Land-Away at Sleap: Sunshine, Spitfires and a Seat in a Chipmunk
By Fg Off Ben Sturgess, HAC JROPSS Scholar
As part of the Junior Rank Officer Pilot Scholarship Scheme (JROPSS), I have been making my way through the PPL syllabus at Halton Aeroplane Club (HAC); as if that wasn’t enough of a privilege, I was incredibly fortunate to be invited on a land-away by OIC HAC, Air Cdre Mark Manwaring.
Originally, we had plans to head to Skegness, but as I’m learning quickly, the weather forecast played its part and altered the plot. Sleap Aerodrome in Shrewsbury became our new destination; a more than worthy alternative, as it turned out!
The club were brilliantly accommodating, allowing me to squeeze in my flying lesson in the morning before the full squadron departed for Sleap. I was offered the irrefusable opportunity of a back seat ride in Nev Gardener’s beautiful 1952 DeHavilland Chipmunk G-BWVY, quite different from the PA28 I’d been flying just an hour beforehand.
We set off in good company- Air Cdre Manwaring led the way in the RV6 G-RVST followed by Bryan Ascroft in Chippy G-BXIM, Perry Harris in his Jodel G-BKAO, Jonathan Smith in his Piper Cub G-ATZM with Paul BH, Charlie Moss & Sham Maslisham bringing up the rear in the club’s trusty PA28 G-BPRY. Nev Gardner and I joined the pack in the Chipmunk.
The flight itself was approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes of smooth, warm May air and stunning scenery. Upon arrival at Sleap, we were greeted not only by a welcoming crowd, but also by the sight of a stunning Avro Anson and the well documented replica Spitfire built by Steve Markham. The bistro café didn’t disappoint – great food and coffee, all enjoyed under the glorious sunshine. We also met up with Maj Gen John Cracket who is a member at Sleap as well as a long-standing HAC member who had coincidentally visited Halton the previous Wednesday in his Cirrus G20.
The return leg provided another unexpected bonus for those who saw it: Charlie managed to snap a photo of the Lancaster ‘City of Lincoln’ as it flew home to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight following a display; the perfect end to a thoroughly brilliant day.
All in all, it was a fantastic experience – a genuine introduction to what the HAC flying club is all about: Great aircraft, great people, and great memories. If you haven’t yet joined one of their land-away events, then pencil it into your diary; you’ll come back with a grin, a few more logbook hours, and at least one more story to tell!
