Ok, the new site, or at least the basics of it, is now live. The old ICC gallery has yet to be transferred but the Cockpitfest photos, links and a new forum is active.

It’s a very basic site now but is much easier to maintain.

It’s based around Cockpitfest as mentioned previously, but retains enough elements of the ICC to maintain the link between the two.

We don’t have the old ICC member’s directory any more but there is a “Roll Call” section in the forum which, I hope, people will use to introduce themselves and their projects. That way others will know who you are and just might be able to help out.

It has a new URL (no, not “Men in Sheds” DC!) – http://www.cockpitfest.co.uk although once the technicalities of the re-direction have taken effect the old http://www.internationalcockpitclub.org.uk address will take you there as well.

I hope it’ll continue to provide a ‘meeting place’ for cockpiters in the same way the ICC (sort of!) did. So please give it a go, otherwise all the effort will have been for nowt. 🙂

Lastly, but most importantly, a massive “thank you” to Bruce Gordon of Great British Aircraft Spares for donating the webspace to host this thing. Without his help this would quite possibly never have got off the ground. Cheers Bruce.:D

Thanks,

Mark

Thank you all, both on- and off-board, for the messages of thanks and encouragement and the offers of help. They are very much appreciated.

There are a number of points in this thread that really stand out for me.

Firstly, XF940’s point about being able to ‘showcase’ cockpiters efforts somewhere. There’s so much work of astounding quality going on in garden sheds and garages that it would be a shame for that not to be seen.

Secondly, and related to the above, is 12jaguar’s comments regarding non ‘magazine friendly’ projects. Much as we all greatly appreciate FlyPast’s involvement and enthusiasm for events like Cockpitfest, it is a little disappointing that the smaller projects (which often have just as much work put into them as the larger ones) don’t generally get reported on in the magazines. This is where the ICC came in as I always tried to include them in the Cockpitfest photo reports. As I hinted at in my original posting, I would hate to see that facility lost.

However, the post which really has hit the nail on the head is Stuart’s. I suppose the plans for the club in the early days were just too ambitious and the original founder realised that fairly early on. I was never going to be able to fulfill those ambitions on my own which lead to disillusionment all round.

As I said I am determined to preserve the Cockpitfest element of the ICC website but maybe that could be expanded slightly to include, for example, the existing Gallery as well so that a much more focussed version of the site can emerge. I suppose it’s realistic ambitions that are required now and satisfying the needs of the 2 points mentioned above are the most important for me, i.e. presenting the thing simply as a showroom for the work cockpiters are putting into their projects rather than pretending to be a ‘club’ of any sort.

I’m still thinking about all of this, and my level of involvement, so your further thoughts are welcome.:)