2^nd August 2023

'Now That Looks Different - part 3'; by Phil Blinkhorn

Tonight we give a very warm welcome to our very own Phil Blinkhorn, who will deliver Part 3 of his presentation, 'Now That Looks Different".

Phil will continue to look at aircraft with unexpected liveries, stickers, logos and artwork. Part 3 will cover the United Kingdom.

Please join us on Zoom for what will be a fabulous presentation.

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

19^th July 2023

'Tempest: What, Why, When and Who'; by Drew Steel MBE

Tonight we welcome Drew Steel on a very welcome return visit to the Society.

Drew will deliver a very inspirational view of the latest technology - Tempest. We will receive an understanding of the thinking behind the project and when we expect to see an aircraft in the sky.

Please join us on Zoom for what will be a fabulous presentation.

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

17^th May 2023

'The Swiss Air Show at Axalp'; by Mark Wright

Tonight we give a very warm welcome to Mark Wright.

Mark will tonight present his journey to the picturesque 'Swiss Air Show' at Axalp. Once their we will see that he was rewarded with some spectacuar photos and short video clips.

This is not your usual air show.

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

3^rd May 2023

19^th April 2023

'A Trip Through the Log Books - part 4'; by Colin Duckworth

Tonight we give a very warm welcome to Collin Duckworth.

The presentation covers all the various air shows, airports, museums and fly-ins from 2010 to 2022. There are photographs from the UK and overseas, including a return trip to Canada and trips to Italy.

There will be pots to see, including many images Colin has not previously show.

Please join us on Zoom for what will be a fabulous presentation.

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

5^th April 2023

'A Trip Down Memory Lane - my first spotting trip abroad'; by John Wiseman

Tonight we give a very warm welcome to another of our very own John Wiseman.

John will tonight detail his very first spotting trip abroad - from Mersey to Madrid and back in 1964, when a minibus load of enthusiasts left the banks of the Mersey and headed South to Hurn, where they boarded a Bristol Freighter - G-AMWC for a flight across the Channel to Cherbourg. You may be surprised what they saw, as I know John certainly was.

An evening of nostalgia not to be missed.

All are welcome.

This meeting will be held at Rossendale Golf Club

15^th March 2023

'The Netherlands and Germany 2022'; by Chris Wood

Tonight we give a very warm welcome to our very own Chris Wood.

Chris will tonight host a presentation illustrating a trip to the Netherlands and Germany in August 2022. The first half will cover the Netherlands, with photos from the Aviodome Museum at Lelystrad and 'spotting' at various locations around Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. There will also be a brief look at the railway museum at Utrecht and the preserved liner SS Rotterdam.

The second half will cover Germany, with visits to the two well known and excellent 'Technik' museums at Sinsheim and Speyer. Chris will also detail a visit to Frankfurt Airport, closing with a brief look at the Formula One circuit at Hockenheim, which was last used for an F1 race in 2001.

We look forward to you joining us for what will be an excellent presentation.

All are welcome.

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

1^st March 2023

15^th February 2023

'United States Navy Carrier Air Wing Aircraft'; by Mike Crutch

Tonight we give a very warm welcome to Mike Crutch.

Mike has been writing about military aviation since the late 1980s, and served as RAF Editor on the much-missed enthusiasts' magazine 'British Aviation Review' between 1991 and 1997. Aside from various magazine articles and books on a range of military aviation topics, since 2004 Mike has been working on a landmark book project to document US Navy carrier-based aircraft since the end of the Vietnam War.

Tonight's presentation is all about that work, tracing the evolution of the ships, squadrons and aircraft. For those interested, Mike's website is www.carrierairwings.com and there you'll see details of the e-book series 'CVW - US Navy Carrier Air Wing Aircraft 1975 to 2015' ; Volume 1 - covering F-4s, F-8s and F-14s - was first published in April 2018, and this was joined by Volume 2 - featuring attack aircraft types - in February 2022. Two more volumes will follow to complete the series.

Professionally, Mike worked for the Civil Aviation Authority/National Air Traffic Services for 28 years, serving at a variety of locations including LATCC West Drayton, Heathrow control tower and latterly at the Swanwick Area Control Centre. In 2014, Mike and his wife gave all that up to live a life in the Scottish Highlands, swapping metal birds for feathered ones as he became a birdwatching and photography guide, alongside volunteering on various conservation projects including the movement of Ospreys and Sea Eagles to the south coast of England.

We look forward to you joining us for what will be a fabulous presentation. An evening not to be missed

All are welcome.

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

1^st February 2023

'Now That Looks Different - part 2'; by Phil Blinkhorn

Tonight we give a warm welcome to our very own Phil Blinkhorn.very

Phil will tonight deliver part 2 of his presentation ' Now That Looks Different', continuing to look at aircraft with unexpected liveries, stickers, logos and artwork. Thirty European countries will be covered during tonights presentation, but not the United Kingdom, which will be covered in part 3 later this year.

Please join us for what will be a fabulous evening.

All welcome

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

18^th January 2023

'Annual Photographic Competition - projected and prints'

Both the 'projected' and 'print' competitions will be held this evening. Our guest judge for the competition will be the very respected photographic judge Paul Armitage.

Further information is available by visiting the 'Annual Photographic Competitions' web-page.

All welcome.

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

4^th January 2023

'Annual General Meeting'

Please Note, the AGM is open to current members only. 

The annual report, notice of meeting and agenda, were circulated to members in December.

For further information (AGM), please contact the Society Chairman or Vice Chairman .

This meeting will be held live (at Rossendale Golf Club) and via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

21^st December 2022

'Keeping the Cold War Cold - the spies in plain sight'; by David Cockburn

From 1946 to 1990, the Soviet Army in East Germany included a unit of the British Armed Forces which was able to move more or less freely around that country and report back to their national headquarters about the movements and equipment of the Soviet forces and their allies.

David has already described his role as that unit's Chipmunk pilot, but he also spent time as a "Tour Officer" traveling all over East Germany, and tonight he explains the history and the broader work of the British Commanders' in Chief Mission to the Soviet Forces in Germany.

Please join us for what will be a a fabulouus evening.

All welcome

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

7^th December 2022

'Military Support Helicopters'; by Graham Fern

We occasionally see Royal Air Force Helicopters flying by, so do you want to know more about a different type of aviation?

Namely, Military Support Helicopters and their operations, from day to night, low level, to high mountains, peace time to operational missions. How do you take a bunch of twenty year old's and turn them in to highly skilled professional aviators, or it could be said, from zero to hero.

Graham Fern is going to talk through the many roles of military support helicopters and the training journey. He comes with 3000 hours flying experience, over twelve-years in the RAF operating helicopters.

The presentation has a fair amount of inter-activity and videos, as well as many great photos , accompanied by some light hearted commentary, blended with the reality of military flying.

It will be a fascinating insight in to a different world of flying.

Please join us for what will be a a fabulous evening.

All welcome

This meeting will be held at Rossendale Golf Club

16^th November 2022

'Old Warden, Blackpool Air Show, Southport Air Show and Duxford'; by Paul Henshaw

Tonight Paul wil give a presenation on four air show. Old Warden in 2019, followed by Blackpool, Southport and Duxford flying finale, all from 2022.

Please join us for what will be a great evening.

All welcome

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

2^nd November 2022

'An evening with Phil Stevens, the man behind the camera at Target Aviation Photography'; by Philip Stevens

Tonight it is our privilege to once again welcome Philip Stevens, the acclaimed aviation photographer and author who has travelled far and wide in search of the most dynamic photographic images imaginable!

Philip previously visited the Society in 2018.

One look at his web-site and you will appreciate the skill of the man whose work has been published in no fewer than thirty eight magazines world-wide, adorning the front covers of many of them!

Philip will be taking us behind the scenes of a photo-shoot with all its preparation right up the publication of his work!

There will be images of aircraft to suit every taste and we shall be taking a close look at the production of his recently published book entitled 'Thunder Through The Valleys' which features all aspects of the photography of low flying aircraft!

Join us for a photographic extravaganza presented by a master of his profession!

All welcome to what should be a fabulous evening and presentation.

This meeting will be held at Rossendale Golf Club

19^th October 2022

'The Search For and Recovery of the Crash Site of Junkers 88 - Werke No 8138'; by Eric Watkiss

Tonight we give a very warm welcome to Eric Watkiss, of the Lancashire Aircraft Investigation Team.

Eric will tell us the story of the investigation, search and recovery of Junkers 88A-5 - Werke No. 8138, which crashed into the Ribble Estuary, at Banks Marsh, on the night of 7th and 8th April 1941.

Please join us on Zoom for what should be a great evenings entertainment.

All welcome

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

5^th October 2022

'Travelling in the former Soviet Union'; by Aldon Ferguson

Tonight we give a very warm and returning welcome to Society friend, Aldon Ferguson.

Aldon spent seventeen years living, working and travelling around the former Soviet Union.

In that time, he travelled to all the newly separate countries and from Vladivostok to Prague and Budapest by air, train and car. He experienced every possible problem, delay, frustration, breakdown, negativity, fright and cancellation. Yet, the experience was never to be forgotten as he survived.

Tonight he shares his flying experiences in Yak's, Ilyushin's and Tupolev's; the in flight meals, lack of PA systems, poorly maintained and very smelly aircraft, overcrowding, live animals in the cabin, bribery and lack of safety.

A personal story, with photographs and true stories.

Please join us on Zoom for what should be a great evenings entertainment.

All welcome

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

22^nd September 2022

'The Annual Recognition Competition'; by Martin Powell

Martin Powell, the 2021 Annual Recognition Competition winner, will present the 2022 Annual Recognition Competition for the Geoff Thomas Trophy.

Followed by: -

'The National Air % Space Museums, Washington D.C.; by Martin Powell

After the break Martin will show a selection of images from a 2016 visit to the National Air & Space Museum, on Washington Mall and the Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Centre, which is near Washington Dulles Airport.

All are welcome

This meeting is a live meeting at Haslingden Cricket Club.

7^th September 2022

'The Royal International Air Tattoo 2022'; by Chris Berry

Tonight we give a very warm and returning welcome to our very own Phil Blinkhorn

Tonight we give a very warm welcome to our Chairman, Chris Berry.

Chris will tonight give a presentation on this years Royal International Air Tattoo, at RAF Fairford. Not only will Chris show images from the air show, there will also be a narrative to support the photographs, the aircraft present and the event itself.

This was the first show to be hosted after the pandemic, with a great selection of aircraft on display, both on the ground and part of the air display.

Please join us on Zoom for what should be a great evenings entertainment.

All welcome

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

17^th August 2022

'Now that looks differenti'; by Phil Blinkhorn

Tonight we give a very warm and returning welcome to our very own Phil Blinkhorn.

Tonight Phil will give a presenation on non standard colour schemes, promotional and commemorative colour schemes and stickers, including artwork on military aircraft and even oddball replacement parts where the colour noticeably changes the standard livery.

Over the years Phil has taken a large number of photos of non standard schemes, and have missed an equally large number, so much so that this is the first of two presentations and covers Africa, Asia, Australasia/Pacific, North, Central and South America. 

Please join us for what will be a fabulaous presenation.

All welcome

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

3^rd August 2022

'From Mirages to a sheep farm near Ngatimoti'; by Andy Heap

Tonight we give a very warm welcome to former member and Society friend Andy Heap.

Tonight Andy will give a photographic history of his aviation travels since his last presentation to the Society, starting in Europe, but mainly in New Zealand over the past three years.

The presenation will include the places he's visited and some of the flying he's done. Some General Aviation and high altitude gliding, to low level with the militray.

A bit of a mixed bag that Andy thoughy interesting enough to photograph. There's even a few airliners for the undiscerning!

