Issue 2 - Sywell Aerodrome

§
\@\os
£1.50 Circulated free to members of Friends of Sywell
Aerodrome, local businesses. local government members
runners _0f a ew generation of General Aviation aip
craft which will be seen more often in the future, but
and ofwsy /,-b,a,,»es and schools heard a lot less. The first of the Robins, G-BXVK
i n e Brown, managing director of Sywell Aerodrome: ‘l
Big Band Charity Ball
Blueprint for the Future
Windsock NSF
Dominie team award
Sloane Helicopters
I-QAERODROME
The Journal of the Friends of Sywell Aerodrome Spring 99
The gentle tone
of new aircraft
based at Sywell
‘
Roger Kimbell of Northamptonshire School of
Flying is working with new standards for
environmentally friendly aviation with the acquisition
of two new Robin HR-200 aircraft.
They are tted with engine mufers and are the fore
arrived on 1 May, and G-NSOF is due for delivery
by the end of the month. Said Michael Bletsoe-
am very pleased and encouraged that the Flying
School have taken this positive step in helping to
reduce the environmental impact of their aircraft on
the surrounding area.‘
He added: ‘I have suggested that the Airport Opera-
tors Association should take the initiative and urge
the Civil Aviation Authority to make silencers
i L
St. k Y B 9 compulsory on all new aircraft in the interests of the l
The School’s new Robin HR—200, above, and in small picture,
the effective mufer system.
IC our O85 long-term future of General Aviation in the UK.’ Roger Kimbell (front) and colleague John Cole-
SY‘/V9” 99 to The Robins are pan of the projected expansion of man in the spacious cockpit of the new Robin.
Hotel restoration 12 the training eet at the school and replace the Bea- 5ti

F.O.S.A. FOLK
Aerodrome Contacts rmis
Mrs Elizabeth Brown
PA to the
managing director.
01604 491112
Sarah Bryson
Deputy manager
Aviator Hotel X Q
01604 642111 %
1. , J
Allan Holmes
Treasurer
01604 491112
§
T
Maurice Tait
Editor
‘Aerodrome’
01380 730996
Contact FOSA at the office on
01604 491112, or write to
FOSA
Sywell Aerodrome Ltd
Sywell
Northampton
NN6 OBT
Mr Ian Castle (chairman)
Mr Jon Andrew
Mr Frank Bird (co-opted)
Despite a damp and dismal start to the 1999 ying season things are beginning
to improve, with the arrival of lighter evenings and hopefully better weather,
aviation can get into full swing.
Our membership continues to grow on a daily basis. Sywel1’s renovation is well under
way and the aireld is becoming well established once again. This, of course, will
hopefully improve the number of visitors
\$\\DS and people using the facilities here at Sywell
if’ »

NEWSIN BRIEF Little Gransden aerodrome
wi ns appeal for su rvival
Ceunerrs es e new member re here supeerr The future of general aviation in the UK was out of business.
Sywerr Aerodrome and evrerren genererry m me strengthened recently by the very successful The orginal enquiry opened in July 1997 but was
r“r“reoutcome
of a planning appeal by Little Grans- adjourned on seven separate occasions as the
. sywerr Aereereme 's msrerrmg e new euerre den aerodrome in South Cambridgeshire. Council sought to adjust their case, to change the
address system m The Awerer ear end gereen Little Gransden is a typical grass aerodrome with wording of the original enforcement notice and to
where rrensmrssrens rrem me rewer arm reeer err‘ three runways, seven hangars, a club room, fuel issue a new notice. Before evidence was called
ererr wrrr be ereeeeesr Heeemrrl mrs Wrrr rmereve store and maintenance facilities. It is the home of the council had also
me
revoked
puerrers
the
urreersrenemg
aerodrome's
end
law-
emeymem er me Mark Jefferies, a former National Aerobatic Cham- ful development certicate.
errererr mevemems esmey see them rleppemrre pion, and the base for Yak UK, importers of East The public enquiry . lasted
A
ve
new
weeks.
mr°_rmer'°rr rme re “Deere eerrers er‘ me European aircraft. The inspector, Mr PH
weemer
Garnham, allowed
_e"d rrkery
the aero-
errererr mmfemems err eeeh It is also the home of Skyline School of Flying, Vin- drome’s appeals, quashed the two enforcement
' There wrrr be e 9“'ee_e reur rer rose members purposes by about 200 pilots. ed that aircraft restoration,
emy er
sales and maintenance
err me resreem errererr and reerrrrres er The South Cambridgeshire District Council served was an appropriate use of buildings on an
mrmeemmg Weekend rs re be msrerree m Mel‘ Ce“ tage Engine Technology Ltd, Cambs Aerofoils and notices and granted planning permission for the
Freeprr°"e_°e°° e17_9213' about 60 aircraft own primarily for recreational use of the land as an aerodrome. He also conclud-
Sywerr Aereereme er‘ Sundays e ‘rrme and 2e an enforcement notice on the aerodrome in 1995 aerodrome and ordered the council to pay the
sepremeer rer e perrY er 5e peepre Bem evems which would have restricted ying to such a appellants their costs, estimated at more than
eegm er Hem" Reserve Yeur preee bl’ eerrmg Mrs
Elizabeth Brown at Sywell Aerodrome on 01604
491112.
O Sywell Aerodrome has launched a Web site
degree that the aerodrome would have had to go £300,000.
which provides details of the location and facilities,
.
history of the Aerodrome, hotel information, and The Avmrop BOP and Desroumnr
an up-to-date events calendar. Point your brows- ( lpen lo {L9 Public G" gem, ,,Oun(]_
ltrirarz/lwww.sywellaerodrome.co.uk
The e-mail address is:
info@sywellaerodrome.co.uk
in aid of local charities
A spectacular Charity Ball has been arranged at Sywell
Aerodrome for Saturday 17 July. Following the success of the
event two years ago, the committee have set the theme around the
famous 1940s Big Band Hangar Dances.
Guests who really want to get into the mood are encouraged to wear
period costumes. whether that be Al Capone big stripe suit and hat,
can—can. ball gown, RAF military uniform orjust plain good old Biggles
~ and of course the girls will remember tights had not been
invented then!
For those ofyou with the appropriate mode oftranspon. i.e. period
car. jeep. armoured car or tank. there is a forward car park and display
area where the various aircraft will also be displayed with ood
lights.
This evening not to be missed will begin at 6.30pm with a
Champagne Reception followed by the Hot Air Balloons and Air
Show.
The Gounnet Dinner will be served at 8.l5pm followed by a dance
demonstration by the Lindy Hoppers to the sound ofthe famous
l7—strong Memphis Belle Swing Orchestra — the very same which
featured in the lm ‘Memphis Belle‘. Everyone can join in to swing
andjive the night away.
When the excitement and exercise has overcome you. try your hand at
the Roulette Table or risk your neck on the Rodeo Bull or Bar Fly!
For those who have stayed the course. a full English Breakfast will be
available from 2 am to round the evening off.
As always, proceeds of the evening will be donated to local charities.
» \ 0 .
(/3,‘ . e~\\ §y\yQ||,
A maximum of 500 tickets are available to all members of FOSA. ,\ 6.”pm”r7|u»m pilots. tenants. local residents and any good friend ofthe Aerodrome. rs ~1gn__,/
Please call 01604 491 l l2 or fax 01604 790701 for tickets.
I lNi
Swing into the 40’$
mulcby
.:l
W”
'u“'h“,-'~'~"“”d“.m“-m_ “ff;

Blueprint for the Future
facilities and standards for industrial users.
Since the last issue of Aerodrome, life at buildings to build eleven small units of
Sywell has been very busy as the ‘1995 approximately 3500 sq.ft. each. This area of
Blue Print for the Future’, the company’s development relates to and replaces buildings
Business Plan, continues to roll out. Many of demolished on Site A & B of the aerodrome to
the effects of this can be clearly seen if you make way for car parking, loading and unloading
drive past or around the site. areas and to improve vehicle access and circula-
During the past siX months the Aerodrome has tion — a major problem on the aerodrome identiseen
some tenants come and some go. Howev- ed by the eeunett some years age
er, the Aerodrome remains fully let apart from two he rnedta interest whipped up by the iAnttei
buildings aWaitihg refurbishment Tduring the past twelve months relates to the
Sihoe Christmas Wellirigborough Borough new County Structure Plan policies regarding the Michael Bletsoe-Brown
Couhoil have approved our applioatiohs to aerodrome. These policies are not new policies, brought up to e rnedern_day standard which wt"
construct a new bedroom block of 37 rooms for they have been in ntaee in the Current Qeunty preserve their userurness into the future to
The Aviator to replaoe the old bedroom blooks§ to Structure Plan since 1989. It is crucial that these enhance and preserve the eharaeter at the Aereoohstrtiot
a riew ehlarged erltranoe to the policies are retained unaltered in the new Struc- nrerner the Lancaster Hangers herng a prime
Wellirigtori Hangar; and a neW enlarged eritranoe ture Plan if the aerodrome is to improve and exarnpte However, there is etrtt tote to do,
to the

