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THE ROYAL AERO CLUB
OF
THE
UNITED
KINGDOM
The Coordinating Body of British Airsport Organisations
Patron:Her MajestyThe Queen
President:HisRoyalHighnessTheDukeofYork,KG,
NEWSLETTER
Spring 2015
LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN
February is a busy time for all those involved in
general aviation. One way or another, most of us are
trying to take care of as many things on our ‘To Do’
list as possible, so that we can concentrate on flying
when the weather permits.
asked that we pass on his best wishes to everyone
else in our community, and encouraged us to
continue doing all those wonderful – and
occasionally crazy things – that makes air sports so
interesting.
For the last couple of years, the Club has taken
advantage of the winter months and has organised
working sessions for its members. Each session has
been focused on a topic of particular developmental
interest or concern to the air sport community. This
year, we turned our attentions to PR and
communications. The day was based around a
number of presentations and case studies by air
sport associations, punctuated by discussion
forums.
The Club is always keen to take every opportunity
to raise the profile of individual Club members.
With this is mind, we were pleased when Aerobility
offered to host the 2015 working session at their
impressive facilities at Blackbushe Airport. Not
only did they help organise the meeting, but Mike
Miller-Smith, Aerobility CEO, gave a very
informative and thought-provoking presentation
about their work in making aviation genuinely
accessible to anyone with a disability. I encourage
everyone to take the time to visit the Aerobility
website (www.aerobility.com), it is truly
inspirational.
At the end of February, the Club witnessed a unique
event. For the first time since its inception (I have
been reliably informed), the senior officers of the
Club, the chairmen of its principal members
associations, and its Vice Presidents, met over
lunch. What made the event not just unique but
particularly special was that it was hosted at
Buckingham Palace by His Royal Highness, Prince
Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. A great supporter of the
Club over many years - having served as both
President and Chairman in the past - he still
continues to be very interested in its activities. He
Back row, left to right: Rodney Blois (BPPA), David Monks
(HCGB), David Bremner (BMAA), Martin Soulsby (BPA),
Chris Moynihan (BMFA), Pete Harvey (BGA), Brian Davies
(LAA), Alan Cassidy MBE (BAeA) and Mike Pearson (RRRA)
Front row, left to right: Ian Hooker (BBAC), Duncan McClure
(Vice Chairman), Marc Asquith (Vice President & BHPA),
Patrick Naegeli (Chairman), HRH The Duke of Edinburgh,
David Phipps (Secretary), Fred Marsh (Vice President), David
Roberts (Vice President) and Roger Hopkinson (Vice
Chairman)
Despite the many exciting and productive things
that have happened recently through the Club, not
everything goes our way.
Dealing with European regulations remains a major
draw on the time and resources of many in general
aviation. We’ve regularly touched on the subject in
the newsletter. I am not going to go into any detail
here, save to say that whilst things are still far from
satisfactory, we are optimistic that we will be able
to continue to inject increasing amounts of
pragmatism and common sense into EASA’s work.
The area of gravest current concern, however, is
much closer to home. We have a generally
productive and positive working relationship with
the UK CAA across a wide range of technical and
operational areas. Unfortunately, when it comes to
airspace – more specifically decisions about
controlled airspace - things appear to be moving
backwards.
As air sports, we consider ourselves to be mature
and considered users of airspace. We want to
protect our freedoms as much as possible – but fully
appreciate that sometimes, as responsible aviators,
we will have to accept compromise. We can
appreciate the challenges associated with balancing
the often competing, and sometime conflicting
needs of different airspace users. That is why we are
ardent supporters of proper, evidence-based
analysis as the only proper way of making
proportionate and fully considered airspace
decisions. It is not clear that our belief is equally
shared by the CAA.
Recently, the CAA has made a number of airspace
decisions that can only be described as frankly
baffling. From granting large areas of controlled
airspace for but a handful of commercial
movements, to doing the same for ill-detailed safety
‘reasons’, the CAA is at real risk of being
discredited as an impartial regulator. Regrettably,
the Club and its members will need to challenge
such a concerning undercurrent, and do what is
possible to get things back onto an appropriate
footing.
aircraft (a Druine Turbulent from White Waltham
in 1959).
Over the years, HRH has provided a great deal of
encouragement and support to private and sport
flying in the U.K. and is a former Chairman and
President of the RAeC.
Following the lunch, HRH gave an address
detailing some of his aviation exploits. The
response was provided by the RAeC Chairman,
Patrick Naegeli who offered his thanks to HRH for
his long term interest and support for aviation.
