The official magazine of the Aircraft Owner and Pilots Association www.aopa.co.uk V is for ersatile Adrian Daley extols the virtues of the Bonanza and explains why its ‘doctor killer’ reputation is very unfair V CAA EXCLUSIVE! HOW IS YOUR AME? WELSH WEEKEND Sophie-Louise O’Sullivan, the Should your AME also Charlotte Bailey takes head of the CAA GA & RPAS be your personal doctor? a flying visit to Llanbedr Unit answers your questions Dr Ian Perry thinks so! via the ‘Mach Loop’ MAGAZINE 08.2021 FREE TO MEMBERS WWW.AOPA.CO.UK 03 CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE REASONS TO EDITOR BE CHEERFUL Steve Bridgewater [email protected] AVING BEEN temporarily homeless since Christmas, AOPA UK has now completed on its new headquarters and we will soon be moving into ART EDITOR H Lakeside Pavillion in Kemsing, near Sevenoaks. Now the real work begins Dan Payne as we start the task of designing the interior to reflect AOPA’s working [email protected] requirements. The building has been through a number of occupiers since it was built and the internal layout has been modified to suit their needs over time. We SUB EDITOR need to make further alterations but AOPA is very fortunate to have Mick Elborn on Charlotte Bailey its board, who in his past career was involved with building services and facilities management for Royal Mail. Suffice to say, he knows a lot about buildings and the PROOFREADING legislation around workspaces, and he’ll be leading the refurbishment project. Gabrielle Chambers I had occasion to go to my local flying club recently to meet with AOPA colleagues and it was almost like the old days. Being a lovely day, there was a lot of CONTRIBUTORS flying happening including plenty of flight training. However, what was really special Charlotte Bailey, Malcolm Bird, was seeing my flying friends again after so long. I now feel inspired to apply for the George Capon, David Chambers, lapsed medical and get back to flying whilst the good weather lasts. George Done, John Walker On Friday August 6, AOPA will be attending the first major UK GA event since 2019. The Private Flyer Aviation Show is taking place at Leeds East Airport PUBLISHED BY (formerly RAF Church Fenton) so please save the date and book a slot. It’s great AOPA UK to have AOPA back on the road and present to meet our members in person; c/o 1 Jason Close, Orsett, Grays, furthermore, we will also be at the sister event at Wycombe Air Park on September Essex, RM16 3DY 17– 18. See this month’s news pages for more information and details of how to +44 (0)20 7834 5631 book your discounted tickets to both events. I encourage you to come along to meet the team and find out what we’re doing to support getting GA back to flying. ADVERTISING Finally, AOPA is also supporting the Young Aviators Day at Sywell Aerodrome & SUBSCRIPTIONS in Northamptonshire on Saturday September 11: we are encouraging members to AOPA UK attend and, if possible, fly some of the young people in attendance, many of whom c/o 1 Jason Close, Orsett, Grays, are members of the Scout movement. The event is dependent on the generosity and Essex, RM16 3DY goodwill of the pilots who give their time, aircraft and fuel for free, so if you can help out please visit: theplaneguy.com/ya2021 HEAD OF ADVERTISING Finally, I am happy to announce that the 55th Annual General Meeting of the David Impey British Light Aviation Centre Ltd, trading as the Aircraft Owners and Pilots +44 (0)7742 605338 Association of the UK, will be held on Thursday September 16, 2021 at 2.00 pm. The formal announcement and agenda of the AGM will be placed on PRINTING aopa.co.uk along with the full agenda. Ruddocks Subject to any Covid-19 restrictions, the meeting will be held at West 56 Great Northern Terrace, London Aero Club at White Waltham Airfield, Maidenhead, SL6 3NJ. Lincoln LN5 8HL Members are invited for a cold buffet lunch from 1.00pm and following the +44 (0)1522 529591 formal business of the meeting, there will be time for informal reports from www.ruddocks.co.uk the Chairman and CEO and for general discussion. It is expected that the meeting will finish by 3.30 pm. For planning purposes members who intend © British Light Aviation Centre Ltd to participate are requested to please let the AOPA office know in advance, AOPA is a member of the International either by telephone (020 7834 5631), email ([email protected]), or by post to 1 Council of Aircraft Owners and Jason Close, Orsett, Grays, RM16 3DY. Pilots Association. IAOPA Articles, photographs and news items from AOPA members and other readers are welcome. Please send to the Editor. Inclusion of material in AOPA Magazine cannot be guaranteed, however, and remains at the discretion of the Editor. Pauline Vahey Material for consideration for the October issue Chairman, AOPA UK should be received no later than September 2021. [email protected] August 2021 AOPA Aircraft Owner and Pilot 04 INSIDE THIS MONTH CONTENTS AUGUST 2021 06AOPA AFFAIRS Martin Robinson turns his 16NEWS The latest news from the GA world, attention towards the future of airspace, including the joint RAF/CAA trial of a new the government's decision to leave EGNOS, low-level VHF frequency and the 18-year-old bilateral agreements and much more. who has flown solo around the world. 