Air Camper doing its thing

This month’s chat is going to be a bit of a mixed bag , many topics to talk about and news to deliver I’m happy to say.

With the celebration of the LAA’s 80th birthday celebration arriving on June 27th, our committee met up at Croft Farm to lay down some plans to get an idea as to the requirements on the big day , aircraft parking / car parking / catering for food and drinks, it all has to be thought through in advance to make it run smoothly, when it all looks easy the hard work has paid off!! The most important piece of information we need is how many will we be catering for?, SO PLEASE BOOK IN ADVANCE !!! The Strut will be covering a lot of the costs, the bargain event of the year at £5 per adult with kids having a FREE BBQ and a chocolate bomb to demolish!, a healthy fruit bowl as an alternative of course!

Balsa models to be made and flown , a bit of a step up from the paper variety, build the Pietenpol, a nuts and bolts model for the kids to disassemble and re assemble “right to tight “ with the spanners my boy! A few prizes will be awarded.

It’s about time I gave you an update on the Pietenpol as it has been some months since the last info edition - it is now standing on its undercarriage, wheels and hydraulic brake lines fitted, so I feel that has reached another milestone! Engine mount and engine fitted for the first time with all the plumbing installed, such as fuel / oil T’s and P’s / hot air / mixture / throttle etc. I say it has been fitted for the first time, as it all has to come off again when time comes to move it to the new hanger space ( when I find it ). Next big day coming up, re hang the engine and fire it up.

May 12th will be the start of the Strut’s summer programme at Croft Farm / 6pm BBQ start and a visiting aircraft to learn about.

Always a very enjoyable evening, all that fresh air and run around space, just to best time to meet up with your friends, drinks at the bar, hope to see you there.

Blue skies - Mike

Part 2

Okay, Chris, said John suddenly. “Let’s do it and start on down but keep our fingers crossed. Here goes nothing.” He eased the control column gently forward, initiating a steep descent. I wondered what it would be like to explode in the air. Would it all be over in a blinding flash, or would the plane break up with us pulling back in futility on the control column to halt the screaming descent as the end rushed up faster and faster to meet us? We continued our approach and as the pressurisation in the aircraft began to equalise with the outside air, we were still in one piece – so far so good. We both became preoccupied with the landing procedure: undercarriage down, flaps extended, checklist, radio calls, etc. The captain executed an excellent landing and guided the aircraft onto the next fast exit, merging smoothly onto a parallel taxiway. Once we were cleared, we proceeded to the remote stand, positioned at the far end of a long pier, well away from the main terminal. As soon as the doors were opened, the passengers were instructed to disembark immediately, urged to move quickly, and informed that the aircraft needed to be relocated to another gate without delay. Every movement was measured and purposeful, the sense of urgency palpable, as though even a single moment’s hesitation could have serious consequences.

The captain stretched and stood up and said, “I’ll leave you to shut everything down. I’ll go and talk to the company on the phone inside the departure gate and tell them about what has just happened.” He walked off the plane, followed by the cabin staff, leaving me alone in the cockpit, where it was now deathly quiet. I had a moment to reflect on what had just happened and that I was still here in one piece, but what if a device was still somewhere hidden on the aircraft? Maybe the plane should be moved to a place away from the pier where there were passengers and ground staff.

I switched on the radio and contacted ground frequency. “Ground, Midland 850, if you are aware of our potential situation, may I request that we be moved to a remote position.” “Midland 850 ground, affirmative. We are aware of your situation, so would you taxi to your right via taxiway Zulu and X-ray to the remote parking area? You are clear to start engines and taxi at your discretion.”

I jumped out of the cockpit and went to the front door. I shouted down to the captain, who was still nearby and told him what we should do. “You don’t need me; you can taxi there on your own,” he said.

He was right, of course, even though it felt unnerving being there on my own. The steps had been removed, so I closed the door. “Come on, Chris, get on with it,” I told myself.

I started both the inboard engines and commenced taxiing to the designated spot I had been given. I needed to get off this plane as quickly as humanly possible, so I taxied faster than I had ever dared before, feeling every vibration of the aircraft beneath me. Screeching to a halt in the middle of the desolate, empty remote stand, I shut down the engines and watched the propellers begin their slow, hypnotic deceleration. Without hesitation, I sprang from my seat and rushed to the front door, yanking it wide open, fully expecting a set of steps to be brought up so that I could get down to the tarmac. Nothing! No steps, but I could see them a good fifty yards away. I started yelling at the top of my lungs and gesticulating to the people standing near them. “Bring the steps over here!” I could make out a shake of their heads as the ghoulish onlookers stood rooted to the spot.

