Search this site

< Back New LAA Inspector - Keith Troughton 4 Sept 2025 We are pleased to welcome Keith Troughton as a new LAA Inspector, having attended an LAA Inspector Assessment Day at Turweston recently. With an active aviation interest from a very young age, he has been involved in certified, homebuilt, and microlight aircraft for over 40 years. He is currently operating within a C.A.O. General Aviation Facility as a Licensed Aircraft Engineer (L.A.E.). He is a CAA-approved maintenance manager within an approved Aircraft Maintenance Facility, with access to most of the necessary tooling for standard aircraft maintenance support, including facilities to weigh aircraft, if required. Next Previous

< Back New LAA Inspector - Alan Caldecourt 24 Oct 2024 The LAA is pleased to welcome Alan Caldecourt as a new LAA Inspector. Alan attended an Assessment Day at LAA HQ last month. Alan has experience of both wood and metal airframes, in full restoration and modifications (Rollason Condor & Luscombe Silvaire). In 2008, he completed a RV7 build and recommissioned a Taylor Monoplane in 2020. His whole career has been in the Airline Maintenance Industry, starting as an Apprentice with B.O.A.C in 1973, becoming a Licenced Aircraft Engineer. After 47 years service, he retired in 2020 along with the British Airways 747 Fleet ! He is currently based at Popham Airfield, but lives in West Sussex. Well done Alan! 🎉 Next Previous

< Back New LAA Inspector - Mark Wilkinson 15 Aug 2025 We are pleased to welcome Mark Wilkinson as a new LAA Inspector, having attended an LAA Inspector Assessment Day at Turweston recently. Mark’s aviation career began with 11 years of service in the Royal Air Force, where he initially worked on the Bulldog and Chipmunk aircraft before progressing to the Tornado. Following his military service, Mark spent 25 years in commercial aviation, working primarily on large passenger aircraft - focusing on turboprops and regional jets. This period included a three-year relocation to France, where he was responsible for supporting a BAE146 aircraft. Mark then dedicated eight years to the initial setup and maintenance of the A400M program, before taking on a role maintaining the Grob Tutor aircraft - bringing his career full circle back to light aviation. From his early days working on the Bulldog, he has always had a genuine passion for light aviation. Mark would welcome the opportunity to contribute to the light aviation community, offering support and advice wherever he can. Next Previous

< Back The online Permit Revalidation System is live for Gyroplanes! 22 Jul 2025 We are pleased to announce that the online Permit to Fly revalidation system went live today for gyroplanes, both home-built and factory-built! Step-by-Step Video Guide, FAQs and Crib Sheet The step-by-step guide to the new online Permit Revalidation system in the form of an ‘ Online Permit Revalidation Explained ’ video can be found below. This was written for a fixed-wing example, but the majority of questions are the same for gyroplanes and the process for gyroplanes has the same three stages as for any fixed-wing aircraft. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOGRQ89dOA8 We have also compiled a list of ‘ Frequently Asked Questions ’ for you, which are found below. The ' Crib Sheet ' for Inspectors referenced in the video is formally called the ' Airworthiness Review Reference Guide ' and is available HERE . There is a version of the crib sheet for homebuilt gyroplanes, entitled ARR-REF (HOMEBUILT GYROPLANE) and a version for factory-built gyroplanes, entitled ARR-REF (FB GYROPLANE). The Check Flight Schedules for both homebuilt and factory-built gyroplanes have now been combined into a single check flight schedule for gyroplanes, entitled CFS-1 (GYRO). This is available HERE . Previous check flight forms for homebuilt and factory-built gyroplanes are now obsolete. The Permit Flight Release Certificate (PFRC) is now a separate document, where it was previously contained within the application form for revalidating a Permit to Fly. It can be found HERE . Key Considerations There are a few key considerations to ensure a Permit to Fly revalidation under the new system goes smoothly: Please make sure you know your username and password for the LAA website. If you have forgotten your login details, please contact the LAA Office. All aircraft using the new system for the first time will require a check flight no older than 3 months at the time of submission of the revalidation application. This is in order to provide a baseline for the online system. The 3-year check flight cycle will then apply subsequently to most aircraft types. Some aircraft will still require a check flight at every revalidation, these are: Aircraft cleared for Night/IFR. Aircraft which have flown less than 12 hours since the previous revalidation inspection. Aircraft Owners will not have to submit a CFS-1 (GYRO) Check Flight Schedule when applying through the new system. However, a CFS-1 (GYRO) will need to be completed for each check flight and stored with the aircraft’s documentation, so that it is available when needed. We will no longer be accepting old-style (paper or scanned) Airworthiness Reviews for homebuilt or factory-built gyroplanes conducted on or after 22 nd July 2025. Need Help? The ‘Revalidating a Permit to Fly’ page on the LAA website signposts you to all the information you will need and can be found HERE . If you have any problems or questions, please follow the steps below: Watch the ‘ Online Permit Revalidation Explained ’ video found HERE . Read Technical Leaflet 2.00 - 'Revalidating your Aircraft's Permit to Fly,' which has now been updated to include information for gyroplanes. Look at the gyroplane variants of the 'crib sheet' for LAA Inspectors, entitled ' Airworthiness Review Reference Guide ,' which is available HERE . Look at our list of FAQs ,. If steps 1-4 do not help you find the answer, contact LAA Engineering on [email protected] or call (0)1280 846786 20250721 - Permit Revalidation Process FAQs Issue 2 .pdf Download PDF • 198KB Next Previous