All are welcome

This meeting is a live meeting at Haslingden Cricket Club.

20^th July 2022

'Drug Runners of the Caribean'; by Barry Lloyd

Tonight we give a warm and returning welcome to Barry Lloyd.

The first use of aircraft in drug-running began in the early 1980s, when the Medellin Cartel realised that moving the drugs by road was becoming too risky.

It began in a small way, using Cessnas and Pipers, but as demand grew and the traffickers saw that their system was working, they became ever bolder in their methods.

In more recent years, such has the value of the drug become, that it is now being moved by executive jets, with the 125 being the preferred choice of aircraft.

The fact that there are so many available at what for the drug-runners at least are low prices, means that an early model 125-700 can be bought in Mexico for about $400,000.

Even if the aircraft is lost on the first trip, such is the value of the goods that it is carrying that the aircraft is considered expendable.

The presentation will explain the origins of the trade and how it has changed over the years to become the multi-million dollar business it now is, and what is being done to try to prevent it.

All are welcome to what should be a fascinating evening.

This meeting is a live meeting at Haslingden Cricket Club.

6^th July 2022

'Aviation Brain of Rossendale'; by Kevin Jacomb

Tonight we host our annual 'Aviation Brain of Rossendale', compiled by the 2020 winner, Kevin Jacomb.

This is the forty-sieventh year of the prestigious competition, which was first hosted in 1976.

Please join us for what should be a fascinating presentation, all are welcome. Everyone is welcome to enter, however, only members are eligible to win the trophy.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

All are welcome.

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

15^th June 2022

'Space Vehicles - an overview'; by Thurai Rahulan

Tonight we give a warm and returning welcome to Thurai Rahulan.

Starting with the origins of rocketry, this talk will address the first attempts to enter space and then escape the earth’s gravity in order to go to the moon which is the only heavenly body so
far where humans have driven buggies.

The initial missions to fly to our neighbouring planets, the challenges faced with missions to Mercury, and the first attempts to place
wheeled rovers on Mars will be discussed next. This will be followed by the interstellar probes dating back to the launch of Pioneer 10 in 1972 and space based electromagnetic
astronomy as well as the bewildering variety of other lower altitude satellites which have created ‘space junk’ problems. The current generation launch vehicles, space planes and
‘orbital tourism’ industries will be the last to be discussed before the session is ended with a challenge set for the audience.

All are welcome.

This meeting is a live meeting at Haslingden Cricket Club.

1^st June 2022

'Trains, Boats and Planes - Alask Style'; by Peter Hulme

All are welcome.

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

18^th May 2022

'Propstalgia'; by Phil Blinkhorn

Tonight we give a warm and returning welcome to Phil Blinkhorn.

In 1945 the jet engine had started to prove itself in combat.

Pundits from high ranking military officers through newspaper columnists to writers in publications aimed at young boys, who would be the pilots and passengers of the future, were all declaring the propeller aircraft as a species all but dead for military and commercial use.

As many predicted that by 1970 everyone would be using personal helicopters, general aviation would be the last bastion of the propeller, not pulling the aircraft through the air but whirling round on top of a fuselage pod. Of course the pundits were extremely wide of the mark.

This presentation will be in three parts - an overview of where propeller driven aircraft fitted into the aviation scene post the Second World War up until the 1970s. This will be very much an outline and is not meant to be an exhaustive coverage. The second part will show a range of propeller aircraft in service in the decades after 1970. The third part will look at types that attempted to modify propeller aircraft, at aircraft with modern propellers, how the propeller may make a big comeback in the era of electric powered flight and how one version of the propeller as a propulsive unit reigns supreme in modern airliners.

All are welcome.

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

4^th May 2022

'Cold War Chipmunks in Berlin'; by David Cockburn

Tonight we give a very warm welcom to David Cockburn.

David Cockburn served as a pilot in the RAF during the Cold War. From 1986 to 1989 he found himself attached to a unique unit (The British Commanders'-in-Chief Mission to the Soviet Forces - BRIXMIS) which, while tasked with liaison with the Soviet Army, took every opportunity to monitor that army’s activities.

During that period, David’s primary role was to operate a Chipmunk aircraft from RAF Gatow over the area of Soviet occupied East Germany around Berlin, carrying an observer to monitor those Soviet and East German units based or training there.

The presentation will explain the background, role and operating techniques of the Chipmunk in Berlin, including several highlights of the operation. There will also be some personal anecdotes about the operation and a few about life in Berlin, and there will be opportunities for questions at the end.

All welcome to what should be a fantastic and very informative presentation.

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

20^th April 2022

'Heathrow Heavies and Noughties Manchester'; by Chris Wood

Tonight we give a warm and returning welcome to Chris Wood.

Chris Wood will be presenting airliner images from Heathrow in the 2010s and Noughties Manchester. The show is in 2 parts, first are images taken at Heathrow in 2010, 2016 and 2017, with plenty of quad jets such as 747s, A340s and A380s  in action. The second part shows images taken in Manchester in 2006. Even though it's only 16 years ago, not a single airline / livery / aircraft combo shown can be seen today.

All are welcome.

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

6^th April 2022

'Icelands's Role in WW2'; by Aldon Ferguson

Tonight we give a warm and returning welcome to Aldon Ferguson

Please join us on Zoom to what I know will be a fabulous presentation.

All are welcome.

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

16^th March 2022

'The Spanish Air Force Museum'; by Maurice Smith

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

2^nd March 2022

'A Better Buccaneer'; by Dennis Morley

Tonight we give a warm and returning welcome to Dennis Morley.

Dennis worked in 'Flight Test' at BAE Systems and is a very accomplished speaker.

Tonight Dennis will deliver a presentation on 'A Better Buccaneer - an overview of the ASR 1012 programme and what they did at BAE Systems to clear the aircraft to Service'.

Please join us on Zoom to what I know will be a fabulous presentation.

All are welcome.

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88572999927 (if required, the meeting ID is 885 7299 9927).

PLEASE NOTE the the new link for the Zoom meeting.

The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

16^th February 2022

'Aero Friedrichshafen'; by Kevin Jacomb

All are welcome.

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

2^nd February 2022

'Royal Naval AIr Station Inskip'; by Russel Brown

Tonight we welcome Russell Brown as our guest presenter. 

Russell is a keen aviation historian and aviation archaeologist and has researched deeply into the histories of local airfields.  Tonight his subject id the history of Royal Naval Air Station Inskip.  Building at Inskip commenced in 1942 and the airfield was commissioned as  H.N.S. Nightjar on 15th May 1943. 

The airfield was paid off in July 1946 but retained on Care and Maintenance and subsequently used as a Royal Navy Wireless Station.  It is now occupied by a Defence High Frequency Communications Service transmitter station.  The airfield had a capacity for 145 aircraft and 19 different squadrons were based there at various times.

All are welcome.

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

15^th January 2022

'2019 - The Year Before Lockdown'; by Martin Powell

Please A selection of aviation images taken in 2019 both in the UK and in Austria, Germany and the Netherlands.  Mainly military and museums but some general aviation and even an airliner or two – and as a special treat, some Teutonic narrow-gauge steam!

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

5^th January 2022

'Annual General Meeting'

Please Note, the AGM is open to current members only. 

The annual report, notice of meeting and agenda, were circulated to members in December.

For further information (AGM), please contact the Society Chairman or Vice Chairman .

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

15^th December 2021

'Annual Photographic Competition - projected and prints'

Both the 'projected' and 'print' competitions will be held this evening. Our guest judge for the competition this year will be by Paul Armitage (Leeds Camera Club)..

Further information is available by visiting the 'Annual Photographic Competitions' web-page.

All are welcome to join us. If you haven't submitted any images, please join us,as you will still have a great evening and learn something along the way too.

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

1^st December 2021

'The Turkish Air Force Museum'; by Maurice Smith and 'Shannon in the Time of Covid'; by Phil Blinkhorn

With a late change of plane, tonight we give a warm welcome to Maurice Smith, who will tonight detail a visit he made to the 'Turkish Air Force Museum'. In the second half, Phil Blinkhorn will detail 'Shannon Airport in the time of Covid'.

We look forward to both presentations.

This meeting will be held via Zoom (see below for Zoom link)

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

Nigel Macknight, will deliver his presentation on the North American X-15 at a mutually convenient date in 2022.

17^th November 2021

'Heathrow in the 2020s and Noughties Manchester'; by Chris Wood

We're back at back at Haslingden Cricket Club tonight, with our very own Chris Wood, who will be presenting airliner images from Heathrow in the 2010s and Noughties Manchester. The show is in two parts, first are images taken at Heathrow in 2010, 2016 and 2017, with plenty of quad jets such as 747s, A340s and A380s in action. The second part shows images taken in Manchester in 2006.  Even though it's only 15 years ago, not a single airline / livery /aircraft combo shown can be seen today.

To open the evening Paul Henshaw will show a selection of pre-lockdown images taken in 2019 and 2020, including a visit on board HMS Prince of Wales, the Southport Air Show, the Shuttleworth at Old Warden and other locations.

Please come along for what should be an excellent presentation. All welcome.

3^rd November 2021

'Flying the A330 to Florida'; by Mike Newall

The Venue for this Meeting has been changed to Haslingden Masonic Hall (map).

20^th October 2021

'2021 Annual Recognition Competition'; compiled by Colin Duckworth

For our second meeting back at Haslingden Cricket Club Colin Duckworth, the 2020 winner, will present the 2021 Annual Recognition Competition for the Geoff Thomas Trophy.

Followed by: -

'In Kiwi Country'; by Martin Powell

After the break Martin Powell will show a selection of aviation images from his November 2010 visit to New Zealand - ‘In Kiwi Country’.

6^th October 2021

'Britain's Glorious Aircraft Industry'; Paul Hodgson

For our return to Haslingden Cricket Club after 18 months of online meetings we are pleased to welcome J Paul Hodgson who will tell us about Britain’s Glorious Aircraft Industry - 100 years of Success, Setback & Chane’ the subject of his recent book of the same title.

J. PAUL HODGSON was a schoolboy aeromodeller and, at sixteen years old, he experienced his first flight, in a pre-1939 de Havilland Dragon Rapide biplane. His career of choice inevitably became to be an aircraft designer, with one of the big British aircraft design organisations. During his first term at university, he wrote to A.V. Roe & Co. (Avro) to request work experience. He was duly offered a ‘vacation apprenticeship’, for six weeks in the summer of 1963. By the end of that, Paul had become a signed-up undergraduate apprentice with the Avro-Whitworth Division of Hawker Siddeley Aviation, as Avro had just become. A thirty-seven-year career in the same organisation (much changing, as the industry struggled with rationalisation and re-organisation) and an eight-year spell of part-time lecturing in aircraft design at Manchester University followed. Seventeen years after retiring as an aircraft Chief Designer with BAE Systems, he found himself starting to write the story of the British aircraft industry. Paul is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He has served on the society’s council and is currently President of the Manchester branch.

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at Haslingden Cricket Club, Private Lane, Rossendale, BB4 6LX.  The meeting starts at 8.00 p.m. and will be finished by 10.30 p.m.  Please arrive in good time to purchase any raffle tickets and drinks before the start of the meeting.

Please Note: Following the pandemic and following our hugely successful Zoom programme of meetings, this will be the first 'live' meeting of 2021, as we return to Haslingden Cricket Club.

We look forward to welcoming as many of you as possible to our first meeting back at Haslingden Cricket Club on Wednesday 6th October 2021, commencing at 8.00 p.m.  For those of you who have purchased Paul’s book, please bring your copy with you and Paul will be pleased to sign it for you.

