Hello all,
Time for another progress update on this year’s Today’s Pilot Fly-In – things are coming together rapidly and I can hardly believe that we have just three weeks before the big day!
Thank you to all of you who have already called or e-mailed to say you are planning to attend the event. If the weather co-operates it looks like the 2005 fly-in will be our biggest yet.
We now have event support from Red Bull and a variety of traders and exhibitors plan to attend. These include the AFE Pilot Shop, Cambrai Covers and Old Crow Trading (books).
Waco Europe Ltd hope to bring the newly EASA certified Waco YMF5 Super biplane for its first UK fly-in appearance, while CSE Aircraft Sales are bringing a variety of Cessna types to help mark the C172s 50th anniversary. Lambert Aircraft have also told us that they intend to bring the newly PFA permitted Lambert Mission M212 across from Belgium – this will be the aircraft’s first public appearance in UK since PFA approval was granted. Obviously the arrival of all aircraft is dependent on weather and operational factors though.
The Red Bull Energy Crew will also be on site all day distributing FREE Red Bull to visiting pilots. We are very grateful to Red Bull who have also provided copious amounts of their energy drink to help sustain the many volunteers without whom the event could not run!
As per my previous postings you’ll be aware that the event takes place at Nottingham Tollerton Airport on Sunday June 5 and we are joining forces with the Aeronca Club of Great Britain again to co-host the ‘Gathering of US Classics’ on the same day. So hopefully we will attract some rare and exotic classic American designs like last year.
The two main themes this year are 50 Years of the Cessna 172 and 60 Years of the Pitts Special – but obviously everyone is welcome whatever they fly, be it a single, twin, microlight, helicopter, autogyro or jet!
Fans of the Pitts Special should be in for a real treat as Shawn Doyle at Leicester is organising a massed arrival of Pitts’ – with around 20 aircraft expected to take part! The aircraft are expected in the overhead sometime between midday and 1.00pm.
We have now booked ‘The Houndogs’ to play live at the ‘Pre-Fly-In’ party on the night of Saturday 4th. Tickets to the party are just £7 – to include live music and your food at the BBQ – with any profits going to the charity fund. After a ‘small scale’ debut in 2004 this party really seems to taken off this year with lots of people telling us that they plan to arrive on Saturday afternoon. We’ve even heard from a number of flying schools and clubs who plan to shut up shop so they can be on site for the entire weekend!
There’s no need to pre-pay for tickets but if you can give us an idea of how many people you plan to bring it would help us plan the catering. However, if you make a last minute decision we certainly won’t turn you away.
Don’t forget that there’s free overnight camping available and if last year is anything to go by it should be a memorable evening!
Regretfully the airfield has asked us to restrict slow moving traffic to arriving pre-10.30am, however, as recompense for this we have arranged free landing fees for all microlights arriving on Saturday in readiness for the fly-in. There is no restriction on departure times on Sunday.
Proceeds from this year’s fly-in will be split equally between Cancer Research UK, the British Disabled Flying Association and the Glen Stewart Flying Scholarship. All aircraft landing at this year’s event will be charged a £5 landing fee, all of which will be put into the charity ‘pot.’
Anyone planning to fly in to Tollerton that weekend will need to read the fly-in briefing sheets that were published in the June issue of Today’s Pilot and also posted on the Today’s Pilot website forum at http://www.todayspilot.co.uk
You will also need to call the airfield (on 0115 9815050) for an on the day briefing and to obtain PPR.
I hope we’ll see some of you over the weekend. If anyone has any queries or suggestions please feel free to e-mail me at [email]stephen.bridgewater@keypublishing.com[/email] or call me on 01780 755131.
All the best
Steve
Steve Bridgewater
Assistant Editor & Fly-In Co-ordinator
Today’s Pilot Magazine
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May 18, 2005 at 5:19 pm