Important Club Announcement

The committee have asked me to make an announcement about a major new investment of member’s funds. As a result of both the survey conducted by the BCU and the recent EU “Canoe Raft and Personal” safety directive (CRAP 01/04/2011) the committee have become increasingly concerned about health & safety and how it affects their potential personal liabilities if a major incident were to occur on a club trip. An Extraordinary committee meeting was held earlier in April and it was decided to spend the club reserves on a share in a second-hand helicopter along with UHCC. A suitable rotary wing aircraft has now been found and Mark Spruce attended a flying course @ Culdrose, near Falmouth last week to do a training & conversion course with Sea Flying Cornwall. Our thanks go to club member Paul, a Navy pilot, who also gave up a week of his leave to train him.

Mark "Rock-hopping" while training in Cornwall

The inaugural club flight was a discrete fly past over the round Hayling paddle and I have posted the pictures we managed to snap from the cockpit (Below). There are clearly several ramifications for all members about this new venture. Obviously, in addition to obtaining the BCU 4* leaders qualification, all trip leaders will now be expected to pass their Private Pilots Licence (PPL – Rotary) in the current subscription year. In addition, it will mean a small increase in club subscriptions but the committee have assured me that it will only be in the order of 1000% for the next 100 years so they feel sure that, with such a good value, low cost subscription at present, most members will not notice this very small increase. The helicopter is based at Daedalus airfield, Lee on Solent and members who would like to see it can enter through the north gate on presentation of their membership card. It can be found next to the MCA helicopter at their base and it’s registration number is: G-LAPROLIOF0104. Please do go and look at your new helicopter. We would also encourage all members to keep an eye out for our chopper and give it a big wave when you see it when out on the water.