< Back New LAA Inspector - Ian Pattingale 6 Feb 2024 It is time to introduce you to the final new LAA Inspector from the recent batch of LAA Inspector Assessment Days - Ian Pattingale. Ian spent 9 years in the RAF as a propulsion technician, after a brief spell as a Development Engineer. He then spent the following 30 years at British Airways in various roles from aircraft Technical Instructor to B737 Flight Test Engineer. His current job is as an Engineer in London Heathrow Engineering Operations, where we are responsible for providing serviceable aircraft to support the flying programme. He's a keen glider pilot with a current 'Full Cat' instructor rating, as well as a 'Senior Inspector/Chief Engineer (ARC Signatory)' on wood, composite and metal airframes for gliders. In addition, he's a B1 Licensed, with current B777 ratings . As a member of the Vintage Gliding Club, Ian is keen to promote the continuing airworthiness of 'vintage' glider types - a current project that I am working on is the restoration of a 1976 Schleicher ASK18 to a fully airworthy flying condition. Next Previous

Acquiring, Owning and Operating a Europa Price £150 members, £170 non-members Duration Start 10:00 Finish 15:30 < Back About the Course Are you a current, recent or prospective Europa Owner, with questions? Are you curious about the logistics of acquiring a flying aircraft - or are you a budding builder/renovator looking for inspiration? Would you like to better understand the features & details of the type and the advantages of operating a Europa (including how to navigate its maintenance) - or learning about and connecting with those that participate in Europa-Club organised fly outs or longer/overseas trips? If your answer is yes to any of the above, this course is for you. This course offers strong technical/practical information content. It is run by Clive Sutton who has completed 2 Europas (one of each type), has in excess of 500hrs SEP in his logbook, is an ex-RAF Veteran and is a retired Chartered Mechanical Engineer. He was appointed an LAA Inspector in 2024 and specialises in the Europa type fitted with Rotax engines. He also serves as the current Europa Club Committee Modifications secretary Your Instructor Clive Sutton Dates Saturday 25th April 2026 Times Start 10:00 Finish 15:30 Duration 5.5 hours Venue LAA H/Q at Turweston Aerodrome, NN13 5YD Price £150 members, £170 non-members Booking Pls call the LAA on 01280 846 786 to enquire/book or email [email protected] . *Please note that payment is required when booking, to confirm your place. NO place will be held without confirmed payment* **Please note that your booking payment is non-refundable unless we can fill your place timeously or there are exceptional circumstances**

LAA are proud to announce our Rally 2026 sponsor General Information Event Opening Hours 9.30am – 5.00pm each day (Fri & Sat) 9.30am – 4.00pm (Sun) Fly-In Instructions Up to date fly-in instructions will be available here nearer time . Please read these before you fly into the Rally. Camping Camping facilities providing basic amenities including hot showers will be available on site. There is ample ground for caravans and motorhomes. The site will be up and running from Thursday afternoon and will close early on Monday morning. Camping passes can be bought in advance via the LAA Shop . In addition to catering provision on the exhibition site, evening food and a bar will be available on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings with entertainment on Friday and Saturday evenings, provided by Leicestershire Aero Club. Parking Please follow the signs to the designated free Rally Car parks. Designated parking will be signed for Disabled and Exhibitor users. You must display a Blue Badge if using Disabled Parking areas - any car without a Blue Badge will be asked to move to the main parking area. All emergency access ways must be kept clear. Please ensure you are familiar with the routes and do not block with vehicles or stock. Please do not block emergency gates onto the airfield. You must ensure that you keep the roadway clear for all other users. Dogs We understand that many visitors wish to bring their dogs with them, we welcome dogs on site. However, as this is an operational airfield, all dogs MUST BE KEPT ON A LEAD when on any part of the site. Dogs are not allowed in the aircraft parking areas. Please ensure you pick up after your dog. Anyone caught allowing their dog to foul without picking up will be asked to remove the dog from site. All dogs must have an identity tag with contact tel no on. WiFi Should you require WiFi, then please bring your own supply. Please be aware that due to the remote location of the airfield, WiFi reception can be unreliable. Water Drinking water is on the campsite and at the tower. There is an outside tap at the tower. Waste We operate a clean site policy and therefore all exhibitors, visitors and traders should remove their own rubbish from their pitch. A skip will be provided on site for cardboard and general rubbish. No electrical or hazardous materials should be disposed of in the skip. Toilets & Shower Facilities Toilets will be provided in the exhibition site, in the aircraft park and on the campsite, together with hot shower facilities. First Aid First Aid cover is provided by an external third party for the duration of the event. In the event of an emergency, please contact them or a member of Leicester Airfield staff. Fire Fire Marshals will be in attendance and should be contacted in the unlikely event of fire. Please ensure all flammable materials are kept away from possible sources of ignition. Dispose of any rubbish in the skips provided. No naked flames are allowed on any exhibition stand or trading stand. Security Regular patrols are carried out by our contracted security staff. e-Scooters No e-Scooters are permitted on site.