The changing
face of Sywell
i
I earthworks at the CamP""=l “ I
ca"'Pi"9 Gaz Wifehouse before
refurbishment
V -.
i
r
Lancaster hangafs an“
refurbishment.
J
headlands, watched by a man and his golden you could say Typhoo had pitched tents right next
retriever. He waved his handkerchief, we door.
waved back, then the ground plunged away Our nal day started with a whiz up to Compton
i and we were out to sea. Abbas, then over the Solent to Sandown on the
It all started with an innocent question from Chris Isle of Wight. There we bade farewell to Bob and
ah _, _- — ‘fancy a trip to Lands End?’ It was easy to say Clare who had sneaked swimming costumes on
I 'Yes’. The ve of us were Chris Theakstone, Bob board and departed for the beach, whilst we took
MacMaster and daughter Clare, Phillip Hall and an aerial view of the aircraft carriers in the
7 myself. Chris and Bob have instructor ratings, harbour, before heading north and as in all good
Phillip has lots of hours and l have next to none, adventures, were home in time for tea.
so my job was to write this report.
The day of departure dawned wet and windy so Adrian Baynes
we did the sensible thing and took off for Kemble.
Skirting squalls over Banbury, we were soon
(now when I use the word soon, this is a N I N B R I E F
microlighting soon) into the Fairford Air Show
trafc. Bob is famous for his fuel consumption, '
New
ars e"rsAusrrahan_0wned Triton
which is probably linked to his food consumption, Workshop Systems. Occupying the hunding
but anyway, he was a bitdoubtful about making once used as the ser earns. mess‘ raw
Cérqtge ';°nn_st°p' NPa5sZ‘9 ab_eam °f Us came a known as Tom Easeyi Workshop, Tritonximport
re ue mg a "mo ‘ so 't Was_$“99e$‘ed woodworking equipment to the UK. Their sales
he hooked up. After a pretty lumpy ight we tax- have doume
ied in at Kemble and paid our fee to a lonely man Since they moved
surrounded by a vast expanse of glass in the for- to Sywell and
mer RAF control tower. they are expech
Then it was on to Weston Zoyland, a little grass ed to do so again
strip, conveniently at 90 degrees to the wind, in the next year
which gave us an exciting welcome to Somerset. We are in the '
After pitching our tents and pegging down the air- right area for the Tritonis ISuperjaw5’_
craft, we made for the village pub and a hearty
UK, and Sywell suits us very well for a fast and
meal‘ efcient sen/ice to Europe,‘ said general manag-
It takes forever to pack a microlight, so in the er David Ashwonh
morning by the time we were ready, the early . Aerodrome_hased Comngwood VLM has
m_iSt had Iong gone‘ to '?aV,e a beautm“ mue sky formed a sub—division to import wines. The wine
with scarcely a breath o wind. ~ » A . comnan Wm deal direcrwnh
,¢ . V PTO-
The next leg saw us y out to the sea and follow Q ~, ducers and pass on savings to
the spectacular coastline from Porlock, Coombe > ', ' their Customers iweire mking
Martin to Woolacombe before turning inland to
refuel at liaglescott. We d no sooner landed than
the airstrip was attacked by RAF Harriers, noth-
_' .forward to being a major Mayer
W44‘ in the home dehvery marker‘, , .. said managing director Justin
ing to do with us l hope. Maeers_
Onwards and southward, we took in the sights of . A recent visitor to Sywe" was this corporate
Pzsuglnand Newquay W'th°utth";trafC1ams‘ Beech King Air twin turbine-powered business
r
W ist is negotiated our routet rough the St‘ aircraft, inbound from Spain via Jersey. Modern,
Mawgan MATZ and ‘rater swe_et'ta|ked ms way luxurious and quiet, it is the type of aircraft for
into Lands End. We d made it. Aftera celebrato- which sywe“ Aerodrome Gourd improve
ry all day breakfast in the pretty little airport, we racrmres
refuelled and taxied out, watched by the passen-
gers awaiting their ight to the Scillies.
Our return trip took us to Bodmin, past the wind
farms, wonderful to see from above and excellent _
to navigate by.
At a little grass strip and camp site near
Sidmouth an elderly couple were brewing tea,
feeling pleased that they‘d picked such a quiet
spot to park their caravan. Meanwhile, four
.4 /
5

