In This Issue

• Three LAA Roadshows planned for 2014
• Volunteering for the Goodwood Fly-in Weekend 24-25 May 2014
• From Dave Websdale’s Archive:  An article by the late Philip Ansell
• Magnetos repairs and rebuilds in Sussex by Tony Palmer
• Thorney Island – 2014 – The Big Cuppa Fly in
• Air France KLM Fly-in and Air Show Saint Yan 14-15th June 2014
• Strut Fly-out to France?  by Don Lord
• Fancy tossing bags of flower out of your aircraft?

Three LAA Roadshows planned for 2014

We are helping with the May Goodwood event

After a break of several years, the LAA Roadshows make a welcome return in 2014 with three events planned for May, June and July.

An LAA Roadshow presents an opportunity for GA pilots and enthusiasts to meet the LAA in an informal airfield setting to see what the Association has to offer. Local LAA members are invited to come along and support the events, showing prospective new members their aircraft and, should they wish, offering a flight experience.

Representatives from LAA HQ will be on hand to explain the benefits of LAA membership and will have a selection of LAA magazines and informative literature, and kit suppliers will be in attendance to show some of the high quality aircraft that are available to today’s amateur aircraft builders. Bristell, Foxbat, EuroFox, Eurostar, Rotorsport UK and Sprite Aviation (Groppo Trail) are among the kit suppliers who have already offered their support.

The first Roadshow takes place in association with the LAA Fly-in weekend at Goodwood on May 24/25. Camping on the airfield will be permitted from Friday if you wish to fly in early and the clubhouse will be serving breakfast from 0730 on Saturday and Sunday morning. Food will be available throughout the day and there will be a BBQ on Saturday evening. Visits to nearby Tangmere Military Aviation Museum can be arranged; admission to all LAA members will be at the reduced Seniors rate of £7 regardless of age. Free landing.

The second Roadshow heads north to Sherburn-in-Elmet and takes place on June 28/29. Further details available soon but again there will be camping and food available, plus free landing.

The final Roadshow heads down to the south-west and will be held in conjunction with Devon Strut’s Dunkeswell Fly-in on July 5/6. The Roadshow will add further to what is already a fun-packed event. Camping and food available, plus half price (£5) landing fee.

So, make a date and come along to an LAA Roadshow; enjoy a relaxed day or weekend talking about aeroplanes, meeting LAA members and discovering the fun, friendship and affordable flying opportunities that the Association can offer you.

The Light Aircraft Association – Making Dreams Fly

Volunteering for the Goodwood Fly-in Weekend 24-25 May 2014

Volunteers from the Strut are needed to help with the aircraft marshalling.  If a reasonable number of us volunteer, the work can be shared out so the sessions won’t be too long.  There’s a barbecue (that you have to pay for) in the evening.  The event should be good craic.    To brush up on marshalling signals here is the CAA’s CAP 637 Visual Aids Handbook (go to page 54).  I’m planning on taking my camper-van along for the evening.  If you are up for it, please let Tony Palmer know.

From Dave Websdale’s Archive:  An article by the late Philip Ansell

I am very sorry to hear that Phil has passed away and as Don has said he was a good friend to many of us in the Strut over the years.  He was a great font of knowledge and sent me some memorable pieces of text for the newsletter when I was the Editor, he will be missed.

Here is a piece that Phil submitted to the Newsletter in November 1985 entitled ‘A Busy July’.

Dave Websdale

A Busy July

Sometimes I quite like to go flying and last month was a case in point.

It started on the first day ( a good place to start) with an evening flight to Slinfold strip and back, the return flight being enlivened by a dog fight with the RF5 we chanced to meet over Steyning.

Two days later it was off to Cranfield for the annual festivities in G-BDOL with Una followed by Ian and Denise in Zebedee, making a wide detour of an RAF Hercules operating in the Danger Area south of Farnborough.

On arrival a ride was offered by Ray in the Robin up and down the motorway and then in the evening when everyone else was settling down by the beer tent, a pleasant flight over the local countryside to Castle Mill, Cartington, where we saw the British Caladonian Airship going into land, and Woburn Abbey was enjoyed with Paul in the Orange Vagabond.

Saturday morning we were up early to blow the cobwebs away before breakfast.

