MEET THE MEMBERS

I was born in Chesham in October 1948 and was educated at Dr Challoner’s Grammar School at Amersham (which had a great handicraft dept). I dropped out of sixth form A-levels to join the big wide world and had a brief spell locally in the drawing office at Modern Wheel Drive (marine gears), which I thoroughly enjoyed until they moved to English Electric, in Slough. I then joined GPO Engineering (later BT), providing/ updating telephone exchange equipment. Some 27 years later, as a Technical Officer, I took a generous early redundancy deal, and contracted for a year with Mercury.

Having opted for a pension at 50, the accompanying lump sum paid off my debts while the monthly payments covered my basic needs. My options were open, and I didn’t necessarily have to work for anyone else again. So, along with my main flying instructor John Giddins and CFI Tom Eagles, in 1994 we formed Hinton Aviation Above The Air Camper aloft with Arthur at the controls. He flew 236 different passengers in it over the years.

Services. John was already servicing gliders and motor gliders, and when my Pietenpol, G-ADRA, appeared on the scene, my perceived fabricing skills were added. I started with one of Tom’s Ventures, then quickly moved on to a couple of the gliding club’s Ka-13s. It all sort-of took off from there, and by 1998 there was so much fabricwork coming in I went solo, under the name of The Incredible Cloth Flying Machine (ICFM) – which had a suitably Pythonesque ring to it but also alluded to observations I’d made of people poking at Tiger Moths believing them to be metal, only to discover with incredulity they were actually fabric and just painted silver!

To cut a long story short, I mainly cut my teeth on the many Yaks then coming into the UK – it was required by the CAA that the Russian fabric be stripped from the control-surfaces and replaced with ‘known’ material. All this, including wings, I could do at home, and for bigger stuff a friendly local flying farmer rented me a barn for a small fee whenever needed.

I never thought then that I would still be doing it now! There’s been a good steady flow over the years on all

manner of aeroplanes, and I’m pleased to say, mostly by word of mouth. I’m not, nor want to be, an Inspector. I was a BGA Inspector for two years but I’m more comfortable having my work checked than the other way around. Customers can provide their own Inspector, but if that’s not possible I can always arrange one to sign things off. I’ve also had three very enjoyable working holidays in the Netherlands, assisting in the fabricing of a friend’s Pietenpol, and later, an Auster AOP.6. And have had offers from friends in Canada, USA, NZ, and Australia to work on some of their interesting machines. Maybe one day!

As a kid, plastic aeroplanes in breakfast cereal boxes, and dad bought me the Daily Mail’s I-Spy Aircraft booklet. Also, on our Sunday family outings in the car, I would sulk if it didn’t include at least a brief stop at Denham or similar! Naturally it was also Airfix and Keil-Kraft models, all the W E Johns Biggles and Worrals books, Civil Aircraft Markings, Air Pictorial monthly and the Chesham 2204 Squadron of the ATC. And dad, who as head of Bucks Constabulary Traffic Division, taught me how to drive and strip engines.

Growing up in Chesham we were in the circuit for Bovingdon, then mainly a communications base, so Ansons and USAF C.47’s etc. were an everyday sight.

A friend and I would get up at 4am and do a newspaper round in our ATC uniforms on the four-mile uphill walk to the airfield, where we’d cadge lifts in anything with a spare seat going anywhere. As a result, we did a lot of flying in Ansons, Devons and Pembrokes (including WD413, which still flies). We often got up-close to Vulcans, Lightnings, etc, at various bases, which one would never be able to normally. It also got us to see a great deal of the film-work at Bov, including 633 Squadron and War Lover. Various ATC trips and camps provided flights in Chipmunks, Argosies, Beverlies, Shackletons, etc, and an introduction to gliding.

The late Brian Lecomber was a year or two above me at school, he’d learned to fly Tiger Moths, so during trips with him I learned the art of flour-bombing – I’ll leave it there!

