Contents

Introduction 3 Joining your local Strut 4 Looking Back 4 In the beginning 5 1. Andover Strut 6 8 2. Bristol Strut 7 3. Cornwall Strut 8 LAA Struts 4. Devon Strut 9 5. East Midlands 10 18 6. East of 10 A Celebration 7. Gloster Strut 11 24 6 8. Highlands and Islands 12 9. Kent Strut 13 10. LiNSY Strut 14 11. North East Strut 15 12. North Strut 16 11 13. North West Strut 17 14. Oxford Group 18 15. Rally Workers Strut 19 21 16. Redhill 19 13 17. Shobdon Strut 20 10 18. Strathtay Strut 21 12 19. Southern Strut 21 20. Suffolk Coastal Strut 22 5 23 21. Vale of York Strut 23 17 22. Wessex Strut 24 15 25 23. West Midlands Strut 25 20 2 7 24. West of Scotland 26 14 25. YES Strut 26 1 26. The First Continental Strut 27 4 22 16 9 Looking ahead 28 3 19 A Celebration 28 Map of Struts 29 Introduction Looking Back

For over 50 years groups of LAA members Over the last four years many Struts have Some of the original foolscap newsletters were across the UK have shared their expertise and shared their histories and memories from the sent to the PFA HQ at Shoreham, and among the enthusiasm for light aircraft and have enjoyed last 50 years in the Struts4U column in the LAA 38 struts listed in 1987 was the Netherthorpe socialising in hangars air¿eld club houses and monthly magazine. In putting together these Strut. In their Newsletter they wrote on the local hostelries. Regular monthly meetings and articles for the LAA 75th anniversary we seek to Netherthorpe Strut Trumpet %lowers Page, ³We 6ummer Àyins have been the norm and as one preserve the best and share some longforgotten have a grand total of no less than 26 aircraft generation has passed knowledge, stories and memories of those who have formed the basis of in our air force. .. Of these, 9 are in the ghost memories on to the next we are fortunate to have the association in a handbook for all who enjoy squadron which means they are either under many who still remember the early days of the building and Àying light aircraft. construction or repair. The rest are Àying.´ The ULAA, PFA and now LAA! Fifty years ago in the PFA’s Popular Flying Green Squadron consisted of seven homebuilt; Fortunately for the LAA the Struts are still a magazine, as well as the Southern Strut, we can the Red seven tailwheel; %lue four ‘funnywheel’; ‘growth industry’ with new groups emerging identify the North Kent Strut, the North Lincoln Ghost eight which included three colibri. Other almost annually and others combining to share Strut as well as the (ast Anglian, +eston types featured were Skybolt, Luton, Longeze, geographical areas as times change. The Hanworth, South West, White Rose, Northern Chippy, Husky and Grumman. strangest of times, unimaginable to all of us, Strut and Cornwall Flying Group. Towards the end Fun events reported in Netherthorpe in 1986 in 2020, necessitated a new way of keeping in of the year the Oxford Strut and %erks%ucks Strut included an opportunity to bring ‘Grandma and touch as our response to a world pandemic were formed and advertised for PFA members to the kids’ to witness Àour bombing, tape cutting, involved the worst of all scenarios as we were join in their winter gatherings. Discussions were spot landing, a round loop competition and para instructed to avoid our friends and ‘stay at home’! ongoing regarding the formation of a dropping. Flying for fun indeed! Fortunately many thought outside the box and Strut and suggestions that a Strut could be set An information sheet from the PFA from the turned to a ‘virtual’ world for Strut meetings. up in Ireland. same year, encouraging the forming of new Perhaps distracted a little by the interior design Key to the communication between members struts, explained enthusiastically that the PFA ‘… and bookcases of our friends and colleagues, we Jan Atherton of the Oxford Group celebrates have been the Strut Newsletters. The Strut is providing visible evidence of the contribution were able to bene¿t from shared presentations 50 years of Struts at the 2019 LAA Rally newsletters of today owe much to the modern our Association is making in trying to produce its and learn new skills through a very different with the ‘Founding Father’ of Struts, David technology we use daily and allow more own ‘Golden Age’ of aviation.’ There follows an medium. Faulkner ryant. % eyecatching presentation. They also owe a accolade to the ‘ continuing effort, enthusiasm tremendous amount to those editors who are and ability of these amateur constructors.’ continually searching for appropriate ‘copy’ on a monthly basis. However, the struts themselves are still composed of likeminded enthusiasts who Joining your local Strut gather together to ‘exchange ideas, information and techniques in the construction of our type of Across the country local Struts are ready to welcome aeroplane.’ new members who would like to meet socially, enjoy the Strut presentations and share expertise in the building or renovation of light aircraft. In the Summer months Struts organise Àyins and Àyouts to various air¿elds at home or abroad. If you would like to join your local Strut you will ¿nd the contact details at the end of each of the Strut entry below. Details are also published on a monthly basis in the LAA magazine Light Aviation in the Struts4U column. In the beginning 1. Andover Strut

The Strut came into existence in the late sixties As a Strut we were lucky to have a veritable The idea of the formation of the Struts was mooted at a and as the name might suggest its catchment Strut Squadron. Annual Strut y outs across PFA meeting in edford in 1968. The following year Struts À % area was predominately Wiltshire and Hampshire. the Channel to various rallies became the norm were formally instigated at a members’ meeting on 4th July The Strut's initial meeting place was Thruxton, taking in Leylestat, udel, Stauning, St Omer, 1969 at the ‘King and Queen’ in righton. David Faulkner % %  hence the 'Andover' connection. In that time Schaffon to name but a few. ryant, former PFA Chairman, had convened the meeting % staunch member Jim Espin had the vision of to bring together local builders and enthusiasts of ultra light Andover Strut is probably known throughout  our own airstrip! The project was born with Jim aircraft. The idea was to nd a way of stimulating interest the PFALAA as the Strut providing the Rally ¿ purchasing a strip of wooded land adjacent to and adding impetus to projects by the exchange of ideas Campsite. We took on this task when the Rally the A303 being part of Popham Copse. Five and information. moved to Leicester and we've been doing this years later EGHP was born. The ¿rst structure, ever since! Today the campsite re ects the Faulkner ryant looks back over the last fty two years to À % ¿ a wartime Nissan hut still stands. The hut hosted changing face of the Rally. The heady days of tell us if the dream came true. the ¿rst Strut meetings at Popham. The hut had no Cran¿eld saw us hosting many family groups ³It’s a long way back and I have many fond memories of Àoor covering and heating by a Honda generator with Struts offering all sorts of incentives for us to the journey that has contributed so much to the success of was the norm for many months. Meetings moved group their caravans and tents together! Happy the LAA and the thriving Strut network of today, surely the up several notches when the present club rooms days! heartbeat and arteries of the association. were built. Once again this was on a DIY basis Our Strut year focuses around our home air eld, with the buildings being offered free of charge ¿ For me the journey began, when Popham, with two annual y ins. One is held providing we dismantled and took them away! À coopted onto the PFA committee, There were of course many on the nearby strip of %arton Ashes, always an I was appointed as a Local Rep other meetings held within Through the seventies and eighties the Strut enjoyable day reÀecting our grass routes Àying. for the South coast area. The the PFA membership but expanded with a membership of around sixty for As with most Struts we enjoy more structured job was to act as link between these were to do with co many years. Many will remember the annual Strut meetings during the winter months with my members and committee as we ownership and Àying groups. Flyin, joining forces with the Solent Strut for the good self seeking out interesting, and hopefully had reps in many areas. I decided The %righton meeting was Hampshire Rally hosted by the Army Air Corp at memorable, guest speakers. During summer to contact all the known PFA something new in purpose Middle Wallop. The event came a close second months our meetings usually take the form of members and other interested and format, therefore to the annual Sywell Rally, certainly in aircraft a relaxed evening of chit chat. Notably June is parties in my patch and saw the requiring a separate identity. numbers. It became a weekend affair complete given to our annual ‘bumsonseats’ evening need for a meeting to bring us all together. Thus The executive committee unanimously accepted with campsite and the notorious camp¿re sing whereby our non Àyers get to enjoy the local area the ¿rst meeting was held in %righton at the ‘King my suggestion and the reason for calling our song until the early hours. aloft, courtesy of fellow strut members. and Queen.’ meeting a STRUT, a unit of structure that supports Alan Lovejoy This was a huge success. It lit the touch paper the main structure. This is an aircraft term that is and the whole idea took off. Our magazine editor, original and simple to understand in this context. Stuart McKay, was next to form a Strut and many And so it came to pass, rules were drawn up followed in fairly quick order, not wishing to miss and agreed. Later we initiated a competition for the fun. best all round Strut with the Strut shield awarded annually. What about the dreams, did they come true? Some, but not all. We saw the membership grow at a faster rate; more projects were completed and less abandoned. As always it was a team effort that is happily continuing due to the dedication and hard work of our members past and present who have kept it all alive. Long may it continue! Andover Strut 6SLW¿UH&OXE3RSKDP$LU¿HOG62%' &RQWDFWNHLWKSLFWRQ#QWOZRUOGFRP 2. Bristol Strut 3. Cornwall Strut

