Over 70 members gathered at Sywell for a variety of entertainments that were planned to accompany the 2017 AGM. These included presentations of the LAA Rally and LAA Service awards, and an excellent talk by Roger ‘Dodge’ Bailey on the research, preparation and test flying of the Shuttleworth Trust’s DH88 Comet, Grosvenor House.

 

The business of the day, the Association’s Annual General Meeting, commenced at 1330, and after a welcome by Chairman Brian Davies, and apologies for absence, the election of three Board Members, each for a three-year term of office, commenced: Jim Mckenna was re-elected for a second term; Will Garton-Jones’ earlier co-option onto the Board was accepted and former LAA CEO, Graham Newby, re-joins the Board since stepping down as a Director in 2014.

 

The only motion submitted - to simplify the Association’s Articles by requiring all Motions to be notified a minimum of 42 days before the AGM - was passed.

 

In his financial report, recently appointed LAA Treasurer, Will Garton-Jones, commented that the Association is in a healthy financial situation, although the trading surplus of £185,839 shown on the audited accounts for 2016, was somewhat inflated by the fact that a number of budgeted expenditures had, of necessity, been deferred until 2017. One of those expenditures was the appointment of an additional staff member, and members welcomed recent new member to the HQ Airworthiness Team, Jerry Parr.

The year-end accounts showed a turnover of £1,276,857 and reserves of £1,071,484.

 

The 2016 accounts were approved, as was the retention of our auditors, Collett Hulance LLP, for a further year.

 

The Chairman thanked the Board, staff and volunteers on whom we all depend for their contributions to the running of the Association.

That concluded the official business, after which CEO Steve Slater gave a presentation on the current status of the Association.

 

Steve reported that we now look after a fleet of 2,7000 permit-to-fly aircraft, with some 1,600 projects or rebuilds in the wings.  However, the recent rise in our fleet from taking on such orphan aircraft as the De Havilland types, is now coming to an end. 

 

He also commented that there would be increased emphasis on training and education initiatives and that the practical courses that had in the past been overseen by the LAA Educational Trust, had been brought in house and the range of courses was in the process of being considerably expanded. Over 140 of the 180 places offered on Engineering courses between October 2017 and February 2018 had already been booked!

There has also an increase in young person’s events, with the FAI Painting Competition and Airfield Adventure Days being part of a growing programme organised by your Association.

 

After taking questions from the floor, the day’s events closed at 16:00.

 

Light Aircraft Association

October 2017