrative function.

● The Frank Hounslow – for service to LAA in engineering.

● The Chris Paul (President’s Joystick) – for services to the Rally.

● The Pete Clarke – for an individual major contribution to flight safety.

● The Bill Woodhams Trophy –for a feat of navigation.

The project, which takes place between 1 September and 31 October 2022 will see the obstruction beacons broadcast only when flying activities are underway at the participating club sites.

Stuart Lindsey, Head of Airspace Modernisation Strategy at the CAA, said, “The trial of functionality such as ADS-B Obstruction Beacons helps us understand and evaluate the benefits of deploying digital Flight Information Services as part of the Airspace Modernisation Strategy.

“We are pleased to fund this trial via the Airspace Modernisation Strategy Support Fund (AMSSF) and that uAvionix has chosen to work with some of our key General Aviation stakeholders to improve the promulgation and awareness of its activities at the trial locations, to deliver a safety benefit.”

Pete Stratten, CEO of the British Gliding Association, added, “The BGA has for several years recorded and raised awareness of hazardous overflights of glider winch launch sites by aeroplanes and helicopters.

“These sites are depicted on half-mil charts and described within the AIP. Participating in the obstruction beacon trial will contribute to an understanding of the effectiveness of using technology to highlight a fixed airspace hazard during flight and in doing so reduce mid-air conflict risk. It is important too that the equipment is reliable and affordable.” www.uavionix.com/projects/ukobsbeacon www.uavionix.com/projects/ ukobsbeaconfeedback

We are always pleased to receive your letters, photos of your flying, and your feedback. Please email the editor at ed.hicks@laa.uk.com

Turbi recollections

Dear Ed,

I was delighted to see the feature article on G-APBO in September’s edition. I did, however, detect a few significant errors which I feel obliged to correct on the grounds of historical accuracy.

There were three examples of the two-seat D.5 Turbi constructed to Roger Druine’s original plans – G-AOTK (Tango Kilo, I think rather than Oscar Kilo), G-APBO and G-APFA (Foxtrot Alpha, not Foxtrot Papa). While the registrations did not match the sequence of completions, the constructors were, in the alphabetical order of letters, de Havilland Technical College, Rutherglen Group and Britten-Norman. The first to fly was the last-mentioned, followed by the Hatfield DH one and then finally the Glaswegian ’APBO.

Both the DH example and the Scottish examples had Walter Mikron II in-line engines, while the Britten-Norman one was powered by the Coventry-Victor Flying Neptune, a notable hay-baler flat four first flown in a Piper Cub by BKS.

Much later, the Flying Neptune was replaced by a Continental C.90 and fitted with a ‘glasshouse’ canopy. This work was undertaken by PFA Chairman, Harold Best-Devereux.

Your author associates the Turbi’s rectangular wing with that of the delightful Klemm series and, thereby, the Hanworthbuilt Swallow. Both these had tapered wings and were of a much higher aspect ratio. I do not think there is a comparison and no, the Turbi did not have (or need) wash-out: the form of the wing-tips was an ample substitution employed on low aspect-ratio, parallel-chord wings. This was explored in the low-speed wind-tunnel at Farnborough in, I think,1949 and was copiously written up in the RAeS Journal at the time.

I joined Britten-Norman Ltd to build G-APFA when, following their agreement to construct the first British example, John Britten and Desmond Norman found their crop spraying business created such demands that they were prevented from devoting sufficient time to the project.

The story of my experiences with G-APFA and its unconventional engine has been told too many times to repeat here. Back copies of Popular Flying can be consulted as well as my book Flight on Frail Wings. However, less well-known are certain fundamental anomalies which we encountered in the building of this aircraft.

Considerable time was spent trying to sort out those dimensions shown on the original drawings as angles. Nothing we made to these angles would fit until at long last we discovered that Druine’s radial measurements were not measured in degrees but in gradans or ‘gon’. This was a form of defining angles used almost exclusively in surveying terminology and is built around the 400 grad circle rather than 360°. We were reading 400° instead of gradans!

