STRUTS4U

Having, hopefully, recovered from the seasonal excesses, it’s time to look forward to a year of aviation. Doubtless Struts are now planning a diary of flying events in anticipation of a good year for aviators. This month we are looking at another of the LAA’s affiliated clubs, the Vintage Aircraft Club.

The VAC is effectively the vintage wing of the LAA, and the beginnings of the club, 56 years ago, set the scene for a group of intrepid aviators who were intent on enjoying the eternal life of their machines. The group, involving Alan Chalkley, Rex Coates and Roy Mills, among others, had their humble beginnings at Hatch

End, from where the remains of their deliberations are to be found on faded foolscap, type-written pages.

However, it would appear little changes in our world and their ideas for attracting more members to the group and defining the aims of the club are the same as today!

In those early days of 1964, it was decided that ‘vintage’, when it came to aircraft, meant pre-WWII. In practical terms that meant aircraft that exceeded the age of 35 years and excluded

‘modern’ types such as Tiger

Moths! Now, with a lively club of nearly 350 members, we are regularly asked if a certain aircraft qualifies as suitable to grace our events. It’s not a question easily answered, but we would certainly say that any aircraft over the age of 50 is ‘getting on a bit’, so we would be happy to see it at our events!

The 1970s and 1980s often found the club at weekend gatherings at Finmere Aerodrome, Oxfordshire, and fond memories are often shared of those days of barnstorming, picnics and camping. When Finmere was no longer available, the club based many events at Turweston as well as flying days to members’ strips and bases.

We now live in a different world, and we are unable to be quite as free and easy with the regulations. However, we do organise regular fly-in events from Bodmin to

Breighton, and accompany many with ground events so that the social side of the club continues despite inclement weather, which can sometime prevent flying.

We have also been grateful to have LAA HQ accommodation for some of those days, including

Halloween Spooky Stories, ‘I learnt about Flying from

That’, Aviation Adventures, informal seminars, Aviation Art

Fun for Grown-ups, Pure Nostalgia and, at White

Waltham, an annual Aviation Poetry Evening in the depths of winter. Our Dinner and Awards Evening is enjoyed in the sumptuous surroundings of Shuttleworth House. Above de Havilland, Miles and Beagles at a VAC fly-in. The Club hosts and attends a number of events Below The 1913 Eastbourne Monoplane replica is an exciting new project to teach youngsters engineering skills

Struts 4U by Anne Hughes As a club, we receive many invitations throughout the year to bring our vintage aircraft to other venues. Opportunity for the young It is important to make certain that we offer young people an opportunity to make their way into the world of flying, and we are pleased to offer an annual scholarship, the Liz Inwood Taildragger Scholarship, to one young person under the age of 35 each year. Most recently the VAC has acquired a 1913 Eastbourne Monoplane, and Cornwall Aviation Heritage Trust’s Museum at Newquay has kindly agreed to host it for young people to try their hand at basic engineering skills, with particular reference to maintaining and rebuilding historic aircraft. With Pete White as project manager, we look forward to following this exciting project. The Vintage Aircraft Club has a wealth of talent among its members, a dedicated team steering the ‘ship’ and an enthusiasm for beautiful aircraft, from the delightful de Havilland Dragonfly to the humble Piper Cub, that we see at our fly-ins. Have a peep at our website and see for yourself! For details please visit: www.vintageaircraftclub.org.uk

Strut and Club events February and March

Andover Strut: Spitfire Club, Popham Airfield, SO21 3BD. 1930. Contact keith.picton@ntlworld.com 10 February – Touring accommodation and fuel, by Martin Ferid.

Bristol Strut: Room 4, BAWA Club, Filton, 1930. Contact chairman@bristolstrut.uk www. bristolstrut.uk 4 February – GASCo 3 March – TBA.

Cornwall Strut: The Clubhouse, Bodmin Airfield. Contact: Pete White pete@aeronca.co.uk 01752 406660 12 February – Pilot Maker. The Harvard Story by Martin Pengilly. 11 March – The last pilot to fly a Concorde by Les Brodie

Devon Strut: The Exeter Court Hotel, Kennford, Exeter, 1930. Contact: david.millin@sea-sea.com 13 February – AGM and Strut Awards with LAA Chairman Tim Hardy. 12 March – Harvards by Martin Pengelly.

East of Scotland Strut: Harrow Hotel, Dalkeith. 2000. Contact: inrgibson001@btinternet.com 0131 339 2351 3 February – Strut Meeting. 2 March – AGM.

East Midlands Strut: The Plough, Normanton on Soar, LE12 5HB. 1930 for 2000. Contact: tonyrazzell2@gmail.com Monday 10 Feb – Ballooning and Aerial Photography by Robin Macey. Monday 9 March – TBA.

