Airside access at Sywell fly-in

Rod1 · Post by **Rod1** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 5:08 pm

If the intention is that we are judging the viability of a rally by the result of Sywell we have already lost. Of the 22 people I know who were planning on going about 2/3 have now decided not to bother. I am seeking clarification from the organiser, but I will probably not now attend for all three days and my not bother at all. It is ridicules to expect us to set aside 2.5 days and tell us we HAVE to fly in or we cannot play. The English weather is just not going to make that a good risk. I hope we do not have any accidents as people push it knowing that driving is not an option.

Rod1

andre faehndrich · Post by **andre faehndrich** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:07 am

Hi Everyone, my name is Andre Faehndrich, and I represent the Milton Keynes Aviation Society (www.mkas.net). I am a keen aviation enthusiast and I am also an LAA member.

I am at present 13,000 miles away on a family holiday and so my responses will be intermittant, but lets start the ball rolling and let me respond from our side.

Some very quick background for everyone, so please refrain from ANY firing of FLAK in MY direction just for a moment. Most of you may not know, but MKAS is now affiliated with the LAA, and has been since March 2009 - the first Non-Strut, Non-Type Group, and we represent enthusiasts within the LAA on the NC. However this has NOT been brought to the general notice of LAA members - but that is an entirely different story.

We have been actively involved in marshalling and running Young Aviator events since 2006. We have run 3 Young Aviators events at Sywell to date, having flown 148 youngsters, and our 4th Young Aviators event is scheduled for Sywell on Saturday 12th Septmeber 2009. We are actively involved in marshalling, and have worked on many events at Sywell, and have also helped at North Weald and Panshanger.

We did all the marshalling and airside access at the first PFA (as it was then) Regional Rally at Sywell in May 2007. We had initially been asked by Jeff Bell to do only the marshalling and when it was realised that LAA members expected airside access (as it is part of their membership) and no airside access was going to be granted by Sywell due to CAA restrictions at that time, we (MKAS) agreed to do escorted access for groups of 10 to 12 enthusiasts (both LAA members and non-LAA members) and this worked out quite well. We had just over 300 aircraft visit on the Saturday and due to poor weather only some 40 to 50 aircraft made it in on the Sunday.

Now for the Sywell Revival on September 5th & 6th 2009, Jeff Bell once again approached MKAS and asked me if we would do the marshalling at the event and I agreed. Jeff also said that he had several requests from enthusiasts about airside access, and asked what my opinion is, as we are doing the marshalling. I said that that I was quite happy for us (MKAS) to manage the airside access for those enthusiasts (both LAA members and non-LAA members) who require it, BUT I do not want just anyone wandering around airside, while we are marshalling moving aircraft.

Arriving air crew and passengers will be given arm bands, and they can come and go airside as they please. It is the access from the public side of the fence that we are going to manage - by way of escorted tours of groups of 10 to 12 enthusiasts at a time.

Now, let me just explain - even though we had escorted access in May 2007, I as a marshaller, while waiting for a pilot to start up, gave him the OK, only to find an individual wandering around, totally oblivious to me shouting and also blowing a whistle, warning him of the aircraft about to start up. I had to run over to him and physically stop him from walking in front of the aircraft about to start up. He had a few choice words from me I can tell you. I do not need to remind anyone that propellers can and do 'bite'.

For the Sywell Revival on September 5th and 6th I am responsible for airside access at Sywell, and I need to have a very convincing arguement, to give anyone and everyone unrestricted access airside, be they LAA members or not. For me, as indeed for everyone else, safety HAS to be THE number ONE priority - not just for the marshalling team, the aircraft, their air crew and passengers but also for anyone else who is going airside.

I can see and ui understand the arguements from all sides, and I can see there are also some others that we need to consider, other than enthusiasts, such as a pilot, who decides to drive down and not fly (due to weather or whatever) and then wants to go airside to meet up with friends, etc.

I do not want to cause any animosity for anyone, especially LAA members, or to isolate or alienate anyone, but I also need to be convinced that airside access can and will be conducted in a safe manner, and that is why we (MKAS) are going to give escorted access for enthusiasts (both LAA and non-LAA members) for this years event.