Camping Camping passes, which cover the duration of your stay, are available upon arrival, at a cost of £65 . If you fly in and wish to camp under the wing, this is free. Camping facilities, providing basic amenities, including hot showers will be available on site. There is ample ground for caravans and mobile homes. The campsite will be open from midday Thursday 3rd September and close on Monday morning 7th September. Please note entry to the Rally Exhibition Site is charged separately. Prices are for the duration of your stay. On site catering and bar will be available in the Exhibition area during event opening hours and evening food, bar and entertainment will be provided by Leicestershire Aero Club in the evenings.

< Back LAA Office Closure 3 Sept 2026 The LAA Office will be closed from 4th-7th September inclusive for the LAA Rally. Staff will respond to any emails or other correspondence once they have returned to the office on 8th. Next Previous

< Back New LAA Inspector - Tom Bootyman 20 Jun 2024 We are pleased to welcome Tom Bootyman as an LAA Inspector. Tom attended an Assessment Day at LAA HQ at the start of June. Tom is a serial aircraft builder/maintainer/repairer, also with several years’ experience as an engineer with a global aerobatic team. He has experience building and repairing Zenair and Vans RV types, along with working on many aerobatic aircraft. He is also an experienced aircraft painter. Tom has a love and devotion to all things aviation, so he is always open to requests for information, advice and Permit inspections. He is based at Netherthorpe (Sheffield), but willing to travel. Next Previous

Rotax Fuel Injected 912 iS / 915 iS Installation & Operation Price Member - £224, Non-Member - £244 Duration Arrival 09:30. Finish 17:00. < Back About the Course With the growth of interest in the fuel-injected Rotax 912 and 915 iS series engines, it has become apparent that there is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about the installation and operation of these engines and the way that the latest built-in systems work. Electronics and Rotax iRMT certified engineer, John Barrott, was an early installer of a 912iS and found it difficult to find accurate information on best practice. Working with UK Rotax agents CFS and LAA Engineering, John has built up a comprehensive understanding of the iS engines and has developed a course around this to provide help and advice on the installation and operation of this new generation of aero engines. The course is classroom (not workshop) based. Your Instructor John Barrott Dates Saturday 24th October 2026 Times Arrival 09:30. Finish 17:00. Duration One day course Venue LAA HQ, Turweston Aerodrome, NN13 5YD Price Member - £224, Non-Member - £244 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**

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 Tues 15 September 2026 AND Tues 13 October 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**

Continental Covering Letter to Owners AAN PFA 999-413 Sup 3 Approved Mogas Aircraft/Continental Engine combinations Inspection Checklist

< Back Nick Stone appointed as the LAA's Head of Airworthiness 24 Oct 2023 The LAA is pleased to announce the appointment of Nick Stone as the LAA’s Head of Airworthiness. Nick brings a vast wealth of aircraft knowledge as well as a real world understanding of the need for good process and procedure. Having started his career in the Royal Air Force, Nick went on to work in the aerospace industry working in the UK with British Aerospace and Slingsby Aviation at various sites and projects, as an inspector, methods engineer and quality engineer. Nick then moved to the United States at Eastern Airlines in Miami Florida, Learjet in Wichita Kansas and Chihuahua Mexico as inspection/Quality representative of Shorts Aerospace (Bombardier Aerospace). Following a downturn in the British Aerospace industry he then took an opportunity to move into the nuclear industry working in both reprocessing and power generation. Throughout Nick's working life the one constant has been a passion for aviation. Having started as a volunteer at a local aircraft museum at 14, Nick started flying at the age of 16 in gliders and has a private pilot’s licence PPL(A). Prior to becoming an LAA inspector Nick spent many years building, rebuilding, and restoring vintage aircraft, the more unusual the better. “As an LAA inspector I understand the need to move forward and change and adapt to an ever changing but exciting world. Having run my own aircraft restoration company for the last seven years I always felt it is important to understand your customers”. LAA CEO Simon Tilling said, “Nick is a great addition to the LAA staff. I and the rest of the team are looking forward to working with him in the near future” Next Previous

< Back New LAA Inspector - Conrad Ceillam 2 Sept 2025 We are pleased to welcome Conrad Ceillam as a new LAA Inspector, having attended an LAA Inspector Assessment Day at Turweston recently. As a youngster, he worked mostly on 3-engined piston aircraft for commercial flight, and on some twin turboprops in Guernsey. He then moved on to mostly narrow-bodied jets and turboprops, with some executive jets in the UK. Latterly, he worked in Finland on medium-bodied jets, scientific aircraft, and mission/patrol. Since moving to Shetland, he has mostly worked on twin-piston passenger craft. He has held BMAA inspector approvals since April 2023. Next Previous