BMPA Newsletters

Newsletters  >  Summer 1997

From the President

I suppose it is fitting that I should finish my term of office as I began it, with a last minute contribution to the newsletter just as the Secretary is going to press. But it could be argued that this is my prerogative of office! Sorry Andrew, but I think we caught the post.

As I hand over the reigns to Tony Watson, it gives me great pleasure to see our Association in such good shape. As you may know, I sit on the committee of our sister organisation, the Association of Authorised Medical Examiners, and I always gain quiet satisfaction when membership numbers and scientific programmes are compared with the BMPA. We are a highly respected association and I know that our corporate membership of AOPA and our active support of the GAAC are appreciated.

It seems only yesterday that I met Chris Linton at the Bristol & Wessex Aeroplane Club at Lulsgate in 1965 and he told me about the new association he had formed for flying doctors. I was only a student, but I still have my free BMPA tie (original pattern) given to me by Mary (then) Storrier (now Smith) in recognition of being the first student member! How time flies, but then so do we.

There are many changes afoot, both in the training and regulation of aviation and in the field of medical standards. Changes are stressful, but it behoves us as an association to stay abreast of them and to do our bit to ensure they work to the benefit of private flying. I have grave concerns for the future of private aviation as we know it and we should use our influence as respected members of our local communities to fly the flag for general aviation. There is much ignorance and mis-information in our local councils and planning authorities; look at recent events in Ipswich and South Cambridgeshire as an example. I am not suggesting that we should become a political organisation (far from it), but we as influential individuals have a responsibility to the new generation of students such as I was training at Blackbushe this morning.

Finally, thank you to those unsung heroes of the BMPA, the honorary secretary and treasurer. I have been privileged to work with Geoff Fernley, Brian (and Di) Pickard, Andrew Clymo and Gordon Taylor. Until you have done the job of organising meetings, producing newsletters, booking hotels, liaising with the bank, producing a balance sheet, and the thousand and one things which enable the BMPA to run smoothly, you cannot begin to appreciate how much we owe these colleagues. I speak for all the members when I say how much we appreciate all the hard work.

And for me, after holding office of one sort or another for something like 17 years, I am looking forward to enjoying the meetings and the fellowship and letting them "just happen". Thank you for your support and I look forward to the tenure of Tony.

Michael Bagshaw