HERE - Royal Aero Club

THE ROYAL AERO CLUB
OF
THE
UNITED
KINGDOM
The Coordinating Body of British Airsport Organisations
Patron:Her MajestyThe Queen
President:HisRoyalHighnessTheDukeofYork,KG,
NEWSLETTER
Winter 2014
LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN
Aviators are, the world over, by definition and
tradition, an optimistic bunch. The particularly
unpredictable nature of our weather also means that
UK aviators have an unparalleled capacity to be
both optimistic and philosophical at the same time.
Both qualities were rewarded in 2014. The weather
generally played ball; and, at long last, our efforts
to push back against unhelpful European regulation
received significant support from a new quarter.
The general aviation component of the
Government’s Red Tape Challenge (RTC) was
(re)launched in 2013. It began to influence, if not
deliver, some significant outputs in 2014 - the
formation of the CAA’s General Aviation Unit
being one such example. One of the reasons why
the RTC made significant progress was that it was
led from the front and throughout by two senior
government ministers – Grant Shapps and Robert
Goodwill.
Grant Shapps has continued to push the case for the
much lighter regulation of general aviation. His
involvement has provided a source of constant,
helpful pressure on both the CAA and EASA, and
he has not been averse to making some truly radical
proposals directly to EASA.
Such government support has been very helpful in
lending weight to the work that the Club, its
members, the GA Alliance, and our European
counterparts have been engaged in for so long. As
the year progressed, EASA began to signal subtle
changes in its own thinking about the nature and
pace of GA regulation. A major EASA conference
was held in Rome in the autumn. It was well
attended by GA representatives from across
Europe. Many of the most significant issues were
discussed in open forum. EASA was left in no
doubt of the scale of negative effect many of its
measures were having on GA, and the strength of
feeling that things needed to change.
One key point of discussion was the planned
requirements for Approved Training Organisations
(ATOs) – a measure seen as excessively
burdensome, indeed totally unnecessary, by many
air sport communities. As 2014 came to a close,
news came of the decision to defer the
implementation deadline for a number of EASA
regulations – including those pertaining to ATOs
and certain aspects of flight crew licensing – for a
period of three years. We will now work hard to
ensure that we use that time to redefine significantly
what regulation comes our way – and not just await
the arrival of things that would otherwise be
inevitable. We will also do what we can to ensure
that we maintain a high level of political support for
our activities given that 2015 is a general election
year – something that often reorders MP and
Ministerial priorities.
A little further from home than Cologne, I attended
the FAI Annual Conference in Thailand in October.
Members will recall that the Club has been
concerned about some of the directions in which the
FAI had been directing its activities in recent times,
and the usefulness of the connections that could be
made between them and the development of our air
sports at the more ‘grass roots’ levels. We have also
been making our concern known with the need for
the FAI to both manage its own financial affairs
more effectively, and appreciate the financial
constraints that its own members – including the
RAeC – are working under. We know from our
own contacts with RAeC counter-part organisations
in other countries that many others feel the same as
we do.
A number of developments during the conference
gives us grounds for optimism that our and others’
inputs are being picked up by the FAI. Of particular
note was the decision taken by conference delegates
to direct the FAI Board to set up an independent
group to provide oversight and advice to the FAI on
financial matters. The Executive Board of the FAI
has also been refreshed by the election of three new
Directors. It is early days, and we need to keep
careful track of how the FAI follows through on the
directions it has received from its members.
Far closer to home than either Cologne or Thailand,
I’d like to highlight two – from among many –
developments.
Firstly, the Youth in Aviation initiative – Leading
Edge – hosted another very successful reception at
the Palace of Westminster for MP and Peers. In
what has now become an annual event, we now
have a unique environment within which bodies
particularly concerned with youth aviation can
showcase their activities and broaden the support
that they receive from across the political and
governmental domains. On behalf of the Club, I’d
like to express its appreciation to the Air League
team that lead this important initiative.
Secondly, the RAeC now has a second Vice Chair.
Duncan McClure from the BMFA was elected to
the post at the October Council meeting. Duncan
will work alongside myself, Dave Phipps (RAeC
Secretary) and Roger Hopkinson (RAeC Vice
Chair) in setting the Club’s overall strategy and
priorities for Council. I’d like to thank Duncan for
offering himself for the role, and also all of those
others that already tirelessly serve the Club and
Trust in its various areas.
Finally, I’d like to wish all of our members, our
members’ members, and all other general aviators a
thoroughly enjoyable time over the Festive Season.
I trust that the New Year marks the beginning of
another good flying season and another year where
we are rewarded for our philosophical and
optimistic outlooks.
Happy aviating.