i
U
7
\
— |81OH JO1€!I\vjO KSQUHOO K)!S!L|M 5||3Q ]O 3mO
1a6o3 ;o Asaunoo uossa| 6u;A|; a;nugu1—0z
'll°"°Z"9l-9P"!q\!$V
‘K9lF>l1!)|¢>W "Bl 1W ‘69L ‘ON VSOJ
'UO!1BJ01S9J J8pU /!!1U9Jll"lO 1W6!’ V09“) !°e1“°° P\“°"S 913"“!/V\
S! 1!!MS SUI pUB
‘QQQQH geuassaw
SIUGAQ 'UMOJQ p|0.|BH PQUJJE! PUB! 9U! !O ]JBd
s‘A1uow, se aeunoweo sue“ “°“"9 Ame“ 9 ‘W 09!’ ’°N V905
u! 6m
-Au uonqpuoo Aquouuqe
sem qoqu/v\ e5e||u\ ||aMA3 ;o L|]JOU am 01 1sn[ p|e|_1 e
uq s1s!xe ||q1s >13‘ "gngx/-9 'Pl9\$19H ‘U°1°'!9u1°ll.L
QIMS JQULUOQ PUB HQMV-Q IUIUJQQ S3|lW
uo uMop1nd dye am u1o1;sa1!s a|qe1!ns1o; 5up1oo|
1S!lL!M ‘s1amo1q ||8UU!‘! Q!!! a1o;aq 6UO! IOU SBM 1!
P1ELl°!H1W'€O€
‘ON V805 EUMH )0 muss SNBWON meqwm
— UBBJOW lnd J0 KSQIJHOO 5"B1§I\W B H! N5!l=l
19*” 9‘°““!"‘ M919 S-9"“! SW1
d *8!‘ 9 1° !"° “Mp 3“? S’°‘!!“"“
' ' '
m '
pauq6ua—u!m1 >43|v-9 pue >4q|v—9 smuessew
sauw 01 uo 6u!o6 pue ‘gxgv-91e1:>o1n\11a1snv
ue my/v\ 6u!ue1s ‘1;e1:n!e ;o1aqwnu e pa1e1ado
Aneonsegsnmua >per pue go:->9 ‘sAep1eM—-and
em u! sv "s1u5!| uqpeal am uqee mam s||auur\ a|q
-e6!1e;apug em M5! u! ||8M/!S1B e|q!ssod aweoaq
uoudwnsm e se uoos se 1nq ‘)m am u! Buqu e1e/\
',
1nq 8S!|€!J81ELU 1‘Up!p seep! Apes aseui |e11dso|.|
p|a|_1uew am MOU sg mum Aq asop pue| Bugsn euo
6ugpn|ou! pasqm mam saweqos;o1aqumu e pue
‘B812 uo1du1em1oN am ug p|e|_p!e ue Bunsen u! we
-.l91U! awos a1e|nu.ms o1 paeuew yoag pue xper
uap1oq sxong/spag/s1uequoN
am uo uopua/\e-|
JB-3U p|eg e um; pa1e1edo /meuqpo sem 1;e1o1!e
Nsjeqwaw V90‘! ewwpolav 1° u°"e°"q" “O -ud ||e p8dd01S ‘asmoo ;o ue/v\ ppo/v\ puooag aul am pue ‘asn ue1|wo1o; p-31s!X9 sawo1po1ee Auew
‘sep ua1 1ou ‘vgm Bugnq ;o eu1!1am1v"s1o|gd
sazpd MBJQ
\ ‘Vi
quapgsmd 1s1g su se qn|g o1e\1||aMA3
paLu1o;A|Meu em mqm uoueqoosse sgu m5no1m
ao!/uas—xa
uq Sum; smoq gz ewos 6u!1a|dwoo pue ivqv-5) 1o;6u!Au1edeaqo Bupego ewauos pesgpgsqns
1o!ew mow u! xoeq pue1sadepng o11no||arM3
e 19pU|'1 saugqoew puem/\eH ap z-mu o;aue1
wo1;6ugA|;pguoqd ‘s1o|!d ueue6unH, snom1u:-mpe 6213 01 uMop1aoe1/suods sq/my 935! sgq uq sdm
am uq ued >100; qoer Lggy ;o aunr uq pue pewqe 1se; Auew p9109||O081)|0€[‘ ‘eugqoew am Suqseuo
sdm Auew spew Aaq_|_ mow 1au1oH e pue1o[ew -md 01 mud "L35! u! spuem/\e|-| ap wogvggg-9
||aMA$1e sen!/moe Bum; am ug ugee aouo eaeqs mow 2 ‘eqxgd ||au1ed 2 ‘smow Asdqg 1amo apnpu! mow snugQ1qam6ugAnq 'pue|6u3 ug s1eu~\o aw/\
o1a|qe sem ‘/mag 9;!M pc-neogpap sgq Aq pa-mod 01 uo 6ugo6 pue 515! u! MW-9 mow Asdgg) Mau -pd 1sa!pea am ;o om; aweoaq >102!‘ pue eu SDJBM
-dns pue Mguuguq |eo!sAud ;o suds u! |npaauo1a/\e e mg/v\ 6u!ue19 '1;e1o1ge ;o A;aue/\ e pa1e1ado pue -1:->142 uoos "935! ug aueq 621912 6u1A|;1 ;o |oouo3
‘spar sme |eug sgq u! 1em as!|ea1 01 6u!A;g1e16 s!1| paumo Aam wam uea/mag ';;oe9 pue spar em/v! pue|||_/\eH ap am 1e ugee Bugg peums go-99
"gw-3! Amp u! aunuog
a/me 1u!ds |e!oos pue Buum ||amA$ am Bugdeaq
‘$096! N199 9H1
aouqs pawqoosse os uaaq me; uq Bu!/\eu pue ‘Q96!
u! a/moe Ma/\ pue1uesa1d sAeM|\1'1ua6u!1uoo
am ;o emeq em Bupnp papunom Msnouas 6u!aq
mun empem qoua11;o smuou am peouapadxa
uu meap sqq o1dn1q6u p11 8LUOJpO16\1||3M/(S ;o1o1 Buquqen iv}; ue pue ‘|oouos 6uqA1;|e!o1-muwoo
'-0-1-mp e Bugaq ‘||aMA9 ;o apgs |9!0J8LULUOO em mqm a61e| 2 ‘s1au~\o age/md Auew Bmsnou eu1o1po1ae sq pue ‘|e/\e| puno161e pewnpuoo sem JEM spper
pemauuoo os|e sem xpep "quqwag pue muassaw a61e| e 01 ‘s1seqsnmua Aq pa1ea|o sp|ag |euq6uo am "eoumd peqdnooo uew1a9 ow! p!e1 e uunp amue;
am U! Bupm s1se!snmua Auew axe; 0110 ‘uqu u1o1;6u!/\ou1 ‘sqggy em Buunp A|p!de1 paueqo auque Bu!/v\o||o; 1-suosud ua>1e1 pue auo ug umop
ssnosgp Auueued 01 pagdnooomd 001 1e/\au sem aw ||a/M3 ;o azqs |eo!s/Rud am pue uo!1esgue61o aqi pa:>1o;aq o1aunuo;sgu1 am peu pue ‘s1:-Jqwoq
"p1o;| paugua-uuvu ()0!/Q aed Ae|pueH U! Sugu |euoq1e
'sn ;o Auew Kq pa1aqweu1a1 Ann; s1 a|do-ed Buno
un 1sa1a1u| pue ‘o1 sseupuw 1ee16 s!H "a|qe sem 1|:-apow p|0 ue ;o sgsseuo em uo goes) pue qoer -1ado 01 passa16o1d aH ue/v\ p|JON\ 1s1g;; em uunp
aq se 6uo| se1o;saue|do1ae Ma/\o| sqq Sum; ‘sog Aq pawnnsuoo auo pa||edo1d —;|as e Anensn weu (umpenbg 9!; ;;vg1a1e| ‘9! |e/new) so!/uag av
919i 9\!1|!1\-In $PU9!1H|9M/(S i s)1/_X V)1 *_*U ‘N9/\0U. U!9W 9 P91n!99} OSIB I9/\9N IBKOB 9L!1l!1!M AU 01 P9U199l151|J PW 34°99
! Jaxjed S” sweaed asam ‘sAe|dsqp gem -L35! aunr U! mow J!3L|1U! au1o.|po1av
squ ||e1s6uowe1uase1d-1a/\e -.l!€ 6U!1!0X3 SB ||9M SV 8Z6! U! ||3MAQ 3U.lEO3q l.|O!l{M Sp|9g am U0 PUB! O1
K
'3!!! U! 5U!'!l} U101} F'>91!l9-I 14°99 ii ifif *7 i i i Hi l P911913 9!!-\9959d 1!V 1° 53!199 1515 9\!1919M ‘W1 'Kq|!M W0-U ll9""!1 (B099)
sem )!3€f‘1S|lL|M s09 912] L
'sanua/\ 1e\ndod am sem s||auun am Aq pe| uompen ||a~\/(3 v 9 9 H pue (user) p V man! slap ;sa!|1ea Man
Aue|noyued Bu!-sq a:>ue15 u! 8||!I\l'1B-3Q pue ‘wnq
"sauupeaq em Buwew K1!|Buos1ed JO éam \uo1;awo1po1ae ue se ||amAg Bugqsuqezsa
U! leluawnnsug mam oqm
-|a9 u! a1noZ-a|—a>1>\ou>1 — adomg |B1U9U!1UOf_) uq meme ||a~\A9 ewos momqm passed qaom e I-~*"
pue ewoq 1e moq sa!||e1 J!B o1s1o1qsq/\1e|n6a1 mam
L
"uoue!/\e aw/md1o;e11ueo1o[eu1
e awooe
SC
-
.
saue|do1ae nam pue s||auu|-1 am SJGUMO aw/\ de1 peu ||a/M31ems|ea/\e1s0g M129 pue
.
e.
am ;o s|eo!pouad uoue!/\e am ;o ue uqp -
-!Jd paseq ||arM3 uaa>11amo |e1e/\as mqm .|8U1950l
‘8.|1E9}JBM—9Jd 1e|ndod e qons uaeq peq1em
sagued sseuq l!OUE;! pue s||e9 sdweq am pa1n1
-ea; uqee pue d!qs1apea| s‘||euu!'1 am1apun ugo squ pau1e1q0 pue ‘smow l!Sd!9 mau s,qn|Q‘
. p
.
106 os|e qn|Q may am ;0 epqs |e!oos aql Ae|ds;p
o!uuoa1o1Ad aug e ow! ;|as1g 6u!um1sseoo1d am -188M em uo aue|1oo|oH am uq puaq am 01!
L
u! 1nq ‘au1oq1!e awooaq o16u!|qe;asmoo;o ‘p|agJ!e
em 1noqe pauomao uoqum sa>1@|e>|oo| new oqonmg
;o wea1aB1e| e Kq peuuew aomap p95U!M M2101
1uaog!u6eu1 e — ‘1e1doo!||a~\A3, am sum sqm ‘suoue
-a1o||auu|_'\ pz-ngdsug am 10 J8|.|10U€ pam1ee;Mous -.l3dO1! peu ‘sp|ag1uaoe[pe;o1no eu1o1po1
‘sp1e/v\uo 935! mm; A|pqde1 pass:-n6o1d
I
aul ';;099
pue spar a1a~\ aaugwwoo 6u!s!ue61o
SUI U0 1U9U!LUOld 676! 1!?!/\| U! 1UB86€d p8J!dSU! DUE D9! s1se!snmua J0 (10016 "B
!
||eMA$ |euo11!pe1; e Aq e|A1s eug uq pa1e1qa|ao v "6u!Ag1o; pue| em ;o asn amo1a|qeuau1
SBM qmo wav sweuuou aux w Kevuwq mz an
s
'6Z6L U! 9°"
ugugen Buglm sqq mqm panunuoo qoer a6
pa1en1!s sem pue mag 6u11s!x-3 am ;o Mep
em ugmqm sq QUJOJDOJSB ||a/Mg |eu!6uo
;o ans aql 'qn|Q may e1!qsuo1du.|em.|oN
dn1as o1 uo1ua~\ pue ‘smuow ugmw |euc
ue pa/ueo A||e1e1q| goeg pue xoer
u
ulaq UMOJQ p\o1eH ‘woqnb pz-mow uaq
Sd

The high performance Pitts Special aerobatic aircraft based at Sywell, jointly owned by lain Dall
-and Northamptonshire School of Flying.
Tel ; 01604 644618 o~@"*P'~_,.
Fax: 01604 495324 School of Flying
‘ this event one has the opportunity of watching
some 0fthe mostdazzling ' ying 'in the country. Whilst the sport is physically very
demandin it is not the sole domain of

Flying
scholarships
lorlocal
youngsters
Three young people from the county have
started flying training at the Northamptonshire
School of Flying with scholarships entitling
them to up to 15 hours of flying instruction.
Robert Miles from Henry Gotch School. Ben
Anderson studying at Northampton College, and
Nicholas Mattock from Wrenn School are benefiting
through the Charles Newton Memorial Trust, a
registered Charity set up in 1966 in memory of the
late Charles Newton, one of the founders of
Sywell Aerodrome Ltd, a former Mayor of
Northampton, and an aviation enthusiast. To date
more than 200 scholarships have been awarded.
The scholarships are funded by local companies
and Trusts. Sywell Aerodrome Ltd. is a regular
sponsor and besides its annual donations has
also generously given a share of the proceeds of
the 1997/98 social events to the Trust, as well as
to other local charities.
During the past twelve months, donations have
also been received in memory of John Whitehead,
a passionate pilot and flying instructor. In
accordance with his widow's wishes, one of this
year's scholarships has been designated the John
Whitehead Scholarship.
Students between 17 and 21 residing in the Coun-
ty, and in full or part-time education are eligible to
apply. Most importantly they should have a
genuine interest in and enthusiasm for aviation
besides wishing to pursue a career in aviation.
Recent scholarship winners who have gone on to
study Aeronautical Engineering, have successfully
applied to the RAF, and are training for careers in
Air Traffic Control.
Successful students gain not only flying
experience, but also build their condence and
maturity through their training — many of our
scholarship winners have acknowledged that they
had the edge‘ over other applicants in pursuing
their chosen career.
Any company or individual who would like to support
the scheme. whether by making a one off
donation, or through annual covenant. is invited to
contact one of the Trustees at Brook/ands. Church
Lane. Brafield on the Green, Northampton. NN7
1BA (telephone 01604 890512)
’ egns Support ‘
“Ow your local
O4“
and join F05/1!
You can join the Friends of Sywell Aerodrome
for only £1.50. Contact Elizabeth Brown at the
ofce for your membership leaflet and applica-
tion form on 01604 491112.
\ J
;
Award for Dominie
restoration team
Sloane Helicopter’s new Agusta A109E Power air ambulance, sponsored by the AA and charities.
45R°g§.» (]eI"O df‘O!I1e The team of enthusiasts who have been restor- back); John McCowan, chief engineer with For-
ing the DH89a Dominie at Sywell has received daire; Terry Ford, engineer and brother of Rex
the John Blake Rose Bowl for their work. The Ford; and Mungo Chapman, volunteer.
bowl was awarded by the Vintage Aircraft Club
for the high standard of workmanship involved
‘I wanted to work on an aircraft restoration,
and this one has a lot more charm than many,’
over the past three years in getting the aircraft said Mungo.
ready to fly again. Roger and Rex are planning to have the
In the picture (left to right) are volunteer Mark Dominie airborne again for this summer — and
Wilson; co-owners Roger Kimbell and Rex six shares in the aircraft are still available.
Ford; Gary Masters, Fordaire engineer (at Phone 01604 645996 for details.