The %ristol Strut which was founded in 1986. In 2007 we held a "Spread Your Wings Day", The rebirth of the historical PFA Cornwall Strut, Our target for the Cornwall Strut of the Light Originally meetings were held at %ackwell, then introducing local pilots to permit aircraft ownership now under new ‘management ‘ of the Light Aircraft Association is to be of signi¿cant bene¿t moved to %ristol Airport and ¿nally to %AWA and operation, plus Àying abroad, topped off with Aircraft Association LAA , has had a successful, to general aviation in the county and promote %ritish Aerospace Welfare Association Filton. a Àight in a permit aircraft. albeit slow beginning. Our main obstacle, which all aspects of the LAA, especially to encourage Richard Thomas was the ¿rst coordinator is shared by everyone, was due to the world youth in aviation. One youth project on our books supported by Gordon Pritt as changing pandemic that we are all now embraced is the building of the Eastbourne Monoplane treasurer, a role he held for twenty in and learning to live with. This has prevented replica in conjunction with the Cornwall Heritage eight years! Since those early days us from meeting on a regular basis and we have Centre at Newquay. Again, due to Covid 19, this a Strut Newsletter was produced had to stay in touch electronically which does fascinating educational project has been put on which provides a history of the not suit everyone. We still work closely with the hold until the way is clearer for us to progress. So group and its prestigious members, Devon Strut especially as several of our members after our inaugural meeting in June 2018 we have including world record holder Edwin belong to both Struts and it is a pleasure to work focused on forming the Strut around the nucleus Shackleton. Now called the %rissle satisfactorily with our neighbouring Strut and of %odmin Air¿eld and have been very successful Strutter the newsletter was edited for draw upon their considerable expertise. with three Cornwall Strut Flyins held in early many years by Ian and Mary Leader Cornwall is geographically a long way from the September. In 2020 the event attracted 50 aircraft and twenty three years on Mary is centre of operations for the Devon Strut and their visitors from around the UK. Our message to our still in charge! meetings held during the winter evenings so we future members is that the LAA exists to act as We have had several wellknown have been able to open up the Cornwall Flying a support structure for general aviation in all Coordinators over the years: Club evening talks to the Cornwall Strut members its forms, providing engineering and checking Graham Clark, author of many which have proved to be absolutely ideal. %odmin services to aircraft builders and lobbying and representation services to all. "That Worst Day" articles in Flyer The Strut members have made various Air¿eld has certainly proved to be an ideal base magazine, Nigel Hitchman, roving event reporter contributions to LAA Rallies, running the Aircraft and central point for the ‘new’ Cornwall Strut, as Pete White and photographer, Ed Hicks, photographer and For Sale tentcaravan for quite a few years. Dave it is a popular site with several LAA based aircraft editor of Flyer. Hall has been a familiar ¿gure on the Youth and and has good facilities. A problem for the Strut is the lack of a "home" Education Support stand, and %rian Osley has air¿eld where we can hold events; our members helped with the Rally setup and dismantling for Ày from various strips and airports in the %ristol at least 25 years, which earned him the LAA area. We have cooperated with other Struts on President's Joystick in 2018. Like most other activities such as Young Eagles Y.E. and Scout Struts we have guest speakers at our evenings Àying, and in 1995 held our ¿rst Young Eagles and organise visits eg %ristol ATC, gliding, event jointly with the Gloster Strut. A further six gyrocopter Àying, aircraft museums . For the last %ristol Strut Y.E. events took place at Filton. A few years most of our monthly meetings have feature of the events was getting the young been held jointly with the %ristol Aero Club and people, mainly drawn from local schools, to this shares the task of ¿nding suitable speakers. prepare a short piece of work in advance to show why they wanted to Ày. This seemed to be very successful in providing motivated kids for the event. We have even arranged a Àying day for schoolteachers in order to support the interest in Àying for young people.

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³The Devon Strut started in strips and air¿elds throughout Having just unearthed an East Midlands Strut Another unique achievement by a Strut member is September 1979 with a group of the southwest. Throughout Newsletter dated 1978, we found written evidence Ron Webster’s home built radial engine. Ron has 8 PFA members and enthusiastic the year, we also organise that the Strut is at least forty years old! Members actually built several versions both with ¿ve and homebuilders getting together impromptu "scrambles" that are of the Rolls Royce Merlin Flying Club at Hucknall seven cylinders ex VW with specially designed for a meeting in Plymouth. Many promulgated to members by got together and the group met at the Flying casings and crankshafts. His current 7 cylinder of those early homebuilders email. Horse at Kegworth as Group 288 of the PFA. One engine is mounted in a ³FRED´ airframe which went on to win prizes for their During the autumn and winter of the ¿rst aircraft involved was a Jodel D120a many will have seen at the LAA Rally. Members creations, including Ron Martin months we have evening which the group bought together. The Jodel, base aircraft at a number of local air¿elds and and Clive Repik who both built beautiful Isaac's meetings with keynote guest speakers on the F%NCL, was built by San %ernay and Stewart’s there is a strong link with Derby Air¿eld which Furies. Dave Silsbury, who built a VP2, also won second Thursday of each month. Details are logbook records his Àight in it in February 1973. was set up and is run by Martin Jones. Martin is %est Homebuilt for his Pietenpol Air Camper in posted on our website www.devonstrut.co.uk, We have a mixed membership, some who like well known as an LAA inspector and enthusiastic 1988 and then went on to win many prizes over which is intended to provide a comprehensive the ownership and operation of permit to Ày LAA supporter of homebuilt aircraft as well as a long the years for his workmanship. Indeed, the Strut focus for our activities with our committee contact type aircraft and others who are enthusiastic standing Strut member. A signi¿cant long term as a whole won the David Faulkner%ryant Shield details shown along with our Àyin updates, exponents of the ‘sawdust and rivets’ of home project at Derby Air¿eld is the DH88 Comet for best Strut back in 1988. air¿eld details, weather, aircraft and project photo building of aircraft. Possibly uniquely one of our ³%lack Magic´ which was Àown by Amy Johnson In those early days Strut, meetings tended mainly galleries and links to everything else you could members, Richard Mole, has not only built and and Jim Mollison in the 1934 England to Australia to involve visits to various workshops to see how wish to know. operates a beautiful Jodel D18 but has also air race. members’ projects were getting on. Two of the We aspire to provide a showcase for the LAA designed and is building a single seater powered Over recent years, we have focused on a mix original 8 members are still in the Strut despite in the southwest and support its vision and by a %riggs Stratton industrial engine, the ³Mole of internal and external speakers covering a being well advanced in years and since that objectives as one of the leading voices for UK Mite´. Richard has given Strut members periodic wide variety of subjects. These have included time there has been a great deal of change. light aviation. Our success in pursuing these updates of progress which has included a loading topics as diverse as a talk on 3D printing with Instead of being comprised of mainly enthusiast objectives was reÀected in the Strut being test with multiple containers of water to simulate demonstration of printing a component during builders, we are now mainly enthusiast Àyers. awarded the David Faulkner%ryant Shield for the the distributed wing loading. the meeting; a history of the WW2 %omber The Strut currently numbers over 190 members third time in our history at the LAA AGM in 2010 Command crews; the SpaceShipOne project; the who collectively own over 180 aircraft. The vast and at the LAA AGM in 2017, our Chairman David practicalities of Àying a permit aircraft overseas majority are permit, classic or vintage types, e.g. Millin won the DF% Trophy in his own right for his and a talk on paramotoring where the canopy and Aeroncas, Austers, Cubs and Jodels, but with an services to LAA grass roots aviation. motorprop were brought into the meeting room! increasing number of RVs. We encourage all LAA members in the southwest If you live in the East Midlands area (particularly %eing in a rural area, we are blessed with a large to join the Devon Strut and become a member of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire , number of farm strips. Thanks to the untiring work a community in which we’re justi¿ably proud. do come along to our meetings. of our committee, we have an annual regional We would love to see you. Àyin at Dunkeswell and local Àyouts to farm (DVW0LGODQGV6WUXW 3OHDVHFRQWDFWWRQ\UD]]HOO#JPDLOFRP

