If JC says its on, thats good enough for me
See you there (Bring your own booze, we'll probably need it!!)

meeting
 

Hi all,

We really need to know what exactly is going on.
this is really dragging on,the debt keeps going up
and people really don't know what extent the club
is really in.

I know for sure Elia will not be there, as he was told by the administrators being mike potts "It would be a waste of time".
"Better to come the week after," as elia is still waiting on more
documents, ie being aircraft data sheets etccccc.

so lets see what the admin people say on thursday.

do you think they will open the bar ???????

going to be interesting

safe flying

mike

The other administrator Linda Farish from RMT has just been in, and confirmed there WILL be a meeting at 19.30 for MEMBERS ONLY. Membership cards will be inspected prior to admission.
The administrators will set out the present position, and explain what steps will be taken.

Aero Club
 

Martinidoc:

Thanks I - had just heard that.

Looks like the Aero Club could be in a bit of help, this article is from the Newcastle Evening Chronicle:
A chance meeting between a teenager and an international entrepreneur could save Newcastle's ailing Aero Club.

The 79-year-old club, the oldest in the country, was plunged into administration on Friday with debts of £200,000.

The 500 flying enthusiasts, whose club founded Newcastle International Airport, feared the worst last week after management impounded their planes.

But Australian flying school boss Elia Golfin, who lives and works in Florida, has made steps to take over the club.

Mr Golfin last night said that he was "95pc certain" of buying the club.

The 31-year-old, a retired commercial pilot who has schools across the world, heard about Newcastle Aero Club from teenager Mark Wright, of Stanley, County Durham.

The youngster, who trained to be a pilot with Mr Golfin in Florida, set out on his first solo flight on Saturday to mark his 16th birthday.

Mr Golfin's legal team is due to visit the airport today to establish the club's financial state.

He said: "I'm sending my team over, as well as my business partner from Ireland, and they will be trying to find out how bad the debt really is.

"Before I was interested in the club, I had several people from the North-East of England who came out here. One of them, Mark Wright, emailed me to tell me how bad the situation is and I thought `if a 15-year-old kid is passionate enough to do this, I'll have to do something.'

"I want to keep the club for the members and give them the opportunity to fly again.

"We will revamp it and give it a paint job, but otherwise it will be the same."

The news of Mr Golfin's interest was greeted with approval by members who are fed up of being kept in the dark about what has been happening.

The club's oldest member, 81-year-old Ken Doyle, said he hoped the sale would come off.

RAF veteran Mr Doyle, of Davenport Drive, Brunton Park, Gosforth, Newcastle, said: "He apparently has quite a lot of money in his pocket and if he wants to invest it in the club, we would all be delighted.

"I would welcome it and I think everyone would - all we are interested in is keeping this grand old club flying from Newcastle.

"I have flown in Florida and they are the most knowledgeable flyers in the world - I hope he comes."

But flying instructor Keith Lister said: "I just don't see how he can buy it - I really have my doubts.

"We have heard so many rumours and the amount of debt is so high.

"If he wants to inject £100,000, then we would all be delighted, but I really can't see it happening."

Aero Club secretary Barry Lawson refused to comment on any of the takeover rumours last night.

It's the height of happiness

Most 16-year-olds celebrate their birthdays with a party.

But Mark Wright found himself 1,000ft in the air on his birthday on Saturday - on his first solo flight.

The Whickham Comprehensive pupil, of Treefoil Road, Tanfield Lea, Stanley, County Durham, is juggling his GCSE studies with learning to fly.

Parents Alison, 38, and Barry, 42, took him to Florida to learn to fly, where he was taught by Elia Golfin.

Elia, 31, is trying to take over Newcastle Aero Club after meeting Mark - a member of the club.

Mark's father Barry, who works for a tyre company, said: "Mark's interest in flying came from when he went into a cockpit when he was 13.

"Since then, he has been travelling to Florida to learn and rake up his hours. He asked Elia to save the club, so hopefully that will come off.

"We are all very disappointed about the club's demise - Mark wants to fly from his local club."

Mark is the youngest pilot at the club. The eldest, Ken Doyle, 81, said: "I think it is great that a 16-year-old is so interested in flying, and also to try and get the gentleman from Florida to help."


A hope all goes well and this fella saves the club, it will be a great shame if the whole thing goes.:(

Newcastle Upon Tyne Aero Club
 

Members:

Quite simply, what ARE the chances of the club surviving if the bid from the USA is successful?


Good luck.

Helloooo... Earth calling. Wake up please, draw a deep breath and smell the coffee! My Master Warning is going off here, big time! Even more so in view of the Evening Chronicle article.

Noise,

It won't. A not for profit club doesn't fit with a commercial entity incorporated with the intention of making a profit and it never will.

If a club is what the members are after then I suggest pursuing the various sale and leaseback options that were around a while ago and getting in some decent advisors to renegotiate the debt and have a face to face with Mr Parkin. As an aside has anyone ever taken him out to lunch? Taken him up flying, brought him a beer and generally treated him as you would any client in business? Or is it all done by sending impersonal letters? Anyway.....then start afresh with a proper business plan (including detailed cashflows), a new constitution, cut down staff, get the members doing their fair share to help out where appropriate (clearly not the finances) and start getting things like the maintenance operation to be a profit rather than cost centre. Sort out the catering and bar pricing while you are at it and do away with the concessions. Harness the market that is around during the day doing sandwiches and hot meals at a reasonable price. Get a courtesy van and pick up crews that have 1-2 hour turn arounds and feed and water them. Sign them up as members at a discounted rate like it was proposed with Easyjet. Print some flyers and drop them everywhere around the airport. Sign up everyone that moves as members at a decent price. Then sell them trial lessons whilst you are at it. Anyone know how many people work around the airport and are at the new nearby engineering school during the day? Must be hundreds surely.