$'°a"@ §=ha"@"9°$ Stick your bosses to the wall
'“?°"°a' “‘"" and shoot paint over them
pollce markets Sywell's new corporate
Sloane Helicopters of Sywell is to challenge en1'er1'qinmenf venture
the Eurocopter EC135 and MD902 helicopters promises away days
by introducing Emergency Medical Services - -
and Law Enforcement congured versions of with a difference
gr AguhstaM r°:°'Ii"t° thing‘ If you've ever thought of impressing your boss the corporate hospitality events claims that teamoane
as an ma or er or we equippe or your clients by gluing them upside down to building and planning skills result from people get-
A10? Pawer ahiid deiiviy °pii°nIi°iIaI: additional a velcro wall, Sywell's new corporate hospitali- ting muddy and shooting large amounts of paint all
"um er 0 mac mes un er a C0" iac emg ty facilities can help. over the place.
Tare? with Bond Heii?°ptt:iSI\I°r_a i:i’iI°n_w_id§ Air A bit radical? Then how about driving a JCB, a ‘You choose the activities you want to take part in,‘
Ir:iIIi?uA?n(I:IeI°°niiaCiI\Ii';:Ii:ASe Iiuon ssciatilon tank, or hurtling round on a skid pan. Sywell Aero- says Michael. ‘Your day or half day will have a
0 ii. m. u ances i i‘ e "aw. na “ma drome is to extend its range of activities on offer to number of points you can spend, and this decides
organisation, supported by sponsorship from the . I d h. I d h f - .
Automobile Association and charitable trusts, is U e more “'7?‘s“a' V: is e? an '?"‘*';:I?" h I Ow maiiii gvenis {IOU can dit. m‘ I b .
Intended to prowde regIonaI EMS ese are 3ddlllI(¢lS to ying, explains ic ae rlew activities will Ieadde in on a regu ar asis.
throughout EngIand and WaIesI wmch IOIIOWS Bletsoe-Brown. ou can stillget a trialhelicopter n the meantime, w y not look at your colleague
scheme akeady Operating In Scoandl More heII_ or xed wing lesson or fly a Tiger Moth. across the room from you, imagine them
IIK I added You can also be food-mixered around the sky in a trampolining, then sticking to a velcro wall upside
gigfrtsagd Cglgtifmes areazggggagsoane Is stunt aerobatic ride. ‘Not for the faint-hearted,‘ down ..... ..
. I h . . ' says Micha el . ‘They are genuine ' stunts. '
mpectmg. til: aging ogiheggewice in October of The development of these corporate and social For further details or a brochure contact:
syearin e o e ou es ,
Two UK Police authorities are also evaluating the EVGHIS foiiovis .8" Aeiqdim S Own I awe" :1eI;::;T:1:id'
A109E Power for olice o rations. Sloane s av? opmen O is increasing y usy con ere Ce (me
P P9 all - - .
the aircraft Is an Idem contender due I0 its facilities. We know the real strengths of our own Fax 01604 790701
unrivalled speed, performance at max gross take :g;pL:|$vyeT;§ni::;e
off wei ht and com etitive rice. Anal deci i n '
on theipolice purchgses wiiibe subject to S O and busir.iesS_"ke
European tender advertising, as the Power is yet surroundings pius
to be placed on the UK Home Ofce preferred list. oiii 9°°d|f°°d' says
Sloane Helicopters are, however, condent that Mmhaei" But we fen
orders will be conrmed and that it will take deliv- we °°“"i 9° eve"
ery of its rstA109E police aircraft in late July this further and help
year for modication and tting out of the police b“s"_ies5es t9
role equipment, for an in service date towards the p'°_‘"de h°Sp'iai'iy i°
end of October. This will be the rst sale of an their °Y"" peopie and
A109E Power for law enforcement and support the" °i'e“tS"'
operations in the United Kingdom. Planned
Si|ve|-stone The activities fall into
Sloane Helicopters will be one of the largest oper- thief? types: Yi"9'
ators into the British Grand Prix at Silverstone this driving and ie_a"i
year where they expect to move more than 550 e"e“i5~ H°Sp'iai'iY
people from their exclusive Shuttle Port in the vil- daY$ °i' haii daY5 are
lage of Hartwell just outside Salcey Forest. Sloane pia""ed ai°iiii‘_i a
will also offer premier sen/ice hospitality in its 9i°“P_ °i aciiviiies aii
brand new suite ‘Club Pole Position‘ on the _°i which ale Piai"‘°d
famous Silverstone Circuit at Maggots, Becketts ‘ii 9'93‘ deiaii
and Chapel curves, acknowledged by many of the 'Bei"9 safe is Pa" °i
Formula 1 drivers as being the most challenging the iii"- eve" ih°"9h
and demanding section of the Northamptonshire ii i§ eXiie""e|Y °°"l'
circuit. Sloane hospitality will be offering its Pei'iiVe»' Says
customers a retum ight, entry tickets and all day Michaei
hospitality including complimentary bar throughout oiilei aciil/iiies are
the day and a selection of hot and cold gourmet "i°i° i°' individuais
luncheon and dinner dishes. to pitch themselves
Sloane has offered Sywell Aerodrome its services against their °W"
through its successful Helicopter Flight Training limits or fears-
School for air experience ying and helicopter Bungee "inning iaiis
hover challenges as part of Sywell Aerodrome's i"T° this ¢aT99°FYnew
Corporate Hospitality Packages, also on this 'Y0l1 3'50 need 9°°d
page, legs for that one,‘
comments Michael.
Adrian Munday, Sloane Helicopters And the leaet on
01604 790595

M\l\°“-‘»a“S
//
10
French
home b
- . Cr: c u n -
” Pmnares 1:, fake M'"‘°"9inea off
kit
gums
45R 00?“
1 M“
Z V
Sywell Fageamo
9 ,'
, 5-“we | Pictures by Peter Brown
SW9 ~s\>S‘1 * I 01933
613 023
d ' x // L__---__i--~;~--er---{l 1
re9a““?
of m°"i"9 car. from top
Veteran car and the Utterly
Butterly Antonov, the
wor|d’s largest biplane. ‘
F‘ ‘ID
/J
c 9' Blet \*\~~»e _
awaiting 3 ice-Browng Wilga 5;\ 5'“ '"=
9w BIIQIIIE
from Polatngfm
b ingownm
ATiQe" Moth e . - n ,
the timbo competmo -
,
,.t
1
"’ ~ v
,
I

is SYWELL ‘99 — AERIAL PAGEANT
Sywel ['5 Aer~jG| Pageanf '99 ppomises 1-O be
as excn-mg as ever‘ for lovers of aviation
S0 what’s going to be up in the air at Sywell ‘99? Well,
we have got the record-breaking Glamorous Aerobabes
ofthe St. lvel Utterly Butterly Barnstorming Wing
Vl’a_lking Team with their 1940s Boeing Stearmans
5-
7 and Vinfgge \/@hiQ|e5_
-x‘
ii
Some fire fighters
are more relaxed
than others.
- - giving us a palm sweating, crowd gasping display of
Here Rwhard Dawson describes some of loops, rolls and many more fantastic aerobatics
the many events taking place over The manoeuvres.
Weekend‘
I-—-4
Also showing otT what they can do will be SUSY a P511)
Mustang andya WW2 Sea Fury belonging to Mr. Paul Morgan.
which both live. here at Sywell and ofcourse how could we hold a
show at our historic airfield without having a WW2 Spitre tear—
\ L:e|;:r::1ae2ad':s la at ing up and down our runways.’ Also overThe Sywell '99
p p y Weekend. we will bejoined by many other vintage and
modern—day aircraft which will be lling the two hour slot on
Sywell 98 when the
airfield caught fire.
ln the top picture,
S em people.
to save yw
body who
any body
to have a
at putting it
When Barrie Young took his two weeks’
holiday last year he decided to learn to
fly - and spent an average four hours a
day airborne with Piers at the
Northamptonshire School of Flying.
He made his first solo on 1st August,
passed his General Flight test 21st
August, passed six written and one
oral exam, and gained his licence.
Then he went to South Africa where he
hired a light aircraft in both Durban and
Cape Town and brought back some
spectacular photographs. This one
shows his view of Cape Town as seen
from a Cessna 172.
each day.
On the ground will be more than 400 classic and military vehicles
dau hter Am 13 . .~ . . .
. 9 y’ ' including motorbikes, cars. steam engines etc. Looking round
instructs the manag- f . _ . .
. di ct how some of the old cars may bring back a tew memories tor some
ing re oron
There will also be a chance to take control in an aeroplane by
booking a trial lesson or take a ride in a helicopter or even a
microlight.
On the Saturday evening and Sunday morning the Public will be
' ble to watch and follow the numerous hot air balloons which will
be taking off from the aireld (weather permitting). but of course.
who can tell which way they'll go‘?
The Strange Town Scooter Club (Northampton) are expecting 150
plus scooters to come and stop with us at Sywell '99 over the
weekend, putting on various displays. On the Saturday morning
the Club will be doing a scooter run to Northampton (ieneral
Hospital to deliver toys to the Children's Ward.
Zl$Z.§'§l,.E.l:'-
&
Sywell Aurodronlv Norrlinmpton Pl'L’$L’lliS
Sywell '99
Viizfaqc Vcliicle 65’ Aerial Pageant
K
Snfzirdnt/74f/18 Szrminy13H1Augzrs!1999
F“-
.

