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The Avon Microlight Club was formed back in 1982, making the Club one of the oldest in the country. Then its founder ran the Club as a business. In 1991 the Avon Microlight Club as we know it today was formed. Whether you are an absolute beginner wanting to fly or a qualified pilot who just loves flying around, the Avon Microlight Club has something to offer you. The Club headquarters is situated at our new Clubhouse along side our Club hanger; this new asset was put in place July 2000, after a lot of effort from the members. Once you become a member you may come along and go flying, continue your training or relax in the Clubroom. During the summer months the Club holds informal barbecues and fly-outs to other Microlight sites. An event created and run by the Club was the "Club Team Trophy" this was a fun-based competition with various flying and ground activities, it was run over a Bank Holiday weekend and was well known in the Microlight calendar. The Club holds meetings held on the second Wednesday of each month, where members can get together to talk about Club and flying topics. The Avon Microlight Club is situated at The Control Tower Long Marston Airfield approx. 4 miles south of Stratford-upon-Avon. We have the use of the Control Tower, hanger, parking / rigging area and the runways. The Club is run on a friendly, informal basis to allow the freedom that the sport encourages. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) governs the sport of Microlight flying and in order to fly you must undertake instruction by an approved CAA instructor. Our Club has the benefit of Freedom Sports Aviation and its Chief Flying Instructor (CFI) Simon Baker. Simon can conduct and assess the CAA examinations you must pass before obtaining your Private Pilots licence; he also is a qualified aircraft examiner so he can also do Permit to Fly renewals. When you are ready to go "solo" you will want to buy your own Microlight and being a member of the Avon Club will give you access to a wealth of information from other members on any advantages and disadvantages of many different types of machines. Simon is available to carry out an examination and test flight of a second hand machine or source other second hand or new aircraft. On the days when the weather is less than ideal for flying, you can meet up with other members with whom you can exchange ideas, or alternatively you can catch up on some routine servicing or revise in readiness for your exams. Once you are qualified the Club provides a good base from which to operate safely and conveniently and encourage others to the sport of Microlight Flying. Partners, families and friends are welcome at the Club; facilities for making coffee and tea are always available in the Clubhouse. Microlights are defined as powered aircraft, which are designed to carry no more than two people, they can carry up to 50 litres of fuel, must not weigh more than 450 Kilograms (KG) when fully laden and have a wing loading not exceeding 25 KG per square metre. Within this definition there are many different designs which will fall into one of three categories defined by control system type. These are Weightshift, Three axis and Hybrid control. Although they have been used for crop spraying, photography and by the armed forces, Microlights are principally for pleasure flying. Being relatively inexpensive to purchase and operate has allowed many people to own and operate their own aircraft at a much lower cost than maybe associated with other light aircraft. Microlights have developed over the years from very basic flying machines into extremely sophisticated, yet simple aircraft. These types of aircraft must comply with recognised airworthiness standards allowing them to hold a Permit to Fly airworthiness document. The permit remains valid for twelve months, after which the aircraft must be inspected and then check flown, by a qualified person, to ensure both build standard and flight characteristics are maintained, then the owner can apply for a renewal of a Certificate of Validity which is attached to the Permit. Owners may carry out routine maintenance to their aircraft, but are not allowed to make modifications. The British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA) processes all procedures for continuation of a Permit to Fly on behalf of its members. The BMAA also authorise Microlight Inspectors and Check pilots. To fly a Microlight in the United Kingdom the CAA require you to hold a licence, the Private Pilots Licence (PPL). To obtain the licence you must undergo training with an authorised instructor and complete a flying and ground training syllabus. Once you have your licence it is maintained by flying at least five hours within a thirteen-month period and keeping your medical certificate current. The minimum age to hold a licence is seventeen years, although training may start before this and there is no maximum age. You may fly your aircraft from any suitable large open field, with of course the owners permission and within any existing planning constraints, or