Rather than everyone get their heckles up and start firing bullets in all directions, why don't some of you come forward and assist MKAS in providing the escorted access airside??. I have written an article to this effect for the August Light Aviation magazine, asking for LAA volunteers - though I do not know know yet if it is fit for publication, as the previous article I submitted for the April Light Aviation magazine has never been published, nor indeed a reason given for its non-publication. Also with the distancing of the LAA from the current event, I don't know what affect this will have on whether this artcile gets published or not.

At least thanks to MKAS we all have an option for airside access for this years event. It may not be the most popular option, but its an option.

Perhaps for the single 2010 Rally, we can all work together and come up with a workable solution for everyone. However someone needs to take the lead on it - and I think that is the fundamental problem here.

So I will now go and put my Flak Jacket on.

Let the firing commence.

David Broom · Post by **David Broom** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:06 am

Andre
Thanks for putting the MKAS point of view. Personally I don't have strong views on the Sywell arrangements, it is their fly-in and they can organise it how they like. As a LAA member / pilot I have the choice whether to go or not.
For me, the troubling comment in your post was;

For me, as indeed for everyone else, safety HAS to be THE number ONE priority - not just for the marshalling team, the aircraft, their air crew and passengers but also for anyone else who is going airside.

A simple way to achieve the emphasized aspects of this statement is to cancel the event. That way, no risk to anyone, 100% safe. Unfortunately it is also a path to ruin for GA.
Perhaps education rather than control is a better route to follow. With education people can understand the risks and aso that they must accept responsibility for their own actions. With excess control you exacerbate the "who let this happen to me" attitude when something goes wrong.

Bill McCarthy · Post by **Bill McCarthy** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:03 am

It's certainly news to me on MKAS's tie up with the LAA. Will they now have influence, dictate policy, or impose draconian safety measures at our other fly-ins.
As I have boringly mentioned on previous occasions, I (and perhaps the vast majority of members) attend a fly-in, whether by air or road, to see new and other interesting designs up close. I do NOT want to see an air display - there are plenty of those throughout the year at other venues, or to watch balloon bursting competitions. Look, if the "Luciole" or a handfull of others I am interested in were to turn up at the Sywell event, I want to walk round them, even lie under them (with the owners' permission) and stay with them for maybe an hour. I don't want to be whisked away or dart from one aircraft to another like a frantic spotter.
The event is called the "Sywell Revival". Revival of what, exactly ? Please don't try to equate it to the Sywell PFA events of the '70's. And, how do you process "airside courses" for potentially 8000 members - daft.

Bill McCarthy · Post by **Bill McCarthy** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 2:28 pm

After a look see at their website, I assume that all members of the MKAS are fully paid up members of the LAA as well.

steveneale · Post by **steveneale** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 8:34 pm

Bill McCarthy wrote:It's certainly news to me on MKAS's tie up with the LAA. Will they now have influence, dictate policy, or impose draconian safety measures at our other fly-ins.

I can confirm EC invited MKAS to become affiliated to LAA at the beginning of the year and they took up their seat on NC in March. Andre came to that meeting and gave us an excellent introduction to their association.

For the record MKAS affiliation was minuted in the March NC minutes circulated to all NC representatives on 16th April 2009.

To answer a couple of the other questions, MKAS have the same single vote at NC as all other members, no more no less.

MKAS meet the same NC membership criteria under LAA rules as everyone else. NO strut has 100% LAA membership to my knowledge.

Steve Neale
NC chairman

Bill McCarthy · Post by **Bill McCarthy** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:27 pm

I take it then that since they have voting rights on the EC that all THEIR members are at least "Full" members of the LAA - anything less would be an outrage.
On another tack, and since their aims seem similar to the LAA's, they would have been invited to form a strut in the first instance ?
Are there any other "outside bodies" on the EC ?

steveneale · Post by **steveneale** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:36 pm

A bit off topic but I admit I thought NC minutes were on the website. They certainly used to be on the old PFA one. Can't find them now though. Certainly no reason from NC's standpoint for them not to be in the members area for those of you not close enough to a strut to join one.

Bill NC is not the same as EC. EC make policy. NC is a council of strut/type organisations and affiliates. NC can advise EC but have no power to make policy.

Steve

steveneale · Post by **steveneale** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:47 pm

Peter, NC hat off, I have to say I find your last sentence disturbing. Who do we think has been propping up PFA/LAA membership over the years?

Steve