< Back *DEADLINE EXTENDED!* Design the LAA 2026 Rally Poster Competition 2 Feb 2026 LAA “Design the LAA 2026 Rally Poster” Competition: Entry requirements The Light Aircraft Association (LAA) invites members, their friends and family who are 16+ to take part in our Design a 2026 Rally Poster competition celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the LAA. We’re looking for exciting, imaginative poster designs that capture the spirit of the LAA, celebrate homebuilt and vintage aircraft, and highlight the future of general aviation. Whether you’re a seasoned designer or a first time creator, we’d love to see your vision! Children’s competition Alongside this, we are also running a children’s design a poster competition, to inspire our young aviators to get creative! Parental consent required for under 18s. Shortlisted entries in this category will be displayed at the Rally. Age categories 3 – 6 7 – 11 12 – 15 Theme “Celebrating 80 years of the LAA” - building, flying and Innovation. Entrants may interpret the theme however they wish. Ideas could include: LAA homebuilding heritage The community spirit of the LAA Spirit of flight Future aviators and innovators Safety, engineering, sustainability, or adventure within GA Iconic imagery associated with the Rally A celebratory anniversary feel for the LAA 80 th ! Creativity is encouraged! Who Can Enter This is a competition for ages from 16+ . Anyone under 18 will require parental permission. The children’s competition is in three age groups. Poster Requirements Format: Poster size: A4 (portrait or landscape) Accepted media: hand-drawn, painted, digital artwork, mixed media All entries must be submitted as: A high-resolution JPG or PNG, or A PDF suitable for printing Design Requirements The poster must include the title: LAA Rally 2026 and mention the 80th Anniversary. LAA logo (download link will be provided). Date and location of the Rally – 4 th , 5 th and 6 th September 2026 at Leicester Airport The UK’s biggest International Fly in. No copyrighted images or AI-generated stock art unless you own the rights. The poster can include aircraft, venue (i.e. from above with parked planes). Themes from any era (Design themes from any era). Key Dates Deadline for submissions: 14th February 2026 Shortlist announced: 20th February 2026 Winner announced: End of February 2026 Judging Entries will be judged on: Creativity & originality Visual impact Relevance to the theme Suitability for use as an official event poster Prizes Prizes include: Your design featured in official LAA promotional materials. Design becomes the official 80 th Rally poster. A printed, framed print of your artwork 2x VIP all access event passes Presentation at the LAA Rally 2026 LAA merchandise and goody bag. *Prizes subject to change, subject to partner availability. 2 nd and 3 rd prizes for runner ups: Printed certificate Goody bag Children’s category prizes: LAA goody bag Printed certificate Poster displayed at the 2026 Rally Presentation at the 2026 Rally Terms & Conditions By entering, you grant the LAA permission to reproduce your artwork for promotional use across all media including social media, website and printed. Grant LAA permission to print artwork to sell. Artists retain copyright of their work but not print or re-sell. Entrants under 18 must have parent/guardian consent. The judges’ decision is final. The LAA reserves the right to withdraw entries that do not meet the guidelines. We reserve the right to adapt the design to best meet our needs. Submission Process: How to Enter Entries with artwork file to be sent by email to: [email protected] with: Full name Age category if child entry. Contact email and/or phone Confirmation that the artwork is your own original work and that you grant the LAA permission to reproduce your artwork for promotional use. Contact For questions, contact: [email protected] LAA Office: Address. Head office. Turweston Aerodrome, Nr Brackley. Northants. NN13 5YD. Next Previous

< Back Inspector Renewal 19 Mar 2024 It's that time of year again! LAA Inspector Authorisations lapse at the end of this month. Renewing is simple, available both on and offline. In order to renew this year, Inspectors need to carry out two simple steps, which are as follows: Complete and sign the ' Inspector Declaration, ' which was emailed to all Inspectors on 4th March, and return to LAA Engineering, either as a scanned document or in the post. Pay the Inspector Renewal Fee , which is £40 and covers administration of an Inspector Authorisation throughout the year. (For Inspectors of Factory Built Gyroplanes, there is no longer an additional fee. All Inspectors pay £40). Inspectors can pay via the LAA shop, found here , or by giving us a call with their payment card details. Alternatively, Inspectors can pay by Bank Transfer. Inspectors' continuing support is crucial and we sincerely hope that all Inspectors will renew. Next Previous

