Flying clubs in the North West
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Manchester, UK
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Rockwell - well, gee thanks, so nice of you to "blow my cover". Maybe I can return the favour some day.
For the record I'm NOT best placed to report on "Committee shenanigans" because since I left the Committee in 1996 (and that was due to redundancy at work meaning I had to spent my time looking for PAID work) I have distanced myself from the politics & gone back to enjoying my flying and family life - both of which suffered inordinately from my time on Committee.
So best find someone else to do that.
I've also discovered that since leaving the Club politics behind, I've been able to enjoy Barton and the flying oportunities it represents, and have been able to rekindle friendships with the very many genuine people at Barton.
I have no vested interest in encouraging anyone to come to Barton other than my own personal enthusiasm and love for the place, which was originally what got me onto the Committee (through starting up the visitor centre as a no-cost venture).
Every Committee-run establishment - be it a ping-pong society right up to a larger club like Barton - is bound to have its "shenanigans". That's the downside of having elected, unpaid enthusiasts who volunteer a large part of their spare time to get "got-at" by those who like to moan (with no alternative positive solutions) at anything and any person in authority.
The punters, however, are free to get involved or not as they wish in those.
I suspect it's much the same at S-i-E, although I don't profess to know in any detail what's been going on there (and I dont want to thank you). I also know people who fly from there and are very happy with it.
In this thread, I simply wanted to stop Barton getting unnecessary and negative sideswipes at a time when people should be helping it in terms of its future. You'll miss it when its gone!
And to finish on the anonymity aspect once more - I have no wish to be known as the ex-chairman & I wont state my successes in that time (yes I know I had failures too!).
I have every wish to be known as an enthusiast for private flying from gradle to grave. I'm no professed expert, just have lived, enjoyed and experienced a lot through 33 years in active aviation.
In that time I've flown (rented aircraft)from BPL, MAN & LPL, as well as airfields in the SE, Netherlands, and many in the US - not just BTN. I've been a customer at clubs run by committees, and schools run by individual owners or companies. I could tell you tales about people at BPL or any of the others, but I wont because opinions on people are just personal perceptions based on experience. I've owned or part owned 5 aircraft. So I feel reasonably qualified to state an opinion. My bias for BTN was clear to see rather than covert.
So, Rockwell, now that you've had your little moment of glory in revealing who I am, why don't you step out from your cloak of anonymity and tell us who YOU are? Only fair don't you think? After all, your profile doesnt exactly make you stand out in the crowd does it?
[ 06 November 2001: Message edited by: poetpilot ]
[ 06 November 2001: Message edited by: poetpilot ]
[ 06 November 2001: Message edited by: poetpilot ]
For the record I'm NOT best placed to report on "Committee shenanigans" because since I left the Committee in 1996 (and that was due to redundancy at work meaning I had to spent my time looking for PAID work) I have distanced myself from the politics & gone back to enjoying my flying and family life - both of which suffered inordinately from my time on Committee.
So best find someone else to do that.
I've also discovered that since leaving the Club politics behind, I've been able to enjoy Barton and the flying oportunities it represents, and have been able to rekindle friendships with the very many genuine people at Barton.
I have no vested interest in encouraging anyone to come to Barton other than my own personal enthusiasm and love for the place, which was originally what got me onto the Committee (through starting up the visitor centre as a no-cost venture).
Every Committee-run establishment - be it a ping-pong society right up to a larger club like Barton - is bound to have its "shenanigans". That's the downside of having elected, unpaid enthusiasts who volunteer a large part of their spare time to get "got-at" by those who like to moan (with no alternative positive solutions) at anything and any person in authority.
The punters, however, are free to get involved or not as they wish in those.
I suspect it's much the same at S-i-E, although I don't profess to know in any detail what's been going on there (and I dont want to thank you). I also know people who fly from there and are very happy with it.
In this thread, I simply wanted to stop Barton getting unnecessary and negative sideswipes at a time when people should be helping it in terms of its future. You'll miss it when its gone!
And to finish on the anonymity aspect once more - I have no wish to be known as the ex-chairman & I wont state my successes in that time (yes I know I had failures too!).
I have every wish to be known as an enthusiast for private flying from gradle to grave. I'm no professed expert, just have lived, enjoyed and experienced a lot through 33 years in active aviation.
In that time I've flown (rented aircraft)from BPL, MAN & LPL, as well as airfields in the SE, Netherlands, and many in the US - not just BTN. I've been a customer at clubs run by committees, and schools run by individual owners or companies. I could tell you tales about people at BPL or any of the others, but I wont because opinions on people are just personal perceptions based on experience. I've owned or part owned 5 aircraft. So I feel reasonably qualified to state an opinion. My bias for BTN was clear to see rather than covert.
So, Rockwell, now that you've had your little moment of glory in revealing who I am, why don't you step out from your cloak of anonymity and tell us who YOU are? Only fair don't you think? After all, your profile doesnt exactly make you stand out in the crowd does it?
[ 06 November 2001: Message edited by: poetpilot ]
[ 06 November 2001: Message edited by: poetpilot ]
[ 06 November 2001: Message edited by: poetpilot ]
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Manchester, UK
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Indeed. Nice one SSD.
Whilst I won't denigrate any committee members in public forum, I will say that once one is on a committee, one sees sides of members and customers that one never saw before.
I do recall a stormy AGM way back in the early 80's, when a club (note: I didnt say THE club) had just got its' first set of computerised accounts including a debtors list.
As each of the regular detractors & moaners delivered their usual stuff, the then treasurer looked down the list and read out what they owed to the club at that time (which in some cases were substantial amounts). It was sort of spooky how the top ten of the then debtors to the club were the most negative moaners.
One of them threatened to punch me that night and had to be restrained. Why? 'cos I was the guy who had set up the computer system which exposed the debtors'.
Whilst I won't denigrate any committee members in public forum, I will say that once one is on a committee, one sees sides of members and customers that one never saw before.
I do recall a stormy AGM way back in the early 80's, when a club (note: I didnt say THE club) had just got its' first set of computerised accounts including a debtors list.
As each of the regular detractors & moaners delivered their usual stuff, the then treasurer looked down the list and read out what they owed to the club at that time (which in some cases were substantial amounts). It was sort of spooky how the top ten of the then debtors to the club were the most negative moaners.
One of them threatened to punch me that night and had to be restrained. Why? 'cos I was the guy who had set up the computer system which exposed the debtors'.
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: england
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I think that the topic about btn is totaly unfounded, the pilots at btn are trained to deal with efartos on all rnwys, and it is a totaly safe place to fly from, providing that you are a good & safe pilot!!. I also think that btn has to train pilots to a higher standard because it is such a tricky airfield. Long live Barton, in the plane and of the ground in 10 mins, only at btn. 
