The 2022 AGM of the LAA LTD

Midday: Sunday 23 October. Turweston Aerodrome, Brackley, NN13 5YD

The LAA AGM will this year be held at the Association’s home airfield of Turweston, in a meeting room in Turweston Tower. There will be an additional hybrid capability allowing members to join the meeting and register their votes online using Zoom.

Logging in to the Zoom Meeting

The link to the meeting is https://bit.ly/3f3PDvk Meeting ID: 844 2173 8893.

A passcode is also required to join the meeting. If your email is registered with us, you will receive an email containing these details. If this is not received seven days ahead of the AGM, please contact office@laa.uk.com in the week before the AGM. Please log in before 1145 to avoid a delayed start.

Flying In

Any members wishing to fly in to the AGM will be welcome to do so. Please PPR with Turweston Flight Centre on 01280 705400 or info@turwestonflight.com

The programme for the day will be:

1100 Tea / coffee

1115 Welcome from Eryl Smith, Chairman of the LAA. 1130 Presentation of LAA Service Awards and LAA Rally Awards

1200 AGM

1300 CEO Overview and Members Forum. An opportunity for members to discuss issues and ideas with the Board.

1400 Thanks and closure of meeting.

Refreshments will be available in both the Turweston Flight Deck café and LAA HQ Members Lounge and Meeting Room.

AGM agenda

● Apologies for Absence

● Minutes of the previous meeting for approval

● Chairman’s Report

● Motion 1

● Motion 2

● Treasurer’s Report and Adoption of 2021 Statutory Accounts

● Election of Just Audit and Assurance Ltd., as Auditors of the Company.

● Election and Re-Election of the Directors of the Company.

For re-election: David Mole, Tim Hardy. For election: Paul Bird, Paul Lawrence.

NB: There are four candidates for the two available directors’ posts, so you should only vote for up to two of the candidates.

AGM documentation

The Minutes from the 2021 AGM, the Annual Report, the 2021 accounts, the Treasurer’s Report, the Chairman’s Report as well as the agenda and Motions contained herein, will be available on the LAA website (www.laa.uk.com) at least one week prior to the meeting.

Voting

To vote at the AGM you must be a beneficial shareholder of the LAA – unless you have specifically opted out, you will be a beneficial shareholder by default if you are a current member.

Only those beneficial shareholders whose names appear on the register at 1400 on 21 October 2022 shall be entitled to vote at the meeting.

How to vote

Voting is available either:

● At the meeting in person.

● Via the Zoom facility.

● Using the proxy form that came on the reverse of the address sheet of this issue of Light Aviation

You can only vote once, if you vote by proxy and then vote again at the meeting or on Zoom, both votes will be nullified.

Proxy Voting. David Mole, LAA Company Secretary

● You may only appoint one proxy.

● In the case of joint holdings, the vote of the senior beneficial shareholder who tenders a vote shall be accepted to the exclusion of the vote of the other beneficial shareholder.

For this purpose, seniority shall be determined by the order in which names stand in the register of beneficial shareholders.

● If this form is returned without any indication as to how the Chairman shall vote, he may exercise his discretion as to how he votes, or whether he abstains from voting.

● The proxy form must be signed and must show a membership number.

‘Signed’ must mean signed by hand and not signed electronically, bearing in mind that all proxy forms will be checked at the LAA office.

● We will accept an emailed legible scan of a properly signed and numbered proxy form.

However, it has been noticed that scans emailed at low resolution can be almost illegible when they are received in the LAA office, so the wisest course may be to post the paper form.

● Your proxy form must be received at HQ not later than 20 October 2022.

MOTION 1.

Proposed by: Eryl Smith, Chairman (029493)

Seconded by: David Mole, Company Secretary (037969).

To amend Article 25(d) of the LAA Articles in the following way: The provision currently reads: “The Board at its meeting after the Annual General Meeting shall elect from amongst its number the chairman and two vice-chairmen, the Secretary of the Company, and such other officers of the Company as it deems appropriate. The Board may revise these elections and appointments at any time.”

The proposal is that the Article be amended to read : “25(d) The Board at its meeting, after the AGM of the Company, shall elect from amongst its number the Chairman and Vice Chairman. The Board may appoint the Secretary of the Company and other such officers of the Company as it deems appropriate. The Board may revise these elections and appointments at any time.”