Patrick Naegeli
Chairman
ACHIEVEMENTS and AWARDS
The date for the Royal Aero Club Awards
Ceremony for the 2014 Awards will be Tuesday
12th May, 2015, at the RAF Club. Nominations for
awards will be considered by the RAeC Medals and
Awards Committee in early January.
Dr Frederik Paulsen has been appointed a
Companion of the Royal Aero Club, in recognition
and appreciation for the generous donation he made
to fund the employment of the Future Airspace
Strategy Programme Manager.
International Competitions and Achievements
Dominic Bareford won the Gold medal at the Junior
World Hot Air Balloon
Championships, which
took place in Vichy in
September.
Son of
balloonist
David
Bareford, Dominic was
flying alongside his
sister Stephanie, who
took sixth place in the
Championships. In this
contest for pilots under
27, the two British crews
had an average age of 21.
At the World Microlight Championships in
Hungary, Rob Grimwood and John Waite also took
Gold, flying their SkyRanger Nynja in the dual
fixed-wing class. There were Bronze medals for the
QuikR team of Rob Keene and Amy Bolton in the
two-seat flexwing class.
Paul Dewhurst was awarded a special prize after the
only other entrant in the solo fixed-wing class
retired.
At the World Paramotor Championships, taking
place alongside the Microlight Championships,
Michel Carnet won the Silver medal in the
footlaunched solo class.
Two new formation skydiving records have been
set in the Women’s and Open categories, with a 2point 117-way formation beating the previous
record of a 2-point 110-way. The records were set
in October at Perris Valley in California. Ten
British women skydivers took part in the record.
Staying with skydiving, Jackie and Spike Harper
have placed first and second overall in the Wingsuit
Performance World Series. Spike won the gold
medal at the final event of the series, but was unable
to overtake Jackie in the overall rankings and she
became World Champion with a 1.4% lead.
Four British 4-way formation skydiving teams took
part in the European Skydiving League at Teuge in
the Netherlands this year and were successful in
winning back the coveted ‘ESL Spirit Sword’.
The three air sports disciplines selected to feature,
namely Parachuting Canopy Piloting, Glider
Aerobatics and Paramotoring, will take place
concurrently from 4 to 7 August 2017, starting the
day after the Opening Ceremony on 3 August.
Team Kaizen
getting in the
mood at the
World
Championships
The Games, which will showcase a total of 28
sports, will continue until the 13 August and the
Closing Ceremony will be held on the evening of
that day.
High Altitude Sky-Dive record smashed.
At the World Formation Skydiving Championships
at Prostejov in Czech Republic in August, Team
Kaizen – Lynne Murray, Maria Russell, Laura
McLelland and Rai Ahmed – won Bronze medals
in the 4-way female event.
Congratulations to all.
World Air Games Dubai 2015
FAI officials gathered in Dubai recently to meet
members of the Organising Committee, the host
city and the competition venues of the 2015 World
Air Games.
The experts from the Sports
Commissions met their Dubai counterparts to
discuss the key issues pertinent to FAI’s flagship
event and the Emiratis also took their guests to visit
the Dubai International Parachuting Championship,
where competitions were in full swing, as well as
the venues where the FAI World Air Games are
planned to take place.
Talks centred on the schedule, the athletes’
selection process and the participating sports, which
will be Aerobatics, Aeromodelling, Amateur-Built
and Experimental Aircraft, Ballooning, General
Aviation, Gliding, Hang Gliding, Microlights,
Parachuting,
Paragliding,
Paramotors
and
Rotorcraft.
More information regarding the disciplines chosen
to be on the programme of the Games will be
disclosed soon.
In October, Google Senior Vice President and
computer scientist Alan Eustace set three new sky
dive records including the highest altitude skydive
of 135,890ft, bettering the Felix Baumgartner/Red
Bull record set in October 2012 by almost 8000ft.
Though not a ‘secret’ challenge, Eustace did not
actively promote his self-funded attempt, which
was carried out in conjunction with the Paragon
Space Development Corporation as part of a
scientific programme to develop survival systems
for descent from very high altitude vehicles.
Preparations for the jump had been ongoing for
several years. Unlike Baumgartner, who ascended
in a capsule, Eustace was suspended beneath a
balloon and wore a specially designed space suit
that contained the entire life support system within
it. Eustace also set a new freefall distance record of
123,414ft, and the highest achieved vertical speed
of 822 mph (Mach 1.23).
Julian Nott, a former BBAC delegate to the RAeC
Council, was the balloon consultant and inventor of
the launch method for Paragon, the prime
contractor.
