Light Aircraft Association

The Devon Strut will be hosting the annual south west regional ‘Air Rally’ at Dunkeswell in conjunction with Devon & Somerset Flight Training over the weekend of 13 – 14 August 2011. Arrivals information is available on the Devon Strut web site www.devonstrut.co.uk but please PPR on 01414 891643 before setting out. Landing fee is £10.

Early arrivals will be welcome on Friday 12 August and there will be a free evening BBQ for those who do. Free camping is available ‘under the wings’ and toilet and shower facilities will be available. There is also B&B accommodation nearby (see the list at the bottom of the Visiting Pilots page of the Devon & Somerset Flight Training web site http://www.dsft.co.uk/). Entertainment is planned for Saturday evening to help make the social gathering complete.

On Sunday afternoon, the BBMF will be making a flypast. Times are yet to be finalised but please note that no aircraft movements will be permitted during this time. When confirmed, the timing will be published on the Devon Strut web site.

Although this is not a public event, visitors by road are welcome and entry is by donation (suggested £5 per adult).

Our poster gives more information so come and enjoy a weekend of Devon Strut hospitality. We look forward to seeing you.

Bumped up. Weather looking good. Setting up tomorrow. Free BBQ on Friday evening. See you there.
http://www.devonstrut.co.uk/#/rally-homepage/4552912829

I went today, thanks to the Devon strut for putting the event on, but where was everyone else, only about 20 visiting aircraft.
(we were going to Schaffen-Diest but the weather was bad that way so went to Devon instead, it was fine all the way from Hinton never had to go much below 2000ft QNH, viz good)

Just a shame about the jobsworth who stopped us walking down the disused runway to the hangars like we always have done before- not allowed this year he said, the main reason seemed to be to stop people going to the hangars then walking back and not paying to come in. Luckily we found someone with a car to take us down there later.

Didn't clear until midday in the SE so I guess that put a lot of people off. Hope you guys have a much busier day today.

Sunday was a much better day, albeit with a stiff and blustery crosswind that exercised those "superior skills". We had just over 100 visiting a/c topped off by a spirited display by the BBMF Spit and Hurricane at 5pm.

To answer Nigel's point about being apprehended whilst walking to the hangars, we have to hire the airfield from the owner for the weekend and employ a man for the radio, hire tents for exhibitors, portaloos, Saturday evening entertainment and guarantee a minimum catering service at the same time. Hence, we need a level of security to ensure that the hundreds of freeloaders who try to get in without paying are rounded up, invited to contribute or expelled. That's why anyone seen wandering across te airfield or sneeking round the peritrack without the wristband of the day, was intercepted!

Hi Mike,

thats fair enough, not wanting people to get in free and everyone pay their way, but when we were stopped we already had our wristbands and were already airside!
Later on there was someone from Devon strut sitting on the other side of the runway at the start of the disused, about where we were stopped. Why couldnt he just check people's wristband and not let them come in if they havent got one.
Similarly, when we went round by car, we walked from the restaurant to the guys car which was parked behind the parachute club area, we walked past three people with devon strut daglo vests standing by the airfield road, said hello but apart from saying hello back they didnt say anything. We then drove to the hangars and back. The guy we were with hadnt paid to get in and hadnt gone airside, just stayed in the Restaurant.
I did speak to other people who went Sat and Sun, who were told they couldnt go to the hangar, dont know if they had paid to go airside or not. But why not just have people on the entrance road checking if you have a wristband or not. I know quite a few enthusiasts who went because there was a fly-in on and hopefully to see most of the hangars open to see whats inside and worth the long drive to see it all. If they had known the hangars wouldnt be accesable, some wouldnt have gone.

Why did you have to hire the airfield? I thought the fly-in was in conjunction with the Devon and Somerset flying school and doesnt the owner of that own the airfield?Maybe Im wrong? I know the parachute club werent allowed to operate and presumably needed paying off?

Hi Nigel,
Your taxi driver was a perfect example of the freeloaders we have to deal with and, yes, you should have been challenged on the peritrack. Having been previously told by Strut officers that the hangars were out of bounds, you coerced someone to take you over there! I'd rather you'd come to me and talked about it.

If we'd been able to raise a few more volunteers from the ranks of the local LAA enthusiast members, we might have been able to lay on some organised and informed hangar tours. Maybe an option for next year?

We'll be having an event wash-up meeting soon, so this topic will be on the agenda.
regards

Hi Mike,

Well I suppose you could say the guy that took us to the hangars was a freeloader, in that he didnt pay to come airside, but he spent his money in the cafe and didnt go anywhere he was supposed to pay. I guess getting people to pay as they come in the gate is the only solution to this.

We were never told the hangars were out of bounds, we were only told we couldnt walk down the disused runway. When stopped we said to the guy, "ok we will have to find someone to give us a lift there" and he didnt say anything. When at the hangars, we had a friendly reception from everyone there, inc the airfield owner who we chatted to about his Sipa.
You seemed very busy when we were looking for a lift and another strut member said he would have given us a lift, but had come by bike.

yes, organised hangar tours next year would be a good idea, if you can get some volunteers to do it, as you say. If some of the enthusiasts knew there were hangar tours, Im sure they would be more willing to pay the entry fee.

glad to see you had a better day for visitors on Sunday

cheers

Nigel

I went Sunday and had a lovely day. A very nice lunch, very efficient Marsallers who all had a smile on. Weather was great.

Good banter, nice folk. I even had 12 to 15 kts on the tail all the way home.
On return home, 2 pints of Guinness, and a snooze in the garden, a perfect day.

Captn, that's what it's all about...