Suffice to say, all French master drawings were quickly revised to show degrees.

Meanwhile, affable and mildly eccentric Dr Frank E Roche in Glasgow’s Rutherglen district had formed a group to build the third Turbi – G-APBO. By this time I was based at Panshanger and living in Hertford. Frank began encountering problems in reading the drawings and decided that I was the only one who could help. One morning he telephoned from Glasgow and announced he was coming down to see me – at once!

Remember that these were pre-motorway days, but this did not prevent a car containing a boisterous Dr Frank Roche and his two friends from arriving outside my door at 6.30pm. They bore an armful of drawings – and a bottle of whisky – plus a very large take-away meal for, it seemed, at least a dozen people.

As the evening progressed I helped sort out their problems and introduced them to the ‘400-degree circle’. Meanwhile, the whisky was steadily drained away until, shortly before midnight, they piled merrily back into their car and set off to drive home all through the night. I was left to stand at the bottom of my stairs waiting for them to slow down… In those days, drink-driving was yet to become a major driving offence.

The Rutherglen Group ‘borrowed’ a disused Glasgow tramshed for the finishing off and rigging of their aircraft. You can see in one of the photographs (below) the day that the completed aircraft was pushed out onto the adjoining pavement.

The resurrection of their fine aircraft is a lasting tribute to the work of my friend, the late Dr Frank Roche, and his team.

Roger Druine was a quiet and talented young engineer, who died terribly young of leukemia. On what was his only visit to England he came into the Royal Aero Club wearing a really badly creased and stained suit. This, he proudly proclaimed, ‘is my first new suit since the war!’ It materialised that quality clothing was simply not available in France and consequently French Customs men were quick to check their countrymen returning from London. They slapped a heavy duty on any new clothes which travellers brought back with them. Roger’s solution was to travel in whatever old and ragged clothes he had, buy the best suit he could afford at our best tailor – then spill milk down it, after which he slept in it! The Customs, he later assured us, nodded him back into his home country without a second look!

Arthur W J G Ord-Hume, Guildford.

Ed says: Arthur, thanks for writing. I did think that if any member would spot any errors in this, it would be you, given your knowledge. It’s a pleasure to print your reminisces.

More Turbi Hi Ed,

Lovely to see the Druine Turbi on the cover – the aircraft that led to the creation of Strathaven Airfield.

Druine Turbi G-APBO was hand-built by the Rutherglen Flying Group – called Popular Flying Association Group 39 on G-INFO – led by Dr Frank Roche (not Roach as in the article!), and first flown from South Carnduff, South Lanarkshire.

When the farm at nearby Couplaw came up for sale a year or two later, the group persuaded The Scottish Flying Club to buy it and gain permission for the farm to be used as an airfield!

So if it hadn’t been for G-APBO – the registration letters are reputed to be linked to Dr Roche’s wife’s initials – there might never have been an airfield at Strathaven.

Built in 1956 and still flying today, 66 years on!

And Strathaven Airfield prospering too, with a mixture of 32 LAA and BMAA aircraft, plus a nosewheel Maule based here, and a busy three-axis microlight school. Very best wishes, Colin MacKinnon.

A return to a July Rally?

After a couple of disastrous Rallies due to exceptionally wet Julys – I’m sure we all remember the Tewkesbury floods – and the Wroughton farmers charging £25 a tow to get caravans off the campsite; the EC (now termed the Board) decided to move to a September weekend, which indeed has been the case for the last 10 years at Sywell.

September has probably not been the ideal month to have the Rally, once again due to weather. I have gone through Met office historical records, and for those 10 years we have only enjoyed three years where the weekend could be deemed ‘summery’. One year the high for the three days was 14° and cloudy every day. Some years ago SBAC Farnborough moved to July due to the unpredictability of settled weather during its previous traditional second week in September, if my memory serves me right.