Then we could settle down and watch the circuit getting busy with the new arrivals – I think the  marshallers did very well as I quite thought the parking space would run out.

A couple of hours stint in the PFA Information office while the Air Display was in progress was followed by an evening Southern Strut Gathering for a meal in good company in the Study Centre.

“Magical” is the only word which suitably describes Sunday mornings early flight when we landed before 8a.m. at Keyston strip.

Bright sunshine, still air, some low lying mist and a hot air balloon moving slowly and silently in the distance – Capt A Clark could have described it better and would have waxed lyrical for hours on end!

Landed at Keyston uphill, stopped at the top of the strip with the engine still running for a few moments, then turned round and took off downhill again – memories are made of this!

Back to Cranfield again for breakfast and another day in the sunshine.

Watched lots more aircraft until the brain could take no more, then cooled off in the swimming pool in the afternoon before starting the journey and more memories.

Started off with two trusty Cubs, but were surprised en route to collect both the RF5 and the Jungmann, so that we had a 4 ship Shoreham formation passing east of Reading and Blackbush.

I had the following week off work and one day was spent in Zebedee with Chris Foss showing him the delights of Compton Abbas, Exeter and Dunkerswell.

A highlight on the return trip was spotting Hugh Kendall’s strip at Yarmouth I.O.W. just at the exact time he was arriving over the threshold in his Mascarat.

The next Sunday saw a trip with Maurice in the Jodel D120 to and from Deanland, where

Roy Watling-Greenwood now has his propeller making business.

On Sunday, more adventure- another day, another fly-in.

The venue was Tim Allebone’s strip at Easton Maudit near Northampton where the Jodel and Vintage Piper Cubs were invited.

This time Paul’s Vagabond was again the vehicle and afterwards we wandered to Keyston again and then on to Gransden strip, where a locally- based Stearman was livening up the proceedings, and  Cambridge for fuel for the return flight.

Saturday 18^th. saw my only Shoreham local flight of the month-with Colin Tuckley in RK- and then the following Zebedee and took Chris around (and sometimes through)some heavy rain showers to an interesting landing under the power lines which straddle the privately owned and operated strip at Chilbolton (not recommended without permission or for the fainthearted).

The last Sunday of the month another Zebedee tour (with Vagabond along as well) was accomplished to Stapleford, up the hill at Nyland ( another very interesting and also very friendly landing strip) and back via Earls Coln.

Final July event was going with Una in formation with Zebedee to the Tiger Club Air Show at Redhill via overhead the Gatwick26 threshold.

A busy month indeed – 6 aeroplanes, 16 airfields, 29 flights – I really must take a PPL course some day – then I could really go flying: trouble is I would never be able to afford to.

Phil Ansell

Magnetos repairs and rebuilds in Sussex

This might be useful information for some of you, so put it down in your note book / head for future reference.

As some of you may know I am building a Tiger Moth and wanted a reliable pair of magnetos. The ones I have, have probably not run for more than half a century and even if I had a full record of their life the time lag would dictate a complete rebuild. I was speaking to Phil Trangmar and he mentioned about a little local cottage industry that does the whole works on magneto’s and told me where they were.  I visited them first to get a conducted tour around the workshop and was very impressed in the workmanship, testing and what they can do.

It sprung up from motorcycle and car restorations and the original guru who is based in Hasting who I had heard of 40 years ago, Steve spends a day every fortnight over at his place talking and leaning about the very obscure manufacturers and models and generally enjoying themselves.

The first stage is to strip them down and remove all the windings and check all the component parts and make a too do list. If any of the components need a repair replacement then that will done first. There is a 6 months + waiting list so the magnetos are left in one piece until it is their turn otherwise things would get lost.

The new windings are added and then they are cooked and impregnated in a modern epoxy mix under a vacuum in the rig shown below.

The winding are checked for performance on the equipment below and then finally they are assembled and have a run test on the lovely piece of English engineering history rescued from obscurity. A typical piece of no nonsense 1950’s piece designed to run forever (the big green thing below).

If you want more info then visit their website www.themagnetoguys.co.uk.

If it’s a magneto they will do it whatever it is off, be it a plane, motorcycle etc but be warned it will not be quick if it’s a rebuild as there a long waiting time.

