Group News

Aviron Group popuLAR FLvTNG takes this opportunity of thanking the Group for their Newsletters, from which the following information comes. We are delighted to see more Groups following the example set by the beautifully-presented Armstrong-Siddeley Group JVewsletter.

Membership of the Group is about 60, including more than 25 flying members. Mr. Cole, the C.F.I., is putting in more hours than he used to in a comparable period with the R.A.F. (He has, incidentally, recently become an Official Observer to the Royal Aero Club). The Group is now giving serious consideration to the problem, with which several others are faced, of keeping the trained pilots happy while the C.F.I. gets on with producing more p.p.L.s. They have an Auster available for those who have passed their tests, and are considering the possibility of forming off-shoot Groups around another aircraft, or building a Turbi.

Reient flrst solos include Nigel Wallis, Hermi Pearlman and Anthony Preston.

Among other items in the letters, it is most encouraging to see that the Group has arranged a series of winter lectures and is considering forming an aerobatic team; with this last object we are in the most whole-hearted agreementTiger Club, please note !

Fakenham Flying Group. P.F.A. ll7 Group

A short note to put you in the picture on our activities up here in 'British Siberia'.

We are now installed at Little Snoring Aerodrome after the very satisfactory outcome of negotiations with Air Ministry. By arrangement with U.S.A.F. we have the use of part of a hangar so our precious Tiger G-ANCS is now afforded some decent protection from the Norfolk gales.

One of our instructors obtained a full rating from G.A.P.A.N. so we are about to embark on some intensive flying training to back up our weekly lectures.

Membership (f,ull members) is now 40, Associate Members 20, and still we are pulling them in.

We pay f,25 each on joining and are operating at 32s. an hour.

So far we have logged 160 hours in 14 weeks and I expect this figure to increase rapiclly once we get our second aircraft back from its. C. of A. Considering that we have only been in operation little more than three months and that our membership has been a slow build ,p to our present strength I think thal we have been moderately successful and this winter we will consolidate at Little Snoring and perhaps next year will be in the running for the Masefield Trophy.

Experimental Flying Group, Croydon Airport

By the end of July we had flown a total of hours greater than that achieved during 1956. Both Maggies completed their l,000th hour of flying with the Group within a few days of each other during the month. To date, nine pupils have completed their first solo flights this year and four members have obtained their p.p.L.s. Two commercial licences have been obtained,. which include twin ratings and one other twin rating has been endorsed on a P.p.L. Only one R.Ae.C. certificate (third class) has been applied for so far but I hope to put at least four others in for this in a few weeks' time. Three or four members are interested in doing Assistant Instructor courses and I have now obtained permission from the Guild (GAPAN) to give these. Apart from the shadow of the intended closure of Croydon, the future looks reasonably rosy.

A.S. Flying CIub

On Monday, 16th September, the Annual General Meeting of the A.S. Flying Club was held in the Sphinx Social Club, Paradise Street. Twenty-five members were in attendance and the meeting got down quickly to the business in hand, with the retiring Chairman, Ron Christmas, giving his report. 19,

Reviewing the activities of the Club during the year, on the flying side, two members had qualified for their P.P.L. and eight others had isuccessfully carried out their first solo flight. The Tipsy G-AFSC was at the moment the Club's only aircraft and despite the period of engine trouble that had overtaken us during the summer; the aircraft continued to give yeoman service.

In January of this year the Club had held its Dinner and Dance at Chesford Grange, at which we had had great pleasure in presenting certificates of Life Membership to our two instructors, John and Harold, and to Norman Slater, C.F.I., of the A.W.A. Flying Group, and Bob Lavell, C.F.I., of the Coventy Aeroplane 'Club.

The biggest event in the Club's short history had been made in May last, with the payment of the last cheque to Basil Meads, Secretary of the Kemsley Flying Trust-when the Tipsy-lock, stock and prop-became the property of the A.S. Flying Club.

During the past eight months covered by the report, we have done a total flying trme of 263 hours 29 minutes, equivalent to 396 hours per annum. The total income from this source iepresented a flying charge of f,l 15s. 4d. per hour, showing that Associate Members' flights .on Vouchers and sundry non-chargeable test flights have been absorbed by our normal :surcharges.

During the past year the social activities of the club have expanded very rapidly far beyond the expectations of the committee. It is pleasing to report that most of the visitors to Baginton Airfield, whether by air or by road, now know of the hospitality which is afforded by the A.S. Flying Club.

Since the start of flying after the war Baginton has been used mainly-but not wholly-for week-end flying by the four clubs based there. The odd Rapide from various charter firms have dropped in and Don Everall has graced the scene with his Dakota during the summer season. But apart from the Dunlop and Alvis test hangars and planes, nothing in the 'Big Stuff' line was based at the airfield-and Dunlop have since departed.

Now with the arrival of Orion Airways Ltd., our airfield looks safe from the fate of a housing estate that once threatened its existence.

Orion are a charter flight company operating a Viking under the Chairmanship of Captain P. E. Palmer, and before coming to Baginton the Company operated from Blackbushe Airport. In addition to their atcrafl and more important to us as a Club, Orion brought their maintenance unit with them and all are now established in the hangar recently vacated by Dunlops.

So it was that when our 50-hr. engine check became due recently, the Committee decided to pass its custom over to the new firm. As a rebult we have great pleasure in being able to inform our members that we are more than satisfied with the service given to the Club. Not only did they service the engine but they also furnished a report on its general condition, giving details of the parts which they considered should be replaced at the next engine check. In addition their engineers located and repaired one of the oil leaks that has bedevilled the Tipsy for far too long. Before the start of the operation the engineers spent some time on familiarisation of the Mikron engine and before returning the aircraft to us, cleaned it down from tip to tail.

Small Advertisements

Members of the Popular Flying Association may have the use of this column for advertising articles wanted, exchange or disposal for ONE INSERTION trp to 24 words FREE. lf more than one insertion it must be paid cash ii advance at the rate of 4d. per word lmin. 12-w-o.rds). Boi No. ls. 6d. extra. Non-members chargeable at the rate o.f 6d. per word (min. 12 words). Box No. ls. 6el. extra. Cheques and Postol Orders should be crossed and sent to Fryers Advertising Service,lO Mitcham Lane, S.W.16.

WANTED

PoPULAR FLYING, Vol. 1, No. I (March, Cpl. Sinclair, 652 Lt. A/c Sqdn. B.F.P.O.

Light cabin type aircraft and Gipsy Major engine. McAullv, Hempton, Fakenham, Norfolk.

FOR SALE

Complete Turbi tail unit with fittings and inspection certificates. Write: Wiggins, 84a, Station Road, Sidcup, Kent. Aircraft l0 cwt. turnbuckles and flexible cable. Also limited number of sets of Druine Turbulent Wing Ribs and Turbulent Control Columns. Arthur W. J. G. Ord-Hume, The Airport, Bembridge. I.o.W.

A11 metal fittings Luton Minor including wr'ng.struts, joy stick, fuel tank, all unused. Two Aeronca J.A'P. 19 h.p. ensines little used. Tipsy under-carriage with spats, f40 the lot. Delivery from N. Ireland. Details, B. Crawford, P.O. Box 663, Nairobi, KenYa.

Popular Fllting, Octoberf Noventber, 1957

Basol 99 is harmless on fabric, paint & metal and so kind to the hands. A cleaner plane means a faster plane, so write or telephone

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