6. East of Scotland

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On 12th January 1993 thirty¿ve members, out Over the last 13 years we have provided pilots In 1973 the founding members of the strut attended place at Fearn aerodrome after which, for many of a total of 45 who had responded to a letter of and ground instructors for the Gloucestershire their very own ¿rst PFA Highland Strut FlyIn at years, the venue was Knockbain Farm, Dingwall, invitation, gathered at Scouts’ organisation’s aviation camps at Croft Fearn air¿eld. The Strut has grown and maintained before relocating to Dornoch where a variety of its membership year on year and now has around and formed the Gloster Strut. The current Farm, giving Àights to about 360 scouts in the Cessnas Pipers etc, vintage and modern permit strength stands at 138 and has been north of 100 process. seventy members. Members come from a large aircraft, microlights, gliders and autogyros. All area of Northern Scotland, such craft can be seen along for the last 20 years. Several Strut members including and the with many visiting aircraft Harry Hopkins, who was its have won prestigious surrounding area, the West and on some occasions even general factotum, recalls awards: in 2005 Strut Coast, the Isle of Skye, surprise arrivals from Europe. that shortly after it started President, Manuel Queiroz the and Owing to the large area of he began to worry where he circumnavigated the world Orkney where members Northern Scotland the strut was going to ¿nd speakers solo in his RV 6, winning the  and enthusiasts congregate embraces, there are many for the rest of the year and Royal Aero Club’s ritannia % around Lamb Holm air elds available and Q’s another 10 articles for the Cup in the process. 4 years ¿ %% air¿eld. This all makes can be instantly arranged Strut’s newsletter. 298 later, Steve Noujaim, another for interesting challenges by strip owner operators meetings and newsletters Strut member, ew the RV 7  À  when it comes to meeting with the click of a mouse later he handed over to he had built from London to up and attending Àyins! proclaiming, let’s y . Where Mike Waldron,SE5a builder Cape Town and back, taking ³ À ´ there is a weather window there is always a Q and Pietenpol owner, who has stepped up to the the records previously held by since 1939 by Alex The ¿rst of the two of¿cial events of the Struts year %% is the LAA Sollas each y in, which was originally at the ready! chairmanship of the Strut Committee. Henshaw. He, too, won the %ritannia trophy. % À  organised for many, many years by the late John Quite early on the Strut celebrated a wedding The next challenge for the strut is to recruit Dr David Joyce, a Europa builder, has Àown Macleod. Since his passing, John’s sister Joan, when one of its founder members, Robin Morton, ³younger´ members. As with many struts, the his aircraft in several dawntodusk challenges, Claudine loom and Andy Twort have taken on married Elizabeth Stanley, the daughter of % average age of the many ³grey heads´ is creeping winning twice and in the process gaining the the challenge of organising this annual y in for another founder member, Lt Cdr Denis Stanley À  upward. We therefore must seek out and share RAeC’s NortonGrif¿ths trophy and a RAeC Silver the Strut. Despite problems with the unpredictable DFC M E RN (rtd . Denis had been a Fleet Air the LAA message ³affordable, Àying for fun´ % medal. David is also the Strut’s safety of¿cer, weather, the years when the weather has co Arm observer in the days of the Fairey Sword sh,  with those in their middle years who, instead of ¿ Àying programme organiser and sommelier! operated immediately con rms to any arrivals that affectionately known as The Stringbag. ¿ considering a pipe and slippers existence, are Another Strut award winner, Eddie Clapham, who it is hard to believe such a stunning location exists seeking a fresh ³mountain to climb´. A challenge Denis and his brotherinlaw had built a Minimax has built 6 aircraft, won a gold medal in the 1993 for a Àyin as it is surrounded by countless sandy that can only be undertaken as each individual, which he Àew extensively before he had to give up microlight world championships. More recently, beaches and bordered by the crystalclear water male or female, become less preoccupied with the his licence aged 84 due to ill health. He and other Fiona Macaskill, a newcomer to powered that is synonymous with this part of Scotland. provision of the intrinsic necessities of life. Not as Strut members have built a total of 40 aircraft; a Àying was awarded the %ritish Women Pilots’ Sollas each, on the island of North , opened expensive one imagines as single seat craft open few had been built before the Strut formed but % Association’s %rabazon Cup for her many Àying in 1936 and was used by the RAF. De Havilland cockpit types can cost as little as £3k that shall we’ve averaged over 1 a year since. achievements para gliding (at championship ±  Rapides were used here by %ritish European deliver an experience and self satisfaction that is level , air racing, mountain ying and dawn to At one time the Chairman of the PFA’s Executive  À   Airways in the 1950’s. Note the air¿eld is a beach second to none! Committee and 5 of its 16 members were from dawn challenge included. landing that is equal to any landing on %arra and To Ày to an island or mainland strut gathering or to the Strut and we sent a representative to each The Strut’s purpose is to support the LAA and there is no landing fee where any pilot can enjoy visit one of the very many air¿elds on a clear day National Council meeting until it was abandoned. we therefore take seriously the LAA objective of as many landings as desired more or less privately or summer’s evening, surrounded by mountain Similarly, Strut members have participated fully at making Àying affordable. You are very welcome on what is usually an empty beach constrained ranges, sandy beaches and clear blue sea from every Rally since 1993. to join us! only by the available fuel on board! any local air¿eld is more than those of us based For many years we have been running tutored Harry Hopkins The second of the two of¿cial events of the Strut’s in the Midlands or in the more heavily controlled Àyouts to le Touquet for crosschannel newbies. year is its LAA Highland and Islands’ annual Àyin airspace of the deep south can quite imagine! These trips are part of our regular Àyout at Dornoch. In the struts early years these took Nigel Campbell programme. *ORVWHU6WUXW 7KH)O\LQJ6KDFN*ORXFHVWHUVKLUH$LUSRUW +LJKODQGV ,VODQGV +LJKODQG$YLDWLRQ,QYHUQHVV$LUSRUW &RQWDFWKDUU\KRSNLQV#WDONWDONQHW &RQWDFWEZVSHQFH#EWLQWHUQHWFRP 9. Kent Strut 10. LiNSY Strut