By this time, dad’s initial encouragement had waned – instead of studying for university I was a lost cause pursuing a rich man’s sport. As long as I was happy, mum was too, so he was OK really.

I always thought it was in a Dragon Rapide at Land’s End, or an aforementioned Anson, though surprisingly my old log books suggest that it was a Brantly helicopter at Kidlington, on a spotting day out.

I was an aviation nut, but I didn’t ever think I could afford to fly, let alone own an aeroplane. I’d also discovered clubs, with fledgling bands like Pink Floyd, Genesis, etc., and developed a keen interest in pretty girls in colourful dresses with flowers in their long, flowing hair. Above Arthur Mason with his beloved Pietenpol Air Camper, one of the first built in the UK.

Below Arthur once owned and restored the wings of Luton Minor G-AFIR, one of the LAA’s earliest permit aircraft.

While on a BT course in Bristol, just such a girl and her sister were staying next door to my lodgings, on a trip over from America, visiting their aunt.

After a couple of mutual trans-Atlantic visits, we married and settled in England. Subsequent USA visits led to trips out with my brother-in-law, an interstate car-parts salesman, and on one such trip I discovered an unknown to me type in the back of a hangar at Lunken (Cincinnati) Airport.

It turned out to be a Pietenpol Air Camper, and not only were drawings available but lo and behold, there were two under construction back home in the UK. One project had reached a hiccup, and I ended up buying the part-constructed fuselage and much of the stuff needed to complete it – and duly paid my first membership fee to the PFA for overseeing its progress; and have now been a member of over 42 years.

I initially did solo flights on Mk3 Cadet gliders at Halton, at 17 years of age and my late teens. Later in life I’d intended taking up taildragger training at Clacton on Super Cubs, but on a visit to Hinton to buy some Aeroshell, I was talked into learning on Slingsby Venture motor gliders, which was certainly cheaper. I obtained my SLMG rating and frequently flew the

motor gliders, but I still needed a full Group A rating as my Pietenpol, G-ADRA, was ready to fly. I had little interest in nosewheel types because I’d be no nearer to mastering the Piet than I was at present. However, cutting through red tape I got to convert to a Group A licence on the Pietenpol, with a lot of enthusiasm and patience from one of life’s more sympathetic instructors. The fact that the aircraft withstood my early training says a lot for the type’s sturdiness!

The Pietenpol is plans-built and was considered ‘simple’ back in 1929, but I think it’s fair to say that over the years, much simpler aircraft have been designed!

I bought my part-built project in 1979 and completed it over a 15-year period. Being an unknown type here back then, I gained a lot of Pietenpol knowledge from visits to Brodhead USA, and particularly Frank Pavliga who, when I needed to pick his brains, would often receive an International ‘test call’ from a UK telephone exchange. However, 1980 saw the birth of my first daughter, closely followed by my second daughter in 1981, so naturally I spent a lot of time with them – and making stuff for them. Some readers may be familiar with my children’s Arfaplanes – they started with one for my kids, and inadvertently resulted in 12 more for customers! Divorce in 1985 left me heartbroken and broke and I nearly sold the Pietenpol, but fortunately I persevered; it was the best thing I could’ve done as it kept both body and soul together, and ultimately led to my future employment and contented lifestyle.

I have been an enthusiastic member of the Vintage Aircraft Club for many years and got to fly with many good friends in Tiger Moths, Stampes, Cubs, etc. So, a stick in the middle, throttle lever on the left, and generally no flaps was my natural introduction. I have to admit to being hopeless on nosewheel aircraft and ‘steering wheels’ – my brain just says ‘car’! Below The Indian Tiger Moth, HU 512, that Arthur refabriced in one hectic week!

Having cracked it, I found G-ADRA great fun, easy to fly, and quite manoeuvrable. I only ever taxied over a runway marker board once – thus breaking the prop.