We would be grateful if you could arrive a little earlier than usual to help set out the room and purchase your drinks as you arrive to help minimize congestion at the bar.

We appreciate that some of our members do not wish to return to live meetings yet or are shielding family members at home - we look forward to welcoming you back as early as possible.  For those of us who are attending there is hand sanitizer available near the door, we will spread the seating around the room and will ventilate it as much as possible.  All of our members have had the opportunity to be double vaccinated. and everyone that I have spoken to has taken advantage of this.  We ask that we respect others’ space and if you do not wish to shake hands that is fine by us.  You may wish to wear a mask and it might be a good idea to do so in congested areas including at the bar.

15^th September 2021

'What Were They Thinking? Design flaws in the KC-135'; by Robert S. Hopkins lll

For the final Rossendale Aviation Society meeting via Zoom we welcome, from Dallas, Texas, Robert S Hopkins III, whose subject his ‘What were They Thinking? Design Flaws in the KC-135’.

Robert is  a former US Air Force pilot qualified in 17 different types of KC-, EC-, and RC-135.

As an independent scholar of Cold War airpower history, he has written books on the KC-135, B-47, Strategic Air Command Alert, Baltic Reconnaissance, SAC in the UK, and a multi-volume series on Cold War aerial reconnaissance.

Many of us are fans of the Boeing Stratotanker in all its variations and the presentation tonight will be of great interest to all.

An evening not to be missed, from someone many regard as the 'authoritative' on the Boeing C-135.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

1^st September 2021

'Aviation Brain of Rossendale'; by Chris Berry

Tonight we host our annual 'Aviation Brain of Rossendale', compiled by the 2020 winner, Chris Berry.

This is the forty-sixth year of the prestigious competition, which was first hosted in 1976.

Please join us for what should be a fascinating presentation, all are welcome. Everyone is welcome to enter, however, only members are eligible to win the trophy.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

18^th August 2021

'Aviation Tour of Dallas and Fort Worth'; by Matt Ellis

Tonight we give a warm and returning welcome to Matt Ellis.

Matt lives in the Fort Worth area in Texas and will give a guide to the aviation attractions of the Dallas and Fort Worth area where there is plenty of interest the aviation enthusiast.  Matt was born in this country when he his father was serving with the US Air Force at RAF Lakenheath.

Matt joined the USAF after college and served at various bases in the US and UK.  He now works with various defense contractors on matters of security and is based within the Lockheed-Martin facility in Fort Worth.  He is a keen enthusiast and photographer as can be seen by browsing his Flickr pages.

All are welcome to what will be a fantastic presentation.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

4^th August 2021

'Ice to Oshkosh 2016'; by Kevin Jacomb

Tonight we give a very warm welcom to member Kevin Jacomb.

He gives an overview of what to expect at this most friendly and largest air show in the World in both photographs and general impressions. These cover four days at Oshkosh with visits to the associated Seaplane base, Basler Turbo Conversions, Pioneer Airport vintage civil aircraft and the EAA Museum.  Around 4000 aircraft are logged!

All are welcome to what will be a great presentation.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

21^st July 2021

'Canberras at War'; by Dave Ward

Our next meeting is on Wednesday 21st July and we welcome Dave Ward from the Heritage Department of BAE Systems at Warton who will tell us of ‘Canberras at War’.  Of the 15 air forces that operated the Canberra and it’s US-produced version, the B-57, no fewer than 9 of them used the aircraft for offensive operations. The talk outlines some of these operations which commenced in 1955 with RAF Ops in Malaya and ended with Peruvian Ops in 1995 – by which time the Canberra was getting decidedly old!

The talk also outlines Cold War reconnaissance work carried out by Canberra variants around the borders of the Soviet Union and some of the special versions developed for this work

Dave was employed at Bae Warton as a Flight Test Engineer and has worked flight test activities on almost all of the Warton products – even the Canberra.  The JP/Strikemasters and the Lightning are the exceptions, though he did get to sit in XP693 whilst familiarising himself with its controls. Warton used ‘693 as a chase and target for the Tornado ADV / F2 and F3 programmes.

Before Flight Test Dave worked for 5 years in Aerodynamics at Warton and prior to that worked for the Rolls-Royce Aero Engine Division at Derby.

Dave retired in 2007 and promptly joined Warton’s Heritage Department, though due to Covid they have not been allowed on site since March last year.

All are welcome to what will be a great presentation.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

8^th July 2021

'The Italian Air Force Museum'; by Maurice Smith

Our next meeting is on Thursday 8th July and we welcome our own member Maurice Smith for his Zoom debut when he will describe the Italian Air Force Museum and its exhibits at Vigna di Valle, on Lake Bracciano, in central Italy. Maurice has visited the Museum on a number of occasions and in addition to showing a great selection of images will give some background information on the history of Italian Military Aviation.

Thank you to those of you who have responded to our email about planning the return to physical meetings.  If you have not let us know your views and wish to do so please let send your comments in the next few days to programme@rossavsoc.co.uk.

All are welcome to what will be a fabulous presentation.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

16^th June 2021

'Flying the SEPECAT Jaguar'; by Sqn Ldr Stuart G. Reid BSc MCGI RAF (Ret)

Our guest, Stuart Reid, visited the Society in February 2013 and gave a presentation on the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight of which he was a member and was a pilot of their Avro Lancaster.

This evening he returns via Zoom to tell us of an earlier part of his career, flying the Sepecat Jaguar.

Stuart will commence proceedings with some background on the type and its entry into service, followed by a description of the aircraft and its systems, followed by his own experiences of flying the Jaguar.

You will note from his biography below that Stuart has had a varied career in the RAF and after conversations with him I can assure that we are in for an excellent evening.

All are welcome to what will be a great presentation.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

Biography

Squadron Leader Stuart Reid BSc joined the RAF through the University of Birmingham Air Squadron in 1976. Following two years as a Cadet Pilot, he was awarded a Permanent Commission in 1978 in the rank of Acting Pilot Officer. Following graduation from Aston University in May 1979, he commenced Initial Officer Training at the RAF College Cranwell before commencing his basic flying training on the Jet Provost T5 ‘over the road’ at the RAF Cranwell Flying Training School (FTS). On completion of basic flying training, he commenced Group One (Fast-jet) advanced flying training at No 4 FTS, RAF Valley on the Hawk T1 before moving to No 2 Tactical Weapons Unit (TWU) at RAF Chivenor, flying the Hawk T1A. After graduating from TWU in 1981, he was selected to fly the Jaguar GR1 and attended No 226 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) RAF Lossiemouth before being posted to No 31 Squadron RAF Bruggen, in what was then West Germany.

With the partial demise of the Bruggen Jaguar wing in October 1984, he was posted to the Tri-national Tornado Training Establishment (TTTE) at RAF Cottesmore, followed by the Tornado Weapons Conversion Unit (TWCU) at RAF Honington, before returning to RAF Bruggen with No 17(F) Squadron in 1985 which had since re-equipped with the type. After two years with No 17(F) Squadron, he became an Advanced Flying Instructor with No 4 FTS in 1987 on the Hawk T1 at RAF Valley. In early 1990 he was selected as an Exchange Officer in the USA at the ‘Pilot Instructor Training Centre’, at Randolph AFB in Texas, flying the T-38A Talon on the 560th Flying Training Squadron.

Following promotion to Squadron Leader in the USA, and on return to Europe in mid-1992, he was posted as a Flight Commander to No 14 Squadron, RAF Bruggen. Unfortunately, mid-way through this tour in 1994, he suffered a medical downgrade which precluded his operating single-pilot aircraft, and was posted to Headquarters No 1 Group, RAF Benson, as the Group Flight Safety Officer. In 1996, he was offered a ‘Multi-engine Crossover’ course on the Jetstream T1 at RAF Cranwell before re-training on the Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW1 to take up an assignment as a Flight Commander on No 23 Squadron, RAF Waddington, which had re-formed with the type to supplement No 8 Sqn, also at RAF Waddington. During his 13 year ‘stint’ at RAF Waddington, Squadron Leader Reid assumed the status of ‘Professional Aviator’ and served with No 23 Sqn, the Sentry StanEval Unit and No 54(R) Squadron, holding appointments as the Senior E-3D Qualified Flying Instructor, Examiner, Air to Air Refuelling Instructor, Instrument Rating Examiner and Post-Maintenance Unit Test Pilot. Whilst serving at RAF Waddington, he joined the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) at RAF Coningsby in 1999 and served for eleven seasons as a display pilot flying both the Lancaster B1 PA474 and C-47 Dakota ZA947 and as the flight’s ‘Bomber Leader’ responsible for the training and standardisation of pilots on the two BBMF large multi-engine types. The BBMF appointment ran concurrently with his ‘E-3D day job’ at RAF Waddington.

With the draw-down of the E-3D Sentry Component and the disbandment of No 23 Squadron in 2009, Squadron Leader Reid commenced a final tour as a Dominie T1 pilot with No 55(R) Squadron at RAF Cranwell training all non-pilot aircrew. Following the SDSR of 2010, he retired from the RAF in June 2011, at the age of 55, coincident with the withdrawal of the Dominie T1 from RAF service. He has amassed a total of 8500 flying hours and has been awarded a Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators (GAPAN) ‘Master Air Pilot’ Certificate and a Commander in Chief Air Command commendation.

2^nd June 2021

'A Look Back Through the Logbook - 2000 to 2009''; by Colin Duckworth

Tonight our own Colin Duckworth continues from his show of last September with a selection of his images from 2000-2009. He will cover the usual visits to various Airshows, Museums and Airfields in the UK, and also trips to Germany , Switzerland and Canada. It starts with scanned prints and then, in 2005 , it goes into the digital age. It is a snapshot of the aircraft that took part , and aircraft I saw at airports.We look at the last airshows at Mildenhall, Woodford, Valley and Coventry , as well as Fairford, Waddington, Duxford etc. and various airfields and museums both home and abroad. A full night.

All are welcome to what will be a great evening of nostalgia and memories..

Your link to join this meeting ishttps://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

Please Note: This presentation is an amendment to the previously advertised evening. Chris Berry will present the 'Aviation Brain of Rossendale' later in the year.

19^th May 2021

'Short Trips to Mainland Europe in the 1990's''; by Phil Blinkhorn

After moving from Rossendale to East Sussex in 1986, Phil Blinkhorn made many short trips into mainland Europe in the 1990s for a variety of reasons.  He will explain and liberally illustrate his trips with photos of aircraft, airlines and colour schemes, most of which have vanished, a few of which have surprisingly survived.

He will explain how his hobby of 35 years at the start of the decade became the basis for a very lucrative business and will outline how the business developed and how, in 1996, it changed his hobby for ever and why, after moving to Ireland in 1998, he decided to retire.

All are welcome to what will be a great presentation.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

5^th May 2021

'The Space Race'; by Chris Wood

Tonight we welcome our own Chris Wood, who will tell the story of the Space Race to the Moon and beyond.

He will be illustrating his show with photos from visits to Cape Canaveral in 2011 and 2014 and also a unique 'Cosmonauts' exhibition displaying rare Soviet space hardware that was held at the Science Museum in London in the winter of 2016.

In addition there are also photos from the National Space Centre in Leicester.

All are welcome.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

21^st April 2021

'Flying the Lightning; by Ian Hollingworth

Our guest for this meeting is Ian Hollingworth, A former RAF Fighter Pilot and Airline Captain. 

His subject tonight is flying the English Electric Lightning - a type high on everybody’s list of favourite aircraft types. This is sure to be an excellent evening so make sure that you log on using the link below on Wednesday night.

