< Back Replica De Havilland DH71 Tiger Moth Racer takes to the air 23 Dec 2024 Steve Jones’ replica DH71 Tiger Moth Racer made a highly successful maiden flight on 26th November, piloted by Steve himself. The immaculate monoplane, appropriately registered G-ECDX, is a full-size recreation of one of only two examples built by de Havilland in 1927. Of all wood construction, and fitted with a modified DH Gipsy 1 engine, the original DH71s were created to publicise their new Gipsy engine before releasing it onto the market to power their already successful DH60 Moth biplane. An exercise in light weight and streamlining to maximise speed, the DH71 was also significant in developing construction techniques that de Havilland used to good effect in later designs. The original DH71 achieved 186mph around a 65 mile closed circuit course, its Gipsy 1 engine souped-up from 85 to 130 horsepower for racing. The replica project was largely built by Ron Souch in the 1990s, under PFA supervision, using drawings produced by Ron’s friend Ben Price, a former aircraft draughtsman who put forward the idea as his retirement project. None of the original construction drawings had survived, so the design had to be recreated based on a three-view, photographs, press articles and intimate knowledge of de Havilland’s standard design techniques – and then checked against modern design code requirements. Most challenging part of the design were the details of the internally bungee-sprung wheels, as on the original. The project was paused for several years after issues came to light with the stressing of the wing spars and undercarriage. Steve Jones, looking for a hangar-mate for his scratch-built Comper Swift project, purchased the DH71 in 2016. Steve quickly got things moving again by commissioning re-designs of some of the original components, stripping off the fabric covering, re-sparring the wings and finishing the aircraft off to the same high standard as its original construction. The final examination of the assembled aircraft by LAA HQ’s design staff in November, when ground runs of the modified engine and its very coarse pitch Hercules propeller were demonstrated, took place over three decades after the project’s inception. When Steve’s replica DH71 first lifted off from Sywell’s grass runway, it was a sight not seen in Britain for 95 years. Big congratulations to all involved, especially to Ron and Ben for initiating it, and Steve’s perseverance and skill in finishing all the last details to such a high standard. Honourable mentions also to John Tempest for the re-design work and Ben Cox for inspecting it, this was truly a team effort. Sadly, Ron Souch is no longer with us to see the Racer fly. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/62c8d3_cf3ab2cf7a524a2d953fd5a8f08ed411/480p/mp4/file.mp4 Steve describes his aircraft experience as starting as an aircraft engineering apprentice at CSE Kidlington, in the late 1970s. He towed gliders at Husbands Bosworth, in Chipmunks, at age 19, and joined the Tiger Club in the late 1970s, becoming a flying instructor at Staverton 1981. As he describes it, he somehow (?) ended up flying BA 747s for 20 plus years. His remarkable flying career has involved air racing, aerobatic competition and display flying, Redbull competitions and record setting in the Rolls Royce electric powered ‘Spirit of Innovation’ aircraft. Next Previous

< Back LAA Alert A-13-2025 - CZAW SportCruiser Nose-Leg Failures 10 Dec 2025 LAA Alert A-13-2025 - CZAW SportCruiser Nose-Leg Failures LAA Engineering has issued Alert A-13-2025 to highlight the recent issues of SportCruiser Nose-Leg Failures. Two SportCruisers have recently suffered nose landing gear collapses, resulting in propeller strikes and airframe damage. Inspections have revealed evidence of cracking and possible weld-related weakness. Owners and Inspectors should carry out frequent checks for cracks, corrosion, and deformation on the nose-leg, paying particular attention to weld points. If any abnormalities are detected, the aircraft must not be flown and LAA Engineering contacted. Please refer to the Alert here for full details and recommended checks. A-13-2025 - CZAW SportCruiser Nose-Leg Failures .pdf Download PDF • 515KB Next Previous

< Back International Women in Engineering Day 23 Jun 2023 To mark this year’s International Women in Engineering Day, the UK Civil Aviation Authority had a chat with Lucy Wootton, our Chief Inspector. Simon Tilling, our CEO said: “The LAA are really proud of Lucy and the work she is doing to improve the service we offer to our members. We would be very keen to hear from more women who want to consider a career in light aviation” Learn more about how Lucy’s career has developed to encompass gliding, powered flying and aeronautical engineering. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s71AijtAxUI 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-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 Mandatory Technical Directive issued for Chipmunk aircraft 24 May 2024 Mandatory Technical Directive, MTD-04-2024 has been issued by our Head of Airworthiness, Nick Stone, today to introduce mandatory recurring inspections of the flap operating cables following a recent potentially serious incident where one of the flap cables on a Chipmunk failed in flight, leading to an asymmetric flap configuration. The MTD allows a 5 flying hour period of grace before the inspection must be carried out and is being emailed today to all owners of LAA Chipmunks and all LAA Inspectors approved to inspect Chipmunks. Next Previous

< Back LAA Open Day - Saturday 1st June 2024 9 May 2024 Flying in? PPR is needed. Contact: [email protected] Browse through our Flea Market table Meet LAA staff and Board Members Talk by Lucy Wootton our Chief Inspector on "How I got into flying" Instructors available to answer any questions you may have Browse through our retail shop for LAA merchandise, including charts, log books and clothing. A selection of LAA magazines available for free! Tea and coffee served in our members area and also a catering van will be available on-site for food and refreshments,. Next Previous

