http://royalaeroclub.co.uk INDEX From our General Secretary: David Phipps 1 From Your Editor: Jude Wordsworth 3 RAeC News and Information 4 RAeC Awards and Medals 32 RAeC Trust 36 Bursaries & Scholarships 38 RAeC Member Profile: Alan Cassidy MBE 41 Air League 52 British Aerobatics Organisation 55 British Ballooning & Airship Club 59 British Gliding Association 65 British Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association 75 British Helicopter Club of Great Britain 83 British Microlight Aircraft Association 88 British Model Flying Association 94 British Parachuting Association 114 British Precision Pilots Association 126 Records Racing and Rally Association (3Rs) 129 Honorary Company of Air Pilots 134 Light Aircraft Association 144 Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) 153 RAF Museum 161 Consultations 169 GASCo 172 Vintage Aircraft Club 175 RAeC Member Vacancies 177 Youth Aviation Activities and Opportunities 179 2018 Awards Ceremony Ticket Application Form 182 Individual RAeC Membership Application Form 183 Dave Phipps – RAeC General Secretary Welcome to the winter edition of the new look RAeC Newsletter. You may have thought that Jude Wordsworth had produced a magnificent first edition at 124 pages, but be prepared to be amazed because this edition is truly epic at 185 pages. I’ve no idea how Jude does it, but I’m extremely grateful that she does. Well done Jude! By way of personal introduction, it has been my privilege to serve as RAeC General Secretary since the summer of 2009. My role for the RAeC is coupled with my full time position as CEO of the British Model Flying Association (BMFA) – which was the first Association to join the RAeC way back in 1922 and with around 36,000 members is the largest. In addition to the above, I also fulfill voluntary roles (like so many people within Air Sports do!) for Europe Air Sports (as Technical Officer for Unmanned Aircraft) and for the newly formed European Model Flying Union (as President). When I commenced work for the BMFA back in 2003, I never realised that it would provide opportunities to visit so many interesting places and meet so many interesting people. I consider myself very lucky! 1 Staying with the theme of interesting people, please make sure to read the profile of Alan Cassidy MBE which you can find on page 41. Also on the theme of interesting people, part of my role is to process the 50-60 nominations received each year and these provide a fascinating reminder of both the scale and breadth of activities which take place within the Associations under the RAeC umbrella. The RAeC Awards provide well deserved recognition not only for those involved in magnificent feats of aviation, but also for those who provide invaluable long term ground based support, administration or sponsorship. The RAeC Medals & Awards Committee met in January to decide on the Awards to be made for 2017 and full details can be found on page 32. This year, the difference in age between our youngest and oldest Award recipients is some seventy years. The Presentation Ceremony for the 2017 Awards will take place at the RAF Club, Piccadilly, London. The presenter is still to be confirmed, but for those wishing to attend a ticket application form is also included on page 182. With so much interesting content, I do hope that you enjoy this edition of the Newsletter. I don’t know how Jude can possibly top this one! Happy flying! David Phipps General Secretary The Royal Aero Club of Great Britain 2 [email protected] FROM YOUR EDITOR My thanks to Paul Tallet and Mark at Progression Marketing for setting the front cover of this Winter issue and to Nick Dunnington for permission to use his image from the 40th International Balloon Festival Chateau-d’Oex, Switzerland (27 January–4 February 2018) and to those who have contributed to this Newsletter. It is much appreciated as this is your Newsletter to blow your trumpets, share your news and light up the literary General Aviation skies whether you are Full, Associate or Individual RAeC Members I know it takes time to get responses my emails and telephones calls requesting information, competition results, future events, news and jpegs so where I have used information from your websites, and other sources, I have taken that this will be with your blessing, with photographs credited where known or possible. For future issues please email copy and jpegs (labelled please) to [email protected] and yes my new Royal Aero Club email address is up and running Or send written copy items by snail mail to me at 78 Bafford Approach, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL53 9JB. Wishing you all happy, safe aviating and blue skies, with fluffy little cumulous for you Glider pilots, in the year ahead. Judith Editor For further information on any items contained in this Newsletter, please contact the RAeC Office at 31 St Andrew’s Road, Leicester, LE2 8RE or on 0116 244 0182 or at [email protected] Publication Dates: Spring published mid-May (copy deadline20th April); Summer published mid-August (copy deadline 20th July); Autumn published mid-November (copy deadline 20th October); Winter published mid-February 2019 (copy deadline 20th January 2019). 