MOD Boscombe Down Flying Club
MOD Boscombe Down Flying Club
About us
The Bustard Flying Club was formed by A&AEE staff in 1957 with, initially, 2 ex-Ministry Tiger Moths. With one restored to the civil register and certificated, flying started in 1958, operating from Old Sarum. The aircraft was used for pleasure flying and flying training carried out by Service instructors, with costs kept to a minimum.
In 1976 the Tiger Moth was replaced by a "modern" cabin aircraft - although the choice was limited by the requirement that it should have a stick and a tail-wheel! Hence a Jodel DR 1050-M1 was acquired and was the mainstay of the club until Dec 1995 when it was replaced by a Cessna 172M.
In 1989, the Commandant of A&AEE was keen to see a club at the Establishment. At the same time the BFC's tenure at Old Sarum was becoming less and less secure and his invitation to move to Boscombe Down was readily accepted.
Flying training was started again in 1990, first on a Victa Airtourer followed by a Beagle Pup 100. The Airtourer was written off during a forced landing and the Pup was sold and replaced by a Robin Aiglon.
In 2006 it was decided that the club would benefit from returning to its aerobatic origins. The Robin was sold and replaced by a Slingsby Firefly M2-160. Members were now legally allowed to turn a club aeroplane upside down after a 30-year hiatus!
The modernisation of the fleet continued in 2007 when the Cessna was sold and replaced by a Robin DR400-120.
Contact Details
Bustard Flying Club
MoD Boscombe Down
Salisbury
Wilts
SP4 0JF
Tel: 01980 664000
Training Available
- PPL
- Aerobatic
Aircraft & Prices
MEMBERSHIP, FLYING & OWNER MEMBERS CONTRIBUTION CHARGES - 2012
MEMBERSHIP
Annual membership charges (1 Jan to 31 Dec 12 but charged on a monthly pro-rata basis for those joining/leaving during the year) are unchanged and are as follows:
Pilot Membership.
Full £115 pa
Associate £140 pa
Student pilot As for Full/Associate pilots as applicable.
Family membership- added to both of the above classes of membership for qualified pilots for an additional £10pa.
Non-Pilot Membership.
Passenger member £10 pa
Day member £2/day
FLYING CHARGES (INCREASED RATES IN 2012)
Hourly Rates. Flying is charged from take off to landing times. Rates, which are increased from 2010, are:
Club Rate - £84/hr. Training Rate - £96/hr.
The Training Rate will apply to all ab-initio students and pilots joining with ‘lapsed’ PPLs/NPPLs until they regain their licences.
Note: For JAA BI-Annual checks the Club Rate applies but a private arrangement is to be made between the individual and the instructor to cover the instructor’s expenses. (this is for legally required JAA checks only – normal 2 month and annual club checks will continue on a goodwill basis as at present.)
A ready reckoner for the Club and Training Rates is below:
Minutes | Club (£) | Training (£) | Minutes | Club (£) | Training (£) | |
5 | 7.00 | 8.00 | 50 | 70.00 | 80.00 | |
10 | 14.00 | 16.00 | 55 | 77.00 | 88.00 | |
15 | 21.00 | 24.00 | 1hr | 84.00 | 96.00 | |
20 | 28.00 | 32.00 | 1hr 05 | 91.00 | 104.00 | |
25 | 35.00 | 40.00 | 1hr 10 | 98.00 | 112.00 | |
30 | 42.00 | 48.00 | 1hr 15 | 105.00 | 120.00 | |
35 | 49.00 | 56.00 | 1hr 20 | 112.00 | 128.00 | |
40 | 56.00 | 64.00 | 1 hr 25 | 119.00 | 136.00 | |
45 | 63.00 | 72.00 | 1hr 30 | 126.00 | 144.00 |
Taxi Charge. A standard taxi charge of £5 (unchanged) is levied on all flights by the 2 club aircraft departing Boscombe Down. It does not apply to departures from other airfields eg ‘land-aways’ to Sandown etc. For example:
1 hr flight from/to Boscombe Down costs £84 (flight) + £5 (taxi) = £89 total
10 min flight from/to Boscombe Down costs £14 (flight) + £5 (taxi) = £19 total
25 mins each way ‘land-away’ to Sandown costs £35 + £5 (outbound) + £35 (inbound) = £75 total
The taxi charge (as applicable) should be added to the flight costs when completing cheques.
CHARGES FOR MEMBERS’ OWNED AIRCRAFT
The Owner Member’s Contribution remains unchanged at £275 pa (monthly pro-rata rates apply) but Avgas will be priced at the QinetiQ cost price (as at present) + 5P/lt (as published monthly on the notice board).
Available Fuel
AVGAS 100LL
Club Facilities
Ops Room with internet access.
Aircraft Joining Instructions
Please contact the club to find out the details – There is very little club flying during normal airfield opening hours
RAFFCA Reciprocity
Because some of our costs are recovered from subscription rather than entirely from hire, our hire charges for non-Boscombe Down Bustard Flying Club RAFFCA members include a supplement of £12 per hour in lieu of any membership charges. We also require that any non-Bustard RAFFCA member wishing to fly our Slingsby or Robin will, on the first occasion, fly a check-out with a FI both to confirm that they are OK and also to acquaint them with our local procedures. ATC don't know who is flying the a/c, hence if it's one of our callsigns they will assume that the pilot knows the rules! After an initial check-out, provided that the pilot has 30 day currency on the T67 or 60 day on the Robin, we wouldn't normally require a further check-out on each subsequent occasion that the pilot wishes to hire one of our a/c. Any passengers will have to become temporary members, at £2 per person per day.
Club Website
RAF Sports Lottery
Latest RAFFCA News
Fly On Track
Website dedicated to the reduction of airspace infringements.
Fly On Track
General Aviation Safety Council
GASCo is a Charity that works to improve flight safety in all forms of general aviation. It is funded by the contributions of member organisations, pilots, aviation authorities and the public
GASCO
Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association
AOPA is the largest, most influential aviation association in the world.
AOPA
Civil Aviation Authority
The CAA is the UK's independent specialist aviation regulator. Its activities include economic regulation, airspace policy, safety regulation and consumer protection.
UK Civil Aviation Authority