30th Annual Alderney Fly-in – a weekend of island fun in the sun
Despite less than ideal weather conditions in the UK and mainland Europe, thirty planes from the UK, Guernsey and France arrived safely in Alderney carrying around eighty pilots and their passengers for a weekend of bonhomie, entertainment and relaxation on the island.
The programme set up by the Alderney Flying Club kicked off with welcome drinks (courtesy of the Alderney Chamber of Commerce and the Alderney Flying Club) and a well-attended BBQ at The Moorings. There were also opportunities to discover Alderney’s history and wildlife with guided walks, boat trips, train rides, and simply enjoying the island’s hospitality.
The first Alderney Fly-In took place in 1985 to celebrate 50 years of the Alderney Airport. As Alderney resident Neil McDonald recalls: “I was a fireman at the time. It took weeks to prepare the grass and everything, but it was a great weekend”. Many of the panes arriving in 1985 then were small bi-planers, such as the Tiger Moth, while this year planes built in the 1940s and 50s were amongst the arrivals.
Highlight of this weekend was the gala dinner and prize presentation which took place in the Island Hall. An excellent dinner was served by the Blonde Hedgehog . Entertainment with live music by AY Rex – and afun contest of paper plane races. This year, the longest distance flown was once again won by Bill Brooks who has the advantage of designing planes for real. However, the big moment of the evening was the Fly-In awards presentation:
This year’s trophy winners:
Best Vintage Aircraft:
F-AZUY Globe Swift GC1B piloted by Dominique Lapprand from France
Best Classic Aircraft 1945–1960:
N35SN Beech Debonair piloted by Colin Docherty
Best Modern Aircraft:
G-JUDY an AA5 Grumman Cheetah piloted by Ashley Johnstone
Best Homebuilt:
G-OJKM a Rans S7 Courier piloted by David Palmer
Best External Finish/Colour Scheme:
F-AZUY Globe Swift GC1B piloted by Dominique Lapprand from France
Longest Distance Flown:
G-BEZC an AA5 Traveller flown from 13nm north of Inverness by Aitken Paton
Oldest Pilot – Flying to the event as P1:
George Brennand, aged 91
Youngest Pilot – Flying to the event as P1:
Josh Le Breton, aged 22
Largest Entry from a UK Flying Club
Four aircraft arrived from Headcorn
The Ralph Burridge Spirit of the Fly-In:
Graham Roscoe
Postscript: Clearly, a good time was had by all. ..
Before leaving on Sunday, many of the aviators, went out of their way to thank the Alderney their hosts, the Alderney Flying Club team, saying how much they had enjoyed the weekend and vowed to be back for next year’s Fly-In (see note below), if not before.
Summing up the weekend, the Alderney Flying Club Chairman, David Chiswell, commented “We have had great feedback from all participants and are pleased we were able to host such a successful Fly-In. In particular, I would like to thank all volunteers who helped organising and running this event so smoothly and our main sponsor, Alderney Electricity Limited”
An image gallery containing these and other photos this years Alderney Fly-in can be found here.
Alderney Fly-in 2024
The dates for the 2024 Alderney Fly-in have been set for the weekend of 06-08 September 2024. Further information will be published early in 2024, but don’t forget to book your accommodation as early as you can!
To view and book your accommodation, please go to the VisitAlderney website where all hotels, guesthouses and self-catering establishments are listed.
We look forward to welcoming you next year – David Chiswell
The Alderney Flying Club would like to thank thank Alderney Electricity and the Alderney Chamber of Commerce for there financial support of this year’s Fly-in.