The Kent Strut was originally called the Mid Kent of the month except December when there would Set in the Lincolnshire countryside, ¿fteen miles Eurofox. Additionally, we involved a couple of Strut and was formed out of previous groups, normally be a Christmas Dinner at another venue. north of the City of Lincoln, Kirton in Lindsey inspectors who live locally. We have always been notably a group named the Southern Aviation During the mid summer months when the longer shares a rich RAF history with many air¿elds in Àyers more than builders and currently only one Society. This group included aircraft modellers, daylight hours mean the golfers stay later we the area having been operational during both aircraft, an RV, is being built. historians and generally air minded members move out for a %%Q usually at a local air¿eld. world wars. In 191619 the town would have heard The level of enthusiasm was high then and up to early home builders who would have been June is when we descend on Ripple near Deal Avro 504’s overhead as 33 Squadron trained remains so ¿ve years on. The format of the Strut working from plans. Meetings took place in a hut in east Kent for a drive or Ày in to Steve Solley’s nearby. In WW2, Àying Hurricane’s and Spit¿res, has not really changed. Alan Wood stepped down at Rochester airport. There was another strut, the short strip, the advantage being that Steve has Fighter Command’s 71 Squadron operated from in 2016 and was replaced by %arry Hunter. Chris North Kent Strut which at one time met in a pub at an ice cream factory. The local vintage car club the newly sited air¿eld. Firth remains our Safety Of¿cer. That is one the end of Rochester Esplanade. This group may joins us and this recently has become a monthly With the closure of the RAF station, and advantage of a small strut, two folk can handle it have disbanded before reforming around %exley. event with Strut members Àying in for %reakfast. subsequently the air¿eld, the LAA Strut meet at easily! Alan has now found time to rejoin us as Meanwhile around the mid 80’s the Southern When we came to 2020 most physical meetings Trent Valley’s Gliding Club at Kirton Lindsey. a ‘consultant’. We have discovered that everyone Aviation Society had an in ux of PFA ‘ers, mainly À were replaced with virtual zoom or Jitsi meetings. The LiNSY Trent Valley (Lincs, Notts, South knows someone who knows someone who will from Farthing Corner, and links with the PFA were A virtual tour of Lydd SAR hangar with a pilot Yorks Strut is a young group having been happily come and talk to us about aeroplanes. established. walking us around the hangar and helicopters formed in Spring 2014 by Alan Wood to cover Where we differ from some LAA struts is that we %y the early 90’s there were around 100 members with their equipment proved popular. Due to the a large area for LAA members not covered by have an active Facebook group and a website and aircraft kits became available. Membership size of the county, for some the virtual meetings other Struts. The initial response to emails was where we invite new and existing members to began to decline a little to the current number of have been a boon, every cloud.... encouraging and, after the ¿rst meeting, there come to our meetings. We were concerned that around 80. The North Kent Strut fell into decline Nigel Read was a desire for regular meetings to be held. In we might run out of speakers but over we have and the Mid Kent Strut renamed as the Kent Strut order to encourage membership it was decided been fortunate in enjoying talks on the Airlander, in the mid 2000’s. We have active members from there would be no membership charge, although Air Racing, %%MF, %omber Command, MAF, all around Kent and even into Sussex with an we happily take donations to fund speakers, if Lincoln WW1 aircraft manufacture, the Scottish active group in the East of the county. required. Also, cake and tea are provided so Air Ambulance and Meetings are generally held at Cobtree Manor there was a good reason to attend! the Spirit of Goole. Golf Club outside Maidstone on the last Thursday Additionally we have had group visits to the Scampton Heritage Museum, Humberside ATC and the coastguard helicopter unit at Humberside. The future of Struts seems bright with biannual LAA conferences to spread the word and share ideas. The meaning of Strut is ‘to support’ and the members work together to help each other. We share knowledge, tools, and friendship and After several meetings we promoted talks on the the LAA Struts have a lot to offer the light aviation Strut’s Facebook and Web pages. We visited a community. All are welcome to attend our local gliding club and this was followed by talks meetings. Visit our web site or Facebook page for on the MF, Project Pegasus and the Two %% details. Lancasters ¿lm. Like all Struts there is a good mix of personalities and aircraft –RVs, a Pazmany, %arry Hunter a 1940s Cub, a Quickie, Jodels, Eurostar and

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The roots of the North East Strut (formally the ordinator and inspector responsible for permits to When it comes to spectacular Àying country, P.F.A. activities from then on, including helping Sunderland Strut really began in about 1793 Ày. Les encouraged NEStrut pilots to share good North Wales can be hard to beat! Apart from out at the many and various tasks setting up our with Sir George Caley from %rompton near build and maintenance practice for safe and more mountain ranges, annual rally, from Scarborough who designed and built a glider. He affordable Àying. Thanks to his early mentoring favoured as a fencing, marquee shared his design and eventually aviators such skills, two of those original founder members training area for erecting, FOD as the Wright %rothers, who were credited with %ill Gillham and Ridley Kendal, with the late Don the RAF, there is a patrols, and Fire the ¿rst powered Àight, incorporated the design Harker, continue that practice to date and have stunning coastline and Rescue. in their ying machines. The same sharing spirit completed projects in recent years. À and, across the Sadly, Geraint continued in the region and now through the %y 2005 there were about 10 air¿eldsstrips used Menai Strait, the and a friend lost North East Strut of the Light Aircraft Association. by members many of them having a squad of Isle of Anglesey. their lives in a The Sunderland Strut held its inaugural meeting Strutters who hosted Ày in meets to ¿ll the strut The formation of Àying accident at a Ày in to Wearside Flying Association on event calendar and augment the monthly speaker the North Wales about 5 years 8th October 1972 at Sunderland Airport. Twelve and discussions evenings. Yearby ‘Turners Arms Strut was due later. Their aircraft aircraft arrived for the occasion and twenty Farm’ was one of the ¿rst with John Towers as to one person, suffered an ¿ve interested members! There were then only Strut treasurer for over 20 years. In the same local businessman, pilot, and enthusiastic P.F.A. engine failure on approach to a private strip. three active air¿elds within 50 mile radius of period %arry Smith and Stan Dauncy were Vice member Geraint Hughes. Geraint attended many They had insuf¿cient height to clear a dry stone the Sunderland Strut base which stretched from Chair and Chairman respectively a few times. annual P.F.A. rallies with his family, where he wall, with which they collided. The A.A.I.%. Northumberland through Yorkshire with members Stan was also Strut coordinator and LAA made many friends within the P.F.A. community investigation discovered the cause as a defective spread from %elford to Scarborough. Meetings national council representative for over 20 years. and he founded the strut in 1982. He kept a Jodel fuel cock which had cork components, which had were held on the ¿rst Sunday afternoon of each %arry, an inspector, became LAA Vice Chairman. D112 at the old World War 2 air¿eld at Penrhos broken up and caused a fuel blockage. An A.D. month at various venues across the region which In effect we were linking strut local ¿elds of near Pwllheli where many ex Polish Air Force was subsequently issued to all Jodel operators to enabled members to sample the different pub dreams for affordable aviation to national teams personnel had settled post war and he often Àew replace all fuel cocks with cork components with grub and ales! for legislation. to R.A.F. Mona on Anglesey where several Permit all metal ones. Geraint`s death was not in vain, as Within a year the name changed to the North LAA development rules in 2011 changed the aircraft were based. other similar failures were certainly avoided. East Strut and meetings settled into the %lack nature of how Struts could operate. At that point Geraint thought that Mona would be the ideal The R.A.F. decided to demolish the Nissen hut Horse Inn at %owburn just south of Durham. we introduced open workshop days, skill sharing place to form a Strut with so many enthusiasts at Mona a few years ago, so the North Wales This was considered a fair compromise as a workshops and gatherings at aviation events based there. First of all he and his company Strut relocated to Airport, where central point. In those early %lack Horse years with NEStrut Information Points to distribute installed a complete Avgas refuelling facility at we have meetings at one of the brie¿ng rooms of informal development of aviators’ knowledge LAA magazines. These were complimented by Mona with R.A.F. approval. This was a massive in the new control tower with kind permission of and skills, members also encouraged the use personal inspections of Falcon jets and static bonus for Mona Flying Club and visiting aircraft, Roy Steptoe, the airport operator. We also take of farm strips and reuse of old air¿elds to base displays at air shows to stimulate interest in as previously the nearest fuel was at Caernarfon. advantage of the excellent cafe at Caernarfon, their nished aircraft. This proved to be a good building affordable aeroplanes. The NEStrut ¿ Shortly afterwards, he invited Carl utler, founder operated by the Welsh Air Ambulance Service. strategy because the original air elds became was also involved with initiating LAA outreach % ¿ of the Heart of England Strut based at Coventry, to This generates income to support the service inaccessible for most PFA aircraft. work with Phil Hall, the CEO at the time, helping speak to the local P.F.A. members about forming which depends solely on public donation. to organise the rst LAA day in the region and The %lack Horse served the strut well for about ¿ their own Strut. The locals were persuaded, and Members currently operate various Vans participating in the others. 25 years until demolished for developing urban the North Wales Strut was established. Monthly types, Cubs, Auster, Rotorway, Magni Orion, sprawl. We then moved to The Poachers offering Whether you are a former or current member, meetings were soon organised and were held in and a Clutton Fred under construction, so we similar provision at nearby Metal %ridge for a inspector, ground crew, pilot or new to Àying, we the old wartime Nissen hut on the air¿eld. are still thriving. We owe a great debt to our few months pending a move to nearby Morgans have celebrated over 45 years as the NEStrut The founding members had many diverse founder Geraint who is fondly remembered. Field, now known as Fishburn Air eld, the strut’s and look forward to meeting up with you at our ¿ examples of permit aircraft. There were We are privileged to be based in a very scenic current main meeting base to date. events! Jodels, Cubs, Austers, Colibri, Taylorcraft, Cri part of the U.K. so if any of you fancy a trip to Les Richardson was the region’s founder Strut Co Cri, Condor, and a Nord 854, with many others Snowdonia, please contact Gareth Roberts for to follow. The members became very involved in more information. 1RUWK(DVW6WUXW )LVKEXUQ$LU¿HOG %UXQFKUG6XQGD\RIHDFKPRQWKDW)LVKEXUQ$YLDWRU&DIH 1RUWK:DOHV6WUXW&DHUQDUIRQ$LUSRUW'LQDV'LQOOH+(06%LVWUR &RQWDFWDODQQL[RQ#EWLQWHUQHWFRP &DIp&RQWDFW*DUHWK5REHUWVJWUZDOHV#JPDLOFRP 13. North West Strut 14. Oxford Group

