Wed Apr 19, 2017 10:08 pm
#1531017
With thanks to Derryn for correcting some of the nonsense that has been written above, as the owner of Damyns Hall I will make just one contribution to this scurrilous and ridiculous discussion by providing the facts:
• I have owned, run and subsidised Damyns Hall for 13 years out of a passion for flying – I have always wanted to make it one of the bests places in the country for pilots to enjoy our sport
• This has been challenging, given the perilous economics of flying businesses and the inevitable planning difficulties aerodromes face
• In my early flying days, more than 20 years ago, the Tiger Club and specifically Tony Richards (who was then the Club manager and now manages Damyns Hall for me) were both a source of inspiration and support
• For the past 60 years, the Tiger Club has been an important institution in British Aviation, providing the opportunity for aspiring pilots to challenge themselves to become some of the best pilots in the country
• As a result, I have great admiration for the club and when the opportunity presented itself to bring the Tiger Club to Damyns Hall (it was not told to leave Pent Farm, which is a lovely farm strip but quite remote for most members), I was delighted to offer them a long-term deal to base themselves with us
• I believe that bringing the Tiger Club to DH is good for them, good for DH and good for all of our ambitious pilots, who will love the opportunities it offers
• In order to accommodate the Tiger Club, as we have a shortage of hangar space (yes, some hangar space has been given up to accommodate the team who run our annual music festival, without which I would have closed DH years ago), which has resulted in us giving a month’s notice to some residents, for which I apologise. All are welcome to stay with outside parking, but I realise that for some this is not an option
• It is true that not all resident at Damyns Hall are happy about these changes, and I am sorry for that, but experience has taught me that businesses and communities thrive on the actively engaged and not the actively disengaged and that is what I will focus on
• It is also true that in order to foster a proper club community, all resident pilots will have to become associate members of the Tiger Club and that I have offered to pay their subscription for 2017. Non-resident pilots are not required to be members and all visitors will be welcome in the café
• As has been so for many years, we do not charge landing fees for visiting fixed wing aircraft and we have no plans to change this policy. We remain open to all conscientious and safe pilots who obtain PPR, observe our noise abatement procedures and do not write scurrilous articles about us on internet forums – regrettably this means that John Luck will not be a welcome visitor in the future
• Regarding the reference to flying non-radio, as a pilot who likes to fly to the sound of a radial engine and wind across the wires, I will fly non-radio for so long as it is legal to do so
• Thank you for the collective ‘planning advice’ on poly-tunnels. We would like to be able to offer more hangarage and will investigate this possibility, but do not intend to push the planning boundaries
• Keith was the manager from 2007-2015, for which I am grateful and he continues to operate Rochester Microlights at Damyns Hall. However, after he stepped down as manager nearly 2 years ago, he bought a second aircraft which he bases in Spain, where he instructs and spends an increasing amount of his time, enjoying the sunshine and the life-style – nothing to do with the Tiger Club’s arrival
• So, to summarise, for anyone who loves flying, I believe this is all good news; for those who like groundless intrigue and the teenage banter of online forums, I guess this clarification will be disappointing