Very sad news. Thoughts and hopes are with both father and son. Fingers crossed.

Anyone else notice the commentary at the begining. “……he also owns a rare first world war Tiger Moth.”

We’ve got one of those 🙂 [ATTACH=CONFIG]219335[/ATTACH]

You sure? That sounds awfully like the LET L-13 Blanik that was grounded in November 2011, for which an STC became available in 2012, a fix that is a lot more expensive. The Bocians main problem is its factory-imposed service life and TBO, combined with a history of poor glue joints. Shame, a lovely aircraft to fly, even with open canopy.

Doh. You are right. I got my Baltic ‘B’s mixed up, even though one is tin and the other timber!

As, sadly with many older wooden gliders, the time or cost of reglueing suspect joints and the perceived low value of the airframes sometimes simply doesn’t add up. I recollect an apparently tidy Bocian lingering at Bicester a couple of years ago, offered to a new owner for free. Hopefully it is now receiving the tlc it needed.

Regarding the open canopy, was that by design, or an interesting post-launch discovery? 🙂

A sad loss indeed. Bill had that rare ability to make even the driest facts seem interesting and readable. His legacy will I am sure live on for many years, both in print and in the hearts of the many who he inspired to take an interest in aviation.

I have a vested interest here, in that I have two aircraft currently based on the airfield.

I have spoken with the new owners and I think that their aspirations are realistic. In addition to their business record, the two prime movers in the project are known and respected in both the vintage car and aeroplane worlds.

Of course, they have to gain a return on the site in the long term, but they are both respectful of the heritage of the site and realistic in what they plan to achieve. They are also patient, and aren’t rushing too quickly into fundamental changes.

As many have pointed out on this page, a museum alone will not, no matter how well run, generate the resources to arrest the MoD’s ‘controlled neglect’ over the past decades. The new owners will inevitably mean some change, but they are committed to maintaining the omni-directional grass airfield as a going concern and I remain cautiously optimistic I can keep flying old aeroplanes from the airfield for the forseeable future!

Hi Moggy

The new National Planning Policy Framwork offers some protection these days.

This from the Fact sheet on NPPF on the General Aviation Awarness Council website at http://www.gaac.org.uk

This is one of the 15 GAAC fact sheets available to help with planning issues.

“Previous planning advice on noise focused primarily upon the introduction of a noise- generating activity upon existing development. It did not address the issue of new noise sensitive development (such a housing) being proposed in close proximity to long- established noise generating sites (such as flying sites).

This omission has previously resulted in some flying sites, which were in existence long before neighbouring development was introduced, being forced to alter their operations or even close down due to new (foreseen) complaints. That has been addressed with a bullet point in paragraph 123, which states that:

“Planning policies and decisions should aim to:

• Recognise that development will often create some noise and existing businesses wanting to develop in continuance of their business should not have unreasonable restrictions put on them because of changes in nearby land uses since they were established.”

This paragraph may provide some useful ammunition for anyone with a flying site under threat of a noise sensitive development proposed nearby.”

I am afraid it does David. The proposed housing development is right in the overshoot/undershoot area for runway 18/36. In fact a Piper Warrior which suffered engine failure last year wound up right in the projected housing area!

There are also possible issues with air turbulence from some of the proposed industrial buildings affecting light aircraft at low level on approach or climbout.