Weight & Balance The subject of Weight and Balance covers at least four distinct procedures: weighing an aircraft, calculating its empty weight and centre of gravity (CG), establishing the worst forward and aft CG loading cases according to an appropriate design code and calculating weights and centres of gravity for an actual flight. This section includes guidance notes on each of these aspects, forms and worked examples (imperial or metric) for recording and calculating empty weight and CG, as well as worst forward and aft CG cases and an Excel based spreadsheet that makes the weight and CG calculations for you. The table on the spreadsheet is set out in the same layout as the Loading Examples tables. This spreadsheet can, of course, also be used for carrying out calculations for an actual flight. Simply input the actual weights of the items to be loaded rather than the standard occupant or maximum fuel and baggage weights. Remember, it is important to check that the CG remains within limits with no usable fuel as well as with the loaded fuel in the tanks, even though it will not be your intention of running the tank dry. The calculator generates two sets of weight and CG values for this purpose. Weight & Balance arrangements for gyroplanes are different to those of aeroplanes and a special type of report is used, unless the manufacturers concerned provides their own special schedule in which case this should be used instead. Before accessing the documents below, please ensure you have read Technical Leaflet 3.16 - Weight and Balance Guidance Notes . Technical Leaflet 3.16 Other useful documentation is as follows: Weight & Balance Forms Weight and Balance Example Forms Weight and Balance Excel Calculators

< Back LAA Alert published for Gen 4’ Jabiru 2200 and 3300 engines 1 Mar 2025 LAA Alert A-03-2025 has been published on the LAA website (and is also attached), highlighting the recent service bulletin, JSP 051, published by Jabiru Aircraft Pty Ltd, which applies to specific Jabiru 2200 and 3300 engines and requires the replacement of the pistons on engines within certain serial number ranges, which they state were supplied between April 2017 and August 2019. Jabiru regards the Bulletin as mandatory. The Bulletin advises that Jabiru has identified that pistons supplied with the affected engines were in some cases susceptible to failure, and have specified that the pistons must be replaced by pistons of the later, improved design at or before 200 hours running time, following the procedures shown in the engine overhaul book, including any necessary running-in provisions and choice of oils. A-03-2025 - Gen 4 Jabiru 2200 and 3300 engines .pdf Download PDF • 201KB Next Previous

An Introduction to Permit Aircraft Avionics Price Member - £224, Non-Member - £244 (includes printed course material) Duration Arrival 09:00. Finish 17:00. < Back About the Course This course is an introduction to permit aircraft avionics. The course starts with explaining the LAA rules and guidance regarding avionics fit in your aircraft, discusses how to plan and install your avionics including panel design, explains how modern avionics connect with each other and the various protocols (electronic languages) that they commonly use. The course takes you through selection of your avionics including EFIS, ELTs and PLBs, Autopilots, Antennas, Transponders, Radios and Audio Panels including some of the more common options available, including redundancy options where applicabl The course also includes practical demonstration and practice in wiring the most commonly used avionics connectors, the ubiquitous D Sub connector, and provides advice on minimising interference and best practice for shielding connections. The course finishes with an introduction to avionics considerations for Permit Aircraft planning to apply for permission to fly in IMC or at night. Your Instructor Mark Castle-Smith Dates Sunday 19 April 2026 Times Arrival 09:00. Finish 17:00. Duration One day course Venue LAA HQ, Turweston Aerodrome, NN13 5YD Price Member - £224, Non-Member - £244 (includes printed course material) Booking Pls call the LAA on 01280 846 786 to enquire/book or email [email protected] . *Please note that payment is required when booking, to confirm your place. NO place will be held without confirmed payment* **Please note that your booking payment is non-refundable unless we can fill your place timeously or there are exceptional circumstances**