ACHIEVEMENTS and AWARDS
The Royal Aero Club Awards Ceremony for the
2014 Awards will be on Tuesday 12th May, 2015,
at the RAF Club. Application forms for tickets are
included with this newsletter – please send your
bookings in early!
Adventurous flying features strongly in this year’s
awards.
Richard Bird and his instructor Richard Foster will
be presented with the Britannia Trophy. They took
just 57 days to plan and organise a flight to
Capetown and back from their base at Goodwood,
flying a specially prepared Comko C42 microlight.
On a slightly more positive note, the weather is
beginning to show all the signs of spring – heralding
the onset of the main part of our flying season.
Whatever your goals or plans, I hope that you can
take every opportunity to enjoy your own brand of
aviation.
Happy aviating.
Patrick Naegeli
Chairman
Following the lunch hosted by HRH the Duke of
Edinburgh, Fred Marsh, RAeC Vice President,
writes:
HRH has an extensive aviation background, having
gained his RAF wings in 1953. He subsequently
qualified as a helicopter pilot with the Royal Navy
in 1956 and gained his private pilot’s licence in
1959. He flew 5,986 hours in 59 types of aircraft;
his final flight at the age of 76 was made in 1997
from Carlisle to Islay. HRH is the only member of
the Royal Family to have flown solo in a civilian
G-SCMG in which the Goodwood – Capetown flight was
carried out (Trevor Bartlett)
The route took them through Czech Republic and
Crete, across the Mediterranean to Egypt and on
through Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania,
Malawi, Zambia, Namibia and so to South Africa.
They flew a total of 14,846 nautical miles in 39
flying days, with no alarms or excursions aside
from one landing just after dusk. The expedition
was described as a peerless example of the
capabilities of modern microlights.
David McElroy and Ed McCallum are joint
winners of the Norton Griffiths Trophy.
David McElroy’s aim was to attempt two
concurrent `Around-the-World-in-80-days’ flights
to raise money for 2 charities (Sick Kids in Toronto
and Scottish Air Ambulance). The flight started in
Canada, traversing the globe east-about. An enroute stop in Perth allowed him to start a second
overlapping circumnavigation, calling in at Toronto
to complete the first, before continuing across the
Atlantic for a second time to complete the second.
He completed the expedition in Perth just one day
behind the original planned schedule.
One
circumnavigation took 80 days, the other 81
days. The two charities benefitted to the tune of
approximately £100K.
Ed McCallum planned to fly to Oshkosh to go to the
Airventure show in 2014 in his CTSW microlight.
The weather and temperatures on the established
route, via the Faroes, Iceland and Greenland present
special difficulties for a microlight aircraft that is
only equipped for day VFR and with limited
cockpit heating. Ed encountered low cloud,
windscreen icing and long spells with no sign of
civilisation. On arrival at Oshkosh he was given a
royal welcome with a tour of the museum and the
EAA’s B17 bomber, before heading back, with the
weather significantly worse than on the way out.
Ed’s flight raised well over £7,000 for charity.
Gold Medal
Steve Jones –
Nominated by BGA.
Royal Aero Club Diploma
John Brady –
Nominated by LAA
Silver Medal
Pete Stratten –
Adrian Thomas –
Nominated by BGA
Nominated by BHPA
Bronze Medal
Clive Needham Dave Pacey Gary Smith Jim Gale Richard Goddin -
Nominated by BMFA
Nominated by BPA
Nominated by LAA
Nominated by LAA
Nominated by BMAA
Certificate of Merit
John Bradley –
Nominated by BGA
Hugh Woodsend –
Nominated by BGA
Kate Charters –
Nominated by BPA
Mark Turner –
Nominated by RRRA
Mike Smethers –
Nominated by BGA
Ron Souch –
Nominated by LAA
Tony Young Nominated by LAA
Wg Cdr Mike Westwood – Nominated by BPA
David Harbour Nominated by BMFA
John Hamilton & Bill Draper – Nominated by
BMFA
The President’s Breitling Trophy
Alexander Harris Nominated by BGA
Breitling Certificate of Recognition
Spirit of Goole Nominated by LAA
Old & Bold Trophy
Dilys Price OBE -
Nominated by BPA
Nexus Aviation Journalist of the Year Trophy
Malcolm McBride – Nominated by LAA
Tim Ellison has been awarded a RAeC Bronze
medal. Tim became the first qualified disabled
balloon pilot in Europe, when he passed his General
Flight Test in balloons in January 2014. A former
RAF Pilot, Tim was left as a paraplegic after an
engine failure whilst hovering too low to eject. He
set his heart on becoming a pilot again and he
became the first paraplegic in the world to gain an
Airline Transport Pilots Licence. He then decided
that he wanted to help other disabled people take to
the skies and, with a number of other disabled
pilots, formed the British Disabled Flying Club
(BDFC), which later became the charity Aerobility.