Gloster Strut: The Victory Club, Cheltenham, GL50 5SY. 1930. Contact: harry.hopkins@talktalk.net 17 February – Building the Twister and flying it to Oshkosh by Andy McKee.

Highlands & Islands: Highland Aviation, Inverness Airport. Contact:b.w.spence@btinternet.com 01381 620535

Kent Strut: Cobtree Manor Golf Club, Maidstone, Kent. 2000. Contact: gary.james.smith@btinternet.com 27 February – Frontier Engagement Team with Rachael Marshal.

LiNSY Trent Valley Strut: Trent Valley Gliding Club, Contact: Kirton Lindsey. pilotbarry1951@gmail.com http://linsystrut.wixsite.com/website North East Strut: Fishburn Airfield. Contact: alannixon297@btinternet.com Brunch third Sunday of each month. 1130-1330 at Fishburn Aviator Cafe.

North Western Strut: Veterans Lounge, Barton, Manchester, 1930 for 2000. Contact: cliffmort@btinternet.com 07813 497427 11 February – AGM and video. 10 March – Practical electronics.

North Wales Strut: Caernarfon Airport, Dinas Dinlle. HEMS Bistro Café 1300. 2nd February – War in the Air 1935-1940 PPR on 01407 720581; 1 March – TBA.

Contact: Gareth Roberts gtrwales@gmail.com 07876 483414

Oxford Group: The Duke of Marlborough, Woodleys, Woodstock, Oxford, 2000. Contact: LAAOxford@gmail.comwww.oxfordlaa.co.uk 12 February – The Scottish Air Ambulance by Andrew Sayers. 11 March – Designing your own aircraft by Barry Plumb.

Redhill Strut: The Dog and Duck, Outwood, Surrey, RH1 5QU. Third Tuesday of each month at 1930. Contact: david@milstead.me.uk

Shobdon Strut: Shobdon Airfield, 1930. Contact: Keith Taylor bushebiggles@sky.com 13 February – The People’s Mosquito by David Smith. 12 March – TBC.

Southern Strut: The Swiss Cottage, Shoreham-by-Sea, 2000. Normal meetings are on the first Wed of the month. Contact palmersfarm@sky.com

Strathtay Strut: Scottish Aero Club, Perth Airport, Scone. Scone Clubhouse. Contact: keith.boardman@peopleserve.co.uk 07785 244146 Suffolk Coastal Strut: Crowfield Airfield Clubhouse 1930. Contact: Martyn Steggallsevents@suffolkcoastalstrut.orguk 07790 925142 26 February: Annual Strut meal and social evening. 1900 at Highwayman Inn. 18 March – The Restoration of the Beagle Pup Prototype G-AVDF by Anne Hughes.

Sywell Strut: Aviator Hotel, Sywell Aerodrome 2000. Contact: TBA Third Wednesday of every month.

Vale of York Strut: Contact: Chris Holliday 07860 787801cwaholliday@gmail.com 27 February Rufforth East Café. 1900 – Chocks Away, Flight Preparation; 26 March Real Aeroplane Club Breighton. 1900. Planning a Flight to Europe (in anticipation of a group trip to France in April).

Wessex Strut: Henstridge. 1900 (Food) 2000 meeting. Contact: neil.wilson@laa.uk.com 17 February – Talk by Eric Verdon-Roe; 16 March – Strut Night.

West Midlands Strut: Navigator Café, Halfpenny Green Aerodrome 1930. Contact: Graham Wiley westmidlandslaastrut@ googlegroups.com Stuart Darby stuartdarby134 @hotmail.com or visit wmstrut.co.uk 19 February – Tilstock SkyDiving Centre. Introduction to operations.

West of Scotland Strut: Bowfield Country Club, Howwood, PA9 1DZ. 1900. Contact: nkg@barnbeth.demon.co.uk 1505 612493

Youth & Education Support (YES) Contact: Stewart Luck captainluck@hotmail.com Sat 7 March – 13th Annual Education Conference 1000-1630 Brooklands Museum, Brooklands Road, Weybridge, KT13 0SL. Registration details on www.yesflyers.org.uk Sat 4 April – 3rd Annual Education Conference 1000 to 1630. Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, Shifnal, Shropshire TF11 8UP. Registration details on www.yesflyers.org.uk

Note: Some struts make a small charge towards costs for members but all are welcome to attend the gatherings. Check with the strut contacts above if you have any queries. Let me know of any calendar or contact details changes for your group asap (struts@laa.uk. com). Thanks to Strut co-ordinators and newsletter editors for the flow of info. ■