Tony Palmer

Thorney Island – 2014 – The Big Cuppa Fly in

I’ve got the email below from the organizer.  Last year was a wash-out with low vis.  Some people had to overnight there when they couldn’t get out.  Fingers crossed it will be better this year. 🙂  [Editor]

Fellow Pilots!

We are delighted to announce the date of this year’s Thorney Island – Baker Barracks Fly in event, as Saturday 6^th & Sunday 7^th Sept 2014.

As you registered with us last year, we would like to extend an invitation to you first as many did not make it because of the “clag” across the country. To register please follow the link below, and we will send full details a month or so before the event.

Your early – invitation is here

We want to say a very big thank you for supporting this event, if your unable to visit with us, please do feel welcome to pass this invitation along to your flying friends.

We look forward to see you later this year.

Happy Landings!

Daryl Cornelius

Air France KLM Fly-in and Air Show Saint Yan 14-15th June 2014

Dear friend pilot,

Book your week end for the famous Air France KLM FLYIN and airshow in June the 14-15th.

Open to every pilot, free, it will gather 260 airplanes coming from all over France, Europe, and other places.  It is the biggest non profit making airshow in France, a rendez-vous for passionates.

You can already book your coming on http://flyin.lfbk.free.fr/ : it is free and you can change your details any time.

Please, note that exceptional conferences will be held (The finding of St Exupery P38, an Astronaut conference, the design of the Airbus 380…), a flying flee market,  and a lot more.

Please, inform your readers about us.

You can follow the program on our website and do not hesitate to contact us for more details

Best regards

Béatrice de Reynal-Paris

Strut Fly-out to France?

There is some interest shown in having a Strut Fly Out to France.

I have been flying to France nearly every year since my first trip in 1977 and also going through France to Belgium, Holland and Switzerland, the favourite was always Calais as that was the best route to Belgium and Holland and it has a good restaurant it also has grass and asphalt runways 07/25, and had the cheapest landing fee about £5, the other airfields are Le Touquet and Abbeville. Le Touquet only has hard and is 14/32 and often has a westerly cross wind, it also has a good restaurant. Abbeville has grass and hard 03/21 plus a grass 14/32 last time I was there they were reluctant to let you use this runway, it has a good restaurant in a Motel with accommodation if you wish to make it a two day event.

It has always been difficult to fly together with different flying speeds but it is a good idea to pair up with someone for the channel crossing. also pilots like to cross at different points, I am a coward so I cross at the shortest, Lydd to Cap Gris Nez going out overhead Lydd at 2,000 ft, once you are in France there are several other airfields nearby to visit.

There are some strut members who go to France most years so help is available. Ken and Jacqui Manley, David Scott, myself and a friend I have known for a few years Clive from Worthing who flies to St Omer each year and other parts of France will help, I am trying to persuade him to join the strut.

The other place to visit which needs no organisation is St Omer, 75 minutes from Swanborough for me,their fly in is usually just after Sywell in September where customs are organised, but I have never seen them, this is a two day event with camping and food on the airfield if you wish, they like you to book a slot but arrive at any time, usually about a third of the aircraft arriving are Brits.

The other thought is a UK fly out to Stow Maries just north of Southend, if you google stow marries you will see the history of this interesting WW1 airfield and they do one of the best BBQs I have ever had.

In the February LAA mag there is a good article by Brian Hope on going to France with all the information you need

And then there is the RSA Rally at Vichy in July when many Brits will be heading south.

Don Lord

Fancy tossing bags of flower out of your aircraft?

If you’ve ever felt the urge to throw things out of your aircraft, here’s the chance to indulge it.  Wingland Aero Club in collaboration with the Royal Air Force have got approval for the dropping of flour bombs from aircraft on the range targets at RAF Holbeach to raise funds for Help for Heroes.  It will be happening at a date to be announced in August. Details are here: http://www.afors.com/index.php?page=adview&adid=28868&imid=0

Events

For a list of the currently planned events look under the menu above or click this link: Events

Next Strut meeting, Wednesday 5th March.  Robin Beech talks about the trial’s and tribulations of building his Rolls Royce Merlin powered sports car.  See you there!