I turned on a radio and called ground frequency and asked them why no one would bring over the steps. “Midland 850, no one is prepared to approach your aircraft, I’m sorry.”

I couldn’t believe it. No one was going to approach the aircraft in case the device exploded. ‘Goddamned stinkers,’ I thought. It was too far to jump down without breaking a leg, but there was another way out of this mess. In the cockpit roof there were ropes stowed in compartments above the sliding side windows just for this eventuality. I pulled open the door of the compartment and pulled out the rope that was attached to the cockpit roof, and lowered it through the window to the ground. How I managed to extricate myself through that tiny side window and lower myself to the ground, completely unaware of the rope burns searing my hands, I’ll never know, but it’s astonishing what adrenaline can make the body achieve in moments of extreme urgency. As my feet hit the cold tarmac, I cast a glance back toward where the onlookers had been, only to be greeted, as a final insult, by the sight of their Land Rovers disappearing down the pier, leaving behind a swirling cloud of grey exhaust fumes. There I was, alone, fuming with indignation yet simultaneously flooded with relief, forced to trudge the quarter-mile back to the gate at the far end of the pier, every step a reminder of the tension and absurdity of the ordeal I had just survived. There was no explosion and there was no bomb on board – it was a hoax, although no one knew that at the time. All we could think about then was the near certainty that we could die at any moment. I did learn something from that experience, about how people react, both individually and collectively, to potentially life-threatening situations. The old atavistic instinct to fight or flee was very apparent. For me, trapped in the aircraft, there was nowhere to flee, so I had to confront the situation head-on. Those on the ground, however, instinctively scattered some fifty yards away, which I could understand, though it left me entirely to sort things out on my own.

Editor: What an amazing story! I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.

AIRPROX and Mandatory Occurrence Reporting

Mandatory Occurrence Reporting requirements are detailed in UK Regulation (EU) 376/2014 and associated UK Regulation (EU) 2015/1018. Whilst most UK ANSPs/Aerodrome fully understand their reporting responsibilities there are still occasions, specifically when an AIRPROX has occurred, when the correct reporting action is not being carried out.

Clarification on the actions required by an ANSP/Aerodrome, when in receipt of a request from the UK Airprox Board (UKAB) for information relating to an AIRPROX, is available on the CAA website: Airprox Investigation and the Occurrence Reporting Regulations.

ICAO Landmark Study on Women in Global Aviation

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has launched a Landmark Study on Women in Global Aviation and is inviting women across the aviation sector to take part in a short online survey.

The study aims to better understand women’s professional experiences in aviation, including across government, industry, international organisations and academia. The findings will inform evidence based recommendations and establish a baseline to track progress over time, with a final report to be published by ICAO in 2026.

The survey is open to all women aged 18 and over who work in aviation, takes around 10–15 minutes to complete, and all responses will be anonymised.

The survey closes on 1 May 2026.

Access the survey here: ICAO Landmark Study on Women in Global Aviation

CAP 413 – Radiotelephony Manual

Edition 24 of CAP 413 – Radiotelephony Manual is now available and will be effective from 1 July 2026.

UK Main National Aviation Safety Plan

The UK Main National Aviation Safety Plan (NASP) 2026-2029 is directly linked to the Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP) and Regional Aviation Safety Plan (EUR RASP) published by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and complements the UK State Safety Programme.

It contains Operational Key Risk Areas as well as Organisational Challenges and related Safety Enhancement Initiatives that we will implement over the next 3 years to continuously improve aviation safety management.

New GA podcast on fuel sampling and trim safety

Are you sampling your fuel correctly before every flight?

Fuel contamination may not prevent engine start, but it can cause a loss of power during take-off or climb.

In our latest General Aviation podcast, you’ll hear how to sample fuel correctly, how to spot contamination and what different fuel types should look like.

The episode also provides practical guidance on managing trim runaways.

You can listen now here.

CAA publishes VTOL consultation reply

The CAA published a consultation on 7th November 2025 on the policies needed to accommodate the safe use of new types of VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft.

The consultation closed on 29th January 2026 and received 28 responses. This consultation reply document provides a summary of comments received and the CAA’s response.

Safety Notice - Autopilots and Trim Runaways in General Aviation Aircraft

SN-2026/005: Autopilots and Trim Runaways in General Aviation Aircraft | UK Civil Aviation Authority

This Safety Notice reminds general aviation pilots to ensure autopilot and electric trim systems are functioning correctly. It outlines immediate actions for trim runaway events, highlights common failure signs, reinforces best practices, and emphasises proper training and reporting requirements.

January			February			March
April

Gloster Strut Newsletter