NEWSLETTER

2008

 

CFI Newsletter January 2008

 

2007 was an excellent year of achievements for Lydd Aero Club, which look to be even better for 2008. Most notable was Daniel Pangbourne’s winning the Schneider Trophy. I was overjoyed when Malcolm popped his head around the corner of the briefing room and asked, “How big do you think the Schneider Trophy is?” and I realised he wasn’t pulling my leg. Daniel says a replica of the trophy should be available for display at the club about February. No less worthy was Nancy Steer’s achievement:  With under 100 hours P1 time, she was able to land solo at Michelstadt having been checked out by an instructor. I’m sure she made the challenging airfield look like a piece of cake.

 

In the spirit of Lydd Aero Club flights, David Sander, barely a new PPL, flew VFR airways into Templehoff, Berlin. Mike Atkins, who is based in Germany, wanted to visit airfields in France and try the Arrow, and had hoped to see about five in one day. The plan was thwarted somewhat when we instigated a security alert at Beauvais for going through the wrong door to pay a landing fee!

 

The matter was happily resolved after a bit of discussion and being escorted to various rooms, at which point Mike said to one of the gendarmerie “You want to get out more!” Priceless! After scooting across vast areas of France (only from the air can you see how huge it is), we landed at Deauville before having to hurry home to Lydd.

 

The fly outs for 2008 are proving as popular as ever, and are filling up. I can foresee additional fly outs being organised. For those of you in training or nearing the completion of your PPL these are a must. Furthermore, there are shares available in various aircraft including the Arrow, which make flying more accessible and affordable to a new PPL holder. The trip to Midden Zeeland has its own charm, with cycling all over Middleburg at night on granny bikes, and sleeping in tents under the wing of an aircraft.

 

The beginners fly out of 2007 offered some challenge thanks to the weather, calling on skills and command decisions for everyone involved, and although the weather didn’t play ball, it gave everyone the chance to extend their flying skills. I personally enjoyed the sortie to the Somme with Adrian, where we stooged around the Baie de Somme before returning to Le Touquet to join the others. Under a low canopy of cloud, the place looked as haunted and desolate as it must have in WWI.

 

The beginners fly out need not be just for “beginners”. And if you cannot get in on the arranged fly outs because they are all booked up, here’s a chance to organise your own and get other aviators interested. Look out for the current and future issues of Today’s Pilot, where Bill has written articles about some of the fly outs of 2007. As he is about to have a novel published, these will no doubt be worth an enjoyable read.

 

Lydd is known for its friendly atmosphere, and draws pilots from all over the country. Recently, someone wishing to revalidate his licence up north decided to get it all done here in the end, which I was delighted to learn.

 

You are probably all aware of the shortage of instructors thanks to the booming airline industry. However, we have our own PPLs well on their way to attaining their commercial licences, and look forward to when they are able to carry on instructing at Lydd. It is necessary to follow a strict time plan with any CPL/ATPL course, which is probably best achieved by following an excel spreadsheet. However, there is a case for applying the same discipline to PPL training.

 

Set yourself a goal: ask yourself, ‘When do I hope to get my PPL?’ and name a month. Set a date by which you wish to complete the exams, the Qualifying Cross Country, and every milestone toward your licence. Keep in mind a mental picture of what you want to achieve, and it will happen. That way, you may prevent your training drifting open ended into infinity, and keep the costs down.

 

Finally, you will have noticed the ‘radio shack’ has had a face lift and the back room has been cleaned out, thanks to the efforts of Ivan Hart, who donned his handyman’s overalls. Now, there will be more room for flight planning and private briefings. A big thank you also to Roy, who is always on hand to keep aircraft de-iced and windshields clean.

 

Hopefully, 2008 will be as rewarding and enjoyable a year for flying as was 2007, in spite the sporting weather of July, which inspired one plucky student to burst into song:

 

As you fly through the storm,

Hold your head up high,

And don’t be afraid of the flash ..

 

All while he was in an NDB hold, tackling some tasty updraughts.

 

Happy landings,

 

Elizabeth Barton CFI