Archived Future Event Items 2024

Events

13 November “Sir Thomas Sopwith - Sportsman, aviation pioneer, entrepreneur”  by David Hassard.

The talk covers all aspects of Thomas’ extraordinary 101 year life whilst exploring his role in creating Sopwith Aviation, Hawker Aircraft and Hawker Siddeley, and their development under his leadership.

We are encouraging people to arrive from 13:00 to socialise before the 14:00 talk.

There will be no live Zoom link from this particular talk but we intend to provide Hawker Association members with a link to a video recording soon after the event.

  9 October 14:00 Military Aviation Procurement since 1945, Success or Failure?’ which will be given by Jock Heron. The emphasis is on failures! It’s Jock’s personal opinion, with the benefit of hindsight, on the misjudged defence reviews over the years as seen from both Rolls-Royce and RAF standpoints.

11 September Genesis of the jet - Ian Whittle. The talk will cover the earliest development of turbojet propulsion and include some details of developments in Germany and the USA. Ian was awarded a Flying Scholarship in 1952 and then joined the RAF. He flew the earliest British jets – the Gloster Meteor, the de Havilland Vampire and the Hawker Hunter.  As a civilian he has flown for civil airlines from 1958 until retirement in 1994 – ending his career as a management pilot on the Cathay Pacific Airways Boeing 747 fleet.  He still maintains a flying license, and has a share in a four-seater aeroplane kept at Fairoaks aerodrome.

21 August Visit to XX154 first flight event at BDAC (Boscombe Down Aviation Colection), Old Sarum Airfield, 59 Lancaster Road, Old Sarum, Salisbury SP4 6DZ Note post code change. (01722 323636). Booking essential.

Program

10:00 - 11:00  Register in shop – entrance £10/head Coffee and tea included.

11:00   Conference Room – welcome & talks by John Sharpe, Chris Hodson, Colin Wilson/Chris Roberts, Films, View exhibition.

12:30 – 13:00 Lunch, Self Catering (bring your own)/Airfield café.

13:00 – 14:30 Visit collection and XX154. Possible engine run.

14:30 – 15:00 1/3 scale Red Arrows display. Visit very interesting shop.

We do hope you can join us. Please let Diana know so that she can give a list of attendees to Old Sarum.

14 August NO Meeting at YMCA Hawker or elsewhere.

10 July 14:00 At YMCA Hawker (KT2 5BH) Squadron Leader Joe Marsden will talk on “The Falklands Mission – Defence and Life After the Conflict.” Joe served for 29 years in the RAF firstly as a pilot flying the iconic Vulcan and Canberra bombers among other military aircraft. His talk will give a short background history of the Falklands and how life has developed in the Islands since the conflict of 1982. Joe looks mainly at the changes for the military but will include the ways this has impacted on the local population.

12 June Our annual Summer BBQ is now only a few days away (Wednesday, June 12th) and the number of “paid up” Members is still quite low. So please, would those Members wishing to attend and those who indicated their intention to attend at last month’s Meeting, send their cheques to Ken Batstone (42 Kings Road, Walton on Thames, Surrey, KT12 2RA) as soon as possible. The YMCA needs a few days’ notice to deal with their “banger and burger” suppliers. This is the only Association social event before the Xmas Lunch! Expecting a warm sunny day, as usual for this event, the Committee looks forward to meeting you at the Hawker YMCA Centre for this enjoyable afternoon. Ken Batstone

8 May Hawker Test Beds – Tony Buttler, details

April 10 at YMCA Hawker (Kingston, KT2 5BH) at 14:00 there will be the Hawker Association Annual General Meeting. The Committee urges as many members as possible to attend so that a quorum is achieved.  Attendance may be in person or by Zoom. Members attending via Zoom will be able to vote by a simple show of hands.

This year the following documents will be subject to a vote, links to them are below:

1   A revised version of the Constitution, Issue 5  (existing Constitution, Issue 4)

2   Minutes of the 2023 AGM

3   2024 Accounts (Notes)

March 13  at YMCA Hawker (Kingston, KT2 5BH) at 14:00 there will be a talk by Anthony Inglis - “Nine Pilots - One Family”. Details There are no meals at the Hawker Centre, only snacks.

February 14 at YMCA Hawker (Kingston, KT2 5BH) at 14:00 there will be a talk by Nick Anderson on “Life In A Hornet’s Nest – Flying the F/A18 Hornet with the RAAF”. Regrettably, the previous arranged speaker is unwell and Nick has stepped in at short notice. The talk will also be available on Zoom.

14 February Postponed. Group Captain (Ret) Jock Heron OBE will talk on "Military Aviation Procurement since 1945, Success or Failure?" The emphasis is on failures! It's Jock's personal opinion, with the benefit of hindsight, on the misjudged defence reviews over the years as seen from both Rolls-Royce and RAF standpoints.The talk will also be available on Zoom.

5 January Rear Admiral David Snelson RN - History of the Five Ark Royals.