[Rob P]

When you have three of them, quite long and over 75 years old they tend to get a little crumbly. A bit like most of our club members.

Norfolk Gliding have launched a crowdfunder which, if it gets to £10,000 attracts matchfunding.

So, if you just haven't blown your allowance under lockdown and are worried that the family accountant may reduce your pocket money as a result, here's a great place to invest an hour's flying tokens.

(OK, Sorry. I know this is a begging bowl and I am hoping the moderators don't object. But we are getting relatively close to the total, including quite a bit from the USA (Veterans families) and every penny helps.)

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/project-phoenix

Rob P

[Sooty25]

The asphalt is mainly more than 75 years old and it’s starting to show its age,

I thought the original USAAF surfaces were just plain concrete?

Just an idea, why not add "Free landing for visiting aircraft" as a £10* reward?

* or whatever amount suits

[JodelDavo]

I thought the original USAAF surfaces were just plain concrete?

They were..

[Rob P]

As laid down Tibenham was a mix of concrete and tarmac (Willis & Hollis) Correction accepted though.

I will suggest the landing voucher idea to the club, thank you.

Tibenham is an odd airfield to fly into, at weekends and two weekdays there is winch launching, fuel and a cafe. If you are not used to cohabiting with gliders then it can be a bit daunting, landing on a runway which is already occupied by people, gliders and tug. Radio is haphazard and not even to A/G standard. That said, whatever you do, as long as it is safe, nobody whinges. (or even notices)

The other three weekdays it is deserted, though there may be occasional aerotows, motor gliders, and the power residents making the most of there being no gliders.

A few years ago Hatz arranged a power fly-in. I may suggest the same post lockdown.

Rob P

[Sooty25]

30 years since I landed there, I wonder if the K13's are still flying?

Advance tickets for a fundraising fly-in sounds even better! I'm in!

When you compare the relatively small problem Tibenham has here, compared to the problems aviators have had recently at Old Sarum, Mapole Green, Wellsbourne and potentially Halfpenny, it really does hammer home the benefits of aviators owning and controlling airfields.

[Rob P]

It does indeed.

Of course NGC have been hit by the events of this last year. There's not a lot of gliding can be done under distancing. But it's a well run club with (diminishing) reserves and the airfield, one of the few with all three wartime A-pattern runways still available, certainly isn't likely to disappear under housing any time soon.

Rob P

[Sooty25]

I'm guessing George Day is long gone now?

[Rob P]

Isn't that 23rd April?

Rob P

Serious answer - no idea, sorry.

[2Donkeys]

Old Buck has a lovely runway nearby @Rob P

[Sooty25]

George was an instructor there at the end of the 80's when I was a member. His middle initial was "O". The first time I flew with him he signed my logbook "GOD". I thought he was taking the p1ss until someone pointed out it was his initials!

Absolute gent and it would have probably been him that would have sent me solo had my employer not gone bust owing me 2 months! There ended my second attempt at getting some form of pilots licence!

[Rob P]

Old Buck has a lovely runway nearby @Rob P

Nobody likes you.

Rob P

[CloudHound]

I've chucked in £31 to round off to £7200.00

Love to drop in in the Stinson one day.

[Rob P]

Love to drop in in the Stinson one day.

Let's organise that once we can. A non-gliding day and a drive to the pub, or a gliding day and scoff in the club?

Rob P

And thank you.

[Morten]

Nice
One hour's worth of Avgas donated - and hoping to spend the equivalent to pop up and visit again at some point

[Rob P]

Many thanks.

Rob P