Pilot September 2017

42 | Pilot September 2017 http://www.pilotweb.aero

particularly high on the list. “Jean flies
with me occasionally,” he says “but she’s
not particularly keen on flying. Her
daughters are in their thirties now, with
children of their own. Neither is a pilot
and they say they are too risk-averse to fly
with me.”
Stephen retains his interest in classic
cars and has an old BMW in the drive and
a 1932 Austin Seven in a friend’s barn.
“Ah, the smell you get from the exhaust,”
he says of the Austin Seven. “You only
get that smell when there’s Castrol R
vegetable-based oil in the sump.”
He became a member of the Vintage
Aircraft Club in 2003 and was elected
Chairman in 2010, serving for five years.
“When I was elected we had around 220
members and the numbers were declining,
so I saw my main task as reversing that.
The key was to have more events, to make
them more diverse and in particular to
have events across more locations right
across the UK to bring in new members. In
2014, it was the club’s fiftieth anniversary

and by then we had reached 300

members. At the fiftieth anniversary fly-in

at Popham we got 120 aircraft. At the next

AGM I announced my resignation, but I’m

still active with the VAC, and I am

currently Vice-Chairman.”

While he was Chairman of the VAC he

was invited to attend a meeting of the

GAAC (General Aviation Awareness

Council), a pressure group founded in

response to the crisis then threatening

airfields. “This was twofold: firstly, all the

wind turbines that were starting to be

erected, some of them dangerously close

to airfields. Secondly, there was John

Prescott’s failure to exempt airfields from

brownfield sites, making their conversion

to housing estates a great deal more likely.

With my public relations expertise, I was

asked to prepare briefing and defence

documents putting the case for keeping

airfields operational. These were aimed at

planning officers, local government and

government ministries. Basically, they

provided information which we felt

decision makers should have. David

Ogilvy had been leading airfield defence at

AOPA and wanted to retire, and invited

me to take over the task. So that is how I

became Vice-Chairman of the GAAC. Ten

years on, I’m still on the board, as the

LAA representative.”

Stephen began attending LAA National

Council meetings when he was Chairman

of the VAC. “It gave me some inside

knowledge of the organisation and when

the CEO vacancy arose in 2015 I decided

to apply. I was appointed in September

that year. It’s a fifty-hour working week,

roughly one-third supervising and leading

engineering and member services,

one-third monitoring legislation and the

remainder dealing with member enquiries

and coming up with initiatives for moving

forward while sticking with core values.

Flying for fun is what it’s all about.”

The LAA has thirteen full-time

employees based at Turweston, plus Brian

Hope who produces Light Aviation, and

Neil Wilson who covers marketing.

Stephen reports to a board of twelve

directors−the Chairman was Head of BA

Engineering and is on his second

homebuilt. “Roughly half of the directors

are homebuilders−all are pilots,” says

Stephen. “And all our engineers are also

One of many aviation paintings in the house,

showing a BE2c on a perfect summer’s day

Contemporary service manual for the Cub from
Steve’s collection

When the LAA CEO

vacancy arose in

2015 I decided to

apply