Aviation Evening - Westland Wasp!

AVIATION EVENING

Where?
Aerobility HQ, Blackbushe Airport

Date?
Saturday 25th February 2017

Time? 
Arrival 4pm

Dr Terry Martin will talk about the development of the Westland Wasp Helicopter, The Royal Navy's first generation jet helicopter and it's place in history, with a few stories along the way!

All Aerobility flyers/volunteers and friends welcome. This is a free event, donations gratefully received, refreshments available.

Please email gail@aerobility.com to book a place or call 0303 303 1230

Aerobility are proud to work with Help for Heroes to support Veterans' Mental Health.

Help for Heroes work with more than 60 charity partners, including Aerobility, to ensure those who have suffered life-changing injuries or illness during, or as a result of their service, get the very best support for life. Throughout January, Help for Heroes are running a mental health campaign to increase awareness of the mental health support they offer and to encourage those suffering with anxiety, anger, stress and depression to take that first step in accessing support.

Please watch the campaign video here. 

You can find Daniel's full story here.

Or click here to get support. 

What is Hidden Wounds 

Help for Heroes Hidden Wounds is a psychological wellbeing service offering free and confidential support to Veterans, their families and the families of those currently serving who are struggling with anxiety, depression, anger and those wishing to change their drinking habits. Expert support is available by phone, Skype or face to face.

We "Pulled a Rivet"

This weekend Aerobility hosted a ‘Pull a Rivet’ event here at Blackbushe Airport. Patricia Mawuli Porter and Jonathan  'Yaw' Porter introduced an Aerobility group of around 40 people to the pleasure that can be had from building your own plane. Patricia and Jonathan have a similar all-inclusive ethos to Aerobility’s, so the afternoon was a great fit. All participants were able to try their hand at pulling a rivet, and using metal sheers, some of the basic skills employed in an aircraft build.

Says Operations Manager Brian Catchpoole, “Patricia and Jonathan conveyed their enthusiasm for aircraft building specifically and aviation generally with real passion. The question and answer sessions, were particularly animated. Although not necessarily our goal for the day, a number of people expressed an interest in the idea of Building a Plane, so who knows, with enough support maybe this could be an Aerobility project for the future?"

Further info: https://www.facebook.com/wxyzplane/

Thank you to everyone who took part - here are some of our favourite images from the day.

Exciting new fundraising event - become an Aerobility Wingwalker!

In support of Aerobility, we are looking for individuals who are committed to undertake one of the most amazing and exhilarating experiences of a lifetime!

Date: Friday 26th May, 2017
Location: RFC Rendcomb Airfield, The Whiteway, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 7DF
In partnership with: AeroSuperBatics - find the website here

For more information on how to secure your place visit www.aerobility.com/wingwalk

In exchange for your fundraising efforts, Aerobility will cover the cost for each of our Wingwalkers to take part. To protect this investment by our charity, we will ask each participant to kindly agree to the following important terms: 

• Pledge to raise a minimum of £600 in support of Aerobility, to guarantee a zero cost wing walk for the participant. 
• If you are unable to raise a minimum of £300, this will result in the participant being invoiced the sum of £300 to reimburse Aerobility for the price of the wing walk.

We will actively support you to achieve your £600 pledge with your very own dedicated webpage and fundraising portal, as well as helping to promote this incredible event. 

IMPORTANT safety requirements each Aerobility Wingwalker must meet:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• If over the age of 65 years old provide a doctor’s note, clearly stating the person in question is fit and able to take part in a wingwalking experience.
• Be no taller than 6ft / 183cm.
• Be no heavier than 13 stone / 82.5kg.
• Have a waist measurement including layers of warm clothing and a jacket of no more than 40 inches / 102 cm.
• Be able to climb completely unassisted up to and down from the top wing of one of our Boeing Stearman biplanes. This is a steep climb of approximately 10ft / 3m, involving a high leg lift up on to the bottom wing and another high leg lift to get over the side of the cockpit, kneeling and pulling yourself up using the various struts and wires to get on to the top wing.
• Be able to withstand the strong wind pressures experienced while flying at speeds of up to 130mph.
• Meet all listed health requirements stated in the application form provided. 

AeroSuperBatics have been in the display flying business for over 30 years, specialising in wingwalking since 1987 and have a 100% safety record. They also operate one of the best known and loved civilian air display acts, currently known as the Breitling Wingwalkers - a regular at airshows throughout Europe, China and the Middle East as well as displaying at events in Japan, India and even as far away as Australia.

The Wingwalking Experience
Following a full instruction and safety briefing, each Aerobility Wingwalker will be flown by one of the AeroSuperBatics wingwalking display pilots, taking to the skies on the top wing of a biplane and experience an exciting series of flypasts, zoom climbs, steep dives and banks in front of the family and friends you bring along on the day.

Each wingwalking experience lasts approximately 10 minutes.

We plan to make it a fun event for all your friends and family supporting you, and create a real party atmosphere throughout the day.

AEP Fire & Rescue

The AEP last Saturday looked at Fire and Rescue.  The group visited the Fire Station at Blackbushe where they had the chance to try on the uniform and breathing apparatus as well as looking at the fire trucks and having a go at using the hoses.  A big thank you to the team at the Fire Station.

After this they headed back to the classroom where they looked at the different types of fire possible and which specific extinguisher would be used to put it out. A very competitive game of fire triangle whist followed.

To end the session the group listened to actual footage of an incident in 2008 and watched a video of real aircraft crashes.  For some reason the group really enjoyed this!!!

Congratulations Arthur!

Our massive congratulations to Aerobility Flyer and Channel 4 presenter, Arthur Williams who has successfully achieved his night rating!

Training through December and January, it was almost impossible to avoid the heavy frost and fog, but that didn’t deter Arthur one bit.  

Congratulations once again, from everyone at Aerobility.

Aerobility ‘Pull a Rivet” Afternoon

Sunday 19th February - 13:00 in the Aerobility Hagar at Blackbushe. 

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to build your own aeroplane? Is it something you would like to do, but not sure if you have the ability or stamina, or are you simply interested in what’s involved? Would you like to participate in a build, but with no obligation or financial investment? In which case the Aerobility ‘Pull a Rivet’ afternoon at Blackbushe on Sunday 19^th February at 13:00 is made for you. Bring your wife / husband, children and Grandmother all will be welcome, to attend this fully inclusive introductory session.

Patricia and Jonathan ‘Yaw’ Porter are building a Zenair CH750 plane purchased as a kit. Patricia is particularly keen to ensure that people traditionally excluded from aircraft building projects such as women, children and disabled people are given the opportunity to hear about building a kit plane and on the same day able to participate in the actual build by pulling a rivet.

To this end Patricia and Jonathan will bring with them to Blackbushe part of the fuselage and the necessary tools to enable this sub section to be completed on the day. There is no obligation to participate, perhaps you would rather just come along and get a feel for how it works? But true to Aerobility’s ethos of inclusivity, everyone who wants to try will get the opportunity, and we mean everyone.

Don’t forget the hangar has full heating, with coffee and biscuits available, so providing a comfortable environment in which to spend an enjoyable and fun Sunday afternoon, who knows you might just be hooked. But whatever else you’ll have a great time.

If this is of interest just let Brian at Operation’s know, and remember feel free to bring the family or simply yourself. An inclusive event, both able bodied and persons with an impairment equally welcome.

Brian Catchpoole

To find out more about this project please see their Website or Facebook page.