from one of the many Club sites and general aviation airfields which now encourage Microlights. When you own and operate your aircraft you have the freedom to choose how and when you fly. You may wish to spend an hour cruising around your local area watching the countryside slide below you with out the confines of roads or public rights of way. You could set off at a faster pace to cover more ground perhaps on a day out or a weekend away. Crossing the channel has become a matter of routine for some pilots and one has even flown to America and others to Australia. Whether you go short distance or on an epic adventure when you go by Microlight the journey is as much fun as arriving. Contact the Avon Microlight Club to book an air experience flight for yourself. The twenty-minute flight with a qualified instructor gives you the opportunity to enjoy the sensation of flight in a Microlight Aircraft. Following a ground briefing you will be settled into the aircraft and fitted with a helmet, which has a built in intercom system so you may talk with your instructor in comfort during your flight. After being made familiar with the controls and instrumentation you will then be asked to enjoy the view while your instructor flies you away from the airfield. You will be taken on a tour of the local area, your instructor pointing out places of interest, some of which you can only see from above. Your pilot will then remind you of the instrumentation lay out, and now working, in the cockpit around you. The controls and their effect on the aircraft will be demonstrated. You will be shown how the aircraft can be made to climb and descend by altering the power setting, how to change speed and direction by moving the control frame, and thereby moving the position of your weight under the wing, causing it to tilt nose up or down or bank to the side. Under the guidance of your instructor you will then be invited to take control of the aircraft yourself. You will be shown how to bank the aircraft and soon will be able to steer it through basic turning manoeuvres and also hold a straight-line course. You will finally fly the aircraft back to the airfield before giving back control to your instructor for the landing. Following the flight your instructor will be happy to answer any questions you may have and also advise you on the best way to continue your training. If you feel a little apprehensive at the idea of your first Microlight flight, why not bring a friend a long for moral support and both take a flight? Long Marston airfield is situated four miles SSW of Stratford-upon-Avon; along side the old A46 road. The village of long Marston is to the west of the airfield and the old Great Western Railway (GWR) line runs between the airfield and the village. The co-ordinance being Lat. 52 08 08 N. Long. 01 45 15 W. Elevation height 145 feet above sea level (ASL). Ordnance Survey ref. TL 170 490. Work started on building the airfield in June/July 1940 when the same family owned the land as today. The "Hodges". The airfield finally opened for war service in 1941 and was closed in 1954. It was known as Operational Training Unit (OTU) No. 24 (satellite) along side Honeybourne. To start with the Command was Bomber 91 group (RAF Abingdon) and the airfield were class A heavy bomber. In 1944 there were 1026 RAF and WAAF stationed here. There were three runways with tarmac surfaces and lighting. The runways then were, No. 1 05/23 1500 yards x 50 yards extended to 2100 yards QDM 050 No. 2 12/30 1100 yards x 50 yards extended to 2400 yards QDM 121 No. 3 17/35 1100 yards x50 yards extended to 1500 yards QDM 173 The runway numbers have now changed 05 /23 is now 04 / 22. There were 25 frying pan hard standings and seven diamond shaped hard standings. Long Marston's first units were two lodger units, these were the newly formed ferry training units from RAF Kemble and the aircraft types used were Bristol Beaufighter, Bristol Blenheim (short nosed), Bristol Beaufort, Bristol Bombay, Vickers Wellington to mention but a few. The American types were Tomahawk and Lockheed Hudson. The OTU (Operational Training Unit) took over on the 15th March 1942 and finished on the 24th July 1945. Their job was to train crews for bombers in six weeks, the aircraft being the AW Whitley V. There are records of crews from the 24 OTU being used for bombing runs over Dusseldorf on the 31-07-42 and 01-08-42. When the airfield closed down after the end of the war, it was again taken over by the Hodges family, who used the land for farming. But its involvement in wartime activities had not ended; it was put on standby as a relief landing ground for Pershore for the Korean War. The basic layout of the airfield is still the same today, with the Control Tower still being used by one of the two Microlight Flying Clubs using the airfield. On the airfield are light aircraft, Aerolite Flight Training, Aerolite Club, Avon Microlight Club, Freedom Sports Aviation, Model Aircraft Club, Clay Target Shooting Club, Motor Cycle Training, Drag racing, Pop Festivals, Film shoots, Caravan Park and Sunday market, a busy place to be! |