Other awards
Prince of Wales Cup
2014 British Gliding Team – Nominated by BGA
Certificate of Appreciation
Tony Whitehead –
Nominated by LAA
Ian Corse –
Nominated by LAA
Jeff Bell –
Nominated by HCGB
Hayward AviationNominated by Aerobility
Barbara Rose Nominated by LAA
Companionship of the Royal Aero Club
Dr Frederik Paulsen - Nominated by the RAeC
& RAeC Trust
Congratulations to all Award winners
International Competitions and Achievements
Well done to Team XX for third place in 4-way
female formation skydiving at the Dubai
International Parachuting Championship in
December. Over ten rounds, the team of Audrey
Rowe, Elly Kirby, Anna Hicks and Ros Ayling beat
Germany by one point to take the Bronze medal.
At the FAI European Championships for Free
Flight Model Aircraft, held in Romania last August,
the British F1A, F1B and F1C teams came third in
the overall team trophy. Congratulations!
The British team came second in the Intermediate
World Aerobatic Championships at Mossel Bay in
South Africa. Well done to Paul Brice (7th), Mike
Collett (9th) and Christopher Sills (14th) and to the
rest of the team of seven pilots.
REGULATORY MATTERS
European Regulation
The CAA’s February Single European Sky
Information
Bulletin
is
at
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/InformationNotice2
015007.pdf
EASA news
A round-up of EASA news over the July 2014 to
March 2015 can be found at:
http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=33&
pagetype=65&appid=11&mode=list&type=search
&search=EASA%20Developments
Europe Air Sports
The Europe Air Sports General Conference and
AGM was held on 28 – 29 March in Luxembourg.
A wide range of presentations were received,
including an encouraging one from Yves Morier,
Head of GA and RPAS at EASA.
The triumphant British aerobatics team in South
Africa (Emily Todd)
And the most astonishing achievement of all last
year was from the Aeromodelling F2A control line
speed team, who won the FAI Gold Medal at the
Control Line World Championships, for the 18th
year running. No other team has ever achieved such
a result. Paul Eisner took the individual Silver
medal with a flight of 301.1 kph and Ken Morrissey
won individual Bronze with 300.8 kph. Huge
congratulations to them and to Peter Halman, the
third member of the team and a former World
Champion.
RAeC COUNCIL NEWS
A £10,000 donation from Dr. Frederik Paulsen has
enabled the RAeC to make a surplus of £3674 for
2014, despite a significant increase in expenditure
to employ the FASVIG (Future Airspace Strategy
VFR Implementation Group) Programme Manager.
At the last Council meeting, a 2015 budget was
agreed, which includes a 1.375% increase in
Subscriptions for Full Members. This budget will
provide for ongoing support of the FASVIG
Programme Manager, provided a further donation
can be secured.
Remember that you can help to support the RAeC’s
work on behalf of all air sports, by becoming an
Individual Member of the RAeC. See the enclosed
application forms for details.
FAI
Annual Report
The FAI Annual Report for 2014 has been
published
and
can
be
found
at
http://www.fai.org/2014_FAI_Annual_Report
Aviation and Space World Records
The first space-walk by Alexey Leonov in 1965, the
first solo flight across the Pacific Ocean by Steve
Fossett in 1995, the highest ballooning flight by
Vijaypat Singhania in 2005, to name only a few.
The FAI will be celebrating these and other
outstanding records, whose anniversaries will be
celebrated in 2015 with a series of articles and
social media messages. The most valuable,
interesting and exclusive documents and pictures
from the Federation’s archives will be made
available to the public and the media.
2014 General Conference
The Minutes of the 108th FAI General Conference,
held in Thailand in October 2014, are now available
(along with annexes) online directly at:
http://www.fai.org/structure/general-conference
(click
on
"2014
Thailand"),
or
at
http://www.fai.org/fai-documents
(click
on
"Meetings" > General Conference > 2014 Pattaya)
World Air Games
GASCo Safety Evenings
The Event Organising Committee of the FAI World
Air Games Dubai
2015 presented
the new logo for
the multi air
sports
event
during
a
ceremony held at
the
Skydive
Marina of Dubai
on 8th March.
The CAA General Aviation Safety Six – CFIT
(Controlled flight into terrain), Airspace
Infringement, Airborne Conflict, Loss of Control,
Runway Excursion and Human Factors - sits at the
heart of this year’s Safety Evenings. There are still
opportunities to attend a Safety Evening before the
summer season. The list of dates running through
to
mid-May
can
be
found
at
http://www.gasco.org.uk/safety-evenings.aspx.