< Back MTD-02-2025 issued - Mission M108 Nose Leg Failures - ISSUE 2 14 Aug 2025 MTD-02-2025 - 'Nose leg failures' has been upissued to reflect the availability of alternative parts from the manufacturer. This MTD can be found HERE Three instances of nose leg failure have occurred in the past 12 months, two of which recently. This MTD mandates the regular inspection of this area until replacement parts, now available from Lambert Aircraft Engineering, are installed. Next Previous

< Back Two new LAA Inspectors appointed 28 Sept 2023 Congratulations to our latest LAA Inspectors, Luke McMillan and Gareth Rutt. Luke and Gareth both came to LAA HQ at Turweston last Thursday for 'Induction, Examination and Interview Day' with our Chief Inspector, Lucy. We wish Luke and Gareth well as they start this exciting new chapter! Next Previous

< Back New LAA Inspector - Tomas del Carpio 15 Aug 2025 We are pleased to welcome Tomas del Carpio as a new LAA Inspector, having attended an LAA Inspector Assessment Day at Turweston recently. Living in the historic village of the former RAF Upper Heyford base, aviation is a part of Tomas’ life even outside of my daily job of restoring and maintaining vintage and modern light aircraft. He has been in the aircraft maintenance industry since 2008 but the age range of aircraft. He has worked on spans more than a century of aviation history. From helping to restore an original AVRO 504 to carrying out advanced composite carbon fibre repairs on a Diamond DA42, his experience covers a broad and diverse spectrum of aircraft types and technologies - both certified and non-certified. Whether it’s performing an engine change on a King Air in the dusty heat of Malta or changing a tyre on a stranded PA-28 in a muddy field in Kent, He has encountered a wide variety of challenges and learned something valuable from each one. Tomas is always happy to help and share his knowledge and experience whether it’s offering technical advice over the phone or getting hands-on with something more involved. Next Previous

< Back Telephones 4 Apr 2024 Please note that the LAA phone system is being updated today and currently we are unable to receive any incoming calls. We appreciate the inconvenience this may be causing but we envisage they will only be down for part of the day. Next Previous

< Back MTD-04-2025 Issue 3 - Rans Control Linkage Rod End Connector Safety Washers 4 Dec 2025 MTD-04-2025 upissued to Issue 3 to amend the specification of the metal washers that must used to replace plastic washers. MTD-04-2025 Issue 3 is published in order to amend the specification of the metal washers that must be used to replace plastic washers. Therefore, MTD-04-2025 Issue 3 supersedes Issue 1 and 2. Issue 1 and 2 of this MTD are now cancelled. Please refer to the attached MTD document for full details and compliance instructions, which can also be found on the LAA website HERE . MTD-04-2025 - Rans Rod End Washers - Issue 3 .pdf Download PDF • 130KB Next Previous