A famous test pilot, Darryl Stinton, once said, “Flying a Pietenpol is like flying an excitable beach-brolly!” That’s certainly true of G-ADRA on a hot day, however, in the calm of early morning or evening it can almost be flown hands off, and I don’t believe there can be a better mount for enjoying a warm summer evening’s bimble, it’s even better than a J-3 Cub. Alan James did the initial test flights and commented that with its bungee suspension and balloon tyres, landing G-ADRA was ‘like landing in a sofa!’. DH test-pilot Des Penrose flew it twice, loved it, and was kind enough to autograph my logbook with, ‘30 mins of very pleasant flying’.

Over the past 50 years I’ve made so many friends in the aviation world, learned a lot, and gained much experience from them. Almost all have been LAA/ VAC members or both. There are too many to mention, but I’ll always be grateful for all their friendship, generosity and encouragement – thank you!

I believe the current LAA team to be about as good as it gets, it can’t be easy keeping up with and adapting to the many changes and increasing bureaucracy the aviation world has experienced in recent years. We still enjoy more freedoms than many other countries, while placing a good emphasis on safety.

Hmm, well, let’s say I’m hopeless on computers, whereas the 10 year old up the road can take them apart, fix them, and sort out any faults in no time… but can’t do fabricwork. I suppose the knowledge I’ve gained has accumulated from the school handicrafts dept, my own personal flair for making all sorts of things, and my dad. I think that knowledge has been fine-tuned for the purposes of aircraft work by the likes of Mike Vaisey,

among others. I’ve had no formal training but also learned plenty of new skills from building G-ADRA, and just found fabricwork particularly satisfying and therapeutic.

Many interesting types as passenger but P1 around 1,300hrs to date, mostly half-hour trips in the Pietenpol – flying 236 different passengers (many have been more than once).

None! I recently sold G-ADRA in a weak moment, during lockdown when my arthritic joints had me almost seized up – I’m much better now, thanks! I rather fancy a J3 Cub, it’s not dissimilar to the Pietenpol but a little more practical. I took over Luton Minor G-AFIR from the late Alan Clewley for a number of years. I managed to rebuild, fabric and paint the wings and have them signed off by Roy Mills. A move from Aylesbury to Quainton prevented me getting my teeth into the rest of it, I needed the space for increased business demand, and builders on the home-improvements were slow.

As a temporary measure I brought it up to a reasonable status for static display at rallies, but it became clear that it needed someone with more time to complete it, so I sold it in the hope of a good home, although it seems to have disappeared off the radar at the moment.

Well, I joined the Vintage Aircraft Group, as it first was, in 1973 and helped with marshalling, prop-swinging, etc. at the frequent Finmere rallies. After a year or two I was co-opted onto the committee as a general dogsbody by the late Tony Harold, prior to being given the official title of Social Secretary – organising the annual dinner, film evenings, and Noggin & Natter nights.

The committee had some great characters on board. I was a little shy at the time, but they became good friends that I stayed in touch with, though sadly, most have passed on. I took over as Treasurer for a couple of years from Alan Chalkley (maybe better known as PFA’s John Beeswax) – I think 12 years in all, over a 15-year period. I had my first member’s flight in Alan’s Cub, G-ASPS, now owned by LAA CEO Steve Slater and subject of a recent ICFM re-fabric. Its engine was upgraded when Alan retired to a remote farm in North Wales around 40 years ago. It’s original A-65 engine was inhibited, and now performs well in G-ADRA after a recent engine change.

When entering my 236th different passenger in my logbook, I realised just how rewarding it’s all been. When I was taken flying in my younger years, I was always so very grateful. I never realised just how rewarding it is to be in the position of the pilot, but my best moments have easily been seeing the huge silly grins on the faces of my passengers as they clumsily disembark the Pietenpol – usually after a local sheep-counting sortie over the hills, or waving back at passengers in a train that’s overtaking us. Above Restorer Adam Lewis and Mike Edwards MBE collecting the Indian Tiger’s wings from Arthur’s home workshop. Photo:

Below Tiger HU 512 was one of the stars of the show at the Indian Air Force’s 80th birthday celebrations. Photo