Detail Design Having worked out a promising-looking layout, initial three-view and performance and weight specifications, now is the stage where the hard work begins of transforming concepts to working drawings. Essential decisions have to be made about types of material to be used, the structural arrangement, exact choice of powerplant and so on. You’ll probably need to make a cockpit mock-up to check the ergonomics and control system arrangements, and maybe build a flying radio controlled model of the design to give faith in the handling characteristics. With the basic geometry laid out, stress calculations and assembly drawings come next, then drawings of individual piece parts. Keep an up-to-date tally on weights. As the drawings get more detailed you must re-evaluate whether you are going to meet your original targets in terms of weight, strength and aerodynamic cleanliness, whether you need to re-visit your original assumptions or re-design from scratch. Is there a way that the part or assembly can be made more easily, more cheaply, lighter, stronger, more fatigue or corrosion resistant? Fewer parts and fewer joints generally means fewer problems and less weight. Can you use off the shelf parts rather than having to make them specially? Are there other aeroplanes around that have already solved a particular problem in a clever way? Will the aircraft be easy to inspect in service, easy to repair if it gets damaged? Can it be broken down for transportation? If the handling isn’t quite right when the prototype is test flown, does the design make provision for ‘tweaks’ to put it right? Does the design include reserves of strength to cope with weight growth in service and more powerful engines, or is everything pared down to the minimum? Design Tutorials

< Back Winner Announced: LAA 80th Anniversary Rally Poster 6 Mar 2026 The winner of the 80th Anniversary Rally Poster Competition has been selected, and we’re delighted to reveal the official design that will represent this milestone year for the Light Aircraft Association. Congratulations to Amy Whitewick, whose striking design was chosen to mark 80 years of grassroots aviation, engineering excellence and community spirit! A Design That Captures 80 Years... The judging panel selected the artwork for its strong visual impact, clear celebration of the LAA, and its versatility across print and digital formats. The design reflects both the history of the Association and the forward-looking spirit that continues to define it today. Speaking about the win, Amy Whitewick said: "I'm so excited to win the LAA Rally Poster Competition for the 80th Anniversary, 2026 - my vision for the design was to create something that reflected the colours and styles that I love from posters of the 1930s, the Golden Age of aviation. I also wanted the poster to reflect the excitement and joy of current light aviation, including the portrayal of various aircraft types throughout the 80 years and embody the party-like spirit of this year's special rally. I felt this poster gives back all the joy and kindness that fellow LAA Members, Inspectors and Engineers have given me over the years. It's really a big thank you to them, my airfield 'family', who helped me achieve my wings and continue to encourage me to grow my skills."- Amy Whitewick, G-DHYS From Poster to Rally Branding The winning artwork will now be rolled out to support the promotion of the 2026 Rally! You’ll start seeing the design appear across LAA channels in the coming weeks as we build momentum towards the Rally. Thank You to All Entrants We’d like to thank everyone who submitted entries. The quality and creativity on display made judging a difficult task and demonstrated the depth of talent within the LAA community. We look forward to seeing the winning poster proudly displayed at the 80th Anniversary Rally.Rally details and ticket information will be shared with you in the coming months. LAA 80 Poster 2026 A4 .jpg Download JPG • 1.83MB Amy Whitewick - Photo .jpg Download JPG • 350KB Next Previous

< Back Mandatory Technical Directive issued for Sting S4 29 Sept 2023 LAA has been working with TL StingUK to correct an issue found during the flight testing of the factory-built version of the aircraft. It was found that the type would consistently drop the starboard wing more than the permitted maximum during a wings-level stall. LAA Mandatory Technical Directive MTD-01-2023 has been issued that requires the installation of a stall strip on the starboard wing and two stall strips on the port wing, along with restricting the elevator travel, in accodance with TL StingUK service bulletins 0002 and 0003, before further flight. Next Previous

< Back New LAA Inspector - Tom Bootyman 20 Jun 2024 We are pleased to welcome Tom Bootyman as an LAA Inspector. Tom attended an Assessment Day at LAA HQ at the start of June. Tom is a serial aircraft builder/maintainer/repairer, also with several years’ experience as an engineer with a global aerobatic team. He has experience building and repairing Zenair and Vans RV types, along with working on many aerobatic aircraft. He is also an experienced aircraft painter. Tom has a love and devotion to all things aviation, so he is always open to requests for information, advice and Permit inspections. He is based at Netherthorpe (Sheffield), but willing to travel. Next Previous

< Back LAA members - Make your views known! 25 Jan 2024 Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council's consultation on their draft Local Plan – which includes a proposed new Popham Garden Village on Popham Airfield, has opened. It runs until 4 March 2024. This proposal is not in line with either Government policy or their stated aim to make the UK the best place in the world for General Aviation. The Government's policy can be found in their publication ' Flightpath to the Future " and makes repeated references to the vital importance of airfields, forming a critical part of national infrastructure. You can have your say and tell Basingstoke & Deane Council that their proposal is contrary to Government policy and insist the proposal is removed from the current ‘draft’ strategic plan. Visit the Local Plan Update ' Have Your Say ' section of their webiste. Next Previous