The Day We Went to NATS

(and the Beach!)

On Tuesday 23rd September a party of 6 HAC members (Deacon, Dave Scott, Arthur Gill, Rachel Willson, Sam Davis and Andrew Dady) travelled down to visit NATS at Swanwick on a trip set up by one of our 2025 JROPSS scholars (Josh Blake – who until recently worked there before being posted to Akrotiri() and coordinated by Dave.

On arrival at Swanwick the party were joined by Steve and Glo Thorogood and were shown around by Tim Chapman and Billy Evans. Their guided tour and the  visits to the appropriate sections were  most enlightening and very interesting. It certainly gave the visitors an insight in  to the great work NATS do in supporting our GA flying. Steve and Glo certainly enjoyed meeting up with a number of their former work colleagues at NATS, real nostalgia.

The HAC team enjoyed a snack lunch and refreshments  in the “Mermaid” next to the Hamble River, after which Steve and Glo departed on their way home. The Halton party thought the weather was so good that it was too good an opportunity to miss and went down past Lee-on-Solent Airfield to the sea front. They decided that it would be wise to stay a while and miss the evening rush hour ( Ed:  a very thin excuse!) so found a Fish & Chip Shop and sat on the sea front, some choosing to paddle in the sea and do some stone skimming, before watching a beautiful sunset over the Solent, before heading home.  The team were even treated to a Spitfire flypast!

Rachel (in her good size people carrier) drove everyone to Swanwick, the sea front and safely home to Halton, where they arrived at 21.00. So a long but thoroughly successful day was enjoyed by all.