September 2026

In this month’s edition:

  • Ian Charlton: My Personal memories – Tony Palmer
  • Down on the farm 93 last month 8/26 – Tony Palmer
  • Restored WW1 German film of Albatross Manufacture
  • The Flying-Car is Really Here (well, sort of)
  • Redhill joins the list of precious UK general aviation airfields threatened with closure – Brian Lloyd of Popham Airfield Matters

Ian Charlton born 20th June 1936 died 6th July 2026: My Personal memories

I first met Ian when I joined the Southern Strut in the early 1990’s. He was the UK Hirth agent (German two stroke aero engines) at the time and was an Avid owner (American light tube and fabric plane loosely based on the Taylorcraft). His wife Ann wrote an article in the newsletter every month, so they were deeply embedded in the Strut. The Avid owners were a tight knit group of flyers and would fly down to Montardoise in South East of Paris for an Avid rally run by Hubert Ferte most years. On one of these flights Brian Williams, also a Southern Strut member while landing in France damaged his Avid due to a gust and the plane was trailed back to the UK. I purchased the remains less engine and prop, Brian purchased a new kit and use his Hirth flat 4 out of G-GBTC to power the new one.

Test running the BMW R100 engine with Ian at the controls, Chilsfold farm

So started the close collaboration over many years with Ian. As I did not want to install a two stroke in my G-GBTC, we had homed in on the BMW R100 as the most sensible option at the time, so the conversion gradually grew with the engine mount design, castings to mate a Rotax C gearbox to the engine, a new camshaft so that the cylinder heads could be turned around so that the Carburettors would face backwards. Ian had the front of a scrapped Avid available which he mounted on a trailer which we used as a test bed and tried out different configurations of ignition, drives etc until we had a flyable configuration. We then tested the plane and developed it further with use until we brought it to the PFA rally and showed it off and Ian and I hosted a lecture/talk on the conversion to over 100 people and started selling kits of parts.

G-BTRC with BMW R100 engine @ PFA rally Cranfield, Ian answering questions

He met Ann while working in Scotland and learned to fly in the 1970’s, they moved South and purchased 155 acres of farm land with no house. They brought some sheep and started farming the land, got permission to install a mobile home and eventually got permission to build a house and that’s how Chilsfold Farm was born.

Tony P, Bob, motel owner and wife, Tony D, Brian and Ian at Sun & Fun
Ian, Ann and other strut members at Shoreham Airport

Ian had his own Avid which had a flat 4 Hirth two stroke engine. Francis Donaldson Chief engineer of the PFA at the time was at the farm and Ian took him for a flight but the engine developed a fault and they ended up making a crash landing in the neighbour’s land which resulted in Ian breaking his back and Francis with back problems. The plane was a write off and the front fuselage section was used as the BMW test bed. Ian’s next Avid was modified to take heavier loads conventional flaps and the BMW engine.

Tony Palmer

Down on the farm 93 last month 8/26

Palmersfarm Flyin

My daughter in the foreground who was booking the planes in and out, G-CMTV the Bristell NG5 that Bill had flown down from Aberdeen that morning and had flown to Oshkosh 2 years ago and the two rows of planes

We were lucky with the weather again and had 36 visiting aircraft and a few interesting cars on show. New for this year was the 1/3 scale steam traction engine which took visitors to and fro from the house to the airstrip. Phil made it over 6 years and brought it along with his good lady and they enjoyed themselves and I certainly enjoyed seeing and riding on it.

The 1/3 scale steam traction engine with the owner and builder Phil

We made £470 which was shared between the RAF benevolent and Warming up the Homeless.

The red plane is tail dragger version of the Bristell NG5 which I think looks very pretty with the wheel spats

I must thank the wife for cooking and preparing the food. I had good feed back from many visitors.

A few more pictures; click on then to see a bigger version:

And some short videos:

Beagle Terrier G-ATDN TW- 641

I pulled TW-641 out at the Flyin and fired her up for a couple of minutes until the carb ran dry as I had a fuel leak from the gascolator. I managed to source some 50 year old cork gasket rings from Dave Baker since and it cured the problem. I am still going around fixing things, today I sent the Funke Transponder away for repair and am fitting the plastic covers over the wing tip lights. Taxi trials hopefully soon with a view to it flying before the rains come.

Next club night 2th of September 2026 at the Longshore by the airport roundabout

Dave Baker the Auster parts supplier and expert has just died of a heart attack about 5 days ago, his cremation is at the Lincoln Crematorium on 21st September at 10.00am.

Tony Palmer

Restored WW1 German film of Albatross Manufacture

The Flying-Car is Really Here (well, sort of)

Oban Airport posted a video of motorised autogyros on a road trip. They ARE road legal! Video on Facebook

Redhill joins the list of precious UK general aviation airfields threatened with closure

Photo courtesy of Redhill Aero Club

Tandridge District Council have recently announced that historic Redhill Airfield is included in their Local Plan for housing development.

Yet again developers are targeting the easiest and cheapest to develop sites, and councils are aiding and abetting them by ignoring not only government policy and the National Planning Provision Framework, but also the benefits that airfields bring to communities.

Redhill is now the only remaining licensed General Aviation (GA) airfield in Surrey, and serves the VFR corridor of congested airspace between the Gatwick and London class A zones. It has served the light aviation community since it was established in 1934, apart from during WWII when it operated Hurricanes and Spitfires in the defence of London. 

After the war it reverted to GA use, and for many years was the home of the Tiger Club, and the base for Bristow Helicopters.

As the few remaining airfields around London increasingly turn their back on the lighter end of the GA market for the more profitable executive business, Redhill remains a beacon for training and hobby pilots who are denied access elsewhere.

Yes, it is under the Gatwick controlled airspace, but it has operated safely and successfully in close proximity to Gatwick for many years, and provides an essential safety net for light aircraft operating in this area.

The General Aviation Advisory Council have made their objections known – see https://www.pophamairfieldmatters.org/news

Have your say before 2nd September 2026

Visit: www.tandridge.gov.uk/localplan.

  • Read the consultation documents. We have produced a full consultation document and a shorter summary covering the key points.
  • View the supporting evidence documents.
  • Complete the online survey.
  • Explore the site map. This shows all submitted sites, with details about each one and its potential for development.

For more information

If you have any questions, please e-mail LocalPlan@tandridge.gov.uk or call 01883 722000 and ask to speak to the Planning Policy Team.If you have a comment, compliment, or would like to tell Tandridge DC about something they could do better, please get in touch.

P.S. There is a new policy in the NPPF that was missed on the GAAC response.  I think this can be added to the other policies when making comments / objections, so feel free to include this in your newsletter. Sport England includes recreational flying as a sporting activity.

HC7: Development affecting existing recreational land and facilities

1. Development proposals should not result in the loss of existing open space, sports and recreational buildings and land, including playing fields, other formal and informal play space and allotments, unless:

a. An assessment has been undertaken which has clearly shown the open space,buildings or land to be surplus to requirements; or

b. The loss resulting from the proposed development would be replaced by equivalent or better provision in terms of quantity and quality, in a location which offers comparable or improved accessibility for the community it serves; or

c. The development is for public service infrastructure, and the resulting loss would be replaced by equivalent or better provision in terms of quantity and/or quality; or

d. The development is for alternative open space, sports and recreational buildings and land, the benefits of which clearly outweigh the loss of the current or former use.

Brian Lloyd Popham Airfield Matters

For a full list of events go to the website Events page.

Next Strut ‘Club Night’: Wednesday 2nd September 2026, 7:30 pm at The Longshore.