Sywell Aerodrome to consider
restoring original Art Deco
clubhouse building
The Aviator was originally built in 1934 as the new Sywell
Clubhouse. ln 1935 the West Wing was added to
accommodate No 6 Reserve School. Shortly afterwards the
Cirrus Room was added. The East Wing or Cockpit, as it is
now known, was added at the beginning of the war.
In 1958 the Sywell Airport Restaurant and Passenger Lounge for
our passenger trafc was opened by Group Captain Douglas
Bader. The Motel began in 1959 with the construction of three dou-
ble bedrooms and integral garages. In 1962 Her Majesty The
Queen Elizabeth and HRH Prince Philip visited the Airport Restaurant.
In 1963 further bedrooms were added on the appointment of
new resident manag ers , Diana and Keith West .
Over the next 16 years a further 45 bedrooms were added, 15 of
which were built on a bridge construction over the present bar and
restaurant overlooking the aerodrome. During the 60s and 70s,
under Keith and Di’s management, Sywell Motel became ‘the place
to be’. Many of us will remember those notorious/famous Discos in
the Cockpit. It was a very busy place at that time. Unfortunately
time caught up with the Motel and the lack of real investment in the
80s allowed the competition to eat away at the Motels market.
Although the interior was refurbished in 1995 in it‘s former 30$ Art
Deco style, the present exterior
does not reect the stylish interior.
The Company is shortly to consider
.
i
Plans l° Te$t°Te the °'l9l"a| Z The hotel after its last major ret in the 1970s.
clubhouse to bring back its original
character. If completed the whole
complex will offer su erb facilities
- - - p
in a period setting and perhaps
restore its former reputation as ‘the
place to be‘
,
st
i
//
.
/A
\, T’,
~ P
_
l\~_ \\
®7 :_\\
’ j
Q
Public
An
M]
~
Heritage Site
ta |Q
All Year Round
i r
V
\ -
Q,
*
- l ’
t
1.
.~-':'.1_

News .,.,,,, FLY gt art-r fiffifiiit
I . . . ‘
Deedte Bug seen uL'L‘§J??e§'l'§I"s"y"'t'JZii
over Northampton
Relax, it's not what you might think. The
contraption in the picture is probably the only
aircraft completely designed and developed at
Sywell.
Ben Ashman of FlyLight Air Sports says new regulations
have opened a gap for an inexpensive,
simple ultralight that is devoid of complicated leg-
islation.
The result is the Doodle Bug, a fo0t—launched (i.e.
you have to run with it) powered hang glider. Over
Christmas last year — but apparently nothing to do
with the celebrations - Ben developed a supine
A microlight built in India and tted with a ballistic
recovery system has been undergoing tests
and checks at Sywell prior to its importation. The
XAir is based on a Cyclone A3-3 and is being prepared
for type acceptance in the UK by the British
Microlight Association chief engineer Guy Gratton,
left in the picture.
On the right is test pilot is Paul Dewhurst, a partner
in FlyLight Air Sports. Following acceptance,
likely to be the end of May, the type will be imported
by the Camelford and Wessex Light Aeroplane
Co based at Davidstowe, Cornwall.
4 _
harness for a hang glider ‘with a rigid frame that
tapered to the rear of the pilot in an effort to keep
as much of the airow attached as possible,
avoiding a lot of drag from turbulated ow’.
He convinced the team at FlyLight that it would be
very simple, easy to use with excellent comfort The Deod|e gug in ight ever 3ywe|| with an
and Vteblttty» intrepid Ben Ashman at the controls during
T
Within a month the prototype was own and the a recent test ight \
Doodle Bug was born. FlyLight are now beginning
manufacture of the unit with imminent availability.
‘So far we have successfully own the machine on '
a Scandal 13.5, Discovery 195s, K2 Comp and a
Magic 4 166,’ said Ben.‘ All performed well with no
nd lhe USA
ed‘/etse Ptebtems ehd We ate Wetklhg herd t° There are just flying triangles, only capable of brate successes in the evening
'heh'Y the tB“9t t° es meh)’ ‘”th9s as Possible-' short hops around the aireld. That's one view All that's left now is my instructor's test. So if the
Test hYth9 has shew" “P he ‘hasttesh ehd e sttthh of the microlight aircraft seen around Sywell. weather improves and you see a tartan—clad pilot in
tats °t about 350 h Pet ththutet tttet eehshhtptteh But it's not the true picture. a pink triangle ying over Pitsford, give me a good
twe titres ah h°“" at 32 t° 47 mph Keen observers may have spotted a pink microlight luck wave.
Ben is enthusiastic about the landing technique: in the air over Sywe||_ Nioknarned the ‘pink pan.
‘This ts ahhest the best htt with suthsteht hetght ther', of course, this is a record setting machine Colin MacKinnon
the tegs are uhettpped she teweted bY tekthg Yet" which holds a world title for the fastest climb to
feet out of the stirrup which incidentally retracts 30QOrn (three kttometree) above the oroond _ it took
hast‘ up shove Your heatt Ye“ theh htth9 Yet" just under 18 minutes — and carried me all the way
ehhs she sheutdets tetwetd tht°“9h the math across the United States, from the Atlantic to the
straps bringing you back to the gorilla position. paott-to A oaoabte beastie indeed
The approach is fairly standard fora microlight or The Stoke senttnet deeonbed my journey as ran
hang glider by using a little extra speed to combat odyssey of Utyesran broborttonst and a -tabted trek
shY Wthd gtadteht As You start t° teuhdeut eteset so deliciously reckless and pointless that it begged
to the ground the legs touch and you feel the drag to be done~_ so after eunrnrtno odn_tottno Us
come in. The air is far less critical and less rnannee‘ and Btbte Be|t preachers‘ why did the |=|ysevere
than is necessary for a normal hang gliding rno Sooternan eon-re to sywe"?
tehdthg because °t the drag ttem the legs ahd The old slogan, Fly well at Sywell, has something to
eve" th tight to he Wthd 3 tew steps are ah thatts do with it. Microlighting is an affordable, safe and fun
tequtted t° eeme te 3 tutt et°P-' way of ying in the 1990s; the late 20th century ver-
. Construction of the t:|y|_;eht shadow was sion of those nostalgic old string bag biplanes that
steady during the winter months with the wings, Put Sywell on the aviation map 70 years 890- After
tail surfaces and fuselage nished and painted. All ml’ great times lh the Steteei t Wanted t° help Others
that remains is to t the engine, instruments, fuel ehl°Y the tuh °t th9htsystem
and unde|rCa|'|'iage_ Paul DeWhUr$t, Of Al|'Sp0rt$ at SYWEH, ls One
Pau| Dewhdret is hoping to have it nished in time of the country's busiest instructors of future micro-
tor the Wond Chantbronehibe in Hungary |ater this light instructors, as well as being a gold medallist in
year, after whteh it wt" be but a|ondsrde the AX3 the World Air Games. So who better to learn from? Colin and his ‘Pink Panther’ during a refuelling
and avahabte tor syndicate shared And with a friendly bar at the Aviator Hotel to cele- stop in America.