08MAINTENANCE Ofcom’s requirements for 20WATTS NEW Everything you need to know aircraft and airfield operators to assess the about electric and hybrid-powered aviation, risk that electromagnetic fields from radio including a new distance record for electric transmitters could do harm to people. aircraft and even a hybrid airship. 10MEDICAL The Aviation Medical Examiner’s 22EXCLUSIVE CAA INTERVIEW Sophie-Louise job is to make sure that all pilots they look O’Sullivan, Head of the CAA’s General after are always safe to fly. However, some Aviation & Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems seem to be going too far. Unit speaks to the Editor. 12WINGS SCHEME A Personal Perspective. TRAVEL28 A Very Welsh Weekend. Charlotte Martin Jones offers an insight into what the Bailey and friends spend a memorable few AOPA WINGS scheme has done for him and days at Llanbedr, via the legendary Mach how it has inspired him to continue learning. Loop in a Nanchang CJ-6. 14MEMBERS WORKING GROUP Members 34JUST MY TYPE Seventy-five years after the Working Group Chairman, David Chambers, Beechcraft Bonanza first flew, the type elaborates on matters discussed at the remains in production and has a loyal most recent online meeting. following, including owner Adrian Daley. 15T&EC UPDATE Training & Education 43CLASSIFIEDS Products, services, aircraft, Committee member and AOPA Airprox engines and hangarage for sale or rent, plus board representative George Capon situations vacant and much more. provides some timely reminders. 28 AOPA Aircraft Owner and Pilot August 2021 05 EDITOR’S COMMENT AS I SIT in my office baking in a However, it’s not all doom and ‘heatwave’ which the BBC keeps gloom as the UK looks set to insisting is “hotter that Tenerife” return to showcasing our own GA (but will doubtless be over by the industry at events at Leeds East time you read these words), my and Wycombe Air Park in August thoughts can’t help but turn to and September respectively. foreign climes. You’ll find more details in the At this time of the year I am news pages of this issue but I normally preparing myself for my can’t help but wonder how many yearly ‘pilgrimage’ to the Aviation visitors we will see from US- Mecca that is EAA AirVenture based exhibitors, considering Oshkosh. Like so many aviators, that the UK ‘only’ requires ten the trip to Oshkosh is an days of quarantine on arrival and annual highlight. It provides the two negative tests. opportunity to see the latest I hope you enjoy this issue of developments in the aviation AOPA UK magazine: it has been world first-hand, to meet the great fun to pull together, with people behind them and (often) trips to airfields in Staffordshire to try them out for yourself. and North Wales. I am lucky to The Covid-19 pandemic saw the work with a phenomenally skilled event being cancelled in 2020 team of editorial and design staff for the first time in its more than and hopefully that mix shows 50-year history. However, the through in the following pages. team was adamant it would go Finally, we say a sad goodbye ahead in 2021 to provide the GA to John Pett this month. After industry with a shop window to almost 20 years on the AOPA promote and sell its latest wares board he is stepping down 16 to visitors from around the globe. and retiring at the AGM in Jack Pelton and his team have September. John has been made every effort to make the instrumental in administering event “Covid Secure” and with an the popular FI and CRI courses airline industry that is also trying and I’m sure all those who have to find its metaphorical feet attended one will wish John a again after the lockdown, I was happy retirement. determined to be there to show Until next time, Blue Skies. 10 my support. However, it appears that US immigration has other ideas. The British, it seems, are still considered an infection risk and a Presidential proclamation still bans visitors from the UK.