Pilot September 2017

Notes

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

Demonstrating its European credentials,

the Royal Aero Club Records Racing & Rally

Association’s fourth round of air races was

hosted by the Aéroclub at the delightful

Abbeville-Buigny Baie de Somme airfield

on 15/16 July. Trophies on offer were the

Michel Doré on Saturday, and the Battle of

Britain on Sunday.

In pleasant Saturday weather, eleven

pilots competed over the four-lap course

totalling 96nm. Seven aircraft crossed the

finish line within 25 seconds, with victory

going to Dominic Crossan in his RV-6, with

navigator Guy Hook. Second was Dave

Moorman, solo in his CAP 10B, with

husband and wife team Geoffrey and Susie

Boot placed third in their SIAI-Marchetti

SF.260W.

An additional trophy — the Bruce and

Ian Hook Celebration Trophy — was to be

awarded by Guy Hook in commemoration of

his long-standing racing pilot father, Bruce

Hook (race number

305), and his brother

Ian, who were sadly

killed in an aviation

accident in 2007. The

trophy was to go to the

pilot accumulating the

highest total points

from the two races but,

unfortunately, the

weather changed for

the worse on the

Sunday, with low cloud

necessitating the race

cancellation on safety

grounds. Poignantly,

this meant the

commemoration

trophy went to Dominic

and Guy himself.

The next race

weekend is at Shobdon

on 12/13 August, for

the Steward’s Trophy

and the King’s Cup.

Air BP has appointed Matt Elliott as Chief

Commercial Officer. Based at the company’s

global headquarters in Sunbury-on-Thames,

he is responsible for its global sales and

marketing and supply strategies, and will

also lead Air BP’s digital and low carbon

commercial agenda.

Since joining BP as a graduate in 1994

Elliott has held positions in sales, marketing

and operations across the company’s fuels

businesses in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji,

the UK and USA. For the last five years he

has been Managing Director of BP New

Zealand. “I’m very excited to be joining Air

BP,” he says, “a company with so much

history that clearly values the relationships

it has with its customers and partners, and

strives to deliver leading and innovative fuel

offers across the globe.”

But only in plastic. The

Shuttleworth Collection and the

International Plastic Modellers’

Society UK’s Brampton Scale

Model Club have been

confirmed as Guinness World

Record holders for ‘The Most

People Constructing Aircraft

Models’. Plastic kit

manufacturer Airfix supplied

400 kits for a 1/72 scale WWI

Albatros D.Va and 369 were

completed, surpassing the

record previously held by the

RAF Museum for 250 models.

“It was a real community

event with visitors of all ages

involved including Air Cadets

and Scouts. Everyone had a lot

of fun so we look forward to the

next challenge!” said

Shuttleworth’s Communications

& Marketing Manager Ciara

Harper. The official Guinness

World Record certificate is

displayed in the Collection’s

Visitor Centre at Old Warden.

3Rs air race update

The new face of Air BP

WWI Albatros back

in mass production

L-r: Susie Boot, Geoffrey Boot, Guy Hook, Dominic Crossan, Dave Moorman

Air BP CCO Matt Elliott

PHOTO: DAN PANGBOURNE