i March Helicopters aiming to
be new service centre for MD
i
March Helicopters Ltd of Sywell could soon be
appointed by the manufacturers as the UK
service centre for the MD500l600 range of helicopters.
In January Boeing sold its light helicopter division,
formerly McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Co, to MD
Helicopters Holding lnc, a European based indus-
trial group with aerospace activities.
March Helicopters Ltd was formed in 1980 by two
former employees of the defunct Sloane Aviation
Ltd, Mike Smith and Archie MacKenzie (hence
March). Sloane Aviation had been based at Sywell
since the early 70s and had for many years been
the UK and Eire distributor for Hughes
Helicopters.
March specialised in the Hughes/McDonnell Dou-
glas 500 series and the Schweizer 300 helicop-
ters. The company’s daily business centred
around maintenance, sales, training, charter and
lm work, and still does today although at the
moment pilot training no longer takes place at
March.
In 1990 Mike Smith left March to set up his own
company specialising in Robinson Helicopters. His
place was taken by a then customer of March,
Alan Ford. Alan and his son Peter operated a
500E in the London area as Ford Helicopters.
The Boeing MD 600N Notar at Sywell.
March over the years has built up a reputation as
Sywell Skyriders flying group
being the country’s leading specialist in the
McDonnell Douglas 500 series helicopter.
When Boeing Helicopters bought McDonnnell
Sywell Skyriders started in May 1964 when the coast until they came to a town with a pier with
Douglas, March continued it’s involvement with
h t . D 199 ht t
eight pilots got together in Northampton. We
started with a Tipsy Trainer Aircraft, a
two—place low wing monoplane with a Walter
Micron Engine, G-AFFB. The engine, to put it
politely, was clapped out.
We had no self—commencer in those days, but
Brooklands Aviation always had some beefy
mechanics who swung the prop for us. if it failed to
large letters saying ‘Welcome to Cromer'. A swift
180 degree turn and they soon arrived at Gt.
Yarmouth.
The Yellow Peril was part—exchanged for a very
nice Jodel 120, Reg. G-ASJZ — a Rolls Royce
compared to our two previous aircraft. lt had a
self—starter, carb heat, air brakes and best of all, a
radio with ADF, what a luxury!
ge .ypeé;;3 ‘got ecgT:erUK. .|¥ht-mug he ns‘
oeing ar e IS was a revo utionary
design dispensing with the conventional
tail rotor and instead using controlled turbine
engine efux. The helicopter is one of the safest
and quietest of its kind.
Toda March still looks after the onl one of this
Y Y
type in the UK. In 1998 there was another rst for
March when it im rted foralocal customer the
. . . . . . . I P0 7 .
re, it would revolve 6 or 7 times. When it did We had many happy hours ying this plane until f tB 4 N . 1 h t Th OON .
start, the mechanics rapidly retreated to the the starter broke pieces out of the starter ring. This "S oemg 600 In Qt e mun ry' e 6 is a
stretched eight placed version of the 520N, and it
hangar and closed the doors.
was a very expensive job to put right as it meant
too uses the Notar technology.
There were no dened runways then, and if the taking the engine out and transporting it to Silver-
March looks after more than 25 aircraft most of
wind was right we would drive straight out of the stone for repairs. The same thing happened three
them the 500 type, also Schweizer 300, Bell Jet
hangar and off. With the Tipsy Trainer there was times in all, and we had to sell the plane and pay
Rangers and Eurocopter Squirrel. The owner/op-
no such thing. We would tuck the tail over by the off the bank with £6 to spare.
erators are not just locally based; they are spread
north east corner of the aireld, open the throttle We bought a similar Jodel, G-AZHC, call sign
country wide, with customers also as faraway as
and hope for the best. Mostly we managed 100ft Hotel Charlie, and this was to be the name of the
Belgium, Portugal, and Kenya.
over Sywell Village and 400ft over Northampton, Group. Some of the Group began to want a more
but I don't think we ever got above 1000ft. sophisticated aeroplane and had their eye on a
We part—exchanged it for a yellow MK IV Auster, Cessna 152. Out of the 20 odd types of aircraft V
l
with a Lycoming engine, G—AJYK. This the mech- have own l considered the 152 the worst and,
\$y\DS'
anics dubbed the Yellow Peril. with another member, split from the Cessna Group 13“ Q“ F05A
It was nice to y and slipped through the air at 110 and purchased Hotel Charlie. Together with six ‘
“I
knots on 75% throttle setting. Its only navigational more pilots we formed another Group, and the 0*
aid was a magnetic compass that had not been Sywell Skyriders were re-born.
swung for years and, therefore, could be anything Our next plane, and current, plane was another
up to 10 degrees out. It had no radio, ADF, VOR, Jodel G-BDDF (Dog Fox).
GPS or any modern gadget.
Over the years, we had many pilots join us and
On one occasion two of our members decided to then leave the Group for various reasons, but still
go on the ‘Kipper Run’ to Gt. Yarmouth. Off they they boast that they once ew with the Sywell
went and 45 minutes later they reached the east Skyriders, and l am pleased to say the Group is
£1.50), contact Elizabeth Brown at the ofce
coast. No sign of Gt. Yarmouth or anything else, still going strong.
just sand and water. The pilot asked his mate Most days you can see our aeroplane G-BDDF in for 7°“ membership keaet and app“°ati°"
form. Tel: 01604 491112
should they y out to sea and see if they could her blue and white livery still proudly riding the
locate anything from that side, but he got for an skies over Sywell.
answer, ‘NO, for heavens sake, at least we know
this is England’. They turned north and ew along Lionel W. Sanders
now has
802 members
If you would like to join them (it costs only
\ J
\

All about 0th
The Moth Forum
Several years ago it was recognised that new owners of old aeroplanes
were experiencing difficulty in establishing which was fact and what
was fiction when trying to immerse themselves in the lore.
Whilst it was possible to get in a Gipsy Moth or a Tiger Moth and go ying,
what did the new owner or converting pilot know about his engine or the rea-
sons for the litany involved in starting up? And why was it necessary to
observe procedures even when shutting down? What should a pilot look for
when the engine failed to start or equally as seriously, failed to stop when the
switches were turned off?
How did a chap on his own, possibly on a farm strip, move an aircraft, start it
up and depart? How did he fold his map in an open cockpit and othen/vise
manage his resources in the teeth of a steady breeze whipping around him?
And what did he do when on arrival he found a signicant cross wind on the
duty runway and was obliged to land his old aeroplane tted with a tail skid
to capture the essential essence of rebuilding, ying and maintaining part of
our heritage. Every Moth owner believes he is merely a custodian, ready to
pass on the aeroplane and his accumulated wisdom to the next generation.
Sywell aerodrome provides a natural facility from which to operate the three
day Moth Forum. To open the bedroom curtains in the hotel and see one's
Moth picketed on the grass below must be a unique experience.
Sywell‘s rich aviation history oozes from every corner of the site from the Cir-
rus Room to the old hangar layout, usurped by members of the Moth Club in
1984 to become both Stag Lane and Croydon on behalf of the BBC.
Sywell provides the perfect base for owners to tone up on cross wind opera-
tions or emergency and forced landing practice.
side of controlled
airspace is an addi-
tional benet.
The Moth Forum is
an important part of
the de Havilland
Moth Club‘s annual
programme and
now attracts a
ber of owners from
overseas.
Stuart McKay
One of our newest ‘residents’
f
-I
Gipsy Moth G-ABDA, ‘Pride of Woburn’
alld Wl1h°“t the benet °f tat“ breaks? Although only recently moved to Sywell, she is probably the oldest,
The Moth Forum was established for members of the de Havilland Moth Club being bum by de |.|avi||and5 in the |ane|- pan °f1g29_ she was first
registered as G-ABDA to Sealand Petroleum Co. Ltd in July of 1930 with
her first C of A being issued on the 24th July 1930.
After ve years with the Company she was transferred for a short time to Air
Taxis Ltd and then in February 1935 to the Redhill Flying Club (picture above
believed to be taken at Redhill). After some six years there, she was
impressed into wartime service at No. 20 Maintenance Unit, Aston Down and
given the Military Aircraft Code DG583. Later that year she was moved to
No. 9 Maintenance Unit, Cosford. In the latter part ofAugust 1941 she was
delivered to No. 451 ATC Squadron at Stourbridge to be used as an instruc-
tional airframe, and eventually withdrawn from use on the 8th January 1946.
G-ABDA spent the next few years being used as a land born instructional air-
Upper all Work Wt‘ E l craft with many ATC cadets being taught the fundamentals of ight. Very little
A.-.1‘
T l
IS known about the aircraft after this date. It passed through many owners
and collectors of antique and vintage vehicles.
Ian and Philip Castle found the aircraft in 1991 whilst they were searching for
various Tiger Moth pans, and acquired it. Rather than use the parts for differ-
ent projects, they decided to re-build her to ying condition, which was
achieved in May last year where she ew for the rst time since 1941.
Resplendent in her new livery 'BDA has won many trophies at the PFA Rally
for Best Moth, Best Vintage Aeroplane and overall Concourse d'Elegance.
She arrived at Woburn to the now famous Moth Rally and there she received
the coveted Flying Duchess Trophy for Concourse d’Elegance. To nish a
rewarding year of show appearances she took part in the Sywell Air Pageant
at the end of August, which was exactly 63 years to the day that she was
here last for maintenance in 1935.
-301}-5 is how they do it) Many hours of work and research have gone into restoring and preserving
G—ABDA. lt is not possible to thank all, but special thanks must go to Ron
i
and Michael South of Aero Antiques in Southampton and Rex Ford of
Fordaire based here at Sywell.
I\'?
Z
A swarm of Moths at a recent Moth Forum meeting at Sywell. Restored and wearing new paint work, G-ABDA at Sywell last year.
-. ‘Q’. ' .

