withthe

continuedbuthadmadeprogress.Duringthe evening Dennis Kirkham, winner of the spot landing contest, was presented with the Bill Higgins Memorial TroPhY'

One of the most pleasing points about this gathering to my mind was the close friendship Letween the groups in this area'} which was emphasized by the fact that both the North Xorfott and The Waveny Flying groups attended the dinner and received a good deal of leg pulling into the bargain'

Birmingham Airport group are now operational again *ittt a rebuilt Tiger Moth' while the Moritgomeryshire Ultra Light Flying Club are run.ring a dance and raffi'es to raise funds so they may become airborne once again'

The Winter months are now behind us' and with the better weather the fine weather pilots are beginning to return to the airflelds and ;;;.pt: to 1ne stalwarts, the spring weather Iir., a chance to spread their wings and leave the circuit.

In the case of 181 Proctor Group of Baginton' s.cretary Geoffrey Grimmett went to Ethiopia early in the New Year to look at some aeropiun.t. Geoffrey says that all went fairly well to pir" "ra is sending us the story of the flight at a later date.

While th.e winter months may frustrate the enthusiast, it is the high spot for dinners and social events. One such event' to which I had the privilege to be invited' was the McAully Group's Annual Dinner and Dance at Colne House, Cromer'

The Dinner, besides being well attended by group members, was first class' and was rounded Im o-V the best after dinner speech I have heard for aiong time-from the group's chairmanTony Sutherland. The toast to the Guests was propot.O by Bill Bryan, and the toast to the group tV the writer. Dancing continued until the "urty hours. It was good to see a group which despite some serious set backs had not only

Nearer home the Mill Hill Group have now got a Gemmini and twin conversions are well in hand.

Our best wishes go to Ron Flockhart (Lotus Flying Group) and his wife for their future happilrers in itre years to come' Should any of o*^*.*bers be in doubt, Ron's Mustang for the record Australia-England attempt is not on the Lotus group strength as an ultra light !

North of the border Dr' Frank Roche of the Rutherglen Flying Group and our representative for Scotland, has been spreading the gospel of our brand of flying and is busy helping some enthusiasts at Prestwick to form a group and get started on building an ultra light two seater' From his latest letter, it would appear lhat interest in aviation in Scotland is on the up and up.

Mr. Blyth of the Yorkshire Territoriat Flying Group, and our representative for that area'j te1ls me that despite the winter weather his group utilisation is still increasing and they will have to have another machine to help out their present TaYlorcraft.

Bill Woodhams of the Armstrong Whitworth Flying Group and our Coventry Engineering ln actual fact, once we receive payment from the Ministry, the groups receive their rebate within a week to l0 days. If anyone still has any doubts, I should be delighted.to give him any assistance to help to speed up the process. While on the subject of rebate, I would like to emphasize the fact that the amount deducted by the Association has been reduced to l+% for rebate claimed in excess of f 100 in each six month period, although the amount for the f,rst f 100 still remains at 2t%. The P.F.A. makes a point of not deducting more from the rebate as a group improves its utilisation. To the impatient groups I would say that any money saved is worth waiting a little longer for; the answer lies with all the groups and it is up to you to see that your application forms are returned promptly and correctly.

Office at Baginton, has managed to find time from getting the Turbi ready for this summer to help a new group over the first hurdles to getting started, and we look forward to its affiliation to the Association.

By now most groups will have received their petrol rebate, and judging by the letters that I received from some groups this was not a minute too soon.

I would like to point out that this delay is caused not by the inefficiencies of the Association or the Ministry of Aviation, but by the group secretaries who fail to fiIl in their group's application forms promptly or correctly. Forms are sent to the Ministry in batches and if a form has to be returned to a group delay becomes inevitable.

ROY MILLS.

HE tg6l Fakenham Air Rally at Little

Snoring Airfleld, Fakenham, and organised by the McAullY FlYing GrouP was undoubtedly a considerable success' ln all 53 aircraft attended the two-day event' Apart from the ever-present Austers, Messengers and Tigers' aircraft on show included the group Chairman's Tipsy Bellfair, a Rollason Turbulent, an Oxford Piper Colt, an Air Coup6, a Globe Swift from York, the Czech Aero 145, a Cessna