The A.S. Flying Club TIPSY WEEK.END 1958

For the weekend of 27th and 2gthseptember, the Armstrong Siddeley Flying Club were hosts at Baginton to all the Tipsy owners in the country. Having carefully swotted through the register and pumped the p.F.A. for additional info-rma_ tion, all owners were eventually contacted and invited to come along for a Tipsy (or should we say 'tipsy') Weekend.

After weeks of frantic attempts at organisation during which time everyone showed tremendous enthusiasm for the event rather than the ar_ rangements which had to be made beforehand, about ten members were seen slumped helplessly over the clubhouse bar on Friday, 26th Sep_ tember. Unbelievably everything was now ready for the morrow.

The clubhouse looked lovely. This was a miracle in itself. Just four weeks previously it had been a rather filthy hut piled nign wittr flying suits, helmets, engine spares, the aircraft spats (discarded in dusgust a couple of years back) empty beer bottles, full beer bottles and dirty glasses. There had been a large brick wall down the middle in which had appeared an ominous crack. With the Committee wielding a Targe whiplash the members had really goi down to the job under the direction of our Instructor, John Hill, who, when not aviating, supports his starving children by throwing ; few bricks together and coping with Smells on Landings. The place really looks like home now. The clubroom has been enlarged and re_ decorated with WALLPAPER this time, and is adorned by an even Bigger and Better Bar.

In fact we even dare take our friends in for a drink now.

Saturday morning. And it wasn,t raining. There were scenes of activity at the aerodrom"e from early in the morning and, afaint cheer was raised when about l l a.m. Stan Clarke rolled uf with enough supplies for six months piled in the back of his car. How he managed to get it all in we don,t know but there was abou t f2O worth of spirits, enough food to do the buffet for 250 people that even ing, 2,A00 cigarettes, 26 dozen rolls and 16 dozen sausage rolls. Not to mention a 2-gallonjar of picklel onions and two girls for good measure.

About 12 o,clock the first visitor arrived. But it wasn't a Tipsy. The boys from the T.K. Group had brought up the newly constructed Turbi. A little later on the lads from the Cardiff Ultra-Light Aeroplane Club arrived_but th;; too were minus Tipsy which was apparently left clutching its_ bottom cowling in the t ungi at Rhoose with Horrid pains insiJe. Still we *.." delighted to see them and it is lovely to know that our friends even come by road to support us. Further proof of this was afforded later in the day when John Hill and Mac rolled ,p Uy .u. from Barton where their Tipsy Belfaii is also U.S. with undercarriage trouble.

After that everyone came with a rush. There were Mr. Harris Reed from Newcastle with a friend in the Tipsy (G-AFVR), Miss Lettice Curtiss in the Tipsy Junior (G_AMVp), from White Waltham, with Dave Gibbings in the Fairey Flying Club,s Tipsy (G_AISC), urd fimmf

Matthews in the Belfair (OO-TIC). A few minutes later the Rapide arrived from White Waltham, piloted by Avions Fairey Chief Test Pilot, Bernard Neefs, and bringing Maurice Tips and his wife. Although unfortunately at the last minute Monsieur E. O. Tips, creator of the Tipsy aircraft, was unable to come, both his sons, Maurice and Martin were with us for the weekend with their wives.

Then we saw a red Auster streaking round the circuit and to our great delight, out clambered Harold Best-Devereux, as newly appointed Chairman of the P.F.A. with none other than Ord-Hume as passenger.

As per programme buffet lunch was now provided in the clubhouse. This was about the only thing in the whole programme which went to time. The only hitch being that although there were stacks of food, we had inadvertently forgotten to provide crockery and we had our guests eating fruit salad out of beer glasses with plastic teaspoons. Points were awarded for the least number of spoonfuls taken in the consump- tion of half a pint of peach juice with handicaps for anyone who spilt it down his jacket.

The big question now was the official opening. No one seemed particularly bothered about this except the organisers but we did eventually get everyone jammed in the clubhouse for a short welcoming speech from Bev Adams, our Chairman, and the Declaration of Well and Truly Opened by Maurice Tips.

'Item l. Formation flypast and tour of Coventry by air in formation.' Well, you really can't imagine that it would have ever worked ! As it was, 5 Tipsys, I Turbi and I Auster took off in a heap and although they all managed to avoid collision it was certainly the most original formation flight ever witnessed. There was Bernard Neefs and Jimmy Matthews streaking off in tight formation across the airfleld in one direction while John Hill led away in our Tipsy with Mr. Reed hard on his heels-in the opposite direction. He was making the most beautiful gesticulations out of the cockpit, blissfully unaware of the lack of audience behind him !

Popular Flying, Novemberf December, l95g

Mr. Reed was above him and couldn,t see them anyway.

After this there was a forced landing com- petition and flourbag bombing. The flourbag bombing was a tremendous success and every_ one was rather carried away with enthusiasm for the thing. Two goes each really was being rather mean and after everyone, including thf judges, had been well and truly smoth-ered, the prize shot was made by Arthur Ord_Hume who scored a bullseye when he landed a bag directly on top of one foolhardy member lyin! on the target.