More at www.uspa.org and
www.nott.com
RAeC COUNCIL NEWS
At its last meeting, Council agreed to appoint
Duncan McClure as a second Vice-President,
alongside Roger Hopkinson. A nuclear physicist by
profession, Duncan flies a wide variety of models
and holds a number of administrative and
instructional roles within the British Model Flying
Association. He holds a UK PPL (A) (with IMC
and night ratings) and flies a Piper Cherokee and
also has experience of flying gliders and weightshift microlights.
World Games 2017
The International World Games Association has
announced that Air Sports events have been
scheduled at the beginning of The World Games
2017 in Wroclaw, Poland.
FAI
Mission and Vision statements
At the Executive Board meeting in May, the FAI
adopted new Mission and Vision statements to help
prioritise strategies and move towards its objectives
and goals.
The Mission Statement describes the reason for the
FAI existence and will serve as an overall guide to
priorities, actions and responsibilities.
Robert Clipsham retired from the Executive Board
after having served many years as Finance Director
and was nominated as a Companion of Honour.
Reports on different projects were made during the
General Conference. They included:
"FAI - the global organisation for the promotion of
air sports and recreational flying"

The Vision Statement outlines the clear and
inspirational long-term desired change resulting
from the Federation’s work:

“A world where safe participation in air sports and
recreational flying is available to everyone at
reasonable cost”

FAI General Conference
The 108th FAI General Conference took place in
Thailand in October. The full minutes will be
published on the FAI website in early 2015.
A reception and dinner were hosted by the Royal
Aeronautic Sports Association of Thailand and the
organising committee of the 2015 World Air
Games. A booth was also specially set up by the
Emiratis to present the Games.




Sports
Marketing & Communications.
FAI World Air Games Dubai 2015
The World Games 2017
Support for FAI Organisers
Anti-Doping
Technical Commissions and Expert Groups
The bid by Indonesia (Bali) to host the 2016
General Conference was accepted. The 2015
General Conference will take place in Rotterdam,
Netherlands.
Bengt-Erik Fonsell from Sweden and Michiel
Kasteleijn from Netherlands were appointed FAI
Companions of Honour.
SAFETY
A forum was held to encourage an exchange of
ideas on the initiative to increase the participation
of women in air sports and in air sports
organisations.
We are grateful to GASCo who have agreed that we
may reproduce some of the items in their latest
newsletter. If you would like to see more details of
safety-related matters, go to www.gasco.org to
subscribe to the mailing list.
FAI President Dr.
John Grubbström was
re-elected unopposed
for a two-year term.
SERA - As You Were!
Executive Directors Otto Lagarhus from Norway
and Beat Neuenschwander from Switzerland had
decided not to stand for re-election and Hungary
withdrew its nomination for László Mészáros
before the start of the elections. The candidates
elected to serve on FAI Executive Board for a twoyear term are Frederik Brink (Netherlands), Alvaro
de Orleans Borbon (Spain), Agust Gudmundsson
(Iceland), Robert Henderson (New Zealand), NielsChristian Levin Hansen (Denmark) and Gillian
Rayner (France).
The Standard European Rules of the Air (SERA)
were due to be implemented in their entirety in UK
airspace in December 2014. Mark Swan, CAA
Director of Safety and Airspace, has announced:
“While we welcome some of the clarity and
consistency that SERA will provide, if
implemented in its entirety it would impose
considerable restrictions on the GA community
which is why we are seeking derogations and
deferring the implementation of significant parts of
SERA.”
The ‘significant parts’ to which the Director refers
are the quadrantal height rule, VFR and Special
VFR rules. While negotiations with EASA
continue, the UK rules are to remain unchanged.
More detail is at
www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/InformationNotice2014187.pdf
Winter CHIRP Now Available
The first online version of CHIRP is now available
on www.chirp.co.uk This issue features reports
regarding Infringement of Range, Possible
Airspace Infringement, Overlapping Airspace and
Comms Failure. CHIRP is a confidential reporting
facility for safety related incidents including errors,
individual performance, regulatory aspects and
unsafe practices or design. The online version
replaces the printed CHIRPs that were regularly
inserted in flying magazines.
containing everything a vintage aircraft owner
needs to know when starting a restoration project.
CHIRP is also available as a Smartphone or tablet
app… search for 'CHIRP Feedback' in the iTunes or
Android App stores to locate.
Winter Issue of GASCo Flight Safety
The winter issue came out last week and included
articles about incidents to R22 and R44 helicopters,
Stall/Spin Avoidance, Ditching and Survival, plus
the usual accident and airprox reports and some
interesting letters.