LAA Staff CEO Simon Tilling Chief Executive Officer An enthusiastic and experienced private pilot, Simon Tilling has been flying for 10 years. In his words, “my wife bought me a trial flying lesson for my birthday. I went for the flight which was at Old Sarum, and that was it. I was hooked and it was ‘love at first flight’ you might say.” He has owned a wide variety of light aircraft in the years since, including a number of LAA types. A keen air-racer, Simon is also a former British Air Racing champion and from 2020 to 2022, was the chairman of the Royal Aero Club ‘3Rs’ committee for Races, Records and Rallies, during which time he regenerated the appeal of airracing to new participants. He currently enjoys flying his 1942 Taylorcraft Plus D/AOP 1, and a North American Navion. Simon also enjoys restoring 1970’s motorcycles and collects Airfix kits from his childhood. Simon began his career working in the telecoms industry, before eventually moving to a role as a services manager for Dell Computers, where he eventually became VP for services for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Upon leaving Dell, Simon helped run an outsourcing company before then becoming a contractor. In this role, he spent 10 years being parachuted in to companies to fix customer service issues, working on transformation projects, and rolling out new software implementation. Simon took over as the Light Aircraft Association’s Chief Executive in April 2023. Our Engineering Team Jon Viner Jon joined the LAA in 2008 as Deputy Chief Engineer, becoming Chief Technical Officer in 2022. Prior to the LAA, Jon was the Chief Technical Officer at the British Microlight Aircraft Assocation, where he learnt to fly flexwings. Before that, he began his career at British Aerospace at Filton (later Airbus UK) as an undergraduate/graduate apprentice and then as an Airworthiness Engineer on A330/A340 projects. Jon has a MEng in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Southampton University, is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and is a Chartered Engineer. Jon manages and oversees the Engineering Team. MEng CEng FRAeS Chief Technical Officer Lucy Wootton Lucy joined the LAA as Chief Inspector in August 2022. She has an MEng (Hons) in Aeronautical Engineering from Loughborough University. Previously, she had worked for Rolls-Royce and as an Aircraft Structural Repair Design Engineer. She has been a BGA Glider Inspector since 2014 and is an ARC Signatory. She holds a CAA Part 66 L Engineer's Licence. Lucy began gliding in 2010 and is a Flight Instructor (Sailplanes). She is a BGA Board Member. In 2016, Lucy started power flying. She holds both a PPL(A) and an NPPL(A) and flies the tug at her gliding club - a Supermunk (Chipmunk modified). In November 2024, Lucy took on additional responsibility as Head of Continuing Airworthiness, with one of the key areas being the Permit to Fly revalidation system. MEng(Hons) DIS DipHE MRAeS Head of Continuing Airworthiness & Inspection (Chief Inspector) Ben Syson Ben came to the LAA after spending 13 years working in the Technical Office at the British Microlight Aircraft Assocation (BMAA) and 11 years as BMAA Chief Technical Officer. His interest in aviation was spawned as a youngster reading Biggles books, and then seeing the Edwardian and WW1 aircraft at the Shuttleworth Collection. After graduating from Southampton University with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, he gained his PPL on weight-shift control Microlights. He now owns and flies a Pietenpol Air Camper. Ben’s favourite engineering area is aeroplane loads and structural analysis, and he enjoys dealing with the wide variety of different aircraft construction types in the LAA fleet. BEng(Hons) Head of Design Andy Draper Andy’s aviation interest stems from his Dad. The closest he came to flying was making model aircraft until a BAC apprenticeship enabled him to afford gliding lessons. After his apprenticeship, Andy worked in BAe’s production development department, specialising in non-metallic materials, which meant mostly working with glass, carbon and aramid fibres. This led to co-building and flying a Rutan Long-EZ. He then worked with composites in Milan, before returning to the UK to get his CPL and instructor ratings. He later worked for Europa Aircraft, heading up the technical team. In 2006, Andy joined the PFA/LAA as a Design Engineer, mostly investigating mods and repair applications and conducting check/test flights. Head of Flight Test Fiona Storer Fiona has over 30 years administration experience. She joined the Light Aircraft Association at the beginning of January 2009 and lives locally. Fiona started her career as an Office Junior on YTS (Youth Training Scheme) at 16. She has worked in various admin roles including book keeping, being Personal Assistant to the Managing Director of a Manufacturing Company and Office Manager/Personal Assistant to a specialist building firm. At the Light Aircraft Association, Fiona deals with telephone enquiries, paperwork relating to projects and first issues, modification, repairs, permits and process tracking, liaises closely with the CAA and deals with all general engineering secretarial and admin duties. . Engineering Administrator Adele Cooney Adele joined the Light Aircraft Association in November 2015. She deals with telephone enquiries, paperwork relating to permits, projects and first issues. Adele also liaises closely with the CAA and deals with all general engineering secretarial and administration duties. Adele is approved to sign off Permit to Fly revalidations, so if you own or operate an LAA aircraft, you will often hear from Adele if there are any queries regarding your Permit to Fly revalidation application. . Permit to Fly Revalidation Lead Miti Ghosh Miti’s interest in aviation sparked from the day she first sat on a plane that took her through her journey of building UAVs and other rotorcrafts to forming clubs promoting drone making and flying during her college days. Miti joined LAA as a Design Engineer in April 2023. She deals with the modifications, and repairs of most of the LAA fleet’s light aircraft including the first issues of the new home builds. Prior to the LAA, she worked in an eVTOL startup named Volador Flytech as an Aerospace Structures Engineer. Miti moved to England in 2021, this is when she completed her Master of Science in Aerospace Vehicle Design from Cranfield University. She also graduated from SRMIST with a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering. BTech MSc Design Engineer Cris Fernandez Cris knew he wanted a career in aviation from the day he fired up MS Flight Simulator 2004 on his grandfather’s computer. After countless virtual flight hours, Airfix models and RC plane flights, he moved to the UK to obtain a MEng in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Bristol. While at university, he grew closer to aviation by flying gliders and eventually gained his PPL on fixed-wing aircraft. He also obtained both British Skydiving and USPA skydiving licenses and led the university’s skydiving club for two years, organising training and jump days for members. Cris began his career at Boeing Defence as a System’s Safety Engineer on the Chinook programme. He joined the LAA in 2023, helping to keep the LAA fleet flying safely. MEng(Hons) Continuing Airworthiness Engineer Michaela Higgs Michaela has more than 15 years of experience in administration and insurance intermediary services. She previously worked as Operations Manager at a UK-based Insurtech company specialising in battery insurance and real-time data analytics for electric vehicles (EVs) and battery energy storage systems (BESS), where she was also a key member of the in-house online platform development team. In 2025, Michaela joined the LAA team and plays a crucial role in supporting the airworthiness team, primarily focusing on the organisation’s network of inspectors. Her responsibilities include tracking inspector applications, maintaining up-to-date records, and organising inspector training. This is a new field for Michaela, which she is embracing with enthusiasm. Airworthiness Coordinator Our Commercial Team Penny Sharpe Office Manager Penny spent most