Straight and Level

Staying true to our core values

Eryl Smith Chairman

Last month I wrote about being a broad church, with some 8,000 members, 2,800 aircraft in permit, a further 1,600 under construction or rebuild and refurbishment covering some 500-plus types in total.

As an Association, which celebrated its 75th anniversary last year, we have at our core the values of safe, fun and affordable flying – but given the size and range of our fleet is it time to revisit what our values mean, particularly affordability?

For many, being a member of the LAA is synonymous with low cost of entry and low cost of operation which brings ownership of an aircraft and enjoyment of flying within reach of almost anyone. The ability to build an aircraft and maintain it significantly reduces costs and anyone who has previously owned an aircraft on a CofA or has a foot in both camps knows only too well the cost differential in maintenance and annuals! But as amateur-built aircraft have become more sophisticated and complex, and avionics fits ever more expensive, the notion of affordable meaning low cost or cheap needs re-examining.

As someone recently pointed out, while the membership fee has not changed materially in real terms since the inception of the Association, levels of individual disposable income have – and can

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– vary widely. It’s not surprising therefore that an individual’s perception of what is affordable will vary. If our traditional view has been that affordability is synonymous with low cost then this, as demonstrated by the breadth of the LAA fleet, is no longer the case.

Of course, it’s important that we can continue to make access to ownership and operation of an aircraft as low cost as possible, after all we have made a virtue of being able to own an aircraft for under £20k! At the same time many members have chosen aircraft considerably more expensive than that because of the capability they offer and the ability to operate and maintain it much more cost effectively than an equivalent CofA aircraft.

For those with deep pockets the market has much to offer. Perhaps more challenging is where the future new low cost of entry types will come from. Even the latest 600kg types enter the market considerably above the £20k budget.

Much was made of the SSDR initiative to stimulate simple aircraft design, but to date there is limited evidence that this has opened up the market at the ‘lighter’ end of the LAA fleet. So, while a bit heavier than SSDR, it is of interest to read Mike Robert’s article on designing a simple single-seat aircraft (p28).

One of the virtues of our Association has been to demonstrate that almost anyone can own, maintain and operate an aircraft. Safety will always be paramount and the moment the fun stops in what we do we risk losing interest in continuing to fly.

Perhaps it’s time to reassess what we mean by ‘affordable’ and acknowledge that within our broad church of membership we all seek the most cost effective means of enjoying our passion to fly regardless of the aircraft we own and fly. ■

Winners all

Steve Slater CEO

I’m particularly proud of two items in News this month. The first is the announcement of the five young aviators who will each receive £1,500 from the LAA Armstrong-Isaacs Bursaries fund. Big congratulations to Rares Turku, Samuel Allison, Matt Finch, Anna Morgan and Nathaniel McMurray, we’ll look forward to seeing their stories in future editions, as their PPL training progresses.

Some of us forget just how difficult those latter stages of PPL training can be, particularly if you are self-funding. That’s when so many students have to give up, a classic case of ‘so near yet so far’. Funded by legacies from former Association luminaries David Armstrong and John Isaacs, these bursaries are an important part of the Light Aircraft Association’s support for young pilots.

Meanwhile, I’m delighted that so many LAA members’ nominees were acknowledged in the annual Royal Aero Club awards. They ranged from Travis Ludlow, for his round-the-world flight at the age of 18 (the youngest ever solo) and for his subsequent outreach activities, including LAA Strut and young peoples’ presentations, to 100 year-old Ted Barrett from Essex was awarded the ‘Old and Bold’ Trophy. Ted has had a PPL since 1955 and passed his microlight GST at the age of 93. He still drives, and frequently flies from Hunsdon and Andrewsfield airfields in Essex.

Kudos too, to LAA Devon Strut members Amy Whitewick and Mervyn White, winners of the Norton Griffiths Challenge Trophy for an incredible piece of aviation art; a portrait of early aviator John Stringfellow drawn using GPS traces from their aircraft. It is believed to be the first-ever portrait drawn by aircraft and the most complex GPS image ever drawn by air.

Closer to home, a prestigious RAeC Diploma for Francis Donaldson recognises his 30 years of engineering service to light aviation and the LAA, and RAeC Bronze Medals recognising meritorious achievements were awarded to Tony Palmer, for his long-standing work with the LAA Southern Strut, as an LAA Inspector and aircraft restorer, for his hosting fly-ins at his Palmers Farm air strip and his support for Bristell kit builders and owners across the UK. David Cyster gains his medal for 50+ years of inspirational Tiger Moth adventures, including flying from London to Sydney in the 1970s, pre-GPS days. Another intrepid Tiger Moth pilot, Cathy Silk was recognised for her fund-raising activities for the Vintage Aircraft Club, while aircraft restorer Cliff Lovell was rewarded for a lifetime contribution to the vintage aeroplane scene, which has exceeded all others in this country. Arguably, he invented our restoration movement!

RAeC Certificates of Merit were awarded to Courtney and Mark Chambers, for creating a New Farm airstrip in Northants, Gloster Strut members Mike Waldron and Fiona Macaskill, and the LAA Rally Radio Team, who safely supported over 1,500 aircraft movements at the 2021 event. To Paul Fraser-Bennison, Chris Thompson, Jim McMillan, Chris Waldron, Bob and Madge Howarth, Chris Sellen, Peter Grant, Matt Wilkins, Callum Hall and Graham Newby – congratulations all! ■