Safety Evening Programme 2014/15
The second half of this winter’s Safety Evening
Programme continues until April. For more details
see http://www.gasco.org.uk/safety-evenings.aspx
REGULATORY MATTERS
European Regulation
The news on developments within EASA between
July and November can be found at
www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/InformationNotice2014187.pdf
EASA news
The EASA consultation on the Basic Regulation
ended on the 1st September. Representatives from
Europe Air Sports (EAS) are meeting EASA and
the European Commission to discuss the details.
The next major area of work for EAS with EASA
over the next two years is the GA Safety Strategy
and the GA ‘roadmap’ to implement the strategy.
Positive developments include a proposal for
increasing the age permitted for Commercial
Balloonists up to 70 and a decision to defer for three
years the Approved Training Organisation (ATO)
legislation which had been due for implementation
next year. There are hopes that the ATO legislation
may ultimately be deferred indefinitely.
EAS provided EASA with an opinion on the
revision of the Part M Continuing Airworthiness &
Maintenance rules, which are expected to become
law in January 2015.
Guidance on Restoring Vintage Aircraft
‘Guidance’ rather than regulation seems to be the
new house style at the CAA as far as GA is
concerned. The Authority has created a ‘one-stopshop’ webpage www.caa.co.uk - Restoring and
rebuilding ex-military and historic aircraft
It’s best to read it before starting work!
SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES
RAeC Trust bursaries
The RAeC Trust has launched its 2015 bursary
programme aimed at supporting young pilots, with
grants of up to £1,000 available. The age range has
been widened to include pilots aged between 14 and
21 and a new follow-on category has been
introduced for participants aged up to 24. Young
people looking to advance their basic air sport
qualification can visit the Royal Aero Club Trust
web site at http://www.royalaeroclubtrust.org/ for
full details, rules and application forms.
Applicants must be UK citizens, resident in the UK,
and training and flying can only be conducted at UK
Clubs, Associations or training establishments.
Applications, which must arrive at the Trust by 31
March 2015, are to be submitted through a
Sponsoring Organisation, Club or Association.
Activities available in the programme include
gliding, ballooning, paragliding, hang gliding,
sports parachuting, flying microlights, motor
gliders, light aircraft and helicopters, and building
and flying model aircraft. Bursaries are also
available for Personal Computer or Flight
Simulator pilots wishing to have their first
experience of an air sport.
Air League scholarships and bursaries
The 2015 Air League scholarships and bursaries are
open for applicants from gliding, power flying,
helicopters and aeronautical engineering. The
details of each award depend on the type of flying
involved. To find out more, including closing
dates, go to the Air League website at
http://www.airleague.co.uk/
BMAA Flying bursary
Applications for the 2015 BMAA Young Persons
Flight Training Bursary should reach the BMAA by
31st May 2015 and selection will be made during
June 2015. Applicants must be between 15 and 21
years old on the date of the award, have
demonstrated an interest in microlight flying and be
able to convince the selection panel that they have
something to give back to microlight flying.
www.bmaa.org/pwpcontrol.php?pwpID=6289
Flying Scholarships for the Disabled
Applications can be made at any time for FSDP
scholarships. Applicants must be over 18 years of
age, not in full time education, resident in the UK
and allowed to drive by the DVLA. For details, see
http://www.fsfdp.org.uk/.
Royal Aero Club Ties
A new design
RAeC tie has been
created and is now
available from the
RAeC office at a
price of £13.50
including postage.
GAPAN Scholarships and bursaries
See http://www.gapan.org/ for details of these
highly-prized awards.
Details of 2015
opportunities will be on the website by the end of
this year and applications have to be received by
mid-March.
Royal
Aeronautical
Scholarships
Society
Centennial
These are available for individuals and teams,
generally for advanced academic study or for
national programmes to encourage young people’s
interest in the aviation industry and aerospace
engineering. The closing date for 2015 applications
is 31 May 2015.
For details, see
New pin badges are
also available at £2.50
including postage.
http://aerosociety.com/Careers-Education/centennial
GENERAL NEWS
Anthony Smith
Anthony Smith, the president of the British Balloon
and Airship Club, has died at the age of 88.
Anthony was well known throughout ballooning
and elsewhere for his work on ‘Tomorrow’s World’
and also for his many books. More about his
remarkable life can be read in his obituary at
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10971
443/Anthony-Smith-obituary.html
Newsletter edited by Diana King. Please send items for future Newsletters to Royal Aero Club, Hebbs Acre, Presteigne,
Powys, LD8 2HG or to diana@king618.co.uk
For further information on any items contained in this Newsletter, please contact the RAeC Office at 31 St Andrew’s
Road, Leicester, LE2 8RE or on 0116 244 0182 or at secretary@royalaeroclub.org.