The North Western Strut is not the oldest in the various stages of construction. This does not The Oxford LAA Group (originally Strut was type not yet approved by the LAA. He gave a Popular Flying Association but it is one of the few include the other aircraft parked on the Àight formed 49 years ago, having had its ¿rst formal fascinating talk to the group about the trials and who started the movement. It was in late 1970 line and the PFA bus. Who remembers that?! meeting on February 9th 1972. The original ¿ve tribulations of being a trailblazer; however, the when Ernie Horsfall sent out letters to various Annual FlyIns were held with varying degrees of members included Allan Clewley, Geoff Jeffrey process has taken so long that he has meanwhile PFA members in the area. Thirteen members success but we did maintain the effort. and Rob Stobo, and as a result of early group commenced major refurbishment of a Jodel DR attended the original meeting in Preston in early In 1978 the chairmanship was taken over by a meetings, this group formed a syndicate to buy 1050, as well as Àying his 70 year old Vagabond. 1971. Having elected a Chairman, Ernie Horsfall, charismatic, but controversial, Peter Underhill Auster GAMTM from %rooklands Aviation. The The Strut has been involved in various Àyouts over Secretary, and Treasurer they and the Strut Strut has been running continuously ever since the years, including a group trip to Switzerland. went away full of enthusiasm. did achieve an and has always based itself at an Oxfordshire We have just set up a Whats App group so that Only nothing happened. So exceptional period pub, moving on to a variety of venues over its we can notify each other of plans to Ày, and help nearly twelve months later of good fortune. long history. The membership cost in 1972 was people share Àights if they want to. another Strut was started and With 120 members 25p per family per meeting....! this time it worked. So the real and many lively The group appears to have North Western Strut came into meetings it was the maintained a format of a being 4th December 1971. out¿t to belong to. mixture of invited speakers, Following a few meetings in a %eing based on an with visits to see members’ local pub the Strut then moved air¿eld there was builds in progress, and to %arton Aerodrome where it always something aviation related trips away. really took off. Monthly meetings of interest for Speakers of earlier years were organised, mostly for ¿lm the aviator and included Mr. Fieldwick, shows, but as time went on it was the enthusiast who had worked on the felt that a general meeting should to enjoy. The construction of the R101 be held and in February 1974 pinnacle came in Airship, and Mr. Stewart the ¿rst of¿cial Annual General 1979 when Peter Wood, who had won the Meeting took place. There were at that time challenged the whole of the UK light aviation Kings Cup Air Race. We some 90 members of the Strut of which only 40% scene with, ³Dare you Ày to %arton via the low have been privileged to were PFA members but the main point was to level corridor?´ This was what appeared to be hear Rusty Waughman, now get together all likeminded people and eventually a block to aviators travelling south to north but, in his nineties, speak with they would join the Association. It is not unusual as we were almost sitting on it, to us it was no extraordinary clarity and in this sort of organisation to ¿nd the treasurers hindrance. Hence an article, entitled , ‘Dare You eloquence about his time reporting very succinctly, ³We are broke,´ so a to Ày to %arton?’ by Peter Underhill appeared in on Lancasters in WWII, including the infamous We also had an Oxford Group trip to the USA (via subscription was then proposed and accepted. Popular Flying magazine in the 1981, to challenge Nuremberg raid. We also heard Mark Manwaring commercial aviation this time! , with a group of us We held our ¿rst FlyIn in August 1975 with 30 the world. It worked. We had more than ¿fty describe the meticulous planning needed for his spending a week together at Sun ‘N’ Fun, and aircraft attending and the longest Àight was from aircraft arrive at %arton for the FlyIn! attempt on the world speed circumnavigation exploring Florida. One of the highlights of the trip Shoreham, the headquarters of the PFA at the However whilst we still maintain the structure and record in his RV7. was seeing a launch from Cape Kennedy to the time. Other social meetings were organised and resilience of the Strut it is not what it was so many Over the years many builds and restorations have Space Station. We all had a hugely enjoyable once again the total funds of this new Strut were years ago. We now have a steady membership been completed, including Dave %rooks’ beautiful time – our furthest away ‘Àyout’ so far! thrown away on a hotpot supper! of about 35 and there is always something restoration of Jodel DR1051, GIOSI. Rob Stobo So – the Oxford Group is Àourishing. If anyone The Strut was also involved in various air shows organised for the monthly meetings! We would still has AMTM, and has also restored a Jodel is in the area on the second Wednesday of the where we included part built and Àying examples welcome more aviators to join us, and especially %ebe. month, do check our website and come and see of PFA types. Memorable at the time was at young pilots and enthusiasts. Ian Melville began construction on a CX4, a us; you will be very welcome! %lackpool airport with a show of six aircraft in Cliff Mort

1RUWK:HVWHUQ6WUXW 9HWHUDQV/RXQJH%DUWRQ0DQFKHVWHU 2[IRUG*URXS 7KH'XNHRI0DUOERURXJK:RRGOH\V:RRGVWRFN2[IRUG &RQWDFWFOLIIPRUW#EWLQWHUQHWFRP &RQWDFW/$$2[IRUG#JPDLOFRPZZZR[IRUGODDFRXN 15. Rally Workers Strut 17. Shobdon Strut

