Bill Woodhams Trophy

[Brian Hope]

Good news guys, there has been a change of heart and the Bill Woodhams Trophy will be awarded this year. There are a number of very worthy contenders and the winner will be announced at the AGM (Sunday 20th October at Sywell).

[Mike Flynn]

That is excellent news Brian.

Better it be given to someone deserving than sit on a shelf at the LAA HQ.

James Ketchall has safely crossed from the Faroes to Scotland and is nearing the end of his amazing flight.

[mikeblyth]

British adventurer and Scouting Ambassador and serial adventurer. Not Sure

[Chris Martyr]

British adventurer and Scouting Ambassador and serial adventurer. Not Sure

Hhmmm. Mike , not sure what the implication of your post is . Surely somebody with the above credentials would be a pretty worthy recipient of the above mentioned trophy though wouldn't he/she ?

Whether it be James Ketchell or whether it's not , doesn't particularly worry me . I am perfectly happy to leave this to the discretion of the awards committee .

But I'm delighted that the BW award is being made to somebody though . As I believe I am correct in thinking that it wasn't awarded last year either .

It has had many worthy recipients in the past , and I sincerely believe it will be awarded to many worthy recipients in the future .

Hopefully , old Bill can rest easy in that knowledge .

[mikeblyth]

Your quite right Chris, should be awarded. Glad I don't have to decide to whom.
Now if it had been in a VP1 with map and compass

[Mike Flynn]

In flight map reading must be interesting in a VP1

[Chris Martyr]

I believe that Bill Woodhams mostly flew a Comper Swift . Considering that the forward vision in those was errmmm,,,somewhat negligible is probably the reason that the old boy became a bit of a dab hand with his chart .

must be interesting in a VP1

Actually Mike . It's more like nigh on bloody impossible ...

[Mike Flynn]

That reminds me of transitioning from fixed wing to helicopters in Perth,Australia thirty years ago.

Too hot to fly with the doors on in an R22 meant sitting on the map.

One hand on the cyclic,the other on the collective and map reading became a challenge.

The only good point about the R22 is the fact that if you get lost you can drop in anywhere.

The Evans VP1 is certainly not a comfortable aircraft. Seen one sell recently on AFORS for just £3.5k.

[Chris Martyr]

The only good point about the R22 is

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,that most 'proper' pilots wouldn't touch one with a 10ft barge-pole ?...

[Mike Flynn]

Agreed Chris but great to train on. About the only thing worse is the Rotorway Exec.

As for the VP1..sounds like a challenging little flying machine.

[Ian Melville]

Your quite right Chris, should be awarded. Glad I don't have to decide to whom.
Now if it had been in a VP1 with map and compass

Compass!! are you allowed wireless navigation devices now

[mikeblyth]

"As for the VP1..sounds like a challenging little flying machine."

Notice I didn't mention a Fred

[Chris Martyr]

The Evans VP1 is certainly not a comfortable aircraft. Seen one sell recently on AFORS for just £3.5k.

Quite true Mike , they have very little residual value . But for me that doesn't really enter the equation .
The 'value' in mine is that it has given me a whole life experience . Which began in the 1990s when a set of plans plopped onto my front doormat . I could never have imagined the amazing 7 years which were to follow , because in retrospect they seem slightly surreal now. At the time , I had a bit of a problem sourcing decent quality Spruce and decided to do a working holiday in California. I got to know a few of the 'regulars' at Corona Airport . One particular memory was driving my rental car in to Virgin Cargo, LAX with a load of wingspar material stretching from the front footwell to the back of the boot . Another was wheeling my new u/c frame through LHR , quite ready to make out to anyone who asked that it was some cheap artefact that I'd picked up .

Not to mention the weekend I spent in my workshop cutting out wing ribs with my jig-saw , or the happy days I spent swaging my control cables , or emerging from my garage high as a kite whilst 'fabriccing' . The memories are too many and I don't want people nodding off .

But the day it first flew in Summer 2004 will probably be the most memorable . Because despite being a squirrelly little so & so on the ground , it flew superbly . I remember just tipping the stick slightly left and she went into a nice gentle turn , then bringing her back neutral and doing the same to the right .
I've had 15 fantastic years of flying . That little aeroplane owes me nothing !

I don't actually have any plans for when I'm too decrepit to hand swing the prop. and climb in , but if it happens , I would rather donate her for educational purposes or give her to someone suitable .

That doesn't include gathering dust , or being left at the mercy of tyre-kickers on AFORS .

And regarding comfort . I guess I must be just the right proportions for such an aeroplane , because once strapped in , it's a bit like being in a racing car .......and probably as much fun...

[Mike Flynn]

I guess your story Chris and many others is what the LAA is and the old PFA was about.

Getting people flying within a budget.

There must be a tremendous amount of satisfaction from flying something you built with your own hands.

I admire Colin Hales for getting so far in something he built. It was so unfortunate that he ended up on the Japanese golf course.

It looks like James is going to land at Popham this evening. Just seen on his tracker he is in Warwickshire.

[ChampChump]

Chris's post epitomises what must be the ultimate pleasure in recreational flying. My respect for those who build from scratch has no limits.

Joint (or penultimate, if you must) is flying a vintage aeroplane, of course.