The logo features
the letters WAG in the four colours of the United
Arab Emirates – red, white, green and black. They
are designed in the shape of a hawk, the symbol the
Arabic region. It also includes the FAI logo and
features such as Dubai written in both Arabic and
Roman alphabet letters.
The Games will take place from 1 to 12 Dec 2015.
More details, including the sports and disciplines
selected, are at www.worldairgames.aero/
SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES
BMAA Flying bursary
There is still time for applications for the 2015
BMAA Young Persons Flight Training Bursary,
with a closing date of 31st May. See
www.bmaa.org/pwpcontrol.php?pwpID=6289
Royal
Aeronautical
Scholarships
Society
Centennial
The closing date for RAeS 2015 applications is also
31st
May.
For
details,
see
http://aerosociety.com/Careers-Education/centennial
SAFETY
Flying Scholarships for the Disabled
Cardiff Joins the Strasser Scheme
Applications can be made at any time for FSDP
scholarships. Applicants must be over 18 years of
age, not in full time education, resident in the UK
and allowed to drive by the DVLA. For details, see
http://www.fsfdp.org.uk/.
Cardiff Airport, which is owned by the Welsh
Government, has become the 208th UK airfield to
join the Emergency and Diversionary Weather
Landings (Strasser) scheme, which allows private
pilots to make a bona fide decision to divert into an
airfield without payment of the landing fee. Charles
Strasser continues to remind the very few airfields,
who have not yet joined, of the important
contribution to flight safety that this concession can
provide.
Spring 2015 CHIRP
The first CHIRP Feedback of 2015 can be found at
www.chirp.co.uk/newsletters/general-aviation.
The online version replaces the printed CHIRPs that
were previously inserted in flying magazines.
CHIRP is also available as a Smartphone or tablet
app… search for 'CHIRP Feedback' in the iTunes or
Android App stores to locate.
GAPAN Scholarships and bursaries
CATS are providing access to their online study
package for one person committed to gaining their
ATPL through the Modular Route. The closing
date for receipt of applications is 22 May 2015.
Details of CATS Aviation can be found at
www.catsaviation.com/atpl and information about
the
bursary
is
available
at
http://www.gapan.org/career-matters/scholarships
There are also bursaries available for Continued
Professional Development and for Flight
Instructors.
See http://www.gapan.org/careermatters/bursaries/
GENERAL NEWS and EVENTS
Winter Issue of GASCo Flight Safety
Solar Impulse
The March GASCo Flight Safety Newsletter, as
well as past issues, is available at
www.gasco.org.uk/news/general/news.aspx?p=10
36795
Solar Impulse took off on 9th March in Abu Dhabi,
with André Borschberg at the controls, on its first
leg to Muscat in Oman, before crossing the Arabian
Sea to Ahmedabad (India). This was the first stage
of the Round-The-World Flight using zero fuel.
Bertand Piccard took over in Oman to continue to
Ahmedabad (India). Piccard and Borschberg will
take turns flying the single-seater experimental
solar aircraft which is able to fly with perpetual
endurance.
It has taken twelve years for Bertrand Piccard
(initiator and chairman) and André Borschberg
(founder and CEO), to be able to attempt to make
their dream a reality - demonstrating the importance
of renewable energy conceived through a
pioneering spirit and innovation.
Capable of flying over oceans for several days and
nights in a row, Solar Impulse will travel 35,000 km
around the world in 25 days over the course of
roughly 5 months. http://www.solarimpulse.com/
has up to date news of the progress of the project.
19th FAI European Gliding Championships
Congratulations also to the team at Lasham Gliding
Society, who have won the right to host the 2017
European Gliding Championships for Open, 15
metre and 18 metre classes.
Youth in Aviation – Leading Edge
YIA will be organising their annual Flying Day
again in 2015. It will take place at the Gliding
Centre, Husbands Bosworth on the 7th June. The
RAeC Chairman encourages more Associations to
get involved and to contact the Secretary for further
information.
FAI World Cup of Wingsuit Performance Flying
Congratulations to Netheravon on their successful
bid to host this international wingsuit event. It will
take place on 25 – 29 May 2015.
Newsletter edited by Diana King. Please send items for future Newsletters to Royal Aero Club, Hebbs Acre, Presteigne,
Powys, LD8 2HG or to [email protected]
For further information on any items contained in this Newsletter, please contact the RAeC Office at 31 St Andrew’s
Road, Leicester, LE2 8RE or on 0116 244 0182 or at [email protected].