of her life in South America and West Africa before settling back in the UK in the mid 90’s. She joined the LAA in 1996 and as Office Manager her roles vary from overseeing running of the office, H&S and HR to Membership, events, NPPL, meetings, and the Rally. Part of Penny’s role is supporting our members, Struts, Pilot Coaches and the Board. Penny is also part of various LAA working groups. Her previous work varied from being a PA to a Headmaster to volunteering at Tiggywinkles. Penny has a son, a dog, a parrot and keeps tropical fish (in no particular order!). Jo Howard Tues - Thurs Office Administrator Jo joined the LAA in March 2013. She has over 30 years experience in the Secretarial/Admin field. She has previously worked as a PA to a Barrister, for Consultants in the NHS and spent 12 years in the world of education at the University of Southampton and at a Warwickshire Educational Charity. Jo works for both the Commercial and Engineering Departments. She enjoys helping LAA members with their queries and loves organizing the LAA annual rally. She lives locally and is married with two sons. Cheryl Routledge Office Administrator Cheryl has a long and varied working history in administration and office support for international corporates, real estate, training and a large local NHS health centre recently. She is a new addition to the LAA in 2023 and looks forward to meeting and supporting our members going forward. Cheryl moved to England from South Africa with her family, in 2019. She resides near Silverstone circuit and enjoys all things racing related – including British Superbike for which her son is a member of a local BSB team - and her husband is in the Formula 1 industry. Sheila Hadden Mon - Wed Office Administrator Sheila joined the LAA end of year 2003. She is responsible for the day to day running of the membership database. Her many duties include the general running of the LAA office, dealing with e-mails, as well as classified advertisements for Light Aviation magazine, the LAA Shop, the administration of NPPL and 'LAA Wings' applications, checking all online payments and inputting data into SAGE. Sheila lives locally, has two grown-up children and four young grandchildren. LAA Contractors Francis Donaldson Consultant Engineer Francis was the Chief Engineer for the LAA between 1990 and 2021, and led the Engineering Team during the massive expansion in both size and scope of the LAA fleet over that period. For more than 30 years, Francis was the man who recommended the issues of all Permits to Fly for newly constructed amateur built and restored vintage aircraft, as well as dealing with a great many modifications and repairs and overseeing the continued airworthiness of the LAA fleet. He has flown an example of many of the aircraft types approved by the LAA. Francis continues to support the LAA staff and members as an Engineering Consultant. An experienced homebuilder, restorer and aircraft owner himself, Francis continues to be part of the HQ team, write for the LAA magazine and to help ensure LAA members get the technical support they need to get off the ground safely. Ed Hicks Light Aviation Editor Ed joined the Popular Flying Association (now LAA) in 1992 as a teenager who loved flying, and completed his PPL in 1994. He was LAA Bristol Strut co-ordinator from 1998 to 2003, and has built two homebuilt Permit aircraft, a Van’s RV-6 (2000-2002) and an RV-8 (2012-2019). In 2020 he bought an RV-3B, and when time allows, can be found flying that, or a friend’s Piper Vagabond and RV-6 from Garston Farm and Wadswick airstrip. Working as an aviation photographer since 1996, Ed’s images have been published worldwide in a wide array of sport aviation magazines. Well known in the UK for his work with FLYER Magazine, Ed was Editor for over 100 issues until December 2021, when he made the switch to Editor at large. Following Brian Hope’s retirement from the role in late 2021, Ed took on the role of Editor of Light Aviation magazine for the LAA. Philip Johnston Advertising Sales Manager Phil has worked in advertising sales for over 30 years, he was Advertising Sales Manager on IATA's monthly 'Airlines Magazine' and its website. More recently he was Sales Manager at 'Aviation Business Middle East' where he was based in Dubai. He commented, 'I'm delighted to join the LAA and looking forward to meeting the members & helping companies with their advertising requirments.' He can be contacted on:- +44(0)7770 807035 or [email protected] . Dan Griffith Chief Test Pilot Dan Griffith joined the RAF at 18 and went to London University where he studied Aeronautical Engineering. He learned to fly on Bulldogs and Jet Provosts before gaining his pilot wings on the Hawk. Dan flew Harriers operationally, gaining over 1200 hours. In 1992 he went to the USAF Test Pilot course at Edwards Air Force Base. After Edwards he was posted to the Flight Research site at Bedford and then to Boscombe Down, where his main project was the futuristic fly-by-wire VAAC Harrier developing the next generation of Short Take-off and Vertical Landing aircraft. In 1996, Dan left the military to join the CAA as a civil Test Pilot. He was responsible for the Certification and Continued Airworthiness of aircraft ranging from the Airbus A380 to lighter aircraft, including many LAA types. He left the CAA in March 2007 and now works as an independent test pilot. Christine Carlin Head of Training After gaining my PPL, I obtained my CPL and Instructor rating and began my long and illustrious career as a Flight Instructor. I have now been instructing for over 23 years. I became a Director and the CFI for Sheffield Aero Club in 2004. I later attained my FAA CPL/IR and became a company pilot flying the Beech King Air. I am still an Instructor/Examiner at Netherthorpe. My interest in aviation was born as a young child when , my father being an Aircraft Engineer in the RAF, I spent most of my formative years surrounded by fast jets and going to airshows. I have had the joy to fly many different types of aircraft, including a fair amount of seaplane flying, and the excitement of being involved in the Royal Aero Club air racing as a navigator. Alex Harris National Coach Alex started his flying career in gliders in 2008, having been desperate to start flying since he was a small child flying, going for rides with his father to various fly-ins in a Rollason Condor G-BADM, which his father built! Since then, Alex has accumulated around 1,000 hours of silent flight. Alex became a Chief Flying Instructor, Tug Pilot, Examiner, National Advanced Aerobatic Champion and represented GB in international competitions and the World Aerobatic Championships. Moving into the power world, having come from a PFA then LAA family, Alex completed his ATPL at Stapleford Flight Centre and he is currently operating as a Captain/ Type Rating Instructor on the 737 in the U.K. He has owned and flown a variety of LAA aeroplanes and obtained his Display Authorisation for advanced aerobatics and formation. Nancy Lillington Project Event Manager Growing up close to Leicester Airport gave Nancy her passion for aviation, with a lot of her childhood watching airshows and listening to her Grandmother's stories of life in the RAF, with the Dambusters. Nancy is working towards her PPL and has flown several different aircraft from Piper Cubs to Chipmunks, Tiger Moths, helicopters, microlights and gliders. After graduating, Nancy lived all over the world, including Japan and Germany, working in various roles. These included the iconic Nürburgring, fuelling her passion for motorsport. Nancy has a varied career from a reporter at the Bangor Chronicle, Operational management for a vintage flying company and heading up charity, fundraising, marketing and events management roles. Outside of work, Nancy is a self-confessed adrenaline junkie, foodie and recently climbed Base Camp Everest. LAA Officers & Board of Directors Brian Davies - President Eryl Smith - Director & Chairman Simon Tilling - Director & CEO Alan Crutcher - Director Charlotte Dadswell - Director Chris Holliday - Director Paul Kirkham - Director David Millin - Director Peter Pengilly - Director Alistair Seymour - Director Clive Shipley - Director Ian Sweetland - Director