Having been an integral member of some of the world’s most respected high performance aviation organisations, Ian is able to share unique insights into truly world class standards, behaviours and cultures and how they are both built and maintained.

Drawing upon his unique experiences flying military fast jets and within commercial aviation, Ian will engage your audience with anecdotes and tips on how to build winning teams, inspire great leadership and ways to overcome adversity whilst maintaining focus in challenging and pressurised scenarios. Ian is extremely passionate about people reaching their full potential and setting big goals; for the past 20 years has worked with some of the world’s most respected aviation businesses in order to develop the talent of tomorrow.

All are welcome to what should be an excellent presentation, an evening not to be missed.

We look forward to you joining us at 8.00 p.m. on Wednesday 17th February 2021.  Just click on the link below and follow the instructions.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

7^th April 2021

'A Career with the United States Air Force; by Matt Ellis

Tonight we give a very warm welcome to Matt Ellis, who will be joining us from Fort Worth, Texas.

Matt will not only be giving us an insight into his excellent military aviation photography, he will also be telling us about his time serving with the United States Air Force, where he was an aircraft armaments systems specialist.

Born to a serving US Air Force member at RAF Lakenheath, he himself joined the USAF, working on aircraft types such as the B-52G, F-111F, F-15E, A-7D and F--117A.

He left the Air Force to work for the US Department of Defense, before moving on to work for a number of defense contractors.

All are welcome to what should be an excellent presentation, an evening not to be missed.

We look forward to you joining us at 8.00 p.m. on Wednesday 17th February 2021.  Just click on the link below and follow the instructions.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

17^th March 2021

'International Ferry Pilot; by Kerry McCauley

Tonight we welcome international Ferry Pilot, Kerry McCauley.

For the last 30 years, Kerry McCauley's job as an international ferry pilot has taken him around the world delivering small aircraft to customers in over 60 countries and 6 continents. He's flown over 50 different types of aircraft and has 9000 hours of flight recorded.

Kerry is an engaging and entertaining speaker, who's retelling of his adventures as a ferry pilot and his starring role in two seasons of the Discovery Channel's series 'Dangerous Flights' puts people on the edge of their seats.

Kerry's presentations covers the nuts and bolts of how to get a small single engine aircraft over the ocean, the dangers involved and some of his close calls.

An evening not to be missed, all are welcome.

We look forward to you joining us at 8.00 p.m. on Wednesday 17th February 2021.  Just click on the link below and follow the instructions.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

3^rd March 2021

'Via Iceland to Oshkosh; by Kevin Jacomb

Tonight we welcome Kevin Jacomb, one of our newer members, who will describe the trip he took in 2016 to the USA, travelling via Iceland and ending up at the EAA gathering at Oshkosh – this evening we will only see the travels before Oshkosh, that part we will see on another evening.

Kevin Jacomb spent his whole working life at BAC/BAe/BAE Systems from 1973-2011 at Warton (29 years) and Samlesbury (9 years). He worked in Advanced Projects, Sales, Strategy & Planning, Supply Chain and was responsible for market analysis for project and current aircraft for 25 years. Since retirement in 2011 he has been a member of the Heritage Department at Warton as a researcher and librarian, specialising in production histories. Kevin is a member of the Blackpool Aviation Society, an editor of the Pacific Aviation Database and produces airfield maps and guides for LAAS International where he is now a  Director.

17^th February 2021

'A Career with the United States Air Force; by Matt Ellis

Tonight we give a very warm welcome to Matt Ellis, who will be joining us from Fort Worth, Texas.

Matt will not only be giving us an insight into his excellent military aviation photography, he will also be telling us about his time serving with the United States Air Force, where he was an aircraft armaments systems specialist.

Born to a serving US Air Force member at RAF Lakenheath, he himself joined the USAF, working on aircraft types such as the B-52G, F-111F, F-15E, A-7D and F--117A.

He left the Air Force to work for the US Department of Defense, before moving on to work for a number of defense contractors.

All are welcome to what should be an excellent presentation, an evening not to be missed.

Regrettably, due to the extreme weather in Texas today, Matt is unable to join us this evening due to a lack of power and telecommunications. We hope to announce a new date as soon as possible.

We thank Chris Berry for stepping into the breach to present the following:

'Analogue (scanned) images from Manchester Airport; by Chris Berry

Fortunately our Chairman has stepped in to the breach and will bring a collection of his images from Manchester (Ringway) Airport taken in the pre-digital era, plenty of lost liveries and types of aircraft.  We thank Chris for his efforts and look forward to a nostalgic evening.

We look forward to you joining us at 8.00 p.m. on Wednesday 17th February 2021.  Just click on the link below and follow the instructions.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

3^rd February 2021

'A History of RAF Shawbury; by Aldon Ferguson

Tonight we welcome back our good friend Aldon Ferguson who will tonight tell us of the history of Royal Air Force Shawbury. 

Many of us have visited Shawbury in recent years and know it as the home of No. 1 Flying Training School (formerly the Defence Helicopter Flying School) and the Aircraft Maintenance & Storage Unit but RAF Shawbury has a long history of which we will learn more tonight.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

20^th January 2021

'Sweden 2015; by Martin Powell

Tonight’s meeting is presented by Martin Powell and is a report on the aviation elements of a holiday to Sweden in the summer of 2015.

The visit covers a number of aviation museums including the Swedish Air Force Museum at Malmen and the famous Aeroseum at Gothenburg, concluding with the 75th Anniversary airshow at Såtenäs.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

6^th January 2021

'Annual General Meeting'

Please Note, the AGM is open to current members only. 

The annual report, notice of meeting and agenda, were circulated to members in December.

For further information (AGM), please contact the Society Chairman or Vice Chairman .

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

18^th December 2020

'Annual Photographic Competition - projected and prints'

Both the 'projected' and 'print' competitions will be held this evening. Our guest judge for the competition this year will be by Paul Armitage (Leeds Camera Club)..

Further information is available by visiting the 'Annual Photographic Competitions' web-page.

All are welcome to join us. If you haven't submitted any images, please join us,as you will still have a great evening and learn something along the way too.

Your link to join this meeting ishttps://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

2^nd December 2020

'A Year in Pictures'; by Chris Berry

The annual photographic bonanza from photographer and dedicated enthusiast Chris Berry.

Now in its thirteenth year, this popular event will feature a comprehensive round-up of the aviation related events and given the current pandemic, will include highlights from some of the previous twelve years of presentations.

Chris's presentations are professional, highly factual and delivered in a smooth, easy going style which perfectly compliments his excellent photography.

Ninety minutes of action-packed photography and narrative with a special wow factor! Don't miss this one.

All are welcome.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

18^th November 2020

'Boeing versus Airbus'; by Thurai Rahulan

Further information will be provided in the coming days.

After being awarded the BSc and the PhD degrees by the University of Salford, Thurai Rahulan commenced full time employment in March 1983 designing aircraft active control systems on research programmes funded by the British Ministry of Defence and then joined the Advanced Engineering Group at Jaguar Cars Limited in Coventry. After returning to Salford University in 1990 to teach aeronautics, collaboration with aerospace organisations around the world led to increasingly closer involvement with the aviation industry and the learned societies.

This talk will begin with a brief look at the dawn of the jetliner age with the introduction of the turbojet powered de Havilland Comet and discuss the characteristics of thrust (not power) producing gas turbine engines.

The attachment of such powerplants to the airframe and the reasons for switching to podded fanjets will be explained next. As the technology moved on, rear-mounted engine layouts proved not to be competitive for medium haul routes with the Boeing 737 taken as a case study.

By the 1980s, Airbus had digested the lessons learned and produced a new clean-sheet design to invade this market sector jealously guarded by the Americans. This approach necessitated a major change in the training of the operators of these advanced machines and the presentation will be concluded with findings of recent air accidents.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026.  We suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes before the start of the meeting at 8.00 pm to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

Quite a few of you have not yet joined us online and we urge you to give it a try. Just click on the link sometime after 7.30 pm on the day of the meeting and follow the instructions.

4^th November 2020

'Some Like it Hot'; by Ivan Hallworth

For the next Rossendale Aviation Society online meeting we welcome our own Ivan Hallworth who will regale us with tales of his trip to Arizona, California & Nevada in the Spring of 2018. Locations include airshows at MCAS Yuma, NAF El Centro & Luke AFB along with visits to NAS North Island, Nellis AFB for Red Flag 18-2 and Tucson International. A look at the scrapyards around AMARG and Ivan’s most relaxing afternoon photographing aircraft ever.

Please join us for what should be a great presentation.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

21^st October 2020

'The Cold War in Northern Europs and the Atlantic'; by Aldon Ferguson

For the next Rossendale Aviation Society online meeting, we welcome Aldon Ferguson. Aldon has visited the Society on several previous occasions and members will know that his presentations are always well-researched and full of interest. The topics covered this evening will include anti-submarine warfare, BRIXMIS, Operation Ju-Jitsu and various overflights of 'Eastern Bloc' territory.

Please join us for what should be a superb presentation, all are welcome to join us.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

7^th October 2020

'Aviation Brain of Rossendale'; by Martin Powell

Tonight we host our annual 'Aviation Brain of Rossendale', compiled by the 2019 winner, Martin Powell.

This is the forty-fifth year of the prestigious competition, which was first hosted in 1976.

Please join us for what should be a fascinating presentation, all are welcome. Everyone is welcome to enter, however, only members are eligible to win the trophy.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

16^th September 2020

'All the World's Aircraft - The Legacy of Fred Jane'; by Paul Jackson

Jane’s open-source intelligence empire, now known around the Globe, was built over a century ago on the enthusiasm, foresight and eccentricity of Fred Jane. After a few false, but fascinating starts in related careers — including garret-dwelling artist and science-fiction author — Jane revolutionised the presentation and rapid retrieval of warship intelligence, then repeated the feat with the new-fangled aeroplane.

This is the story of how his Victorian talents with pen and slide-rule were adapted, expanded and updated by his successors to meet the challenges of the IT age.

Paul Jackson, FRAeS, was editor of Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft for 25 annual editions between 1995 and 2019, and only the sixth occupant of that position since 1909. The random gift of an aircraft book at the age of six was the foundation of his career in aviation, as a journalist, historian, photographer, technical artist and market analyst, contributing both to professional and enthusiasts’ publications. In semi-retirement, he is the editor of Air-Britain’s quarterly house magazine, Aviation World.

Please join us for what should be a fascinating presentation, all are welcome.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

2^nd September 2020

'1990's Logbook'; by Colin Duckworth

For our next online Zoom meeting, we welcome Colin Duckworth, who will present images from his '1990's Logbook'. All the images shown are scans from colour prints and include a wide variety of topics, including aircraft in museums, airliners and numerous airshows, including Boscombe Down, Fairford and Mildenhall - something foe everybody.

All are welcome.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 20:00 hours and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

19^th August 2020

'2020 Annual Recognition Competition'; by Martin Powell and 'Military Parachutes'; by Chris Wood

For the next Rossendale Aviation Society online meeting, we welcome a double header from Martin Powell and Chris Wood.

We start with the 2020 Annual Recognition Competition, compiled and presented by last year's winner Martin Powell. A chance for us all to test our skills and claim the trophy.

After a short interlude, Chris Wood will give a brief presentation and introduction to military parachutes, a subject Chris has recently become very knowledgable about.

All are welcome to join and take part in the recognition competition, however, only current members will be allowed to win the coverted trophy.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/3834617026 .The meeting starts at 8.00 pm and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

We congratulate Colin Ducworth on winning the coverted recognition competition trophy. Chris Berry was runner up in second, closely followed by Maurice Smith iin third.

