Category: General News

This will be an opportunity to share with our strut members any lessons learned from your flying experiences (there’s no need to be embarrassed—we’ve all had something happen or done something which we wish we’d rather forget!)  

The Zoom meeting will open at 19:30 on Tuesday 2nd February 2021. Instructions for joining the meeting will be sent separately to Strut members; if non-members wish to join us please contact our Treasurer and Zoom host Neville Parton in advance at  treasurer@bristolstrut.uk and he will send joining details.

This will be the opportunity to tell us about what you have – or have not – achieved in 2020, or your plans for 2021. 

The Zoom meeting will open at 19:30 on Tuesday 5th January 2021. Instructions for joining the meeting will be sent separately to Strut members; if non-members wish to join us please contact our Treasurer and Zoom host Neville Parton in advance at  treasurer@bristolstrut.uk and he will send joining details.

The theme is Electrifying General Aviation with a good range of speakers including Rolls-Royce on the ACCEL speed record aircraft programme – due to fly this year, E-Racers and Gliders, Faradair, Pipistrel who have successful electric trainer and more in the pipeline. Design Competition winners will also be announced. The Design competition is for an eVTOL Humanitarian vehicle to operate across Caribbean islands. There are some excellent submissions.

There is more information on the conference here.

Chris Wright, chair of the Royal Aeronautical Society’s General Aviation group, previews technology-driven potential and challenges for the Light Aviation sector here.

Because of COVID restrictions our next meeting will be held virtually on Zoom. We see the return of Fiona and Angus Macaskill, this time with an account of their aerial sightseeing in Australia.

The meeting will open at 19:30 on Tuesday 3rd November with the talk starting at 19:45. Instructions for joining the meeting will be sent separately to Strut members; if non-members wish to join us please contact our Treasurer and Zoom host Neville Parton in advance at  treasurer@bristolstrut.uk and he will send joining details.

Because of COVID restrictions our next meeting will be held virtually on Zoom. Chris Bigg, local historian who has worked in the aviation industry for over 40 years and has previously talked to us about local topics such as the Brabazon, is returning to relate the story of the Bristol Aeroplane Company during World War II.

The meeting will open at 19:30 on Tuesday 6th October with the talk starting at 19:45. Instructions for joining the meeting will be sent separately to Strut members; if non-members wish to join us please contact our Treasurer and Zoom host Neville Parton in advance at  treasurer@bristolstrut.uk and he will send joining details.

The next meeting of the Strut is the Annual General Meeting, on Tuesday 8 September, starting at 19:45. Because of Covid-19 limitations, this meeting will be held through the medium of Zoom. Logon details for the meeting have been sent by email to all Strut members; if for some reason you have not received yours, please contact one of the committee through the addresses on our Contacts page.

The DofT will shortly be issuing guidance for the resumption of training and dual flying from 4 July – see http://www.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk/2020/News/flying.html

CAA – The Manual of Air Traffic Services (MATS) Part 1 (CAP 493) has been published as Edition 8, which will become effective on 31 July 2020: www.caa.co.uk/cap493

On 1 December 2020 the CAA will introduce a new procedure to review and, where appropriate, amend the classification of airspace. The classification determines the flight rules that apply in that airspace and the procedures that must be followed. You have the opportunity to offer comments on a draft of this new procedure at: https://consultations.caa.co.uk/policy-development/draft-procedure-to-review-airspace-classification/?mc_cid=223f21e64c&mc_eid=3edf2eff83

Last December the CAA also asked us to suggest specific airspace that they could review using the new procedure, once in place. Unfortunately the information provided on traffic flow was not fit for the intended purpose. However a summary of the responses is published at:
https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP%201935.pdf

June/July Strut Newsletter published today. Assuming Covid restrictions allow, the next meeting of the Bristol Strut will be on the 1st September 2020.

As we resume flying, it’s worth reading this now rather than waiting for
the next Newsletter.

As the article states: “Nowadays there’s an increasing range of advanced electronic devices available, both portable and fixed. These provide audible alarms and/or digital readouts and cost anything from a few tens of pounds to several hundreds, all of which
should, if properly set up, effectively mitigate the risk.”

https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/modalapplication.aspx?appid=11&mode=detail&id=9631

I have recently seen a note from the LAA to inspectors about the impacts of Covid-19.

One bit came as a surprise:
“…please do remind owners that we do accept Permit renewal check flights being carried out up to a month prior to their inspector’s inspection, and that you have the power, after inspection, to authorise check flights for up to a year after the Permit to Fly has expired.”

I was aware of the second point but not of the first; I have always assumed that the check flight had to follow the inspection. Not much use at the moment if we’re not able to fly at all, but worth bearing in mind for the future.
Trevor

We may not be able to fly at the moment (apart from our 4-weekly maintenance flight where appropriate) but we can plan. And the French SIA has been unable to print its 2020 charts before the expiry dates of the 2019 charts. They are therefore offered on-line FREE!

https://www.sia.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/produits-numeriques-en-libre-disposition/cartes-sia.html

You will need to create an account.

Following the Government’s latest advice to stop non-essential contact with others, the Bristol Strut and Bristol Aero Club have reluctantly decided that we can’t go ahead with our meeting on April 7th, nor, probably, with our other meetings up to our summer break.

Confirmation as to whether the May meeting is to proceed will be available on this website nearer the time.

UPDATE 26/3/2020
We live in extraordinary times! As you would expect, we have now cancelled the speaker for May as well as for April, and are re-booking them for next season. Rolls Royce have closed the Heritage Trust so unless conditions change our 1 June meeting is also cancelled.

This month our meeting will be the pertinent to us all and is to be held on Tuesday 3rd March in our usual Room 4 at BAWA starting at 7.30.

The speaker will be David Chambers who says:
“Time for some de-rusting prior to the start of another flying season. This month’s focus provides a quick refresher on R/T, not just the words to use but what they mean. What to say if you can’t comply or want something different? Are you clear on the difference between Air/Ground, FISO and full ATC?

David will takes you on a tour of the different levels of R/T interactions from unmanned grass strips to regional airports. Check your own understanding and walk away confident to request that next zone transit or self-announced arrival.”

Perception v Reality – recognising hazardous attitudes.

Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday 3rd December at 7.45 in Room 4. Bring some nibbles to share.