< Back MTD-03-2026 Issue 1 Published – NSI CAP 140 Propeller Cracking 24 Apr 2026 MTD-03-2026 - 'NSI CAP 140 Propeller Cracking' was issued today for aircraft fitted with NSI Propeller. This MTD can be found HERE and is also attached below. in November 2024, a potentially very serious crack was reported in the propeller blade retaining cuff of an NSI CAP 140 propeller installed on a Europa aircraft with a Rotax 912-UL engine. The attached Mandatory Technical Directive, MTD-03-2026 , has been raised to withdraw approval for CAP 140 propeller blade cuffs Versions 1 and 2 and to mandate an operating life limit on blade cuffs of Version 3. This MTD replaces LAA MOD/247/005, which is now cancelled. All LAA aircraft with this propeller must be inspected in accordance with MTD-03-2026 within 5 flight hours or 30 days of the directive’s effective date, whichever comes first. The ‘white page’ logbook entry must state compliance with this MTD-03-2026 and record the inspection results. Additionally, please see below the Type Acceptance Data Sheet (TADS), which has now been written for this propeller type and references the MTD also published today. Please refer to the below documentation for full details of the mandatory inspection requirements. 20260424 - MTD-03-2026 Issue 1 - NSI CAP 140 Propeller Cracking .pdf Download PDF • 264KB TADS P34 - NSI .pdf Download PDF • 187KB Next Previous

