JULY 2017 Issue 4 the Newsletter of the UK Section of IFFR
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JULY 2017 Issue 4 The Newsletter of the UK Section of IFFR The Rotating Beacon The main ingredients of a breath taking fly-in Enjoy our reports inside from around UK, Europe and USA Help us make you’re membership to IFFR awesome. There still are some fly-ins to attend, What about helping us to make your flying a brilliant experience? Take our survey on page 21. You provide the transport, we provide the refreshments and the sights! In this Issue Letter from the Chairman New members survey Turweston Trip 30 second up date International Fly-In’s Diary of events Flyer of the year Award 2016 My favourite city Contents Letter from the chairman 3 Flyer of the year 20 Turweston trip 5 Iffr clothing 21 Ist international fly in of 2017 8 Member questionnaire 21 Oostende 10 Continental co-ordination 22 Membership information 14 IFFR Atlanta flyout 24 Membership application form 15 30 Second up date 26 My favourite city 16 Diary of events 27 Chester report 18 Contact details 28 “A letter from the David centre, with our top table guests at the Christmas Chairmanlunch ” This is my first letter as Chairman and Turweston, my first as Chairman, was what a time I have had so far. I want very well represented and a great to begin by saying thank you to all opportunity for me to meet members the members of the current committee & guests. (See report). The visit to for their support and encouragement Conington was on a beautiful day and they have given to me and also for it was very nice to see three planes from the work that many of them are doing the Isle of Wight. Angus kindly offered to complete this year’s programme. to route via Skegness to pick me up We have had two video conference as G-GCAT was unavailable that day. meetings facilitated by Ian Kerr First time for me in a Robin with the which has I think helped with the communication process, particularly excellent visibility and to use a stick after for me as I like to see who I am in so long ( my first plane was a Rallye). conversation with! This visit gave me the opportunity to present the IFFR “Flyer of the Year” This calendar year we have had mixed award to Tony Flinn which was much Regards to the February edition of the RB I would like to attribute copyright of the flying weather, but have managed deserved (See report). Christmas lunch pictures: Front Cover, page 4,5 7 lower and 9 - Rodney Spokes, two fly-ins, namely Turweston and remaining Christmas lunch photos - Tony Erskine. Peterborough Conington. The visit to IFFR member Rodney Spokes joined me in G-GCAT for the trip to Germany for Please take our fly-in survey on page 21 www.iffr.org.uk 3 2 The Rotating Beacon JULY 2017 the German/Austrian section meeting those attending Chester. I am delighted Photo Rodney Spokes at Schwabisch Hall. A good turnout that our world President Svend and his from the UK section with excellent wife will be with us and at the time of fellowship despite a few comments writing along with 40 attendees. We are about Brexit(!) which was to be going to have a great time. I also hope expected. It was nice to meet up with that many of you will attend the AGM the UK flyers mid-way for an overnight on the Sunday morning. I will ensure we stay. The weather closed in for the have a tight agenda and look forward return trip and fortunately there was a to contributions from our membership. small window for some of us flying VFR I want us to have some further UK fly to eventually depart and return to UK ins from August onwards, and would (see report of visit). welcome offers to organise them. I am I also flew to the Benelux meeting hopeful we can have the Caernarfon in Ostend at the end of May taking visit along with at least a couple of a friend with me who has since said others. I am pleased that we will be he would like to become a friend of represented at most of the forthcoming IFFR. We had excellent fellowship, a section visits abroad, Jashu and I will wonderful turnout from UK and the be at Lausanne, and I am intending to weather was excellent. (See report). fly to Aix en Provence. At the end of the year we will once again be having For future trips abroad, Angus has our Christmas luncheon at the Royal Air agreed to act as co-ordinator of Force Club in London, a very special information to UK flyers. This will enable