16 January 2023
General Aviation flying from Bodmin Airfield, where the Cornwall Flying Club is based, is getting near to a full recovery from the hiatus created by the Covid pandemic.
Airfield manager Jay Gates has reported that aircraft movements for 2022 totalled 6,186 and training hours for club aircraft reached a new high of 1,383 hours, compared to the previous best of 1,147 hours in 2019.
Even December, a month affected by both a cold snap and heavy rain, saw 271 movements (December 2019: 278) and the second-best December fuel dispensing figure of 1,980 litres, against 2,065 litres in 2019.
“Such an outcome is helped in some small measure, by having a fourth aircraft to spread the load, but is mostly down to having a good pool of superb instructors, led by Bruce Abbott, and a burgeoning DTO [Declared Training Organisation – Ed], led by Arfur Bryant,” said Jay.
“We ended the year flying no fewer than 184 of our own flight experience vouchers for budding pilots. This equates to an introductory flight taking place every second day throughout the year, which definitely brought a number of new full-time students to the club.”
Despite higher fuel prices, demand was solid with 52,420 litres dispensed, compared to 40,440 in 2021, 34,150 in 2020, 54,015 in 2019 and 56,545 in 2018.
“We shall soon be in a position to offer ethanol-free mogas, to add to the avgas 100LL and the UL91 products we currently offer,” said Jay.
Among the new aircraft being based at Bodmin is a 1944 Piper L-4H Cub used as an artillery spotter in WWII and bearing US Army Fifth Corps D-Day markings. The aircraft belong to Nick Lomax and joins another WWII Piper Club owned by Colin Dukes, an ex-member of the 1st Battalion of the Parachute Regiment. Two warbirds on the field!
