Dear Karen and Gerry and all at the Algarve Airsports Centre,

If you have not already sent the notes may I ask you to ignore my request to supply notes to Mr Young at Kemble. I will advise him of the reason.

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I will no longer be allowed to fly for medical reasons.

Be reassured that my medical certificate covered all of the time I was with you but expires on 2nd July 2011. So no problems there.

May I say to you all individually, I shall not forget a single one of you, and that except for holidays spent with my late wife and with my family that I have not enjoyed my stay with anyone, anywhere, over the long years, in any way close to the enjoyment of my stay with yourselves.

Each and every one of you, in your own way, from the moment I arrived until the moment I left brought something special back into my life and the flying was several hundred per cent more enjoyable than I ever imagined it could be.

The laughs with me and at my expense were most joyful and the wit and kindness of each of a great team had to be experienced to be appreciated.

I know full well that this sounds like the maudlin ramblings of an old fool (and I know that I am all of that) but every word, as my grandson James says, is "well true".

Thank you all for everything

Bill


Hi All,

Just to let you know I did a forum post on my experiences with you.

http://forums.bmaa.org/default.aspx?f=26&p=1&m=97446#m100581

Hopefully this will encourage more to follow in my footsteps. Thanks again - Dave are you happy for me to go ahead on the advert?

Regards

Richard


Hello Gerry, Karen,

I don't know if its Algarvitis, if such a thing exisits? but I am missing you all at Algarve Airsports Centre. 'Normal' life here in England seem a bit flat after my time with you. It is a month today since I set out to join you in Lagos and my experiences with you over the three weeks will always be happy memories for me. Since I have been back in England I have managed 2.7 hrs flying from Otherton in the 582 X'Air G-BZEJ.

You were right Gerry, about being able to land at Lagos, with its rota, wind gradient and a narrow runway, it makes landing seem easier when you get home. I could not believe how big and fat the runway was at Sleap last Friday. I got MATZ penetration through Shawbury by the way so must have sounded reasonably proficient.

The big difference between the X'Air at Otherton (the airfield bike!) and CS-ULD is that when i gave it full throttle, with two fat lads and full fuel on a warm humid day on grass, nothing happened for a while. then we limped out at 300' per minute. this leads me to my question to Gerry, would you prefer a 582 to a Jabiru? I know you said a Jab was no good for the training environment but is it preferable to a 2 stroke? 912 X'Airs seem as rare as hens teeth here in UK so not really an option. Bear in mind that i need something to keep flying until my Ch701 is built, another year yet realistically, not something to keep for ever.

Kind regards to all the gang, hows Helena's arm, Brads and the Norwood's fly-sail experience?

I wish you all the best, Andrew Aston.