5^th August 2020

'Boeing B-29 Superfortress - In the Air Again'; by John Wiseman

For the next Rossendale Aviation Society online meeting, we welcome one of our very own member John Wiseman.

John will relate the story of the B-29 Superfortress and in particular the three aircraft that returned to the air.  In particular we will look at 44-62070 ‘Fifi’ and 44-69972 ‘Doc’ including some video.

Members and guests are very welcome.

Your link to join this meeting is https://zoom.us/j/98776073896. The meeting starts at 8.00 pm and we suggest you join the meeting 10-15 minutes beforehand to say hello and check that everything is working properly.

15^th July 2020

'East Midlands Airport'; by Mike Dixon

For the next Rossendale Aviation Society online meeting, we welcome Mike Dixon, who is an air traffic controller at East Midlands Airport. Mike will tell us about East Midlands Airport, the aircraft that can be seen there and Air Traffic Control at the airport. Mike was an Air Traffic Controller at Leeds-Bradford Airport for 37 years, before moving to East Midlands 5 years ago.

Some of you may have met Mike previously, as he was the co-founder of Air Supply, the enthusiasts shop in Yeadon.

1^st July 2020

'Those You May Have Forgotten - part 2'; by Phil Blinkhorn

A show to remember long gone aircraft airlines and colour schemes.

For tonight's entertainment we welcome back our good friend Phil Blinkhorn from his home in the Emerald Isle, via the wonders of technology, to your homes in Lancashire and beyond. Phil was previously on our screens on the 20th May, with the first part of his show and will continue where he left off.

17^th June 2020

'Canary Islands' Airports'; by Chris Wood

For this weeks online Rossendale Aviation Society meeting, Chris Wood will show photographs of airliners at Lanzarote, Tenerife South Airports taken in 2018 and 2019 and give a guide to spotting at these two Airports.

In addition, Chris will also take a look back at the world's worst air disaster at Tenerife, when two Boeing 747s collided 43 years ago.

Please join us, all are welcome.

3^rd June 2020

'Israeli Air Force Museum'; by Ivan Hallworth

Tonight we we give a warm welcome to Ivan Hallworth who will report on his visit to the Israeli Air Force Museum Hatzerim Air Force Base in the Negev desert, where a varied and very interesting selection of aircraft can be seen. 

All are welcome to join us.

20^th May 2020

'Those You May Have Forgotten - part 1'; by Phil Blinkhorn

A show to remember long gone aircraft, airlines and colour schemes.

For tonight's entertainment, we welcome our good friend Phil Blinkhorn from his home in the Emerald Isle, via the wonders of modern technology to your homes in Lancashire and beyond.

18^th March 2020

'Israeli Air Force Museum'; by Ivan Hallworth and 'Lanzarote and Tenerife South Airports'; by Chris Wood

Tonight we welcom a double header. The first part is from Ivan Hallworth who will report on his visit to the Israeli Air Force Museum at Hatzerim Airbase in the Negev desert, where a varied and very interesting selection of aircraft can be seen. 

The second part of the evening is from Chris Wood who will show images of airliners at Lanzarote and Tenerife South Airports taken in 2018 and 2019 with also a guide to photography at these two airports.  In addition Chris will also take a look back to the world's worst air disaster at Tenerife North Airport when two Boeing 747s collided, on the eve of the 43rd anniversary of the tragedy.

Please come along to what should be a great evening of two halves.

***PLEASE NOTE***

Due to the implications of the ongoing health crisis and the new guidelines from Central Government, this, along with future meetings, have been cancelled. Further updates will be notified in due course

4^th March 2020

'Trainers, Transports and Helicopters'; by Colin Duckworth

Tonight we give a very warm welcome to our very own Colin Duckworth.

Colin has been delving into his image bank again and tonight present us with a wide selection of Trainers, Transports and Helicopters.

Such types are not as glamourous as the front line combat aircraft but form a vital part of military air operations and are of great interest in their own right.

Please come along to what is sure to be a very interesting evening.

19^th February 2020

'Aircraft Recognition - It's not all Black and White'; by Steve Abbott

Tonight we give a very warm welcome to Steve Abbott

Steve worked in the aircraft industry for 37 years and is now a volunteer at the Avro Heritage Museum at Woodford.

Steve was also Chairman of the Manchester Aviation Art Society and began cutting aircraft silhouette profiles in 1984. His talk starts with the Aircraft Profiles used by the Royal Observer Corps during World War II and continues from there.

This is sure to be a very interesting evening  covering a different aspect of aviation.

All are very welcome.

5^th February 2020

'A day to remember'; by John Wiseman

Tonight we give a a warm welcome to our very own John Wiseman.

One day’s aircraft spotting in 2018, up before dawn and finished at sundown by retreating for food and a beer.

Thousands of aircraft, someday I might work out how many types seen, my guess is getting on for four hundred.  You will hear and see the story of the day.  

From the air looking down, from a coach and walking around.  My only regret is that we did not have longer in some places.  Needless to say it's in the USA - Tucson Arizona in fact.  International airport, civil aircraft storage and parting out, US military airbase and THE storage area plus one of the most comprehensive Aviation museums in the world.

All are very welcome.

22^nd January 2020

'A Life in Aviation'; by Captain Derek Hopkins

For the first part of our meeting, we welcome Captain Derek Hopkins, who will tell us about his life in aviation, commencing with his Royal Air Force service and finishing as an airline captain, which included flying the Boeing 707 with Tradewinds Airways.

'Musee de l'air et de l'espace'; by Paul Henshaw

For the second part of the evening, Paul Henshaw will show hi images from a recent visit to the Musee de l'air et de l'espace at le Bourget, Paris.

All are very welcome.

8^th January 2020

'Annual General Meeting'

The AGM will take its usual form, with a pie and pea supper for all current members in attendance. Please Note, the AGM is open to current members only. 

The annual report, notice of meeting and agenda, were circulated to members on 19th December.

A free Pie and Pea supper will be served to all those members present.

For further information (AGM), please contact the Society Chairman or Vice Chairman

18^th December 2019

'Annual Photographic Competition - projected and prints'

Both the 'projected' and 'print' competitions will be held this evening. Our guest judge for the competition will be the very respected photographic judge Gordon Bartley ARPS.

Further information is available by visiting the 'Annual Photographic Competitions' web-page.

4^th December 2019

'A Year in Pictures'; by Chris Berry

The annual photographic bonanza from photographer and dedicated enthusiast Chris Berry.

Now in its twelfth year, this popular event will feature a comprehensive round-up of the aviation related events in 2018/19.

Chris's presentations are professional, highly factual and delivered in a smooth, easy going style which perfectly compliments his excellent photography. We can look forward to images from the various airports, airbases and airshows he visited through the year, and for those of you who like a touch of the sea, there will be a look at life on board an aircraft carrier of the United States Navy.

Two hours of action-packed photography and narrative with a special wow factor! Don't miss this one.

All are welcome.

20^th November 2019

'Aviation Photography from Above'; by Steve Grimshaw

Tonight we welcome Aviation Photographer Steve Grimshaw, who will show a selection of photographs taken at home and overseas.

Steve is a microlight pilot and uses his craft as platform for aerial photography and has also chartered light aircraft and helicopters as photographic platforms when overseas.

We are promised another excellent evening and all are welcome.

6^th November 2019

'D-Day Air Operations'; by Aldon Ferguson

Tonight we welcome back to the Society the well-known aviation historian Aldon Ferguson.

His subject is ‘D-Day Air Operations’ which will cover the huge aviation component of the invasion of Normandy in 1944.

From his previous visits to the Society we know that Aldon’s presentations are well researched and presented and we are in for another great evening.

All are welcome.

16^th October 2019

'Extraordinary General Meeting'

Formal notification, in accordance with the Society rules and constitution, have been circulated to all members.

The evening will include a free pie and pea supper for those present.

2^nd October 2019

'Warbirds and Warplanes'; by Colin Duckworth

Our next meeting is on Wednesday 2nd October when one of our members, Colin Duckworth, will give a presentation entitled 'Warbirds and Warplanes'.

The subjects are combat aircraft seen at airshows and aircraft museums photographed by Colin over the 40 years at various locations, mostly in this country.

This is sure to be another excellent evening and all are welcome

18^th September 2019

'NAS Fallon and Decimomannu in pictures'; by David Draycott

We welcome David Draycott back to the Society, who will be bringing a selection of his slides to show us. David is an excellent photographer, who enjoyed several visits to see the United States Navy in action.

The locations are Naval Air Station Fallon, in Nevada, where squadrons work up prior to carrier embarkation and to the NATO base at Decimomannu, in Sardinia, where various exercises were held for the US Navy and other NATO aircraft.

Please come a long to what promises to be an excellent evening, all welcome.

4^th September 2019

'South Africa in Springtime'; by Lloyd Robinson

Our much travelled member Lloyd Robinson will tonight present 'South Africa in Springtime', a journey through the eastern provinces from Cape Town to Durban, and onwards to KwaZulu Natal to Johannesburg. A camera using enthusiast's delight with days of sunshine and an abundance of interesting aeroplanes

From his knowledge and contacts Lloyd will have found many interesting aircraft to show us.

All welcome to what will be a fascinating presentation.

21^st August 2019

'From Pollards Lane to Mount Cupola'; by Andy Heap

All are welcome to what should be a great and entertaining evening.

Our guest this evening is visiting from New Zealand.  Andy Heap was one of our founder members but after University moved away from the Valley, eventually settling in New Zealand.  His presentation to the Society is entitled ‘From Pollards Lane to Mount Cupola’ which will be a photographic journey covering the many aspects of aviation that Andy has been interested in, including low flying military aviation,  airshows in New Zealand, bush flying and firefighting, gliding and magazine photography

The last time Andy spoke to the Society was by video link.  That was a good evening but seeing and hearing him in the flesh will be even better!

All are welcome.

7^th August 2019

'2019 Annual Recognition Competition'; by Chris Berry and 'Le Week-end en France'; by Paul Henshaw

Tonight we have another double header.

We start with the 2019 Annual Recognition Competition, compiled and presented by last year's winner Chris Berry. A chance for us all to test our skills and claim the trophy.

After the break, Paul Henshaw will tell us about a recent weekend in France, where he visited the airshow at La Ferte-Alais and the Musee de l'Air et de l'Espace, at le Bourget Airport.

All are welcome to what should be a great and entertaining evening.

17^th July 2019

'The Handley Page Herald'; by Stuart Daley and 'The Royal Herald'; by Lloyd Robinson

Tonight we showcase two of our own members.

Stuart Daley made his first flight in a Handley Page Herald many years ago and has a great love of the type. For the first half of the evening will give n illustrated history of the airliner with images showing many of the operators of the aircraft.

Following the break, Lloyd Robinson takes over with a look at the preservation of pone example of the Herald, G-APWA, which is preserved at Berkshire Aviation Museum. The aircraft is known as 'The Royal Herald' as it was piloted by the Duke of Edinburgh in 1962. Lloyd lived in Berkshire for several years and was heavily involved with the Museum and the preservation of the aircraft.

Please come a long to what promises to be an excellent evening, all welcome.

3^rd July 2019

'Flying into the '20s'; by Drew Steel MBE

Tonight we welcome back Drew Steel, UCAS Defence Lines of Development Manager - BAE Systems - Air.

Drew's lecture this evening is titled 'Flying into the '20s', where he will update us on what programmes BAE Systems are currently working on, and how these will develop over the coming years.

As Drew is an excellent and very informed presenter, we look forward to an excellent attendance.

19^th June 2019

'Wings for Sale'; by Barry Lloyd

Tonight we give a warm welcome to Barry Lloyd.

Barry has spent much of his working life in aviation, beginning with Cambrian Airways in the 1960s.