Two Mustangs seen in action
at Sywell Pageant 98 were
Paul Morgan's ‘Susy’, left in
both pictures, and Rob Davies’
‘Big Beautiful Doll’.
More Mustang action in
August at Sywell Pageant 99.
. I
Noirttlh American
lP=5 III) Mustang
Pictures by Peter Brown 01933 673023
That taught me a lesson!
A nice day I thought, sun, blue skies, wind light. I thought like that in with ease. We barrel-rolled it over the airfield, brought it downwind, stood it
those days, the reason being I had just become a fully-fledged, highly on its wing, tip on base, did the same on finals, greased it onto the runway
trained, know—it-all ‘PILOT’! and taxied back to the hangar at warp six. I was sold! A bit of haggling and
With my Pilot's Licence and log book, with a massive total of 52 hours in it, the aircraft was mine.
the scene was set. Sywell Aireld, with aircraft buzzing around the sky and I was now ready to fly my very own aircraft, but how? Mike Parker came to
taxiing on the ground and almost all piloted by trainee pilots, but I was fully the rescue. Philip, his partner, would sit on the left and convert me onto the
trained and looking to buy my own aircraft. I knew just what was wanted, SIAI Marchetti, my first aeroplane.
good looking with loads of instruments and at least two radios. With my I started okay and called for taxi clearance to the hold. With quite a lot of mis-
experience, I could fly the world, go anywhere, at anytime. givings, I took off and levelled out at two grand. After a few manoeuvres I
So I went to see good old Mike Parker and low and behold he had the very turned to Philip and said, ‘Okay, let's go back.’
plane I wanted, and so began my inspection. It stood in his hangar, which He replied ‘Okay, do it’, but I replied ‘I have only ever landed a 152 before‘.
later I was to come to know so very well. It looked huge, its fin and rudder The look on his face will stay with me forever. ‘Neither have I,‘ he replied, ‘But
seemed to tower as high as the rafters, its wings seemed to spread from wall thank God I brought the flight manual with me!’ With my white knuckles and
to wall, it looked twice the size of the only aeroplane I had ever own. Philips eyeballs on stalks, we made the most grotesque and saggiest,
A tinge of doubt crept into my mind, which grew greater as my inspection took longest nal ever.
in the instrument panel. There were more dials, boxes and levers than I had I learnt a lesson from that, but it was the start of some of the most wonderful
ever seen before. But wait a minute, I could fly anything, I had a licence to days of my life at Sywell.
prove it, hadn’t I? So with a quick look in the engine bay, (yes, it was all there)
I said, ‘Lets go and y it’ and so we did. Bill Taylor, Taylor Aircraft
The owner, with several hundred hours on this plane, threw it around the sky
J

@QC\¢tQ
"estate Membership llst ls full,
llmor Aviation Society Dlary 1999 d - - FOSA
22 May Naval Dockyards, Portsmouth a n a JO‘ n
19 June Museum of Army Flying, Middle Wallop
July TBC. Talk and slide show As always, a good two thirds of the membership attended the annual meeting
7 August Flight Day and Hangar Dance with several new faces, who have now chosen to join our society.
Sept TBC Hawkinge and Manston Battle of Britain Museums Unfortunately this means that there are no vacant places left. Anyone wishing to
2 October France become a member, please contact me and I will gladly discuss the waiting list with you.
November Lancaster Evening re—up at East Kirkby. All last year’s trips and functions were well received by all members and I would like to
4 Dec TBC aireld thank Phil Townsend for his tremendous efforts in organising the trips, especially for
such benets as personal tour guides or having the facilities open to us when normally
closed to the public. This year's itinerary is as full and interesting as ever and I am not
alone in my eager anticipation of another exciting year.
1-|||l'it‘iiit:t|i“‘£iiil" Last year's Flight Day and Hangar Dance was, in my opinion, the best yet. The guest
appearance of Rob Davies in ‘Big Beautiful Doll'with his T6 piloted by his friend, made
°_\t|g|=l;;;1l1;;:;",;,;ll;;l,§l::i'l the ight day full and interesting for all the members and their families.
Qs‘."tA c\E“€§ Last year's dance was restructured to include more involvement from Sywell aerodrome
‘\~ and its community, which paid great dividends. Not only were more people aware that
the dance is not solely for llmor people,
NO|'th Am€|'iCan which showed in the high increase in the
M U G P D number of people attending, but individual
groups worked together such as the RB
ge,ia| number 4442773 G_gU3y group who did the barbecue, The Aviator
hotel which provided the bar, and a pair of
Specifkation aviators who searched for and booked a ter-
ric band. When put together this made for
Engine Rolls Royce Merlin V1650-7. Built by Packard Motor Division of one great ntsht ant Thanks ta all involved-
General Motors, with fuel injection and two—stage two-speed supercharger. This Yeat the Fii9ht Dali ahd Dahee Wiii he
Displacement 1650 cu in (21 litres) en 7 August. with the dance starting at Yarn
Maximum power 1500hp at 3000 rpm and 61" Hg boost With the same hahd as iast Yeai — ‘BQX
Max,-mum speed 437 mph at 25.000 ft Clever‘. The plans may include a pig roast if
Cruise power 700hp at 2400 rpm and 35" Hg boost i°9isti¢s aii°W-
Cm,-se speed 270 mph at sea |eve| I asked if any club members were interested
Maximum rate of climb 3500 ft per minute in ieinino F08/t. and I am glad te revert that
Fuel capacity 150 gallons 100LL Avgas in wings aii members have leihed which iheahs that
180 gallons in external drop tanks when tted FOSA h°W has 30 hew iheihheis- Ffeih Yet"
60 gallons in fuselage tank (now removed to t passenger seat) tfips t° aifheids ahd museums afetihd the
Max range on wing tanks 800 miles with no reserve (Sywell to Bonn and retum) setihtili Yeti ea" see that ait Pii‘/ate ahd 9eh'
Max original range, all tanks 2100 miles with no resenre (Sywell to Rome and return) eiat at/iatieh ihteiests heed suppeitl se i am
we,-gm empty 7000", (3200kg) pleased you are keen to support your local
Max,-mum we,'gh; 12,199", (5350kg) aerodrome as well as those further aeld.
Coolant 20 gallons of 50% Glycol antifreeze, 50% water The P-51D ‘3"s.V'is h°W hash hem the
Lubricant 10 gallons of Aeroshell W100 werkehen and is leaking splendid in her new
Original annament Six 0.50 calibre Browning machine guns with a rate of re of 1000 °°i°“"s- The aiieiatts histeill t° date is
rounds per minute with 500 rounds per gun carried teattiied eh this Page-
Wing stores Two 1000lb bombs and six 5" diameter rockets
No of P51 Mustanges made 13,537 of which about 270 are still ying /1’/an/z /Zoiauon
Fun to Fly ratio Excellentll Club Secretary
History:
This aircraft was built by North American Aviation at their Inglewood factory, which is where Los Angeles airport is now situated.
13 February 1945 Aircraft passed nal inspection and was delivered to the USAAF, who shipped it to Italy where it was used in the latter stages of WW2.
28 August 1945 Retumed to United States and assigned to 131st Fighter Bomber Wing at George AFB, Victorville, Califomia.
14 February 1954 Assigned to 182"d Fighter Bomber Squadron Air National Guard at Brooks AFB, San Antonio.
31 May 1958 Sold as surplus to requirements and aoquired by the Nicaraguan Air Force with serial no. GN120.
15 June 1965 Sold as surplus to JN Burchinal Jnr of Paris, Texas.
23 April 1987 Flown across the Atlantic and acquired by Charles Church in whose ownership it took part in the lm ‘Memphis Belle’.
1 May 1991 Based at Sywell and regularly own by its present owner Paul Morgan.
24 March 1999 Repainted to represent the aircraft own by Lt Jack McFadden of the 334th Squadron, 4th Fighter Group in which he became an ace by destroying ve
aircraft during ground attack missions.