I would like to promote the thought of a move back to high summer for the following reasons:

1. Almost maximum daylight hours. If we had to maintain a arrival slot system this could be from 8am to 5pm with normal arrivals/ departures outside those hours ( sr to ss)

2. Recent records indicate that July now has a tendency to be more settled, the last three years bare this out. Call it Global Warming… if you must.

3. I know from conversations with a few of our EU arrivals that with September’s evenings drawing in departures have to be as early as late morning if they are to avoid a night-stop while heading home.

4. With the extended daylight hours and hopefully warm evenings campers especially could enjoy al fresco socialising and not having to wrap up against an autumnal chill.

5. Event traders will enjoy extended trading hours which in turn will enhance rally income.

6. Comments emulating from the recent Not-the-Rally-flyin at Popham were all positive with, unusually, no negative comments!

7. Finally, perusing the current Royal Aero Club events calendar revealed that there were no potential major clashes.

I would hope that this input will promote discussion from within the LAA Board, Rally committee and members of course! From my many years of being on the Rally committee I know any discussion would have to take place sooner rather than later, with the first orders for marquees etc going in during November. If we were to stick religiously to ‘First Weekend’ in July then this would be 7th, 8th, 9th. That effectively gives us a further week for planning.

I look forward to any responses. Alan Lovejoy.

Ed says: Thanks for writing Alan, I don’t think I’d be wrong in saying that all options are being considered at the moment for 2023, though our annual Rally has become quite a familiar event in September to a lot of pilots and aviation enthusiasts.

Eryl Smith’s Chairman’s chat on Page 10 of this issue provides some more information as to future thinking on the event.To other readers, like Alan says, if you have a view, then do let us know.

Tiger Club alive and well!

Hi Ed, Great job on the new LAA mag – each new edition is better than the one before.

One quick correction, though. In the latest edition, the piece about the Turbi says, “… at Croydon, and with its closure, then at Redhill. This too was the then home of the late Tiger Club…”

Well, as a member of the Tiger Club, I can assure you that it’s definitely not ‘late’.

As Mark Twain is believed to have said, “The reports about my death are greatly exaggerated” (this is a misquote, of course, he never actually wrote anything like this).

The club – and the Turb display team –are very much alive and well, flying out of Damyns Hall, and would be delighted to welcome you for a visit if you’re interested. Many thanks, Artyom Liss.

Ed says: Thanks Artyom. I must admit, re-reading that it’s a gotcha I missed. Sometimes my brain shifts things around to make sense… ‘late home to the Tiger Club’, and I don’t correct it. I think that’s how that one got through. I can report that I know the Tiger Club is alive and well, and have a future adventure to publish from Tiger Club member Richard Vary and his fellow Turb Team pilots in a future issue of Light Aviation.

Sand as ballast

Dear Ed,

The latest Light Aviation arrived today and, while I don’t always read every edition from cover to cover, I do find Clive Davidson’s writing about different aircraft types interesting and informative – this month’s article about the Druine Turbi was no exception.

Being ex-Fleet Air Arm and required to know the Naval Aircraft Maintenance Manual inside-out, I was somewhat concerned, however, to see Clive suggesting the use of sandbags as ballast.

When planning a test flight in a Naval aircraft in which extra weight was required, NAMMs prohibited the use of only two things as ballast; the first of these being people and the second sand.

The reason for the first is, I hope, obvious, but the second perhaps not so much. The issue is that, once you put sand in an aircraft, either loose or in bags, you are likely to have the devil’s own job getting it all out again.

Not only may this have a negative impact on weight and balance but a little bit of sand mixed with oil or grease makes a very effective grinding paste that can cause significant damage to bearings in flying control systems etc.

Clive also suggested you might use bags of potatoes – this sounds like a much better idea… but do make sure you wash the potatoes first! Kind regards, Dr Alex Ellin. ■