3 http://royalaeroclub.co.uk The Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom (RAeC) is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls (one of the founders of Rolls-Royce) as the Aero Club of Great Britain. The Club was granted the title of “The Royal Aero Club" in 1910 and today is made up of full, associate and corporate member organisations as well as individual members. The Full Members are the national governing bodies of the major individual air sports in the UK and they each appoint a representative to the Governing Council; the Associate and Corporate Member Organisations and Individual Members provide valuable additional support. The original Club constitution declared that it was dedicated to 'the encouragement of aero auto-mobilism and ballooning as a sport’. Today the principal role is to co-ordinate, promote and protect all forms of recreational and competitive air sport in the UK and represent UK air sport internationally. The RAeC has a major role in setting technical standards, negotiating with international official bodies and, in consultation with our member organisations, appoint UK delegates to the various Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) Commissions. RAeC NEWS RAeC NEWSLETTER EDITOR’S EMAIL ADDRESS You can contact The RAeC Newsletter Editor via her new Royal Aero Club email address at: [email protected] FUTURE FRONT COVERS Have you got a dramatic or interesting RAeC member discipline related photo that could be used for the front cover of a future RAeC Newsletter? Please forward high resolution jpegs (minimum 1MB) for consideration to the RAeC Newsletter Editor: [email protected] RAeC MEMBER ORGANISATIONS PAID OR VOLUNTARY VACANCIES Do you have any paid or voluntary vacancies you want to make known, and fill? Send details to me at [email protected] for inclusion in future Newsletters. RAeC 2018 MEDALS AND AWARDS PRESENTATION CEREMONY Tickets for this year’s Medals and Awards Presentation Ceremony are being held at last year’s price £37. However, due to increased venue costs, we are unable to offer reductions for multiple tickets this year. Arrival from 17:00 hours with the Ceremony scheduled to commence at 18:00 hours. Please arrive by 17:30 hours. 4 Please note that we have to ask for home addresses of all those attending for security purposes. Also for security reasons please note that we are unable to offer refunds or accept bookings after Wednesday 9th May. Please print out and compete the Form at the end of this Newsletter and return with your cheque to: Royal Aero Club, Chacksfield House, 31 St Andrew’s Road, Leicester, LE2 8RE RAeC 2018 MEDALS AND AWARDS CEREMONY SPONSORSHIP Birmingham based Solicitors Howell & Co. have very kindly increased the level of their sponsorship to support the RAeC 2018 Medals and Awards Ceremony, as have Pooleys, which has been scheduled for Thursday 17th May at The RAF Club, 128 Piccadilly, London, W1J 7PY. RAeC INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP What are the benefits of taking out Individual RAeC Membership I hear you ask? Why should I join? How much does it? Only £18 for this year’s subscription, that’s about the price of a bottle of scotch or gin. Well not only can you provide valuable additional support with your expertise, your very reasonable membership subscription helps to keep the RAeC fighting to protect from the ever increasing pressures of legislation and restriction from local, national and international bureaucracy therefore protecting your right to pursue your hobby, as well as promoting air sport. RAeC MEMBERSHIP ALSO ENTITLES YOU TO: This quarterly Newsletter the use of the bar, dining areas and lounge of the Royal Aeronautical Society in central London (No.4 Hamilton Place, London, W1J 7BQ) submit nominations for RAeC trophies and awards attend the RAeC Annual Awards Ceremony at The RAF Club (128 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 7PY) To join please print off and complete the Membership Application Form on the penultimate page of this Newsletter and send it, with your subscription to: The Membership Secretary, Royal Aero Club, 31, St Andrew's Road, Leicester LE2 8RE or download from http://royalaeroclub.co.uk/media/Membership%20Renewal%202014(2).pdf complete and email to: [email protected] and forward your subscription by snail mail. You can also pay your subscription by Standing Order. Please telephone: 0116 2440182 or email [email protected] or visit our website at www.royalaeroclub.org 2018 ROYAL AERO CLUB TRUST BURSARIES 5 The Royal Aero Club Trust (RAeCT) is delighted to announce its bursary scheme for young people for the 2018 season.