There was a beautiful demonstration of the Belfair by Bernard Neefs, and Harold Ashworth, our C.F.I., let off steam after months of continuous circuits and bumps with an amazing display of aerobatics. Even the Tips brotherl seemed surprised at what their aircraft could do.

After we managed to persuade everybody we had finished the flying programme and pulled the unwilling aircralt into the hangar there was tea and Ted Felce played eeni, meeni, mini, mo to decide who would take who to their various hotels.

There was a lull until 8 p.*.

When the dance started in the Coventry Aeroplane Clubhouse which had been generously lent to us for the occasion. prizes were presented during the evening, the pieces de Resistance being beautiful pewter tankards engraved:-

A MEMENTO OF A TIPSY WEEKEND: A.S. FLYING CLUB, BAGINToN: SEPTEMBER, 1958 which had been very generously presented by Monsieur E. O. Tips. They were really beautiful and were given to the captain of each Tipsy which arrived, and also to our friends from Cardiff and Barton who arrived by road because their Tipsys were unfortunately U.S. The prizes were presented by Harold Best-Devereux.

Sunday morning was somewhat marred by drizzle and thick heads but was highlighted by a beautiful colour fllm on the Nipper which was brought over by Monsieur Martin Tips. After sandwiches and drinks in the clubhouse our

Popular Flying, November I December, l95B visitors gradually departed for their home airfields.

It was a gorgeous weekend. We all at the A.S. Flying Club really enjoyed it and judging from all the marvellous letters we have received since, so did everyone else. It was one of those few occasions when a lot of people with a com_ mon interest can get together for a good old natter and ajolly good party thrown in. It has definitely been decided that this is the beginning of what will be an annual event and we look forward to welcoming even more Tipsy owners to Baginton in 1959. [t,s a wonderful tittle air_ craft with a personality all of its own and worth making a fuss of.

And Bernard Neefs and the Tips promised to bring the Nipper over next year.

Just before closing this little account there are one or two items which we shall remember particularly about this weekend.

There was the fact that, we don,t quite know how, but that Stan Clarke, who organised the prizes, somehow finished up with the bottle of Whisky.

There was Ivor Saturday night, seen with a lampshade dahlia.

Lewis from Cardiff, late sat a-top our piano crowned and solemnly munching a

We know the rate of climb of the Tipsy is not brilliant, but we thought it was rather mean of the Gliding Club to launch off a glider just as the formation team was taking off at the-begin_ ning of the display. Seeing the take_otr from sideways-on, there was a gasp of disbelief when one aircraft seemed to separate itself from the group and rocket into the blue at about 1,500 feet a minute. As the rest of the Tipsys staggered away we suddenly realised what had happened.

We got our revenge ! The Gliding Club grumble regularly about a small red Tipsy flying across their cable but they now report that their C.F.L has gone stark staring bonkers and thinks he's getting halucinations.

And, best of all, there was the sight of 5 little Tipsys lined up on the tarmac and lots and lots of very enthusiastic ultra-light aircraft pilots.

Ruru Suuy.

THE TIPSY (G-AFSC)

The Tipsy Trainer B is an ultra-light low-winged monoplane which was designed by Monsieur E. O. Tips of Avions Fairey in Belgium in 1938. It is a side-by-side two-seater, ideal for training purposes as it is very easy to fly and there is the great advantage of having the instructor sitting beside the pupil instead of three feet away in the front cockpit, as in a Tiger Moth.

One big advantage which the Tipsy has over other training aircraft commonly used by flying clubs is the wide undercarriage. It is independently sprung through the wings and stands up exceedingly well to the rigorous bouncing it gets at the hands of enthusiastic but inexperienced student pilots, and has proved itself time and time again as being far more efficient and easily maintained than the narrower undercarriages of Tiger Moths and Austers. The wider undercarriage also makes it much more manageable and less likely to overturn in strong winds and it is a frequent sight at Baginton to have the Tipsy flogging round the circuit while the other aircraft are grounded because of windy conditions.

The Tipsy is also, as many people do not appreciate, fully aerobatic. Aerobatics with a crew of two are rather limited through lack of power but we have seen some quite impressive performances by solo pilots-including on one occasion an inadvertent tail-slide.

The Tipsy is powered by a 4-cylinder Walter Mikron II engine which is of Czech manufacture. This is a 60 h.p. engine and the cruising revs. are 2,4A0 r.p.m. at 70 m.p.h. Maximum permissible speed is 130 m.p.h.and the aircralt stalls at just under 40 m.p.h.

Since the Tipsy G-AFSC has been with the Armstrong Siddeley Flying Club she has flown approximately 1,800 hours, which is a yearly average ofjust over 330 hrs. which is some going when you remember that in 1956 she was away for 6 weeks in midsummer on C. of A. apart from the ordinary delays of maintenance and bad weather. The engine has been changed five times. 30 pilots have gone solo in her and ten have gained their Private Pilots Licence on her.