[poetpilot]

I'm up to my ears in plaster and paint at the moment, but happy to announce that I've taken on the lease of the old Staverton Flying School building at Gloucestershire Airport (EGBJ) and will be opening in March as "The Flying Shack", offering 3-axis microlight training in our Eurostar and Thruster aircraft, as well as a friendly club environment for any pilots or wannabes that care to drop by.

You're very welcome to pop in and say hallo between now and then if the gates are open, but expect to find a lot of decorating and refurbishment underway, and the coffee will only be instant. When we open in March, it will be Espresso!

We're situated away from the main terminal area, on Bamfurlong Lane before you get to the airport entrance road (all the locals will know where we are). We've got our own car park and a secure airside gate.

If any Forumites are handy at cartoons/caricatures, we'd be over the moon if someone could design us a logo. I have in mind a hut/shack with wings, potentially with a Eurostar in formation.... I can offer you a P u/t trip in the Eurostar if you're under 15.5 stone and can provide us with a winning brand/logo !!! PM me or email

mike at poetpilot dot com.

[poetpilot]

Ooops - I should add that we are still in close collaboration with Cotswold Aero Club and will be continuing to work with Cotswold customers and pupils on the microlight side. No negative changes - all changes will be positive!

[Lindsayp]

Very best of luck Mike with your new venture. Sadly I'm no designer and weigh 16.5st anyway

[Bathman]

All the best.

What will your opening hours be?

[poetpilot]

Opening hours .... to be decided but microlight flying is essentially daylight hours, plus we'll run the bar and social club a couple of evenings a week to start, and see what the demand is. So let's say, to start with it will be 0830 to 18.30 with probably Thursday/Fri or Fri/Sat evening opening.

Social membership will be required to buy alcoho, but we'll make social membership pretty cheap.

We've got a paddock with benches, so summer evenings should see some BBQs and of course I have my musical connections sos I can see a few acoustic / jam nights coming up through the year...

[matspart3]

...and if anyone's wondering, Staverton Flying School hasn't closed, it's relocated to a very swanky new hangar on the south side of the airfield. Add into the mix Absolute Aviation's Breezer that arrived last week, the imminent arrival of Aeros' Tecnam twin and, I have to say, it's been a positive start to 2011. Good luck Mike, we're looking forward to a circuit full of esspresso fueled microlighteers!

[JWL]

Congratulations on the new venture - it's great to hear something positive happpening in GA land

[Airborne]

Congratulations on the new venture - it's great to hear something positive happpening in GA land

Yes, agreed. Well done Poetpilot! I very much hope it is a great success,

[Old Pilot]

Is Ian Cran still the boss at Staverton or has he retired?

[gozap]

Congratulations Mike,
Hope all the new venture goes according to plan and that it is a good "retirement" job for you. Just what I wanted to do but it hasn't worked out that way at the moment.

May even pop down and take a look around when the weather gets a little better.

Dave

[Flyingfemme]

Is Ian Cran still the boss at Staverton or has he retired?

Long gone - there have been several General Managers since then. The current bunch are pro-aviation; which is nice

[Tim Dawson]

That's great, it's nice to hear of something opening up rather than something closing down.

[poetpilot]

Thanks for the positive comments, peoples! Bearing in mind our position (nicely in view on the public road, really the first sight of the airfield as you approach from the traffic lights) I'm hoping we can also act as a "shop window" on the airfield's various activities.

I'm already in touch with some of the airport companies around selling their gift vouchers. If other airport-based businesses feel that we may be able to do mutually beneficial activities, then there's an open door at The Flying Shack!

GA suppliers ... contact me if you think we could sell on your products - I must emphasise we will be promoting sport aviation with some bias towards microlighting, but tell me what you sell and we'll consider it for the shop.

Oh, and if there is a weightshift instructor with own aircraft, we can probably arrange an office for you and provide an operational environment...

[Bathman]

Do you have a website and/or a price list?

[poetpilot]

Hi Bathman, website not up yet, as we're concentrating on the practicals of the building right now. But, once we've got the basic information ready we'll put something up as an interim (until the branding/logo aspects are covered). It will be on http://www.flyingshack.com, which I've already secured.

Prices for tuition and PPL hire are as for Cotswold Aero Club. For NPPL/PPL holders, we'll be offering a frequent flyer scheme whereby you pay £40 per month and £55 an hour wet for hire of the Eurostar.

Landings for micros @ Gloucester are £8, touch n go's £4.