The beautiful Herefordshire countryside, dotted We heard from Derek Pigott who did the with timber framed cottages in quaint, picturesque Stunt Àying in so many ¿lms, including ‘Those villages, is the home of Shobdon Strut. Formerly Magni¿cant Men in their Flying Machines’ and a wartime air¿eld used for transporting casualties John Farley of the ‘Harrier’ fame told us about to local hospitals, and later as a training area for the test Àying of that wonderful aircraft. Manuel gliders rehearsing for the Normandy and Arnhelm Querioz who Àew his RV6 solo around the World, landings, Shobdon Air¿eld is now operated by spoke to us before and again after his epic trip Herefordshire Aero Club. and left us in wonder at his incredible journey. Just in case you think we are only interested The LAA Rally Workers Strut has a different sockets, toilets, showers, ¿nalising the exhibition in ¿xed wing aircraft, we heard from Erik %loo agenda to other LAA Struts and it’s not until you and car park layouts, with lots of liaising with Anderson about the development Àying he did on see those large orange hands directing you to the Penny Sharpe at HQ, and ¿nally rallying the the Apache when it was brought into service. We parking spaces in the Rally car park that you get troups. WednesdayThursday and Friday morning have also had Dennis Kenyon who is one of the a glimpse into the work put in by Paul Lawrence is spent installing all the cables, splitters and most experienced Helicopter instructors on the and team. sockets into the marquees. We set up generators, planet. toilets and showers and mark out the car park with Paul writes, ³I attended my ¿rst rally with my Dad Other guest speakers who have arrived to inspire cones and fencing. Stan Lawrence (Andover Strut back in 1978 us with their stories include Ian Whittle, Don at Sywell. In all those years I have only missed So the Rally begins and behind the scenes we Cameron, Jock Heron, John Thorpe, %ill %rooks two Rallies. For many years I helped out with keep generators topped up, make sure security and %en Watkins. We have also heard more the Andover Strut, until 1994 when I joined Geoff lights work in the evening and all facilities work. stories from WW2 including Lancaster pilot John Church, helping with the electrics. %ack in those We have Sparky Parkies with their wavy hands get Rowland. days the Rally was on a much larger scale. Then everyone parked safely and our canine team and In September 2002 the LAA Shobdon Strut was The Strut currently has a mailing list of around in 2006 Geoff asked me to take over the reins for owners collect donations for the Air Ambulance. formed by a group of local aviation enthusiasts 100, the active membership is around 30. There the electrical installations. We take a break Friday and Saturday nights and and pilots. The Strut meets every month on the are about a dozen home built aircraft based at or Today we have a great team of volunteers, some enjoy our traditional 'workers %%Q'. second Thursday to either listen to a speaker, near to Shobdon, and the LAA members all rally original long termers, some new volunteers and So Sunday after the parking is completed, go on a practical workshop or visit a centre of round and help each other when in dif¿culty. The we also have three canine volunteers, Golden we have a bit of downtime to enjoy the Rally aviation interest. We have also hosted Ày ins to whole ethos of the LAA is to provide affordable Lab Mollie, Golden Retriever Dylan and Yorkshire ourselves. Around 3.30pm we head over to the Air Shobdon and Ày outs to local members’ farm Àying to its members and it provides a wonderful Terrier Milo who do a very important job of raising Ambulance stand for our annual team photo and strips. The Strut hosted a ³Young Eagles´ event network for problem solving. a bit later begin the 'tear down'. We usually nish funds for the Air Ambulance. Volunteers come ¿ for many years when local schools children or Air We welcome visits from the LAA and have around 7pm, have a quick wash up and head to the from near and far, the furthest making the journey Cadets were given Àights in home built aircraft, enjoyed meeting LAA board members and pub for a well deserved meal. The clear up doesn't from Portugal. Some can commit to a day or two, this later changed to running Nav Ex for the Air engineering staff at Shobdon Strut meetings. ¿nish there, Monday involves getting generators, others to the week. Cadets. The Strut has always been very grateful to showers etc collected, getting all the equipment Many of us arrive MondayTuesday, set ourselves We must have had at least one hundred and Hereford Aero Club for providing the venue for its back into the container at Sywell, followed by up (Sparky Hollow HQ and begin the task of twenty ¿ve speakers over the years and I can’t packing up Sparky Hollow HQ, the journey home meetings, and the canteen staff for opening up on getting all the equipment together and checked possibly mention them all, but in no signi¿cant and unpacking again! We have all made wonderful a Thursday evening to provide hot meals before from the Rally container kept on site. %efore we order I will try to remember some of the highlights. the meetings. begin this many hours have already been spent friends and have made lasting memories. Probably the most memorable was when Capt You will receive a warm welcome at Shobdon sourcing equipment, such as generators, cables, Paul Lawrence Eric Winkle %rown talked about his amazing so do check out the website and our calendar to career test Àying more aircraft than any other test see the up to date listings. pilot to this day, he also holds the record for the 16.Redhill most number of carrier landings. Paul Johnstone

5HGKLOO6WUXW 7KH'RJDQG'XFN2XWZRRG6XUUH\5+48 6KREGRQ6WUXW +RWVSXU&DIp6KREGRQ$LU¿HOG+HUHIRUG+515 &RQWDFWGDYLG#PLOVWHDGPHXN &RQWDFW.HLWK7D\ORUEXVKHELJJOHV#VN\FRPZZZVKREGRQVWUXWRUJXN 18. Strathtay Strut 20. Suffolk Coastal Strut

The Strathtay Strut has always been intimately of Club members who were interested in LAAtype connected with the Scottish Aero Club which was aircraft. However, it was soon realised that Strut established in 1927 near Glasgow, and relocated activities duplicated similar events organised by to Perth Airport at Scone in 1956. The long history the Scottish Aero Club to the disadvantage of both of the Scottish Aero Club is chronicled in the book organisations. In 1999, with the agreement of Strut ³Wings Over Scotland´, written by James Allen. members, Graeme subsumed the Strut and its When Air Service Training left Perth Airport in 1996 modest funding into the Club. after having trained 1000’s of pilots, the airport was purchased The ¿rst Strut in Suffolk is believed to have been Like other Struts there are organised social events, in 1997 by Morris Leslie, and the formed in 1950, called the ‘Ipswich Strut’. This Àyouts, guest speakers, visits to aviation and Scottish Aero Club leased from was still in existence in 1974, although its fate is nonaviation venues. In recent years the Strut Morris a huge hangar on the not known. Then in 2000 some like minded ‘light has also been involved with managing the Àyin aviation’ people coalesced around an idea, formed air¿eld. The number of private at Monewden Air¿eld Open day (the air¿eld was GA aircraft based there has by Nigel Ramsey, for a PFA Strut in the area. Initial purchased by one of the Strut members, Steve steadily increased over a 20+ meetings were held at the café at the end of RAF Eustace and his wife Lisa in late 2015 – the event year period until the present time, %entwater’s . Hence the name ‘Suffolk raises money for the Children’s Eye Cancer Trust when the hangar accommodates Coastal Strut’. (CHECT . The event in 2019, which raised £2487 some 100 aircraft ranging from In March 2001 at a formal inaugural meeting at for CHECT, was attended by 55 aircraft, included Àexwing microlights, through a Àeet of gyros, to Today the Strathtay Strut is effectively synonymous Crow¿eld Air¿eld Clubhouse, the Suffolk Coastal vintage cars and an art area for youngsters. This legacy Pipers, Cessnas, Grummans etc. Over the with the Scottish Aero Club although, as Strut Strut was incorporated. Initial membership was 15, was part of the LAA involvement in the "Federation Aeronautique Internationale" Art competition. The period the number of legacy aircraft have remained Coordinator, I still complete an annual return of which 6 are still members today. Nigel has since static, but virtually all subsequent arrivals have identifying the number of Club members who are moved out of the area but has remained an active Strut had contacted the local representative of Guild of Aviation Artists, Michael Daley, who not been ³permit´ aircraft administered by the LAA members of the LAA. In effect, we operate a ³Strut´ member of other Struts. (then PFA , or the %MAA. with approximately 300 members comprising Over the years membership slowly increased, only gave a talk at the Strut August meeting, but The Strut itself was inaugurated in the 1990’s by %MAA, LAA, AOPA members, and other interested although in last couple of years, for reasons not Graeme %lundell, who at the time was building a parties, all of whom are welcome to participate in entirely clear, membership has jumped up to almost Murphy Renegade kit. The intent was to provide activities and events initiated at Perth 70. The Strut still meets at Crow¿eld Air¿eld on the social activities and builder support for the subset Keith %oardman third Wednesday of the month, although the name ‘Suffolk Coastal Strut’ can cause a little confusion 6WUDWKWD\6WUXW 6FRWWLVK$HUR&OXE3HUWK$LUSRUW6FRQH6FRQH&OXEKRXVH as, not only is Crow¿eld not exactly close to the &RQWDFWNHLWKERDUGPDQ#SHRSOHVHUYHFRXN coast, but the main event of the year, the %oxted Àyin, is in Essex. The Strut decided to continue with a ‘classic’ Flyin format, the ¿rst of these was 19. Southern Strut held in 2008 and continues today, normally on the also came along to the Monewden event to help out If you are a LAA member and live in within radius We have much to offer, we have a strut Christmas ¿rst weekend of July. The site has limited parking and encourage the youngsters with their paintings of say 25 miles of %righton and are not a member dinner, 2 local yins, talks on aviation orientated space, so Àyin numbers are restricted to aprox 65 À during the open day. New members are always of the Southern Strut then ask yourself why not?! subjects and the fair number of inspectors, hands aircraft and is normally fully booked some days welcome and for more information you can view As the ¿rst Strut to be formed, we have been on builders, instructors and even some plane before the event. the Strut’s website at www.suffolkcoastalstrut.org. operating for more than 50 years and were the ¿rst importers who are ready to answer your questions. Due to there not being any other struts uk. area to get members of our club (PFA at that time You can view our current newsletter and all the old neighbouring the area, members have joined to meet every month and chew the cud over a drink ones at www.southernstrut.orgnewsletter from not only from across Suffolk, but also Essex, Martyn Steggalls or a meal. Tony Palmer Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and from Kent!