My, by now, very proud dad, up to age 91 enjoyed regular 25-minute trips across the Cotswolds to his favourite airfield, Bidford. It was always friendly, and the tea and home-made cakes were well-appreciated. With my late mum’s name Edna May painted on the Pietenpol’s nose, it was my turn to do the family outings. Words can’t express it – the smiles and laughter just say it all. What a privileged position I suddenly found myself in. As far as ICFM goes, I’d apparently made my mark after a complete refabric of a Christen Eagle, as a result of which I was subsequently sub-contracted by LAA Inspector Adam Lewis to completely refabric an Indian Tiger Moth which hadn’t flown for around 50 years. He had rebuilt it over the course of two years and needed the fabricwork done to meet a fast-approaching deadline. I hadn’t appreciated the significance at the time, it was simply another Tiger Moth, but all the fabricing was done at my Quainton home, with the fuselage being done in a warehouse just off Chalgrove airfield in just one frantic week. It was there that I met Mike Edwards, who’d just been awarded an MBE for his part in persuading the

Indian government to let go of part of a very rare collection of aircraft for UK restoration, prior to returning them in flying condition. The Tiger was painted in its original Indian AF markings at Leicester, reassembled, test-flown by Mike, dismantled, shipped back to India, reassembled and test-flown again by Mike. It was then the star of the show at the IAF’s 80th birthday celebrations! To hear Mike tell the story at a lecture, and to think that just a few weeks before it was all in bits in my shed at the end of the garden was a proud moment for me, a low-key, one-man band. I felt I’d contributed something a little special to the aviation world.

On a personal level, I think it would have to be the late Maurice Brett, who encouraged me so much to build and fly.

I was always reading as a kid, but then became more of a do-er. Over the subsequent years I’ve collected so many books to read in my senior years, when I’m confined to an armchair! One I bought (signed) and immediately read was Mike Edwards’ Spitfire Singh – a fascinating insight into the birth of the Indian Air Force. And Maurice Brett’s Sunday Flyers relates well to my kind of flying too. Tony Bingelis’ series of homebuilder books answer most builders’ questions

Winemaking, rescue dogs, gardening, countryside, and small live-music gigs / band jams. I also have a Morgan Plus 4, though I’m no petrol-head, I just like the 1930s styling and open-top motoring. Seeing old photos of dad in MG TD patrol cars, I’m sure he would’ve loved it. I would like to get back to model aeroplanes in my senior years and have collected many kits and plans over the years – and the out-of-reach radio-control stuff in my junior years is now affordable!

I took a friend’s wife for a quick 10-minute sortie, during which time a brief but very heavy shower passed across the grass airfield. Once passed, I landed as normal on Above Arthur’s Morgan Plus Four and rescue Greyhound ‘Gipsy’.

the dry bit, and soon became aware of the wet bit when my Pietenpol didn’t slow down! OK it’s slow, but my friend and his daughter, who were waiting for their turn at the far end of the runway, were looming up rather quickly. Braking had no effect but fortunately she stayed in a straight line. At the last moment I decided to give it full rudder and ‘throw it away’ in the bordering hedge.

However, we came to a stop at a jaunty angle in what my unaware friends thought was a perfectly executed manoeuvre, almost next to them. So, be well aware of wet grass and keep potential passengers off the runway!

Apart from wet grass, yes. Carry out regular maintenance and always look out for a landing area BEFORE the engine quits. My Pietenpol instructor Ken Hartley, pointed straight down saying it’s that field – there! As such, he would have me sideslipping all the way to the ground, the best thing I ever learned though it scared the life out of me at the time. It’s a very useful and enjoyable manoeuvre though I use it all the time whether necessary or not. As a result, I reckon I could get my Pietenpol into the smallest of places – but with drag, my weight, and low power, I’d not necessarily get out again! In my humble opinion, sideslipping should have greater emphasis on flying training on simple, flapless aeroplanes. ■