Hi everyone
My apologies for not posting last week but struck down with the winter lurgy. Mostly recovered now, thanks for asking.
Weekend before last we hosted the Junior Winter Series, organised by the BGA Junior Gliding team, notably Lucy Wooton. We had about a hundred people, including instructors and coaches from many clubs and 13 gliders. Friday was unflyable but in spite of very strong winds we flew most of Saturday and all day Sunday, achieving more than 100 short west launches over the two days, which may be a record. Many, many thanks to all the club members who spent long hours at the launch point making sure that our visitors had a great time and to Helen, Dave and their helpers who managed to feed them all in great style. Supporting the Juniors is important for all clubs if we are to ensure that our sport continues to thrive in the future.
This week we have had some good flying days and thanks to Mark Sanders we have had enough people on the ground to drive winches and run the launch point. Today looked a bit like a cross country day so time to get back into action.
Winter Lecture Series 7th March 2020
Many thanks to Richard Head for treating us to an excellent talk on his life in the RAF last Saturday. The next one is on Saturday 7th March at 1800 in the clubhouse. We are enormously privileged to have Mike Fox talking to us. All the talks so far have been absolutely brilliant and this one will be no exception. Mike is no stranger to our club, he is the BGA National Coach, his knowledge about gliding is unparalled and for this talk he is going to describe an amazing gliding trip he did in 2003. “A return to Kitty Hawk”, a US glider race from West Coast to East Coast USA. Mike flew with George Moffat. This is a type of flying very few of us will be able to achieve and it will be fantastic to hear the stories from the expedition. If time allows then Mike is also going to be able to help us out with any gliding related queries as well. Come up for the talk, book a meal and enjoy the social side of the MGC. As usual there will be a small charge with the proceeds helping to pay costs.
Caravan Applications for 2020-21
ANY member who wishes to keep a caravan at the club must complete the application form and return it to the office, together with the appropriate fee, no later than 6th March 2020. Applications will be considered at the Committee meeting in March. If you don’t make an application there may not be a space available if demand exceeds supply. We have a limited number of spaces legally available and cannot magic up more if we wish.
More from the BGA
I received the following from the BGA this week:
‘As you know, the BGA has utilised pilot medical declarations for decades. Indeed, the NPPL and more recently CAA Pilot Medical Declaration standard are based on that successful and proportionate approach to recreational pilot fitness, which was championed for some 50 years by the retired BGA medical advisor, Dr Peter Saundby. Pilot medical declarations are a proven effective control.
As you’ll also be aware, EASA pilot licensing rules result in pilots of EASA sailplanes including powered sailplanes and TMGs needing to hold a licence and medical certificate by 8 Apr 21.
The current exemption allowing pilots of EASA aeroplanes to use LAPL privileges with a pilot medical declaration ends in Apr 20 resulting in all pilots of EASA aeroplanes being required to hold an EASA medical certificate from 8 Apr 20.
With all of the above in mind, at the back end of 2019 the BGA wrote to the Secretary of State for Transport seeking the continued use of UK pilot medical declarations for pilots of all recreational EASA aircraft after Apr 20. At our invitation, the BBAC (balloons) and LAA (light aeroplanes) were co-signatories to the letter. We know that the subject is currently generating activity both in DfT and CAA. Whilst there is no guarantee that our request will result in the right outcome, we are being listened to.
For your interest, I have attached a response from the Aviation Minister. (see below)
We’ll keep you up to date as we hear more.
Pete Stratten’
Click here to see the DfT PMD response
MGC Annual General Meeting
The next Annual General Meeting of the Midland Gliding CLub will be held on 4th April at the club. The business of the AGM is to (taken from the club rule book) :
19.3.1 confirm the minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting;
19.3.2 receive and adopt the revenue account and balance sheet for the previous year;
19.3.3 elect an auditor for the following year;
19.3.4 elect the executive officers of the Club and the general members of the Committee;
19.3.5 appoint any honorary officers: and
19.3.6 transact any other business which is proper to an Annual General Meeting.
At this meeting all the positions on the committee are up for election so if you want to get involved and help the club management make the right decisions for the future benefit of the club and its members, and you are a full member, you need to put in a nomination form, available from the office, proposed and seconded by two other full members, not less than 3 hours before the AGM starts.
Your duty teams this weekend are:
Saturday: Guy Hartland (No 1), Mark Jerman (No 2), Dave D’Arcy (TLs), Peter Orchard (winch), Glyn Macarthur (LD)
Sunday: Nigel Lassetter (No 1), Mark Jerman (No 2), Mark Wakeham (TLs), Peter Orchard (winch), Charles Page (LD)
Happy landings
Jon Hall
Chairman