He has also worked for Pakistan International Airlines, Air UK and Air Portugal. Between 1981 and 1988, he was Area Sales Manager Latin America and the Caribbean for British Aerospace initially at Manchester and then at Stevenage and Hatfield.

After a brief period with Air Portugal at Manchester, he returned to BAe in 1990, this time working in the Corporate Jet Division, responsible for the sales of the 125 in both South America and the former Soviet Republics. 

More recently he has worked in the operations departments of handling agents at both Manchester and Luton airports.

Please come along this evening and enjoy the presentation. All are welcome.

5^th June 2019

'An Odyssey to Oshkosh'; by Thurai Rahulan

Tonight we give a warm welcom to our much-travelled member Thurai Rahulan.

Thurai visited the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture at Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 2018, the largest aviation gathering in the world. 

He will show images and tell stories from that wonderful event.

Please come along for what promises to be an informative and entertaining evening. All welcome.

15^th May 2019

'Visits to the Pacific Rim'; by Phil Blinkhorn

Tonight we give a warm welcome to Phil Blinkhorn.

Our good friend and former member Phil Blinkhorn has been travelling around the Pacific Rim, visiting Hong Kong, New Zealand and Vietnam and will entertain us with aviation images taken on that journey.

Please come along for what promises to be an informative and entertaining evening. All welcome.

1^st May 2019

'Avro Heritage - The Story So Far'; by Ian Lomax MA, FCIM

Tonight we give a warm welcome to Ian Lomax.

First taking the controls of an aircraft in flight as a 14 year old Air Cadet, Ian has long been fascinated with aviation.

After a 30 year career as a police officer reaching the rank of Chief Inspector, he established a successful project management consultancy business. Having never lost his interest in aviation, he started volunteering with the Avro Heritage Museum in 2016. He was able to bring his project management experience to benefit the Museum with organising the recovery, transportation and preparing various aircraft exhibits for display. 

He was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2017

Please come a long to what promises to be an excellent evening, all welcome.

17^th April 2019

'Airport Solutions Ltd'; by Debbie Riley

Tonight we welcome back Debbie Riley, Operations and Safety Director at Airport Solutions, to the Society, who will enlighten us further on the challenges and solutions to airport management around the world.

Debbie began her aviation career as a fighter controller with the Royal Air Force, before embarking on a long career in Airport Management.

Please come a long to what promises to be an excellent evening, all welcome.

3^rd April, 2018

'Aviation Brain of Rossendale'; compiled by Ivor Tamplin

Tonight we host our annual 'Aviation Brain of Rossendale', compiled by the 2018 winner, Ivor Tamplin

This is the forty-third year of the prestigious competition, which was first hosted in 1976.

Please come along for an entertaining evening and see if you can put your hands on the famous trophy.

20^th March 2019

'Liverpool John Lennon Airport', by Robin Tudor

Tonight we welcome back Robin Tudor back to the Society to update us on developments and future plans for Liverpool John Lennor Airport

Please come along for what promises to be an informative and entertaining evening. All welcome.

6^th March 2019

'Two MBs in Tango Charlie to Sweden in 2018', by Mike Blake

A week long trip to visit the 100th Anniversary Fly-in of the Gothenburg Aero Club

Thirty two hours flying in a 53 year old classic Cessna 150, which included several adventures along the way.

Mike visited over ten airfields and two aircraft museums whilst travelling to and from the fly-in, which will be detailed during the presentation.

Please come along to what should be a an excellent evening and presentation. All welcome.

20^th February 2019

'2018 RIAT Fairford Departures'; by Mike Lynam

For the first time in 2018, our society Secretary Mike Lynam visited Fairford for the RIAT Monday departures. No crowds and photographic access to the aircraft that had been on static display generated 144 departures, some multiple in the seven hours that the gates were open. As you would expect, plenty of military aircraft and civilian aircraft now in military roles. Something for every one!

'Portugal 2017'; by Chris Wood

Tonight Chris will be showing photos from his trip to Portugal in September 2017. As well as shots of airliners at both Lisbon and Porto airports, he will also be showing photos from Portugal's largest aviation museum, the Museudoar at Sintra. In addition to the aviation images, Chris will also be showcasing the famous old trams at both Lisbon and Porto as well as other transport subjects such as railways and ships, including a surprise visit by a Russian naval vessel!

Please come along tonight and enjoy what should be an excellent show of two halves. All are welcome.

6^th February 2019

'Airshows, Museums and Wild Horses'; by Martin Powell

Tonight we bid a welcome return to one of our founder members and regular presenters, Martin Powell.

Firstly, he will show a selection of images taken in the last couple of years at airshows at Duxford, Fairford and Old Warden and the Newark Air Museum and the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton.

In the second part of his presentation, martin will treat us to a selection of images of one of the most iconic fighter aircraft of World War ll, the North American P-51 'Mustang'. Of more than 15,500 examples built, some 300 survive today and are to be seen at airshows, air races and in museums around the world. Martin is an excellent photographer and narrator whose knowledge of his subject is second to none!

We know from experience that he will deliver an action-packed show with something for everyone!

Please come along tonight and enjoy the show! All are welcome.

23^rd January 2019

'British Aircraft Carriers Since 1945'; by Professor Eric Grove F.R.H.S.

Tonight we are privileged to welcome our guest the renowned Naval Historian, Professor Eric Grove.

He has addressed our audiences on many occasions in the past and has never failed do enthral us with his vast knowledge and charismatic presentation.

His subject tonight will deal with the aircraft carriers in service with the Royal Navy between 1945 and the present day.

After a recent period without the capability of operating fixed wing aircraft at sea, Britain will have once again a major Aircraft Carrier with the introduction of H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth. This, the first of a new Class of ships is currently undergoing sea trials and will soon embark the new Lightning II combat aircraft.

Professor Grove is the author of many important books on naval matters and is a very highly respected Defence Consultant and International Security Analyst. Join us tonight for what promises to be a fascinating presentation!

This meeting is open to Members and non-members alike. We look forward to welcoming you to the presentation.

9^th January 2019

'Annual General Meeting'

The AGM will take its usual form, with a pie and pea supper for all current members in attendance. Please Note, the AGM is open to current members only. 

The annual report, notice of meeting and agenda, were circulated to members on 19th December.

A free Pie and Pea supper will be served to all those members present.

For further information (AGM), please contact the Society Chairman or Vice Chairman

19^th December 2018

'Annual Photographic Competition - projected and prints'

Both the 'projected' and 'print' competitions will be held this evening. Our guest judge for the competition will be the very respected photographic judge Gordon Bartley ARPS.

Further information is available by visiting the 'Annual Photographic Competitions' web-page.

5^th December 2018

'Military Photo Reconnaissance'; by Aldon P. Ferguson

Tonight we welcome the return to Rossendale Aviation Society of an old friend-the well-known aviation historian and author Aldon Ferguson.

His presentation tonight will cover the clandestine world of surveillance overflights from the beginning of World War II to the intense activity throughout the 'Cold War'.

Finally, Aldon will bring us up to date with the later technologies which became available with the introduction of satellites, and more recently with the deployment of pilotless drones. Aldon's research and preparation is always meticulous and this, along with his excellent presentational skills will ensure an excellent evening!

All are welcome to what should be a fabulous presentation.

21^st November 2018

'Decals, the finishing touch!'; by Jean-Pierre Desprez

Your model is built at last and now is the time to apply the finishing touch-the all-important decals!

Those colourful little jewels which will transform your many hours of skill and toil into a masterpiece!

Tonight, we shall learn just how these essential embellishments are produced! Jean-Pierre founded the company Model Art Decal System in 1988 which is to this day based in Rossendale.

The firm specialises in producing unusual and often otherwise unobtainable decals for the discerning modeller wishing to create something out of the ordinary.

Jean-Pierre is an outstanding model maker and he will no doubt be passing-on some tips in his presentation along with his insider knowledge of how decals are made.

He is an excellent speaker with an easy-going style and we can be assured of a fascinating and informative evening. All are welcome.

7^th November 2018

'An evening with Phil Stevens, the man behind the camera at Target Aviation Photography'; by Philip Stevens

Tonight it is our privilege to welcome Philip Stevens, the acclaimed aviation photographer and author who has travelled far and wide in search of the most dynamic photographic images imaginable!

One look at his web-site and you will appreciate the skill of the man whose work has been published in no fewer than thirty eight magazines world-wide, adorning the front covers of many of them!

Philip will be taking us behind the scenes of a photo-shoot with all its preparation right up the publication of his work!

There will be images of aircraft to suit every taste and we shall be taking a close look at the production of his recently published book entitled 'Thunder Through The Valleys' which features all aspects of the photography of low flying aircraft!

Join us for a photographic extravaganza presented by a master of his profession!

All welcome to what should be a fabulous evening and presentation.

17^th October 2018

'Canada Museums, followed by the 'Ice Pilots' of Buffalo Airways'; by Ken Cothliff

Ken’s presentation tonight will include his visit to The Bomber Command Museum at Nanton, the RCAF museum at Trenton as well as the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum among others!

In addition he will recount his three days as a guest of Buffalo Airways-the ‘Ice Pilots’ of T-V fame!

Ken is a great speaker whose previous visits to us have been very popular. For those who like the aviation scene ‘Canadian-style’ this is a not a meeting to miss!

All are welcome.

3^rd October 2018

'The Airfix Years'; by Trevor Snowden

Tonight we are privileged to welcome Trevor Snowden who for many years held the position of Research & Development Engineer at Airfix.

Trevor will guide us through the intricate process of manufacturing plastic construction kits, through design, engineering and production!

Trevor is a highly accomplished model maker too so we can look forward to a real treat!

All are welcome to what should be a fabulous evening and presentation.

19^th September 2018

'The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress'; by Peter Cunliffe

We welcome the return of Peter Cunliffe, the well known aviation author and historian. Peter is a professional speaker on all matters of aviation, who specialises in the activities of R.A.F Bomber Command during WW II.

Tonight, with the benefit of his wide range of knowledge he will present an illustrated talk on the subject of the mighty B-17 ‘Flying Fortress’-one of the great aircraft of its era.

Please join us for what promises to be an excellent evening.

5^th September 2018

'RENO - the trip of a lifetime'; by Graham Sparkes

Tonight Graham will recount his memorable visit to the famous Air Races at Reno, Nevada!

This is the visit of a lifetime for aviation enthusiasts and air-racers especially! Please join join us for what promises to be an excellent evening.

All are welcome.

15^th August 2018

'U.S.A. 1979: Texas to California'; by Gerry Manning

Tonight we bid a welcome return to Gerry Manning, the well-known aviation enthusiast who has travelled extensively in search of interesting aircraft.

Tonight he will review a visit he made to the U.S.A. in 1979, starting with the Confederate Air Force, as it was then known. This organisation, from modest beginnings has, through the effort of its ‘Colonels’ become famous for the restoration and conservation of many rare aircraft. Come along tonight and learn more about the achievements of ‘Colonels’ Jethro Culpepper and Thaddeus P. Throckmorton! Priceless!

In the second part of the show, Gerry will guide us through the aviation scene in California at that time. Plenty of prop-liners, water- bombers, and state of the art military hardware!

Gerry’s presentations are always well illustrated and accompanied by an informative narrative, so join us for an evening of pure nostalgia!

All welcome to what should be a fabulous evening and presentation.

