sherburn- dead or alive?
 

is it my imagination, or are less people using sherburn aero club, both to learn from and to fly into?

You would be very much correct sir!

its a wonderful club and fantastic airfield.....

the weather hasn't helped much, granted :ouch:

but i think i would be right in saying the 'atmosphere' is keeping people away....:bored:

when i say atmosphere.. i mean committee :}

And speaking of lessons at Sherburn.....

http://paulcoulthread.fotopic.net/p43679025.html

or, if you want to set your sights a little higher.....

http://paulcoulthread.fotopic.net/p43895123.html

29 Grass
I know what you mean...
What is it with the current committee???
Are they trying to close the place down???

Perhaps with all the talk of Class 'A' and Sherburn. Folk are confused and think it's the airspace. :E

Ang on! He's wearing a high viz vest in that photo.

29 grass
 

i think if this situation is allowed to continue for much longer, the club may not be arround in 18 months, to think how good this club has been in the past, it would be insane to allow it to deteriorate because a few individuals are incompetent

I thought most people from Sherburn went to ukga.com.

Regarding the Class A business, one way to stimulate aviation there would be a radar jammer ;)

The main problem with Sherburn is that it is not run on a commercial footing. I mean that its remit is to provide affordable flying to its members. It does this as a Private Members' Club.

Were it run as a business, I think that a better quality of management would result. At present, the Committee comprises members who are, at best, enthusiastic amateurs who are willing to do some work for no pay. They are, then, ego-driven individuals; not necessarily competent managers of men.

Also, the bulk of the membership is indifferent to the club's circumstances....interested in nothing more than the availability of cheap aircraft and training. This situation is, of course, common to clubs of all persuasions; just human nature, I suppose.

I guess that, if the Club model was a good one on which to base a business, we'd see it adopted widely. You know, Microsoft Club, Virgin Club, etc.

I still maintain that Sherburn could be a top-class flying school....it has never realised that potential. It could also be financially healthy and a pleasant place to visit; I understand that some members are finding its atmosphere somewhat foreboding of late.

Great shame, really. The membership has the capacity to direct Sherburn's future....but I ain't holding my breath.

Just my 2 cents.

Wake up Sherburn!

Take note of recent and not so recent events at LAC.

Would hate to see another established Aero Club go the same way.

Certainly the welcome for Non club members at the recent PFA rally was non existent.....

bobbeagle: i think you are spot on in what you say... however in the other hand i feel that place has become far too 'commercial' with individuals having to follow countless rules... you must do this, you must do that and it ruins the atmosphere..

At least with other places you can turn up and chat openly with like minded folk in a relaxed atmosphere and have a laugh, it would seem that currently in Sherburn you cant do that without someone listening in or other general back stabbing going off.

Things will never improve there until certain individuals remove themselves completely from the club (i think they know exactly who they are).
This was made obvious by the PFA meeting and (i think) Loop Day
while both events were well organised and executed some individuals still felt it was important to have 'restricted' areas where 'outsiders' were made to feel unwelcome.
If i was a perspective pilot wishing to have flying lessons i would not consider a club which seemed to be so 'snide' to outsiders, they should be doing the opposite! they have some fantastic facilities there and they should open them up to more people.. after all that’s what keeps the students coming into the school.

More so i think its a shame that at the moment Sherburn as a whole seems to be getting bashed every time the clubs name is mentioned, its the actions of a small group of individuals (and not just the committee) who are holding all the potential back...

I have been around the club for over ten years and the atmosphere from the early 90's seems to have vanished :ugh:

Finally as Bogbeagle says: some members on the committee don't seem to be 'real pilots' or about 'real flying' i'd love to see one or two of them pilot a plane (solo) deep into Europe or even easier; a flight across to Ireland... :*

I won't profess to being well-acquainted with Sherburn having only called in a couple of times, but from the tone of the gentleman I spoke to last time I wanted to pop over you'd think he'd just caught me buggering his teenage daughter :confused:

I learnt at Sherburn, but have since moved away and now fly mainly from elsewhere.

One thing that was characteristic of the flying training side of it was the sense of encouragement to realise one's aspirations. An invaluable trait.

The social side was never, for me, up to much - it seemed to depend so much upon who one knew.

Having flown in on visits a couple of times recently, the good atmosphere that used to be there has almost completely dissipated - however, I am convinced that there are still some members of staff who are trying to keep alive the old spirit of the place as somewhere where aviation is committed.

There has probably been too much churn of staff turnover, and a run of bad luck in publicity. An atmosphere of some gloom did seem to manifest itself.

As I've said, the fact that some are still concerned to welcome pilots and aspiring pilots is a good thing - and should be built upon.

For this potentially excellent club and flying school to disappear would be a great tragedy for us all.

I recently stopped flying at Sherburn and along with a group friends joined Full Sutton. It’s a bit of a drive for me but the aeroplanes are just as cheap and the welcome and atmosphere is 110% better. There’s no Spanish inquisition from reception staff every time you go to fly. You just turn up, sign for your aeroplane and go flying. Everything is based on trust, from paying for the aeroplanes through to the honesty box for the kitchen. It's great!:O

I can only hope that someone on the committee is sat reading this... i too would find it very very sad for such a well equipped place to go bust simply because the committee were doing a Basil Falty and chasing all the punters out the door.

I do feel for the staff as many of them are trying hard to keep things moving on.

BFMD: glad you like FS i find the atmosphere when im over that way to be how it used to be back in the 90's :}

You may notice the the instructors there (past & present) used to operate from sherburn... that was off course untill being chased away by the commettee :ugh:

Yawn. I'm off to bed.

Wake me up with tea and something interesting.

29 Grass
I know what you mean. I too learnt to fly in the early 90's at 'CJ & like you say it's a different atmosphere now.
Although the majority of the desk staff are really helpful, there are some that make you feel unwanted...

Maybe it's time to get the group to move the a/c to FS?

CDH
 

your wrong cdh, it's not time to move away, why should some people be allowed to run down a club in this manner? the flight desk is run by excellent people,who deserve better. The majority of members are very nice folk,the instructors seem fine, now,mmmm, who have i not mentioned,? I believe if the people with their head in the sand, don't pull it out rapidly, a big boot up the backside will dislodge them:*

I flew into Sherburn for my first ever visit about 6 wks ago with a mate at midweek and found it pretty busy which surprised me on a weekday!

The desk staff were great and very friendly, no complaints from me there. The food was pretty good and reasonable prices and when we found the pitot u/s on our aircraft the local engineering outfit did its best to rectify for us.

I would go back again.

J.