2011 autumn meeting

2nd-4th September 2011, Midlands

Based around Halfpenny Green Airfield. For further information, please contact us.

Friday 2nd

Arrive by air at EGBO Halfpenny Green or by car at the + Mount Hotel, Mount Road, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, WV6 8HL. Dine at hotel

Saturday 3rd

Either morning visit to + Central Counties Air Operations Unit (Police helicopters) combined with + Midlands Air Ambulance followed by afternoon air experience flights in two seat enclosed gyrocopter, microlights (both flexwing and three axis) and hovercraft.

Or all day exploration of the Severn Valley by steam train on the + Severn Valley Railway from Kidderminster with guided walk and buffet lunch in Bridgnorth followed by return, with optional stops, to Kidderminster.

Then 19.30 annual dinner

Sunday 4th

10.30 AGM

Then visit + Boulton Paul Aircraft Heritage Project and/or + Broadfield House Glass Museum.

Programme notes

Friday

You will see from the programme that we will be based at the Mount Hotel, Mount Road, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, WV6 8HL, 01902 752055 sales@themount.co.uk.

The hotel is a listed manor house dating from 1865 - fear not, it has recently been refurbished but because of the listing, still lacks a lift.

Rates are: B&B Single £62 per night. Double £72 per night. Book your own rooms, mention The BMPA at the time and don't forget to ask for the ground floor if needed.

Dinner will be available in the dining room - book on arrival.

Saturday

Transport to and from Saturday's events will be by coach. Crossover in the middle of Saturday is not planned, although if you were prepared to use your own transport it would be feasible.

Halfpenny Green

The morning will be taken up with a joint presentation and aircraft tour by the CCAOU and West Midlands Air Ambulance. The latter are going to fly their helicopter across from RAF Cosford for us. Both will be operational so one or both may have to leave in a hurry in the event of a "shout".

For the afternoon:
+ Rotorsport are intending to bring their Calidus tandem enclosed gyrocopter – see their website.
+ Hadair are a microlight school based at Halfpenny Green and offer both flexwing and three axis machines.
There are plans to have both a two and a three seat hovercraft with pilots/ drivers available on the airfield. Both craft are privately owned.

Flights will be at each operator's going rate, currently (08 July ):
Rotorsport £85 for 30 mins
Hadair £65 for 30 mins flexwing or three axis
Hovercraft £05 for 30mins

A Buffet lunch will be provided by the airport café.

Severn Valley Railway excursion

We will catch the first train of the day from Kidderminster, alighting an hour later in + Bridgnorth, where we will have a guided tour of this delightful town which is on two levels joined by a Funicular railway. Apart from a short steep slope from the station and the ancient Cartway road downhill, it is relatively easy walking and will last about 90 minutes followed by a buffet lunch at the Shakespeare Inn.

In the afternoon you will be given a timetable and a choice of stations to stop at on the way back for country walks, Visitor Centre and exhibition, Workshops or the Georgian town of Bewdley, ending back in Kidderminster at the end of the day. You will have to be careful not to miss your last train back, which would imperil your attendance at the annual dinner at the hotel.

Sunday

In the recent past there have been no formal events on the Sunday. This year following our AGM, if there is enough interest, arrangements will be made for the Boulton Paul Aircraft Heritage Project Museum and Broadfield House Glass Museum to be opened for us.

The Boulton Paul Museum "is dedicated to the historic aircraft manufacturer Boulton Paul, and the aviation heritage of the Wolverhampton area. The exhibits are housed within the former Boulton Paul factory. Although more of a busy workshop than a display museum, the + rare exhibits and active and friendly volunteer workers make this location well worth a visit." (15-20 minutes drive north from the hotel).

Broadfield House Glass Museum. We visited this the last time the BMPA came to Wolverhampton. It is in a Georgian house and there are resident glass blowers. "One of the best glass collections in the world can be found at Broadfield House Glass Museum in the historic Stourbridge Glass Quarter. The displays range from the 17th century up to the present day, revealing the diversity of glass and the creativity of glassmakers through the ages." (15-20 mins drive south from the hotel).

Since the two venues are in opposite directions and many people will wish to go straight on after their visit, it seems sensible for members to use their own transport. By the same token, lunch will not be arranged. Rotorsport Hadair Severn Valley Railway Bridgnorth Boulton Paul Aircraft Heritage Project Broadfield House Glass Museum