1^st August 2018

'Red Flag Road Trip 2017 and 2018'; by Keith Dixon

Tonight RAS member and aerospace professional Keith Dixon will deliver two fully illustrated presentations!  First off, a subject close to Keith’s heart, the BAE Systems Hawk. This excellent aircraft will be known to many as the mount of the ‘Red Arrows’, the R.A.F.’s distinguished aerobatic team which is renowned the world over. They were formed in 1964 and have flown the Hawk for forty years!  But it is not only as an aerobatic display aircraft that the Hawk excels, for although designed to fulfil the role of a trainer, the Hawk has evolved into a highly efficient multi role aircraft which has sold in large numbers to air-arms around the globe. Keith will describe the evolution of this versatile machine which has contributed so much to Britain’s aerospace exports over the years. What lies ahead for this superb machine? Come along tonight and get an insight into the next step from a man who knows!

Keith’s second presentation of the evening will concentrate on his recent visits to the U.S.A., beginning with his account of the great annual spectacle that is ‘Red Flag’! This time Red Flag-2 was the purpose of his visit to the Nevada Test and Training Range cantered on Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. This huge combat training exercise is hosted by the U.S. Air Force and involves aircraft from numerous allied air arms which compete in exercises and hone their skills! Then we shall move on to the scene at Marine Corps Air Station at Yuma, Arizona which is home to many of the U.S. Military’s Harrier fleet and its successor, the new F-35 Lightning II, components for which are made by BAE Systems in the North West. From there we are to be treated to a look at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, and onwards to the Naval Air Facility at El Centro, California, winter home of the famous ‘Blue Angels’ aerobatic team of the U.S. Navy. Before heading home, Keith dropped-in to the famous ‘Desert Boneyard’ at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, from where he will recount the sight of thousands of aircraft awaiting their fate. Some aircraft which come here for temporary storage in the dry desert air from all branches of the U.S Armed Forces will live to fly another day, but many will not and will be used as a source of spares for others more fortunate. Sadly, the ultimate fate of the obsolete and time-expired majority is to be scrapped and their metal and vital components reclaimed.

This is an incredible sight and tonight’s meeting promises to be a real treat for all aviation enthusiasts!

New members and guests always welcome.

18^th July 2018

'2018 Society Recognition Competition'; presented by Colin Duckworth, followed by 'West & North'; by Martin Powell

The 2018 Annual Recognition Competition, compiled and presented by Colin Duckworth, the 2017 winner, consists of forty images of aircraft taken by the author.

To the winner will go the glory and the right to hold the Trophy for a year.

Following the Competition, Martin Powell will present 'West & North', incorporating a selection of images taken whilst driving between San Francisco and Seattle in 2013, where a number of museums and airfields were visited on route, including a visit to the Boeing factory at Everett. A day was also spent at Reno air races.

All welcome to what should be a fabulous evening and presentation.

4^th July 2018

'Royal Air Force Canberra PR9 Operations - Recollections from the Cold War Era; by Mike Howes'

In this, the Centenary Year of the Royal Air Force we are privileged to welcome as our guest tonight former RAF Navigator, Mike Howes. Mike, nowadays an independent Aviation Consultant, had a long and distinguished career in the RAF, serving principally as a Navigator and later as an Instructor on the famous English Electric Canberra.

Tonight he will recount his operational tours flying this aircraft in the Photo Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare roles, during which he amassed some 3,000 hours flying time on duties which took him around Northern and Central Europe, the Mediterranean and as far afield as East Africa, and various Middle East and Far East countries.

Mike also held staff positions within the Ministry of Defence and Royal Saudi Air Force before joining the Flight Operations team of BAE Systems at Warton.

Tonight we shall learn of his personal experiences, along with the inevitable emphasis on the Canberra PR.Mk.9 and T.Mk.17 variants. The Canberra, of which more than 1,300 were built, including licensed production in the U.S.A., served the RAF in various guises for over fifty years and has its origin in Lancashire where many were built. Mike’s presentation tonight offers a real opportunity to learn at first-hand about the role this famous aircraft played in the Cold War from a man who was there!

The meeting is open to members and guests alike!

This promises to be a very special evening, please don’t miss it!

20^th June, 2018

'2017 - An Interesting Year'

Tonight we welcome our member Colin Duckworth.

Colin is well known for his superb skills as a modeller, not to mention him being a three-time winner of the ‘Aviation Brain of Rossendale’ quiz! On this occasion he will be exhibiting yet another skill-this time with a camera!

His presentation will take us on a whistle-stop tour of the U.K. including two museums, and the Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford for starters! We shall then move on to his visits to the Radials, Transport and Trainer Fly-in at Halfpenny Green, The Light Aircraft Association Rally at Sywell and the Air Britain Fly-in at North Weald!

Wait, there’s more! Naples to name but one destination along with a light hearted glimpse of some of the interesting places he passed through on the way! Colin’s presentations are always well illustrated and narrated with just the right amount of information to make it enjoyable for everyone.

This promises to be a very special evening-don’t miss it!

6^th June, 2018

'A postcard from Singapore, Kemble and Manchester'; by Mike Lynam

Tonight we give a warm welcome to the Society Secretary, Mike Lynam.

The first half of the evening, titled 'A postcard from Singapore' covers the presenters 10 hour stay at Singapore Changi, while returning from Thailand and Vietnam. Plenty of colorful airliners and surprisingly, some military were seen too. All will be explained.

The second half of the evening, titled 'Postcard from Kemble and Manchester Airports', covers the aircraft that are now scrapped, or to be correct, parted out at Kemble. This will be followed by the ever changing operators, types and liveries that now pass through Manchester Airport.

All welcome to what should be an interesting evening and presentation.

16^th May, 2018

'20 Years of photography at Shannon Airport'; by Phil Blinkhorn

Tonight we give a warm and returning welcome to Phil Blinkhorn.

Phil will tonight will give a brief history of Shannon Airport, detail visits he made to the airport in 1963 and 1965, with a more detailed look at the airfield between 1965 and 1998, when he moved to Ireland.

The majority of the presentation will cover the various aspects of the airport's business since 1998, liberally illustrated with examples of airliners, biz jets, light aircraft and military visitors, which make up the fascinating, if sometimes frustratingly quiet, traffic at the airfield located on the edge of the Atlantic.

Phil will also provide details of where photos can be taken and the excellent relations with the security authorities.

Please come along to what should be an excellent evening. All are welcome

2^nd May, 2018

'Aviation Brain of Rossendale'; compiled by Martin Powell

Tonight we host our annual 'Aviation Brain of Rossendale', compiled by the 2017 winner, Martin Powell.

This is the forty-second year of the prestigious competition, which was first hosted in 1976.

Please come along for an entertaining evening and see if you can put your hands on the famous trophy.

18^th April, 2018

'Memories of the Moor - flight testing for the cold war'; by Dennis Morley

Tonight we give a very warm and returning welcome to Dennis Morley.

Dennis is formerly a member of the 'Flight Test' team at BAE Systems Warton and currently a member of the Warton Heritage Department.

Dennis will tonight deliver an evening of recollections from his time spent at the British Aerospace test facility at Holme on Spalding Moor.

Holme on Spalding Moor was a 'testing' airfield for Blackburn Aircraft and its successor British Aerospace until 1983, when the facility became surplus to requirements and the airfield closed.

Please come along to what should be a fascinating presentation.

4^th April, 2018

'Liverpool Ship Visits 2008 - 2017'; by Chris Wood

Tonight we give a warm and returning welcome to Chris Wood.

Chris will tonight present a collection of images around Liverpool of visiting Naval vessels (taken during RAS visits), including the 'Battle of the Atlantic 70' event from 2013.

In addition to the naval visits, there are also plenty of photos of visiting cruise ships, plus various ferries, tankers and cargo vessels in Liverpool, along the waterfront, within the docks and on the River Mersey.

In addition to the many nautical images, there will also be a number of pictures of embarked aviation assets on a number of the visiting ships.

To end the show, there are additional photos taken at Southampton back in 2012, when the entire seven ship fleet of P&O Cruises visited together on one day to mark the 175th anniversary of P&O.

All are welcome to what should be an excellent evening.

21^st March, 2018

'Warton, Preston and Samlesbury - History in Photographs'; by Dave Ward

Tonight we again give a very warm welcome to Dave Ward, from BAE System Heritage Department (Warton). Dave will enlighten us about the long and distinguished history of our local aircraft design and production from its infancy with Dick, Kerr and Company to BAE Systems of today.

The presentation has been put together using the vast photographic archives at Warton.

We will see aeroplanes from biplanes to deltas and from flying boats to fighters.

Please come along to what promises to be an excellent evening.

7^th March, 2018

'Covert Operations in the Cold War'; by Aldon Ferguson

Tonight we give a very warm and returning welcome to Aldon Ferguson.

Aldon is the Burtonwood Association founder and honary lifetime president, genearlly acknowledged as the authoritive on the history of RAF Burtonwood.

Aldon will tonight deliver a presentation on 'Covert Operations in the Cold War', including Operation 'Jiu Jitsu', the Royal Air Force - North American RB-45 Tornado flights over the former Soviet Union.

Aldon will also detail 'BRIXMIS' - The British Commanders'-in-Chief Mission to the Soviet Forces in Germany, which was a military liason mission which operated behind the Iron Curtain in East Germany during the Cold War. BRIXMIS existed from 1946 - shortly after the Second World war, until the eve of reunification of Germany in 1990.

An evening not to be missed. Please come along to what promises to be an excellent evening.

21^st February, 2018

'Nimrod - The Game Changer'; by Dr. Thurai Rahulan

Tonight we give a warm and welcoming return to Dr. Thurai Rahulan.

The Nimrod served the Royal Air Force for forty two years, before retirement in March 2010. Thurai will tonight look at the Nimrod during its illustrious career in British military service and how it became a 'game changer' for maritime reconnaissance.

The presentation will conclude with a look at the Nimrod replacement, the Boeing P-8 Poseidon and compare it with the Kawasaki P-1, which is gradually replacing the ShinMaywa US-2 with the Japanese Maritime Defence Force.

Thurai always delivers a fabulous presentation, please come a long to what promises to be an excelent evening. All are very welcome.

7^th February, 2018

'de Havilland Man and Machines - part 2'; by Michael Blake

Tonight we give a warm welcome to Michael Blake.

Following on from part one the presentation in April, 2016, Michael returns to continue the story of how Geoffrey de Havilland set-up his aircraft company in late 1920 and how it produced many historic aircraft since then, including the well known 'Moth' series and the 'wooden wonder', the Mosquito.

We look forward to an excellent evening. All welcome.

24^th January, 2018

'10 and 20 - a selection of images from 1997 and 2007'; by Martin Powell

Tonight we give a warm welcome to Martin Powell.

The images from 1997 are all colour slides and include the air shows at Mildenhall and Fairford, various Society visits and a trip to Europe including museums and air shows at Sion and le Bourget. As 2007 was the year the presenter went digital, this year's images are a mix of colour slides and digital images including RIAT Fairford, arrival days at Waddington and Yeovilton, along with a number of museums visited in Sweden and Canada.

Please come along for what should be an excellent presentation. All welcome.

10^th January, 2018

'Annual General Meeting'

The AGM will take its usual form, with a pie and pea supper for all current members in attendance. Please Note, the AGM is open to current members only. 

For further information (AGM), please contact the Society Chairman or Vice Chairman

Both the 'projected' and 'print' competitions will be held this evening. Our guest judge for the competition will be the very respected photographic judge Gordon Bartley ARPS.

Further information is available by visiting the 'Annual Photographic Competitions' web-page.

6^th December, 2017

'The USA and Davis-Monthan in the 1970's'; by Gerry Manning

Tonight we again welcome the aviation enthusiast Gerry Manning. Gerry has travelled the world in pursuit of his hobby.

The slide presentation features his first USA tour in October 1979, and hs both the Confederate Air Force show at Harlingden, water bombers, US Navy A-7s at Lemoore and a tour of Davis Monthan Air Force Base. Something for all tastes.

