History of the BMPA

1999 Spring Meeting, March 6-7, Stockport

42 members and guests attended this meeting for lectures and a tour of Manchester Airport's second runway construction. For a report of this meeting please see the Summer 1999 newsletter.

1999 Summer Meeting, June 4-6, Shenington

For a report of this meeting please see the Summer 1999 newsletter.

1999 Autumn Meeting, September 3-5, Coventry

Friday 3rd September

Arrival and afternoon buffet at Coventry Aeroplane Club followed by a medieval banquet at Coombe Abbey Hotel. The hotel traces its origins to a 12th century Cistercian Abbey. Dissolved in 1539, extended by the Harrington family, sold to the Cravens in 1622 and then to John Gray, a builder, in 1922, it first opened as a hotel in 1995. Its 500 acres of parkland with 80 acre lake were designed by Capability Brown at the end of the 18th Century and its bedrooms are described as theatrical.

Saturday 4th September

Tour of the engineering facility of Air Atlantique followed by Historic Flights (Rapide, Twin Pioneer and Percival Prentice). Air Atlantique's origins lie in Jersey in 1969. It is now a conglomerate of aviation related companies owning Caernarfon airfield, owning and operating a fleet of 5 Lockheed Electras and one of the worlds largest collections of DC3s. Two of the latter are on permanent standby for spraying detergent on oil slicks. Lunch at Coventry Airport followed by visit to Lunt Roman fort reconstruction, a partial reconstruction with gateway, ramparts and granary housing a Museum of the Roman Army. Free time in Coventry City Centre to explore the Cathedral, Herbert Art Gallery, Museum of British Road Transport or shopping precint with jazz band. Annual dinner at Coventry University (formely Lanchester Polytechnic).

Sunday 5th September

AGM in the Stuart Room at Coombe Abbey Hotel followed by Coventry Aeroplane Club Formation Flight Display (Foxtrot Formation, which consists of seven club members and training aircraft) or visit to Midlands Air Museum. Buffet lunch at Coventry Aeroplane Club.

For a report of this meeting please see the Winter 1999/00 newsletter.

1999 Lectures

• Flight guides and Forter (Bob Pooley)
• Lloyds of London (David Walters)
• Manchester Airport's second runway (Rory McLouchlin)