Reasons: When these articles were originally drafted, a Private Company such as the LAA was obliged by law to have a Company Secretary. However, that is no longer the law. Furthermore, there is no reason why the Company Secretary must always be a member of the Board. There may be good reasons for the LAA contracting for an outsider to provide the sort of services that a Company Secretary would provide. It would be very useful for the Board to have that flexibility if it became necessary. The Board supports this amendment.

MOTION 2.

Proposed by: Tony Unwin (044013)

Seconded by: Steve Paffett (040191)

As we approach the Centenary celebration of the first non-stallable aircraft I would like to propose a motion for the LAA to proactively work to further support the development of Senor Cierva’s Autogiro design. In particular, I would ask that the new engineering team significantly expand the dozen or so engineers able to service these straightforward aircraft. Note from Tony Unwin: It is frustrating to see the vast array of successful gyroplanes being flown throughout the world while the UK lags behind with no perceivable safety benefit to show for the criteria imposed, could it be time to approach the CAA to review this situation? Meanwhile, the BRA would request exposure in the Strut pages of the magazine as well as editorial content when applicable. LAA comment: Unlike fixed-wing aircraft, the LAA does not have engineering nor design oversight for factory-built gyroplanes delegated to it by the CAA, whose permits are based on certification by the manufacturers. The LAA provides permit administration and registration of Inspectors, with maintenance carried out by approved engineers. We fully endorse the need to support the gyroplane sector and look forward to further developing our relationship with the British Rotorcraft Association, which is of course already an LAA Member Club.

Election Of Candidates For Directorship Of The Laa Ltd

Please note: There are four candidates standing for the Board but only two places available. You can therefore only vote for up to two of the candidates.

PAUL BIRD . (010657)

Proposed by: Stewart Luck. (011102). Seconded by: Stewart Buckingham. (031631).

I am a former engineering draughtsman, design engineer, heat treatment technician and college lecturer. I obtained my PPL in 1974, joined PFA in 1980, and I am a past member of North Western and Lancashire Struts. I now live in Pembrokeshire, own a Robin ATL and work on a casual basis for three maintenance companies at Haverfordwest.

Having previously been a Board member (2004-2009), I offer my experience and service to the LAA again, so that I may assist in moving the Association forward in the post-EASA/Brexit era.

I would be particularly keen to mitigate some of the regulatory anomalies that have developed during several transitions.

TIM HARDY . (029407)

Proposed by: James Bentley. (043744). Seconded by: Geraldine Hill (041280).

I have been a member of the LAA since 2010 and have served as a director for the last six years, three of them as Chairman. Coming from a senior management background in commercial aviation at Luton, Gatwick and Heathrow, I am now the UK Distributor for Sling Aircraft, a South African-based kit manufacturer.

Apart from my commercial aviation experience, I can offer the perspective of a stakeholder that can attract new members into the LAA, as well as the introduction of new types into the LAA fleet. I also serve on the Airspace Change Organising Group’s steering committee tasked with overseeing airspace modernisation in the UK.

PAUL

Proposed by: Michael Gaffney. (019881). Seconded by: Peter Jeffcote. (037274).

My day job is a Project Manager, installing energy efficient cooling systems. My involvement with the LAA/PFA dates to the 1970s when my late father Stan helped build Popham Airfield with fellow Andover & Solent Strut members.

My first Rally was in 1978, then I worked at Rallies from 1985, including installing the Rally electrics. For the past four years, I have been part of the Rally working group. I also formed the Rally Workers Strut.

I gained my PPL in 2001 and part own a Jodel. The LAA has enabled me to follow my passion, with the help of like-minded and talented people. I would like to give back to the LAA by joining the board, whilst continuing with the Rally Working group.

DAVID MOLE (037969)

Proposed by: David Millin. (030437). Seconded by: Tony Gibson. (032408).

My background has been mostly legal, as a lecturer in law, barrister, QC and Judge. As a planning barrister I have been involved in several airfield and major airport public inquiries.

From my Chambers at the top of the Crown Court I could see aircraft doing circuits at Elstree and started taking flying lessons on my way home from work.

I fly from Westonzoyland and am a member of the Devon Strut. I have built a Rans S7S, which has been fun, and a wonderful and humbling education. I believe the LAA does an important job. I joined the Board in 2019, although a novice in aviation, because legal experience could be useful to it and I am proud to continue as a Director.

Compiled by Mike Slaughter