June 2019

In this month’s edition:

  • Down on the Farm with Tony Palmer
  • Yet another change of management at Shoreham
  • CAA Update Cost Sharing Guidance
  • 60th Anniversary of the First Strut – Ours! – Don Lord
  • Government Consultations: Aviation 2050 the future of UK aviation
  • Daks over Normandy

Down on the farm 14: This month May 2019

Klemm L25C G-ACXE

Popjoy engine with mags, distributors inlet manifold casting in place

We have completed the magneto drives and they are in and timed. The 2 distributors are built and are installed. The rear casting has been populated with the all the ancillary drives. The tacho drive and many other bits are here. There should be a Hobbs meter but we do not have a complete one so we have blanked the drive off. The mechanical fuel pumps are driven from eccentrics on the Hobbs shaft and the rev counter shaft. We are only using one of the fuel pumps as the engine mount will not allow both to be coupled up. The plane has a gravity header tank above the carb and a hand driven transfer pump to raise fuel from the wing tank to the header tank so one pump will be fine. I have now acquired enough inner valve springs within limits to complete the engine from an old friend who I knew over 40 years ago while in the oil and gas industry.

As an upgrade to my workshop I have just purchased a 3 axis digital readout for my milling machine from China and I installed this week and it seems to work very well and it should save time and increase the accuracy of any milling work.

Visit to the Dornier Museum, Friedrichshafen

Below is a series of pics taken at the Dornier museum, we allowed 2 hours but it was not long enough to see it all.

 

Tony Palmer

Yet another change of management at Shoreham

The aviation consultants Cyrrus Ltd, backed by private equity have bought the aviation operations of Shoreham on a 25-year lease.  Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose – maybe, only time will tell.  Their announcement of the takeover on the Cyrrus Ltd website can be read at this link: 

Cyrrus & partners aiming for “business as usual” at Brighton City Airport

CAA Update Cost Sharing Guidance

Maybe because of recent incidents, the CAA have just published updated guidance on cost sharing at: caa.co.uk/General-aviation/Aircraft-ownership-and-maintenance/Cost-sharing-flights

Anybody here use Wingley?

60th Anniversary of the First Strut – Ours!

King & Queen Brighton.JPG

I have been sharing emails with Anne Hughes who does the strut bit in the mag, she is doing a piece which should be in next months mag so that members can prepare for the sixtieth anniversary of the first strut which was us, the Southern, the actual date was mid July, 19th I think, I will have to make a trip to the attic to find out, you could mention it and I will send you a bit more next month.

[Should we do something special to mark the occasion? Ed.]

Don Lord

Government Consultations: Aviation 2050 the future of UK aviation

From the consultation document, Aviation 2050 The future of UK aviation:

The government is developing a long term Aviation Strategy to 2050 and beyond, the aim of which is to achieve a safe, secure and sustainable aviation sector that meets the needs of consumers and of a global, outward-looking Britain.The objectives of the strategy are to:

  • help the aviation industry work for its customers
  • ensure a safe and secure way to travel
  • build a global and connected Britain
  • encourage competitive markets
  • support growth while tackling environmental impacts
  • develop innovation, technology and skills

Leaving aside the hubris of the Government attempting any sort of long term thinking at the moment, it will be an important point of reference for the development of aviation in what ever sort of future we have.  Of particular significance to us is the substantial section entitled “Support General Aviation”.  No doubt heavily influenced by the the APPG-GA:

The consultation focuses on:

  • how the government proposes to reduce regulation
  • the government’s proposals for a strategic network
  • support for new and existing commercial activities
  • airspace
  • safety
  • safeguarding of aerodromes

If you would like to comment, the deadline has been extended to 20th June 2019

Full details here: gov.uk/government/consultations/aviation-2050-the-future-of-uk-aviation

Daks over Normandy

The D-Day 75th Anniversary Celebrations will be having an impact across our region with events at Portsmouth and Eastbourne.   The Eastborne flypast of 33 Dakotas filled with paratroopers en-rout to Normandy is set for 14:50 hrs local on Wednesday 5th June.  I’m planning on heading for Beachy Head to watch it.

If you are flying over the next few days then CHECK NOTAMS!

Full details of the Daks Over Normandy event are here: www.daksovernormandy.com

Events

Regular meetings are in the Lounge Bar, The Swiss Cottage, Shoreham, 7:30pm.

For the latest list of events, go to the Events page on the Strut website.

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