’ ]s\ioiIitz:1lly
kl 1938-39
schoolboy aged drome’, also the rst issue of Aerodrome.
>1’ 5 about I5. in My interest in Sywell is that l trained there as
l was Air Observer with Brookland s Aviation ' ' Ltd in '
able to y occa- I939 and then served eight years in that
int the Eapaitiy Th; RAF.
/ o amp on- ran ar or
e shire Aero Welwyn Garden City
Club’s Gypsy ‘mi
Moth. So, of the Dear Staff and Manager at Sywell Aerodrome
one hundred or so boys who stood to l love planes. lt’s really nice watching them
/ Ti ‘i -'
3'
A Se/echo" from letters attention at Lords Cricket Ground earIy in ' at night. '
I"eC€lV€d Every time I
GT 1'/‘I6
go past Sywell the aerodrome 0ffIC6 I
l94l and all hoping to be chosen as suitable ask to stop
5/'n¢e
in the F0$A car park and
wgg fgundgd watch the
in material for pilot training, I was the only one planes for a Augusf bit.
/as-f
l don’t
year. mind the noise. and l
1-he first who had actually own, thanks to Sywell. always
issue wonder
0fAERODROME' when and how Sywell
This certainly helped when some months Aerodrome was started. l’d love it ifl could
later at Hateld l had to solo a Tiger Moth come and
Dear
have a
Elizabeth
look round one weekend.
within nine hours.
You
Thank
may remember
you.
me from previous Sywell Aer a visit to the USA (ying training) and
corres
from George, Martin and Jane.
Pond enee ‘Oh Age
' l’ nine.
— . not agaln- l hear you the Middle ‘ East (the War bit) ' ying ‘ Spitres, ‘
sigh.
Overstone.
I retumed to Earls Barton in I947 and joined
Early 1940 in ‘mi
l Was attaehed, from RAF Hes- the RAFVR at Sywell. I re—acquainted Dear Mrs Brown
ton, to BEF 212 Photo Reece Squadron. sel'V- myselfwith Tiger Moths and later with Perci- As a
ing in conjunction
founder member of‘Krie i with g e Call’ I wis ' French Air h
d Foree val Prentices, . .1 then . . . a brief spell .
on to support our re—union
squa
base
Fons on slml ar
by
aetlvlnes,
becoming a
operating Chipmunks at Cambridge. member
from Coulomlnlers
of ‘Friends’ (see
air base, near lVleauX, and l recovered my PPL here in Norfolk in I994 our logo
eventually
for amplievaeuated
—"
Via Brest/Plymouth in and since then have been able to y regularly,
June I940
cation
accompanied of this l, by French aimien. __
with Cessna 150/ I 72, the odd hour or so in a term!) _ _'\\
Are you Still With me” Tiger Moth or Chipmunk Most ofthe ying Herewith my
ii=:_\" J,
l underStand Sywell had WW2 EFTS Free I do now is with Stearman PTl7s at ex-RAF
French
che ue
connections, for £2
some of whom were rep- station Swamon Morley, ‘Chocks away’
resented at the recent 70 year Sywell celebra- I look forward to hearing from you, Jack Paul
tions.
particularly when you have a y-in function,
Now
Shipston—on—Stour
to the tricky part. Any likelihood of a whore I might be able to meet up with my
Freneh name for “i*“'*
me to eontaet? friends of the days when Sywell (No 6 RFS), Dear
Thanking
Elizabeth
you in antieipati0n- also known as Mackenzies Air Force and Fly- I have attended
Reginald Biggs
Sywell’s Kriegie Call for the
well, was a very happy aerodrome indeed.
Bury last
St
I9 years
Edmunds
it has been running.
Ray White l have enjoyed not only the mp“ mi
camaraderie,
Melton Constable, Norfolk. meeting my
Deal‘ Sir,
old Kriegie friends, by also staying
I enclose
at the
my
Aviator
fee of£l.50 Hotel.
tojoin
The
FOSA.
Staff and
Dear Mr Tait, Management have always been most friendly
l rSt ew from Sywell in July I939 and l Congratulations on Aerodrome rst issue It is and hel ful to us.
- P
have happy memories ofthe airfield and the absolutely First Class and we shall all look I read in my most recent Kriegie Call
town of Northampton.
forward to future issues. Put the price up — Newsletter that we are invited to become
Donald MeLe0d it’s worth more! members of FOSA and that l would much
'i*"* Mike Newton look forward to receiving the joumal
Cambridge Kind ' Regards appreciate. l enclose cheque for £1.50 and
z it
Dear Friends of Sywell Aerodrome, T()wcester_
Aerodrome,
Thank you for your kind invitation to apply *i*“— Yours Since!‘ I
for membership to FOSA, which I
e Y
consider Dear sir Ken Comell
an h0n0ur- My joining fee is enelOSed- Thanks for the infonnation and membership Sherbome
I was brought up in
Dorset.
Earls Barton and as a application card for ‘Friends of Sywell Aero-
\
/Graeme, a former student of the Northamp-
He wasted no ti me in ' visiting ' ' ' tonshire School of Flying,
the
was bom in Isle- Graeme Grant Hawkins aerodrome
worth
and enrolling for , Middlesex lessons
and
at
attended
the
Isleworth
Northamptonshire
Grammar
School
School. of Flying.
He studied Civil
Graeme was a
Engineering
dedicated pupil,
at Leeds University,
thoroughly
gaining a
enjoying, and
BSc
preparing
with Honours
for
in
his lessons.
I965.
The
Graemeis hobbies ineluded hill Walking, shocking news
There
in
followed
I996 that he had cancer
a career in local govemment mountain elimbing, astronomy and had little effect on
as Assistant
his
Engineer
enthusiasm and
and Project
dedi-
Controller ¢=

"@‘““‘O"“eCLASSglFAlED
Advertisement Rates:
‘I~ Display: £5 per single col cm
~"=.*'./-:3‘-1!‘ Linage: £2 per line,
" ‘
General Maintenance of Aircraft, Modem & Old
Aircraft Leasing
$pg¢i3||§1in palm; 3, woqd
min. 5 lines.
Phone I I 2 829”
_ , _ _
Contact: Rex Ford,
Shackleton A Hangar (Unit 12F)
Sywell Aerodrome, Sywell
Northampton. NN6 oar Tel/Fax: 01604 645 996
Tayl or Aircraft Services
S 9|] Aerodrome
Shell have been proud
to SuppIy_SyWe_II
*‘ Swvul llvurwno no-vamp»-»
FLY t“L_}1_>-
Z}E’
g;;; 131333 gggggg
J13pgb Heljggptegg Ltd
AVPTVYG SEFYICI CQNIEE
\I.iiiilt'n.imc \'.iIc\ A‘ Priiduct Stippnrt
\~ vr5 ar.
It xi rs@~»@»~@are _ All heavy repairs carried out to Wings. ins. etc. " ,........i.'“~.....°“.
. . I &'Wm“:°m7n3hs .
fax NOW
For all your PPL training requirements.
O 20, 30 or 60 minute trial flights
available 7 days a week
O Aerobatic Displays
O Aerobatic Flight Experience
O Aircraft Maintenance to JAR 145 Approval
O Full Rebuilds, Fabric, to Fleet Maintenance
Wsilors Always Welcome
Phone 0l604 644678
"Train!/lg Pi/rm" uf Si'ii'c//n‘ 0\'c/" 7/) Ibu
__| PROPERTY FOR LET
.
" *' "'_.“.“’
W
zit-.;»
4-;. . I I M‘
For the best price and fastest turnaround phone or AVIatIOn wuEnqwm°,,,4 mm I
The Lancaster Hangais - Site B, Wellin9b_0L9ugh RQQQ Just
Sdl Web: \~ww.hnIl:0wn1\-u|a.co.uIi
5] SLOANE HELICOPTERS
‘ O
O PILOT COURSES
O PLEASURE FLIGHTS
O NEW & USED HELICOPTER SALES
MAINTENANCE & OVERHAUL
O EXECUTIVE CHARTER
O CORPORATE HOSPITALITY
O SILVERSTONE GRAND PRIX SHUTTLE
O AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
and much more . . . .
For our brochure and further
information please ring:
TELEPHONE (01604) 790595
FAX (01604) 790988
office area including toilets and rest room. Rental £3.50 sq.ft.
The_C_amping_Gaz Wgeho;i_s_e - $ite Q, Holc_ot Lane under-
refurbished offer a very efcie igh building for distribution going refurbishment offer total of approximately
_
purposes. Complete wi
38,000
g doors plus 2 dock sq.ft. including 2,0
levellers.
ffice area.
Parkinlg
The building lends
ction with toilets, shower itself to manuf
and
been
rest
used
room. ot
as a warehouse for
sq.ft. for rent @ £3.50 many years. T 4 loading doors plus 1 per sq.ft. Additional dock
ng of 6,000 sq.ft. available on leveller. Heatin throughout,
a design & build
a sprinkler
to
system
c ement
is
this superb building. Would fitted. Unit will b ailable
make
Christmas
a superb
1998.
UK
Rental
HQ.
£3.50 per
sq.ft.
1,200 sq.ft. of office sp gents & The Wellington Hang_ar -
ladies,
$ite_Q,
heating Hoiwt Lane
and
original
light n constr cter, property of 30,000 sq.ft.
available
available on
3
a
yr
flexible
At £8 ' short term
nnum licence. Annual fee of £2.00 per sq.ft.
- mm r H f office u oilet &
a
kt h / t , I t .
T',,° - §",?,"i, - = - . ..- ,, °,u‘Z.,§'?e ""“"‘ FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE
m:,"i;%sz"a‘:a.z.‘..atstrxtrzssrszpza PROPERTIESTELEPHONE 01604491112

aW"AERooRoME
Microlight
Pilot Training: from £65 per hour inclusive of VAT
l
Helicopter
Pilot Training:
Aircraft Hire:
Northamptonshire School of Flying 01604 644678
from £210.33 per hour inclusive of VAT
SIoane Helicopters 01604 790595
from £64.14 per hour inclusive of VAT
Fordaim 01604 645996
$4,,
\
O
\4fR OQQ
a ' I A!
Jo n
lf you would like to join the Friends of Sywell Aerodrome (it
Fuel:
Aviation Char es
Fly Light Air Sports 01604 494459 »
Fixed Wing Pilot Training: from £92.50 per hour inclusive of VAT ‘1
Oil £3.06 inclusive per litre 491112_
Landing Fees: Microlights £ 7.00
ows Support your
/0Ca/
A\/GAS 53p musive per 111,9 costs only £1.50), contact Elizabeth Brown at the ofce for
JET A1 29p inclusive per litre your membership leaet and application form, tel 01604
. . . . . Benets include: A chance to win a free prize in the draw
Single engined Fixed Wing and Helicopter £ 9.00 - - -
Twin engined Fixed Wing and Helicopter £16.00 on each magazine publication‘ AND
°V9"\l9l1l Pa'l