< Back MTD-02-2025 issued - Mission M108 Nose Leg Failures 6 Jun 2025 MTD-02-2025 - 'Nose leg failures' was issued today for Mission M108 aircraft. This MTD can be found HERE and is also attached below. Three instances of nose leg failure have occurred in the past 12 months, two of which recently. This MTD mandates the regular inspection of this area until a long-term fix has been put in place. Lambert Aircraft Engineering is working to finalise a solution as soon as possible, working closely with the LAA. We will update the MTD as appropriate once a solution is in place. MTD-02-2025 - Mission M108 Nose Leg .pdf Download PDF • 212KB Next Previous

< Back AGM The awards ceremony will start at 11.30 a.m. Registration for entry into the AGM will be open at 10.45. For more details, please see link below. https://www.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk/agm2025 Next Previous

< Back MTD-06-2025 published - Europa Tailplane Torque Tube Mod Failure 16 Dec 2025 Ref: LAA Mandatory Technical Directive MTD-06-2025 – Europa Tailplane Torque Tube Clamp Mod A recent inspection of a Europa fitted with the tailplane torque tube clamp modification, LAA MOD 10623, revealed both halves of the clamp had broken and fallen apart. These clamps are intended to prevent relative movement between the tailplane torque tube, the tailplane drive plates and the central drive horn, on which the mass balance arm is mounted. Failure of these clamps could allow free play to develop, potentially leading to taper pin hole damage, tailplane flutter, or jamming of the pitch control mechanism. An inspection must be carried out within the next 5 flying hours to determine whether MOD 10623 is fitted. If MOD 10623 clamps are fitted, making use of a light source and mirror as necessary, inspect the alloy clamp blocks for any signs of cracking (in particular along the sharp corner between the bolt flanges and main body), for any signs of looseness or relative movement between the parts and for any other abnormalities. If any of these are detected, the aircraft must not be flown and LAA Engineering must be contacted. This must be repeated at intervals not exceeding 25 flight-hours or the next Permit revalidation inspection, whichever occurs first, for as long as MOD 10623 remains fitted. Please refer to the below Mandatory Technical Directive for full details, compliance times, and certification requirements. This MTD can be found HERE and is also available below. MTD-06-2025 - Europa Tailplane Torque Tube Mod Failure .pdf Download PDF • 259KB Next Previous