E5 Mogas Inspection Checklists for Jabiru 2200A, Jabiru 3300A, Rotax 2 Stroke, Rotax 4 Stroke, VW and VW-based engines can be found at the link below Inspection Checklists Other useful documentation is as follows: TL 2.26 Procedures for E5 Mogas use TL 2.20 Fuel Flow Checking Inspection Checks - Fuel Flow Rotax Service Instruction for 912/914 Rotax Service Instruction for 2-strokes Jabiru Service Letter Buy Mogas Placards Cockpit Placard Fuel Filler Placard

< Back New LAA Inspector - Sam McMellon 22 Oct 2024 The LAA is pleased to welcome Sam McMellon as a new LAA Inspector for Factory Built Gyroplanes. Sam attended an Assessment Day at LAA HQ with our Chief Inspector earlier this month. Well done Sam! 🎉 Next Previous

< Back Engineering updates in October 11 Nov 2025 The following documents have been issued/updated in the Engineering 'Info Library' during October. Continuing airworthiness information : Alert A-11-2025 - Eurostar control system rose joints Alert A-12-2025 - Aeroprakt windscreens TADS: Evektor Eurostar Vans RV-9/-9A Propeller type lists PTL/1 : Murphy Renegade 912 (new) Murphy Renegade Spirit (new) Vans RV-6 (up-issued) Next Previous

< Back New LAA Course dates released 6 Oct 2023 Dates have now been published for upcoming LAA Courses for the rest of this year. To find out about specific courses and their dates, click here . Please note, the next 'Caring for your Gipsy Major' course is on the 11th November, not 7th November, as published in the latest edition of Light Aviation magazine. Next Previous

Aircraft Carpentry Workshop - Basic Course Price Member - £213, Non-Member - £233 Duration Arrival 09:00. Finish 17:00. < Back About the Course Alan James brings a host of carpentry skills to this course, gained from building and maintaining wooden aircraft for more than 30 years. He is probably best known for his award winning Pietenpol Aircamper G-BUCO and more recently the Isaacs Spitfire G-ISAC. He’s also hand-carved more than 100 propellers for LAA and vintage aircraft over the years and is often seen demonstrating the art at the LAA Rally. His aircraft carpentry course covers everything the prospective builder needs to know. Subjects include quality and specification of approved timber, plywood, adhesives and how to use them, marking out, cutting, drilling, laminating, shaping, sanding, scarfing and finishing. As an LAA Inspector, he can also guide you through the paperwork process for repairs and modifications. This is the perfect course for the would-be aircraft builder who may be nervous about cutting the first piece of spruce, or anyone contemplating repairing a classic wooden aircraft. It is recommended that you bring your own protective glasses. Your Instructor Alan James Dates Tuesday 24 March 2026 Times Arrival 09:00. Finish 17:00. Duration One day course Venue LAA HQ, Turweston Aerodrome, NN13 5YD Price Member - £213, Non-Member - £233 Booking Pls call the LAA on 01280 846 786 to enquire/book or email [email protected] . *Please note that payment is required when booking, to confirm your place. NO place will be held without confirmed payment* **Please note that your booking payment is non-refundable unless we can fill your place timeously or there are exceptional circumstances**

< Back Engineering updates in June 4 Jul 2025 The following documents have been issued/updated in the Engineering 'Info Library' during June. Continuing airworthiness information : Mandatory Technical Directive MTD-02-2025 - Mission M108 nose leg Alert A-04-2025 - Jabiru flywheel bolts Alert A-05-2025 - Alpi Pioneer landing gear corrosion Alert A-06-2025 - Christen Eagle II canopy detachment Technical leaflets : TL 3.04 - CAA approved welders TADS : 315 - Evektor Eurostar 330 - Alpi Pioneer 300 & 300 Hawk 370 - Mission M108 Propeller type lists PTL/1 : Isaacs Spitfire Next Previous