6RXWKHUQ6WUXW7KH6ZLVV&RWWDJH6KRUHKDPE\6HD1RUPDOPHHWLQJVDUHRQ 6XIIRON&RDVWDO6WUXW &URZ¿HOG$LU¿HOG&OXEKRXVH WKH¿UVW:HGQHVGD\RIWKHPRQWK&RQWDFWSDOPHUVIDUP#VN\FRP &RQWDFW0DUW\Q6WHJJDOOVHYHQWV#VXIIRONFRDVWDOVWUXWRUJXN 21. Vale of York Strut 22. Wessex Strut Àight testing The Vale of York Strut was formed about 7 or 8 The seminars also join together with regular Henstridge features by Clive years ago and originally met at Full Sutton air¿eld. Àyouts and activities to encourage members to Air¿eld, base Davidson. of the Wessex Our regular strut meetings, on the last Thursday of engage with the LAA Wings scheme and help Early days the month, are often held at Rufforth East where pilots get the most from their Àying. In particular Strut, like many of the air¿elds included a Àyout there is the excellent Chocks Away Café to use we have a tradition of introducing people to the to St. Omer and as a venue. Meetings generally include sampling joys of touring to the Continent. we use regularly, was constructed and used as a wartime base. It was a few years later to Abbeville, all done long before their tasty food. There are plenty of microlight The Strut has held a couple of successful FlyIns SkyDemon and other modern aids. Included amongst and gyrocopter pilots based there and we are commissioned in 1943 as a training air¿eld for the over the years and for 2021 we intend to revive Fleet Air Arm and will have echoed to the sounds of the former was %arry Mogg, whose family farm was pleased that they are getting more involved in this tradition with a Àyin at Rufforth East over Sea res, Spit res and Typhoons. In the late 1940’s an requisitioned in 1942 to build Henstridge. We now our activities they are very welcome. We also ¿ ¿  Yorkshire Day weekend (31 July and 01 August enthusiasm and optimism for light aircraft was apparent have the third generation of the family Paul MoggÀ ying meet at %reighton where we are hosted by the themed around ³We All Fly´ and of course as wartired GA pilots started to gather to found the with us. In 2018 a few strutters went to the show at Real Aeroplane Club and often have combined Yorkshire Day. ULAA, resulting in the birth of many of our struts which Friedrichasfen and later a trip to Toulouse to visit the activities such as GASCO evenings. Airbus factory was enjoyed, although this time we used We also now seem to have a tradition of at least meet and Ày from those same air¿elds. Easyjet as it was easier and a lot cheaper! The strut is very fortunate to have one of our one Àyout in the year being fancy dress. Previous Formed in late 1976 by Tony Young, who is now the local LAA Inspectors, Dave Allan, as a very themes included a bunch of prisoners (there is Strut’s Honouree President, the Wessex strut held its About 10 years ago the strut put together an internal email system so that we can send our monthly newsletter as longstanding and extremely active member. He a prison next to Full Sutton air¿eld and a team ¿rst Àyin at Henstridge Air¿eld the following April. This attends just about every strut gettogether (actually from International Rescue. Most recently a group event became the traditional season opener with more well as safety information, and reminders of upcoming presentations at monthly meetings to our members. We I am not sure he has missed one and provides of pirates surprised people at several air¿elds. than two hundred aircraft attending regularly. There an extremely helpful source of engineering are still Strut founders and early members with us who have also added an email chat system so that the group experience, knowledge and input. We are also have held various positions to help run the group over members can email one another with items for sale, if lucky to have Ivan Shaw based locally to us. His the years, including Martin Holloway and Dave Stokes a piece of equipment wants to be borrowed, or aÀ y out and scramble has been organized. These systems presentation to the Strut on the Seeker was one who are both still Àying their Stampe and Jodel all these have been great in bringing the Strut closer together as of our most popular events and we look forward to years later. The strut also covered the% ristol and Devon further updates during this year! areas, meeting at the Cannards Inn near Shepton it keeps members in touch with one another and much Mallett for many years. Once the strut got to a larger more up to date. So much so, that the group has grown We do have a bias towards Àying rather than from around 35 to 160 members in the last 89 years. size, it was decided to form the% ristol strut to the North  building in our active members, so many of our The destinations seem to be getting further a¿eld We are also af¿liated with EAA Chapter One based at meetings have a Àying theme. Alan Kilbride, an so if a group of aircraft with crew in fancy dress and Devon strut to the West, to help members get more local representation. We still have great relationships Flabob air¿eld in California where the same ethic of LAA Coach, is extremely active and drives our arrive at your local air¿eld, it may well be the Vale with both, often visiting each other and exchanging homebuilding and restoration is high. programme of seminars to promote safety and of York strut on a madcap expedition! ideas for newsletters and events. The Wessex Strut is open to all Àyer development of Àying pro¿ciency with the aim of s, aircraft owners building people’s con¿dence to make more use With Tony owning Aircraft Coverings the suppliers of Poly¿ber, aircraft building has been a very popular item (LAACAAmicrolighters and enthusiasts. When you of their aircraft rather than just Àying in the local join you get a membership card, and for those based area. over the years at the strut. One of the¿ rst was passed strut member Colin Difford who built a Luton Minor away, show it when booking in at Henstridge and you and we still give out a trophy bearing his name every get a half price landing, particularly useful for keeping years at the struts awards night. We have also had a current during the winter months using the hard runway. FRED, an early RV6 and the ¿rst two UK RV9A’s built Starting with a meal, monthly meetings are held during the winter with speakers covering subjects from here, a %owers Flybaby, Taylor Monoplane, Groppo Trail, Zenair 601 and many more including a recently equipment, Àying careers, building demonstrations, completed Avalanche SuperStol. With the rebuilding GASGO Àight safety and more. We have %%Q’s, Ày of Annabelle %urroughes Jungmann and Tiger Moths outs and visits to other air¿elds during the summer. recently, the skill levels are still high within the strut for Many of us have lunch together at weekends so there advice and ideas on building and maintenance. Many are always strutters to meet. 9DOHRI