All are welcome.

15^th November, 2017

'A Year in Pictures'; by Chris Berry

The annual photographic extravaganza from photographer and dedicated aviation enthusiast Chris Berry.

Now in its eleventh year, this popular event will feature a comprehensive round-up of the aviation related events of 2017.

Chris’s presentations are professional, highly factual and delivered in a smooth, easy going style which perfectly complements his excellent photography. We can look forward to images from the various airports, air bases and air shows he visited throughout the year, and for those of you who like a touch of the sea, there will be a look at life on board an aircraft carrier of the United States Navy!

Two hours of action-packed photography and narrative with a special wow factor! Don’t miss this one!

1^st November, 2017

'Aviation Brain of Rossendale'; compiled by Lloyd Robinson

Tonight we host our annual 'Aviation Brain of Rossendale' quiz, compiled by the 2016 winner, Lloyd Robinson.

This is the forty first year of the prestigious competition, which was first hosted in 1976.

Please come along for an entertaining evening and see if you can put your hands on the famous trophy.

18^th October, 2017

'Hawker Siddeley / BAE Systems Hawk'; by Keith Dixon

Tonight we give a warm welcome to Keith Dixon.

Keith will tonight cover the Hawk from early days into Royal Air Force service, and early series exports. He will also look at the development of the 100 and 200 series Hawks, current Hawk operations and future developments.

Please come along to what should be a great evening.

Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, Keith Dixon is unable to deliver his planned presentation this evening. We look forward to arranging a new date with Keith in the coming months.

'Favourite Flights and Other Significant Dates - a delve into my aviation database'; by Guy Clark

Guy Clark has kindly agreed to step in at short notice and will deliver a presentation 'Favourite Flights and Other Significant Dates - a delve into my aviation database'.

Please come along for what should be an excellent presentation. All welcome.

4^th October, 2017

'VSTOL to ASTOVL and onwards to Stealth'; by Mick Mansell

Tonight we give a very warm welcome to Mick Mansell.

Our guest tonight is Mick Mansell, formerly 'Future Studies Director' at British Aerospace, who will guide us through the evolution of vertical take-off and landing capable aircraft to modern day stealth technology.

He will begin with the Hawker Siddeley P.1127, forerunner to the well know Harrier, then onward to its succesors and the advanced machines of the present day.

We look forward to an excellent evening. All welcome.

20^th September, 2017

'An RAF Career'; by Wing Commander Michael Mercer

Tonight we give a very warm welcome to Wing Commander Michael Mercer.

Wing Commander Mercer had a long and distinguished career in the Royal Air Force, where he spent the majority time as a front line pilot flying the McConnell F-4 Phantom and Panavia Tornado F-3. He commanded 1435 Flight in The Falkland Islands and No 11 Squadron at RAF Leeming. During his career he saw active service in several operational arenas.

His time in the military also included staff appointments in Defence Intelligence, Operational Headquarters and procurement.

Following retirement from the military, Wing Commander Mercer runs a full time aikido dojo (a modern Japanese martial art) in Preston, where he teaches all age groups from four years of age.

We look forward to an excellent evening. All welcome.

6^th September, 2017

'An Aviation Enthusiast Guide to New York'; by Peter Hulme

Tonight we give a warm and returning welcome to Peter Hulme.

Peter will look at the New York Aviation scene, covering the numerous airports, airfields, museums, heliports and seaplane terminals across New York City, north-eastern New Jersey and Long Island.

In addition to Kennedy, La Guardia and Newark. the presentation will also take in the likes of Tererboro, White Plains, Long Islands, Macarthur, Farmingdale, Floyd Bennett Field, the Manhattan Heliports, USS Intrepid and Old Rhinebeck.

The presentation will conclude with a whistle-stop photographic tour of 'The Big Apple.

All welcome to what should be a fabulous evening and presentation.

16^th August, 2017

'2017 Annual Recognition Competition'; by Martin Powell

The 2017 Annual Recognition Competition, compiled and presented by Martin Powell, the 2016 winner, consists of forty images of lying aircaft all taken by the author.

To the winnerwill go the glory and the Right to hold the Trophy for a year.

Following the Competition, Martin will show a selection of images taken in recent years in Denmark, The Netherlands and Sweden, as well as the United Kingdom.

All welcome to what should be a fabulous evening and presentation.

2^nd August, 2017

'Flying Large Model Aircraft'; by Mark Conlin

Tonight we give a very warm to Mark Conlin.

Tonight Mark will give us an insight into flying large model aircraft. Mark has been building and flying model aircraft since the late 1970s and has been involved with many aspects of the hobby.

His current passion is display flying large model jets and is a regular pilot at the Large Model Association public display, which are held around the country on a regular basis.

Mark has promised to bring a long two examples of his large model collection.

Please come along to what should be a fabulous evening.

19^th July, 2017

'Aerodrome Certification'; by Debbie Riley

Tonight we give a very warm and returning welcome to Debbie Riley.

all airports that handle international flights are required to be certified in accordance with the international regulations. 

5^th July, 2017

'Kazakhstan and North Korea'; by Gerry Manning

Tonight we give a warm and returning welcome to Gerry Manning, who will deliver a presentation on the aviation element of the KADEX 2016 exhibition, hosted by the City of Astana, Kazakhstan, followed by a visit to the first ever airshow held in North Korea, in September 2016.

Not only will Gerry detail the military and civilian participants at the airshow, he will also detail the cultural aspect of life in the 'closed' society, that is, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

All welcome to what should be a fabulous presentation.

21^st June, 2017

'The 2017 Aviation Brain of Rossendale', compiled by Lloyd Robinson

Tonight we host our annual 'Aviation Brain of Rossendale' quiz, compiled by the 2016 winner, Lloyd Robinson

This is the 41^st year of the prestigious competition, which was first hosted in 1976.

Please come along for an entertaining evening and see if you can put your hands on the famous trophy.

Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, Lloyd Robinson is unable to deliver his Aviation Brain of Rossendale Quiz this evening. We look forward to arranging a new date with Lloyd later in the programme calendar.

'23 Countries in 23 Weeks'; by Guy Clark

Guy Clark has kindly agreed to step in at short notice and will deliver a presentation on his recent world tour, where he travelled extensively throughout Asia, Australasia and North America, visiting both civil airports and military establishments, as well as attending a number of airshows. Further information will be provided in the coming days.

We look forward to an excellent evening.

7^th June, 2017

'A Night at the Museum'; by Ivan Hallworth

Ivan will tonight deliver a presentation 'A Night at the Museum', covering recent visits to the Royal Thai Air Force Museum (Bangkok), Indian Naval Aviation Museum (Goa), Polish Air Force Museum (Krakow), Luftwaffe Museum (Berlin Gatow) and the Russian Central Air Museum (Monino).

Ivan will finish off with a look at the MAKS 2013 airshow, held at Zhukovsky, Moscow.

All welcome to what should be a fabulous presentation.

17^th May, 2017

'Wings over Houston and Texas Aviation'; by Phil Blinkhorn

Tonight we give a very warm and returning welcome to Phil Blinkorn.

Phil tonight will be covering the participants in the show, including the Tora, Tora, Tora display team and a wide variety of warbirds dating from the 1930's to the present day.

We look forward to an excellent evening.

3^rd May, 2017

'Hawker Siddeley / BAE Systems Hawk'; by Keith Dixon

Tonight we give a warm welcome to Keith Dixon.

Keith will tonight cover the Hawk from early days into Royal Air Force service, and early series exports. He will also look at the development of the 100 and 200 series Hawks, current Hawk operations and future developments.

Please come along to what should be a great evening.

Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, Keith Dixon is unable to deliver his planned presentation this evening. We look forward to arranging a new date with Keith in the coming months.

'New Zealand'; by Gerry Manning

Tonight we give a warm welcome to Gerry Manning, who has agreed to step in at short notice and deliver a presentation on an aviation tour to New Zealand in 2013.

Gerry will detail all aspects of the tour, including a visit to the 2013 New Zealand International Air Show.

Please come along to what should be an excellent evening.

19^th April, 2017

'Fly-ins, Open-days, Fun-days and Rallies'; by Colin Duckworth

Tonight we give a warm welcome to member Colin Duckworth, who will give a presentation on UK fly-ins, open-days, fun-days and rallies.

Colin's presentation will cover, amongst others, events at Barton, Breighton, North Weald, Sywell and RAF Coningsby.

As ever, all are welcome to what should be an excellent presentation.

5^th April, 2017

'Lytham St Annes Spitfire Display Team'; by Keith Maddock

Tonight we are in for an evening of all things Spitfire, from the group behind the Fylde Spitfire Memorial at Fairhaven Lake and the Lytham St Annes Spitfire Visitor Centre, Hangar 42, Blackpool Airport.

All are welcome to what should be a fascinating presentation.

15^th March, 2017

'A year in pictures - 2016'; by Chris Berry

Chris is one of our leading photographers and will tonight will deliver his annual 'A year in pictures' presentation.

Now in it's tenth year, Chris will tonight deliver his annual 'A year in pictures' presentation.

Throughout his presentation, Chris will also give an insight into how he takes his images and the methods / software he uses to process a raw image and then turn it into something that's suitable for sharing with others.

Any related questions you have will be answered throughout the presentation.

The evening will close with a review of the 2016 Society visits programme, which will include a look at a number of official visits to a number of naval vessels and a brief look at what we have in store for 2017.

Please come along for what should be fascinating and varied evening of aviation imagery and commentary.

1^st March, 2017

'Californian Trains, Trams, Ships......and Planes'; by Chris Wood

During October 2016, Chris visited California, flying on a British Airways A380 to San Francisco and travelling by train to San Diego.

Chris photographed trams, the famous cable cars and railroads in San Francisco and Oakland, visited the Queen Mary in Long Beach and the battleship USS Iowa in nearby San Pedro, finishing off in San Diego, where he visited the aircraft carrier USS Midway (with a full deck of historic US naval aircraft) and photographed airliners on the approach to San Diego Airport, before flying home on a BA 747.

Please come along to what should be a great evening.

15^th February, 2017

'Flying on a Wing and a Prayer'; by Neil and Heather Airey

Tonight we give a warm and returning welcome to Air Ambulance, 'Huey' pilot and Lakes Lightnings Collection owner, Neil Airey and his wife Heather, who will tonight present a collection of aviation related images taken from both the air and on the ground.

All are welcome to what should be an excellent presentation.

1^st February, 2017

'10 and 20 - images from 1996 and 2006'; by Martin Powell

Martin will tonight present a selection of colour slides taken in 1996 and 2006, mainly taken in the united Kingdon, but including Southwest USA in 1996 and Europe in 2006.Mailnly militry images, some museums, and a special treat, some narrow gauge steam from the USA and Germany

As ever, all are welcome.

18^th January, 2017

'Design of Large Airliners'; by Thurai Rahulan

Tonight we once agin give a warm welcom to Thurai Rahulan.

Tonight Thurai will give us an insight into the 'desighn of large airliners'. We will discover lessons from the trials and tribulations of the past and how they have influenced today's large airlines.

We may even have a glimpse into what the future has in store.

All are welcome to what should be an excellent presentation.

4^th January, 2017

The AGM will take its usual form, with a pie and pea supper for all current members in attendance. Please Note, the AGM is open to current members only. 

For further information (AGM), please contact the Society Chairman or Vice Chairman

The model competition will be organised as in previous years  and will be judged by David Swift (from The International Plastic Modellers Society (IPMS), Bolton). For information on the type and number of entries, and how to enter, please see the December Newsletter. Alternatively, please contact the Programme Secretary.