event. Information to follow. us to know who is planning to go, is there a spare seat, to look at routes, I am looking forward to meeting as Turweston trip to be able to consider a stopover many of you as is possible during my destination when required. Therefore term of office over the next two years we need to inform Angus if we are going to attend an IFFR meeting The first fly-in of 2017 was well attended, abroad. Many thanks to Angus. “ Chris O’Connell reports on the event read on.. ” Early on I also asked Angus to resurrect the UK IFFR clothing facility which he has A total of 21 Rotarians and friends of restoration or repair. kindly done. attended the March meeting of IFFR. The A nearly completed Hurricane was Well our next big event is Chester 14/16 weather was bright in the South although pride of exhibits. Plain to see was the July to which Jashu & I are looking with a Southerly airflow, Turweston had a fuel tank just forward of the windscreen; tricky crosswind with the grass runway forward to being at and hopefully perhaps the only design fault of the out of action. flying in to Hawarden. Many many fighter which won the Battle of Britain. thanks to Martin for picking up on the Some 8 aircraft attended with the furthest Peter Jude was welcomed as the new organising of this event and to Ian who prize going to Past World President BEST WISHES AND SAFE FLYING Chairman and all crews returned safely. unfortunately is unable to attend, but James Alexander from Cark who left in has helped me in matters concerning Peter Jude challenging conditions. 3 crews attended Chris O’Connell by car. The new tower boasted an MANY THANKS CHRIS FOR YOUR REPORT impressive panoramic restaurant. After Tony. lunch, we were treated to a hangar tour seeing old and new aircraft in the process Please take our fly-in survey on page 21 www.iffr.org.uk 4 The Rotating Beacon JULY 2017 5 Ron Wright Carrying out an ‘A’ Check. Lunch time with James Alexander Photo by Rodney Spokes explaining how a JCB works. Group tour of the new Turweston ATC New Control Tower. tower. Photo by Rodney Spokes. Photo by Chris O’Connell Please take our fly-in survey on page 21 www.iffr.org.uk 7 6 The Rotating Beacon JULY 2017 Enjoying the sunshine Left Rodney started some two or so weeks before a hill top town about 25 miles away. Spokes Peter Jude and James Alexander. when a barrage of emails went around Langenberg Castle is home to the Photo Angus Clark. - where do we do customs? are we German Royal family, who are of having a ‘halfway’ stop-over? and course relations of our own Royal family where is the best value hotel, closest to who last visited in 1965. There were the airport!! many interesting photos of the visit. So it’s Sedan Douzy LFSJ, two hours out Most interesting to the ladies was a from Blighty and about an hour from our portrait of a family member who had had IFFR weekend destination. After the usual 24 children, and lived until she was 86! afternoon drinks, followed by dinner and We had lunch at Unterregensbach, more drinks we say ‘that’s enough’. another historic village, where we Friday tasted the local “champagne” made Not wonderful weather initially, with from pears. low cloud which was no good for Sunday the VFR pilots. .We arrived at EDTY In the morning, we enjoyed a beautiful Schwabisch Hall about 12.00 and were walk through the park along the river, swiftly transferred to our hotel, situated up the hill to visit the Groscomburg in the centre of this most beautiful monastery. It was built in the 1700s and Black Forest Town about 50K north of has a baroque cathedral at the top. Stuttgart. Champagne was flowing as There were wonderful views over the we arrived, as we greeted friends old town. We were all ready for an ice- and new in the hotel lounge. cream once we came down the hill. Team Leader Peter Jude and 10 other We had a guided tour of the impressive hardy Brits were welcomed by about Wurth art gallery in the early evening. 40 German/ Austrian Section Members, The exhibition was called Water Clouds plus WP Svend and Carina Anderssen. and Wind. After lunch, the ‘English’ speakers The day ended with a formal dinner in gathered on the left and the locals the hotel, with the usual sales spiels by on the right for a two-hour guided each country for their fly-ins. Peter Jude Ist International fly in walking tour through this most made his ‘maiden speech’; we all spectacular hilltop town.