The West Midlands Strut was originally formed in from Halfpenny Green and other local air¿elds. The Youth and Education Support Strut was set Air¿eld visits are valuable to introduce youngsters 1976 at Penkridge near Stafford. It then moved to Graham and Stuart, along with others, soon up in 2004 by a committed group of association to aircraft and aircrew closeup under supervision, Quinton, %irmingham in 1983. Reg %radbury was managed to get a full diary of speakers and regular members to build on a range of youth activities to cover some of the aviation badge work not Chairman from 1989 until 2012 when Graham Elvis monthly meetings ensued. %ernie Kosteczko, already begun by Stewart Luck. His vision, to easily done in the scouthut. Several scout and took over the chair. Ray was made an honorary the owner of the Navigator Café, was of great develop and nurture a passion for Àying in the next cadet groups are also involved in gliding and member. Unfortunately attendance at meetings assistance, allowing us to use the café for meetings generation, is fundamental to the future of light powered Àying. There is a national %eaver aviation gradually dwindled and in 2015 the decision was and providing discounted teas, coffees and cakes. aircraft Àying in the UK. badge initiative, which has already been delivered to thousands of youngsters, and recently the made to close the Strut. Through the strut, Stuart met John Ellis who was Years ago, Struts offered Young Eagles Àights to rownies also offer aviation badge work, promoted In 2018 Stuart Darby, who had a share in a PA28 also an RV12 and RV 7 builder. As they lived youngsters, adding their names to the logbook of % by EasyJet. at Halfpenny Green and had been building an RV reasonably close this enabled them to help each ¿rst Àights compiled by the American EAA, who 12 in his garage for eight years, was looking for other with their projects and demonstrates just one reached their target of one million Àights by the At a PFA rally decades ago, some Swedish an LAA strut to join. He and Graham Wiley, who advantage of LAA Strut membership. Wright brothers centenary in December 2003. teenagers presented Spit¿re and Tiger Moth pedal Following this, the EAA distanced itself from the planes they had built as a practical activity. These was also based at Halfpenny Green, recognised In 2020 LAA members and guests from all over UK, and YES, with the hard work and enthusiasm have proved very popular and have spawned that were no struts in easy travelling distance. the country were able to attend meetings on line.  of former YES Chairman Andre Faehndrich, set dozens more, through the Joystick Club at White The nearest being Shobdon. So they decided to The WM Strut now looks forward to many more up the Young Aviators scheme. After some LAA Waltham, and other organisations. YES has see if they could attract suf¿cient interest in re meetings, both on line and in person. generating the WM strut. changes in the rules for Àying passengers, struts obtained sponsorship for six kits from the RAF Stuart Darby are once again giving youngsters, and even Charitable Trust, which have been produced by This was successful and the ¿rst of¿cial meeting was on April 18th 2018 in the Navigator Café parents and carers, their ¿rst lightaircraft Àight. volunteers at Stow Maries WW1 Air¿eld and are under the control tower at Halfpenny Green Celebrating the same Wright centenary milestone, being assembled and painted by schools, air Airport. Graham gave a talk about the RAeS Stewart Luck proposed a planebuilding project for scouts and Aerobility for use at events around the country. An assembly of 36 pedal planes Schools %uild a Plane project he had been UK Youth, and a Rans S6 kit was bought for teams working on. This attracted a good attendance, of air cadets and scouts to build under supervision gathered at %rooklands Museum in 2018, to regain some original members and many new ones in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. the unof¿cial World Pedalplane Record from the There are now an incredible 34 more Youth %uild USA. :HVW0LGODQGV6WUXW 1DYLJDWRU&DIp+DOISHQQ\*UHHQ$HURGURPH aPlane Projects in the UK. The bene¿ts to the YES Annual Education Conferences have &RQWDFW*UDKDP:LOH\ZHVWPLGODQGVODDVWUXW#JRRJOHJURXSVFRP youngsters and the adult helpers in all sorts of been held at %rooklands for over a decade, and 6WXDUW'DUE\VWXDUWGDUE\#KRWPDLOFRPRUYLVLWRXUZHEVLWHZPVWUXWFRXN ways is immeasurable. now include a ‘Northern’ one at Cosford. They YES has been involved with the Scout movement feature presentations from youth organisations, for many years through build projects, training, air apprentices and motivational speakers and focus 24. West of Scotland experience Àights, and weekend aviation camps on activities and career opportunities in Aviation. which include navigation, meteorology, and Àight YES always needs helpers. Please become involved  it’s fun and very gratifying. The West of Scotland strut was founded in 1983 planning classes, ¿nishing off with a Navex Àight by a group of enthusiasts at Prestwick and had planned and undertaken by the scout and pilot. Dave Hall a membership of about 20 from Prestwick and Glasgow. Several members were associated with %ritish aerospace at Prestwick and home builders bene¿tted from their expertise. %y 1989 the membership had grown to 40 with Eagles events from 1994 to 2005. The Strut covers activity concentrated at Glasgow, Prestwick and an area from Dumfries to Oban so meetings are Strathaven. Later Cumbernauld airport became infrequent due to the distance but a favoured Ày out a major centre for activity with Ày ins and Young destination is %ute island airstrip.

:HVWRI6FRWODQG6WUXW %RZ¿HOG&RXQWU\&OXE+RZZRRG3$'= &RQWDFWIRUIXUWKHUGHWDLOV6WHZDUW/XFN*UDKDP:LOH\ &RQWDFW1HLO*HGGHVEDUQEHWKQNJ#JPDLOFRP FDSWDLQOXFN#KRWPDLOFRPJZKRPH#RXWORRNFRP 26. The First Continental Strut

In 2016, the First Continental Strut was formed %elgian Àying clubs and is an active member with the intention of acting as a social hub and of EFLEVA (European Federation of Light, source of support and information for LAA Experimental and Vintage Aircraft . A Celebration members across the Channel. The Strut is based For the ¿rst time EFLEVA has a local partner in %elgium, with regular meetings at the art to discuss topics such as the implementation Over the last 75 years there have been many changes in aviation, deco Antwerp Duerne airport terminal (similar of European cross border recommendations. both in aircraft design, in the PFALAA and in the various events architecturally to the PFA’s original home at Anyone who has visited the EFLEVA Experimental that we hold. However, the philosophy behind the Struts has Shoreham , but Strut members come from as far Days Àyins over recent years, will have noticed changed very little in the 52 years since the ¿rst strut was founded a¿eld as France, Germany, Holland and Italy. that there is an increased interest in permit to Ày and we hope the pro¿le of the Struts and the work by Strut leaders The Strut works closely with the VVMV (Vlaamse aircraft in %elgium and the LAA’s newest Strut is and magazine editors have all added to the LAA’s strength and Vereniging voor MotorVliegclubs , a %elgian playing an important part in this growth. diversity. based organization representing most of the In ‘Popular Flying’ in 1970 the editor, Stuart McKay, said, ³There is little doubt that the Struts hold the key to the success of the )LUVW&RQWLQHQWDO6WUXW&RQWDFW)LOLS/DPEHUW¿OLS#ODPEHUWDLUFUDIWFRP membership boost of recent months. Those local Representatives who have organised regular Strut meetings should be congratulated on their efforts. New members have Àooded in from Looking ahead - the future of the Struts areas surrounding Strut locations. There must be a connection.

The roots of the future are embedded in the past As we move forward into the unknown of the We have seen the name of the Strut’s ‘Struts4U’ column in Light and grown from the sound beginnings of the future, working together to counter threats and Aviation change over the years from ‘Group News’, ‘Strut News’ to Popular Flying Association. The Struts developed at the same time embracing the challenges of ‘Strutting Around’ and in 1972 David Faulkner%ryant observed, from the inspiration of David Faulkner%ryant’s change and opportunity will ensure the cohesion ‘The Strut system will, I feel certain, prove to be a means of foresight and wisdom and shaped by the ever and continuity of the Association. achieving a movement with the strength and ability to play a changing inÀuences and circumstances over the Whilst change is an essential element for progress leading part in the affairs of %ritish light aviation.’ decades. The LAA’s role morphed from simply we must retain, preserve and integrate the best The really good news is that we are still seeing new Struts a members association to encompass advocacy, of our past and the present yet embrace new springing up across the country and the enthusiasm that goes into licencing and regulatory roles supporting both technologies and to grow the membership. People the various Strut publications is infectious! As we leap forward to its members and the wider aviation community. are the most valuable asset to any organisation future milestones of the LAA and Struts it is to be hoped that we It is therefore that all aspects of the association so we look forward to welcoming and mentoring will continue to support the raising of the pro¿le of the organisation are continually developed to accommodate the those new to aviation. It is also important to throughout the aviation world. changing needs of members as well as ful¿lling balance our demographic distribution, through Anne Hughes the requirements and expectation of interested inclusivity, especially toward younger people parties outside of the association. and nonÀiers alike. All of which have so much Notwithstanding the higher functions of the LAA, to offer. Let us then, each bring a new member the Struts are the core of the Association and are to the Association to ensure its continuity and to representative of the heart of grass roots aviation swell its recourses and to provide a healthy future in the . The membership and which will continue to deliver the privilege of Àight advocacy functions are symbiotically dependent and the joy of aviation. on each other and it is for this reason that the continuity, development and expansion of the David Millin (LAA Strut Coordinator Struts are so important. Acknowledgements Thank you to all the Struts who have researched and put together their histories over the last couple of years. Thank you to %rian Hope for allocating pages in the LAA’s Light Aviation magazine for Struts4U.