Masefield

Trophy 1956 Contest

The time is once again approaching when the 'chairborne types' from headquarters will be making their annual pilgrimage to the Groups competing for the 1956 award for the Masefield Trophy.

This time no less than 10 Groups are eligible for competition; these are - strictly in alpha_ betical order - The A.S. Flying Club, Cambridge Private Flying Group, Cardiff Ultra Light Aero_ plane Club, Croydon Flying CIub, Experimental Flying Group, Forty-Seven Squadron Flying Club, Montgomeryshire Ultra Light Flying Club, Shropshire Flying Group, Southport Aero Club, Warwickshire Aero Club.

The 1955 joint holders are Cambridge private Flying Group and Forty-Seven Squadron Flying Club, who will no doubt be defending their title for 1956. For the benefit of all our new Groups affiliated during the past year, the regulations governing the award of the Masefleld Trophy are printed below. Groups will see that in order to qualify they must have been operational for the whole of the year for which the competition is judged, thus any Group affiiiating and becoming operational prior to 3tst December, 1955, is eligible to enter the 1956 contest.

Members will note that all Groups listed above are training Groups and whilst the regulations do not speciflcally bar a non-training Group from entering, the markings are so arranged that unless a Group can score points in respect of pupils trained, it does not have much chance of success. This is no anomaly but was in fact a deliberate arrangement made to encourage and stimulate the formation of training Groups in the early days of the Association,s life, and your Commit_ tee still consider that this emphasis should be retained.

We now have, thanks to the generosity of Major W. A. Weaver, Managing Director oi tt . Coventry Victor Motor Co. which produces the 'Flying Neptune' engine, the offer of the Weaver Cup for the best amateur constructed aircraft, also to be cornpeted for annually. What is wanted therefore is a third Trophy for annual competi_ tion among the co-ownership Groups, which are purely Private pilot Groups and do not under_ take flying training.

To revert to the Masefleld Trophy; as we stated above, we hope to make our annual pilgrimages very shortly, but the present curse of petiol rationing may make it necessary to combine our visits to try and cover two Groups in any one weekend. We are even faced with the appalling thought that we might even have to visit the Groups by air ! That is if we can twist the arm of one of the several 'prospects, we have lined up for the job (Chairman of Airworthiness sub_commit_ tee you have been warned ! Ed.).

However we come we shall do our very best to visit as many of the competing Groups as possible, even if the 'first round, is conducted on paper and as a result the half dozen most likely Groups are selected for a visit. So to the competitors, please complete the form which has been sent to you under separate cover and return it to P.F.A. if you have not already done so. We can then get cracking.

The Masefield Trophy Regulations

1. The Masefield Trophy is to be awarded annually to the Popular Flying Association affiliated Group which has shown the highest standard of efficiency in all flying and allied activities.

The Trophy will be awarded by the President of the Association on recommendation of the Executive Committee of the Association. This recommendation will be based on confidential reports by judges appointed by the Executive Committee, together with the Committee's own knowledge of the Group's abilities and achievements.

The decision of the President and the Executive Committee shall be final.

2. In considering the records of the competing Groups, the guiding principles and marks awarded, will be as follows:-

(i) Safety in operation. I Two-thirds Total

(ii) Maintenance efficiency. / Marks.

(iii) General Group efficiency. I One_third Total

(iv) Other forms of enterprise.,.[ Marks.

3. The following general rules were submitted for consideration of the General Council and were approved:

(i) Competing Groups must have been affiliated to the P.F.A. prior to, or from, the commencement of the Operational Year.

(ii) The 'Operational Year' for the purpose of awarding the Masefield Trophy shall commence on the lst January.

(iii) Any competing Group must be operating at least one aircraft-preferably an ultra light aircraft, but consideration will be given to the fact that some affiliated Groups operate light aircraft.

(iv) A total of 50 hours flying time in the.Operational Year' shall be deemed necessary for qualification.

4. In assessing the relative merits of competing Groups, the following points will be taken into consideration:-

(a) rrvmc EFFTcTENCv

(i) Number of aircraft operated.

(ii) Number of hours flown per aircraft p.a.

(iii) Training efficiency based on number of licences, and number of first Solos, etc., achieved by the Group.

(iv) General efficiency in respect of:-

(a) Condition of flying records, regulations and procedure.

(b) Standard of flying discipline.

(6) ulnrrNrNcr

(i) General condition of aircraft.

(ii) General condition of maintenance records, regulations and procedure, etc.

(iii) General condition of workshop, hangar and equipment.

(c) crNnnar

(i) Condition of Club records, rules and regulations.

(ii) Condition of Club premises.

(iii) Enterprise, recruitment, publicity and fund raising. Support of the Association's functions (Rallies, Meetings).

(iv) General financial state of the Group.

Turbi Plans

The existing French Turbi sheet 2 is now replaced by Plan No. P.F.A. 53-03 and 53-04. These sheets are drawn to a much larger scale (approximately one-fifth) and have been complgtgly re-annotated in English. They show, in addition, considerably more detail than ihe French plans.

Further sheets of plans for the Turbi are in course of preparation, and these will be announced in popurln FLyTNG when available.