Hopefully the above measures will cross subsidise the flying training and give members a better deal just like how most clubs around the country work.

Of course there could be a bit of competition with Elia sniffing around so you will need a decent team to put the offer on the table to the administrators but if you want a club rather than a FTO then thems the breaks.

TOPJET

How are you? Did Mr Golfin ever take over the Gill premises as he promised he would? I think not!

Daw - some interesting ideas.

At the risk of being flamed I don't know how wise it is to put all eggs in one basket here with the American option (and yes I would like to see the club survive - possibly as a club too)

As I recall a letter came round (being the one and only communication club members seem to have got ) regarding paying a small amount of money each to clear the debt. Now as a lot of people probably wouldn't want to send good money after bad this doesn't seem to have come off. However what are the prospects of the members buying shares in the company in a similar way to clear the debt and become shareholders? This may have the added benefit of giving the members more of a say in the running of the organisation and a stake in any profits returned from the club.

There is probably an extremely obvious reason why this wouldn't work but surely worth considering ?? :confused:

interesting
 

hello all,

just a quick question to h999 when did mr golfin say that
or are you just making it up, could be as your hiding under
a makeup name, as usual.

all we want is the club to survive,isn't h999.
now we are hearing that EASY JET wants in,so who
really who's what is going to happen.

Parkin has always said that if the club goes no one can come
in so it really looks bad.

Also what are the administrators going to say on thursday,
"sorry people where selling everything off and the club's gone"
who wants to hear that.
questions should be asked where did the members money go
and who did it benefit.THAT IS THE QUESTION!!!!!!!

ALSO GOOD IDEA shropshire Lad but I don't think that time is
on our hands.

mike

Mike

Last year Mr Golfin said he would lease the Gill premises for the purpose of aircraft handling and interior/exterior refurbishment. This never got an inch of the ground!

gill air
 

h999,

did we ever hear why not, there were probably
reason's why he did'nt do it.
You can't just rubbish the guy, nobody
knows why so why say it.
dead issue and has no relevence here.
we are talking about the club h999.

do you want it to survive.
mike

Aero Club
 

Hello everybody

H999 - I wasn't aware Elia was going to take over the old Gill hanger last year! I was happy drinking & flying... :)

The EZY rumour seems to have been around for a while and is no secret but again that is way out of my sphere of knowledge. :O

Shropshire Lad - good idea, Geoff Orde muted the idea a couple of weeks ago but there has been that much going on it seemed to get pushed to one side.

I love the earlier posting that if JC says the meeting is on then thats good enough - I guess 7.30pm with our usernames on badges!!!

I don't know too much about admimistration but do they actually delve into the past and try to establish what went wrong with our finances? :hmm:

OK guys, hopefully see you all tomorrow with a 6 pack of Fosters.

M

I have been watching this thread with interest and it has to said some sad amusement but I think its time for a reality check:

A businessman with a benevolent heart ?

A 31 year old retired comercial pilot!!!

A decent credit rating ?

A landlord who doesnt appear to want a solution ?

An Administrator on board (Partner fee approx £250.00ph/Office boy £50.00ph )

Unless you guys have a lot of uninvoiced works liquidation seems the only solution to me and by that time the Aministrators will have spent all the cash you may have due.

Mike

Yes i want the club to survive and return to the days when the apron was busy with club aircraft and the bar was a place to enjoy!

I know of several false promises Mr Golfin has made - I just hope history is not repeating itself. If it seems realistic from the outset I will fully support it.

gil air
 

well h999,

you must know him better than any other person,
this is the first interest in England he has ever had.
I just spoke with him and he said that the gill air
hangar was only a idea at the time and that he did
put some work into the idea but there were other parties
interested in gill air old building that he never went further
into it.

I very hard statement when nodoby knows the truth and
remember h999 their is always 2 sides of a story.
mike

also what is your real name??????

please do tell or are you afraid.

Newcastle Aero Club
 

I will echo the sentiments of H999

I remember the days when that apron was busy, you couldn't get an aircraft until 10pm on a summers evening and by then you were too drunk to fly anyway.

This summer, even on the rare hot day all servicable aircraft were in the hanger by 7pm and JC was on the beer.

Night flying was picking up with Andreas doing many hours after time to help the students but I'm just heart broken at this whole thing - please don't call me a drama queen, I just love the place. :{

Members !
 

Gentlemen.

I read all the postings with interest, the main interest of all of us should be sorting out the club and not bickering with each other.!
If Mr Golphin is to save us all well and good if not there may be other alternatives.

Lets face it the members have been well and truly shafted by the minority of greedy people it may not be such a bitter pill to swallow if it all goes breast's skywards

Regards & Good Night All

Mike

pprune only succeeds on having the potential to be an anonymous forum hence I will not reveal my name!