Welcome to the website of the
LAA Suffolk Coastal Strut
The Suffolk Coastal Strut welcomes members from not only Suffolk, but also Essex, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.
We hold monthly meeting on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at our 'home' base of Crowfield Airfield. Members have aircraft based at Crowfield, Elsmett, Great Oakley, Hinderclay Meadows, Lavenham, Little Baddow, Maypole, Monewden, Nayland, Old Buckemham, Priory Farm, Seething, Tibbenham, Wolves Hall, Wormingford and a number of private strips & locations.
While Boxted, in Essex, is the home to our annual July fly-in.
Visitors to Crowfield are most welcome (although restrictions apply) and flying instruction/PPL hire is available in the Flying clubs two Robin HR.200/120B, Robin DR.400/180 and Pa18-150 Super Cub. Details at www.crowfieldairfield.co.uk
Dates for the Diary
Wednesday 19 Aug 2020 at 19:30
'Virtual' Strut Meeting - Air E Race Propulsion
For our August meeting Richard Glassock will be giving a talk on - Air Race E Propulsion and in particular the Electric Cassutt Racer project
Richard is a Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham focussing on hybrid electric and distributed propulsion for electric aircraft.
He has designed and developed experimental hybrid electric aircraft propulsion units for unmanned aircraft systems. Current projects include leading development of the Propulsion Futures Beacon Air Race E demonstrator program, modular hybrid electric range extenders for electric light aircraft and preliminary design of electric powered skydiving aircraft.
Richard has also put together a poster for the talk: (click for larger image)
The meeting will again be over ZOOM and Mick will be sending out the invite a few days before the meeting which will be open for people to join from 19:15, with talk stating at 19:30
Wednesday 16 Sep 2020 at 19:30
'Virtual' Strut Meeting - Hot Air Ballooning
For our August meeting Robin Macey will be giving talk on Hot Air Ballooning
Robin is a member of the Nottingham & Derby Hot Air Balloon Club and has been involved in ballooning since 1984, having now made over 300 flights. He is also noted for balloon photography, with his work having been been widely published.
The meeting will again be over ZOOM and Mick will be sending out the invite a few days before the meeting which will be open for people to join from 19:15, with talk stating at 19:30
Wednesday 18 Nov 2020 at 19:30
'Virtual' Strut Meeting - Airspace Infringements
For our November meeting Rob Gratton, from the CAA, will be giving a talk/presentation on Airspace Infringements. This has been re-arranged from July when Rob had to cancel at the last minute due to work committments
Rob's presentation will cover Airspace Infringements in the UK, how to avoid them, what the CAA’s process is in dealing with them and what it is doing to reduce them. Hopefully followed by Q&A.
Rob joined the CAA in 2011 as an Airspace Specialist before being appointed as a Principal Airspace Regulator and deputy to the Manager of Airspace Regulation with the newly formed Safety and Airspace Regulation Group.
His current responsibilities include the establishment and management of the Temporary Restriction of Flying Regulations and the coordination of Unusual Aerial Activities within the UK FIR. Prior to joining the CAA, Rob was a military ATCO in the RAF. He is also an active GA pilot flying a Grumman AA5 from Turweston
The meeting will again be over ZOOM and Mick will be sending out the invite a few days before the meeting which will be open for people to join from 19:15, with talk stating at 19:30
Date posted:
Updates & News
01 July 2020
LAA RALLY 2020 SADLY CANCELLED
MAKE A NOTE IN YOUR DIARIES. 3RD, 4TH AND 5TH SEPTEMBER 2021.
It is with a heavy heart that we announce the cancellation of the 2020 LAA
Rally. The LAA’s rally working group and Sywell aerodrome have been
working hard to develop ways in which the Rally could continue and stay
true to our traditions, while at the same time keeping our members,
volunteers, exhibitors and other visitors safe. However the continuing risk
of transmission of COVID at large social gatherings is likely to continue
later in the summer and this made the 2020 Rally untenable.
“Planning for the event had begun at the beginning of the year and
continued despite the constraints of lockdown in the hope that, with the
resumption of recreational flying and the prospect of further easing of
lockdown restrictions, it might have been possible to hold an event of some
sort at the beginning of September at Sywell” said Eryl Smith, Chairman
of the LAA Rally Working Group.
“Despite our ability to physically re-plan the event site to meet social
distancing, many of the regular elements of the Rally would have needed to
be scaled back or withdrawn. Also many of the regular volunteers who help
set up and manage the Rally rightly had reservations about attending this
year, so we have reluctantly made the decision to cancel the 2020 event.”
“It was a hard decision to make, so many people across the whole aviation
community all so much wanted the Rally to happen, but the decision is the
right one” says LAA CEO Steve Slater. “Instead, we should all make a
note in our diaries for_ 3RD, 4TH AND 5TH SEPTEMBER 2021._ The Rally will
celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the formation of the LAA’s direct
predecessor, the Ultra-Light Aircraft Association. It will both be a
celebration and a welcome reunion for those who can’t get together this
year. I promise, it will be one heck of a party!”
