The flying school set up by the Club was seeking C.A.A. approval and there were 20 student pilots. Tuition cost £7.50p for an hours flying and 15 minutes debriefing afterwards, gaining a private pilots licence, (PPL), cost about £300 and 40 hours tuition. David Campbell was Chief Flying Instructor and commuted from Luton in his own aircraft, a Fournier RF4. Very soon the Club was in difficulties again, seemingly with debts of £7000, only 88 members (this was 1968), and an airfield badly in need of repair, with only one runway for daylight use in operation. Rental of the aircraft could no longer be met, and the Club faced insolvency again. The consortium of four businessmen meanwhile had put the Club up for sale in the Times newspaper, which was still illegal of course. At this stage Michael Goddard a local businessman of Wadkin & Co; who had the Clubs interests very much to heart and flew his own aircraft out of Leicester East, took legal advice. With the help of Bill Ford of Ford & Slater (a local firm) and also a pilot they threw out the four businessmen and took the finances of the Club in hand. Michael Turnor became Secretary. The constitution of the Club was changed and a Council of Management elected, they guaranteed the overdraft, inherited the deficit and the hire purchase of four Cessna aircraft. Flying training and management was placed completely in the hands of the charismatic CFI Joe Sharps, and between the end of 1968 and 1969 the situation changed from having four aircraft rented, to four owned, a loss of £1,247 was turned into a profit of £3,003, flying membership went up to 150, and the deficit came back to £3,490. So 1969 was a year of stabilisation, a more satisfactory lease was negotiated with the Co-op and a much better business relationship established with them. Two grass runways were prepared and brought into use, but were only really viable in dry summer weather due to waterlogging. Members themselves formed working parties to do any manual labour needed, including painting and refurbishment, keeping the hanger in good condition. One member, David Nowill, was responsible for building and installing full night lighting on the main runway including glide slope indicators and an airfield location beacon on the Clubhouse roof. This system quickly gained full C.A.A. approval to the extent that they persuaded other small fields to install the same lighting! |