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Welcome to our web-site.
We hope you find the information contained in this web-site useful and that you will come and join us at one of our events and become a member.
We look forward to seeing you there and always provide an opportunity for non-members to join the VAC at our events. Keep an eye on our calendar which is updated regularly. Anne Hughes (VAC Chair).
Aims of the club.
The aim of the Vintage Aircraft Club is to provide a focal body for owners, pilots and enthusiasts of vintage and classic light aircraft by arranging fly-ins and other events and publishing a magazine for the benefit of its members. If you would like to find out more about the history of the club, and the volunteers who run it, including our Chairman, Anne Hughes, visit the "About VAC" page.
The VAC celebrates the 60th anniversary in style!
It is hard to believe that 60 years have passed since Alan Chalkley and other vintage aircraft owners sat down to discuss the possibility of forming a club for fellow enthusiasts. We have been celebrating this significant birthday across the country and, most notably, at Breighton in June for our Northern celebration, and in August at Old Warden. Cake was involved on both occasions, along with fizz on a sunny day at Old Warden where 70 vintage aircraft flew in and members were treated to an escorted walk through the hangars with Sir John Allison.
Now, with a club that has a membership of nearly 400 members, we see some vintage aircraft on the flightline that are younger than their owners! Others, including the Dragonfly, are in their eighties and beautifully restored and maintained. We will continue our celebrations with more events throughout the year and would like to thank everyone who has supported us over the years. Anne Hughes VAC Chair
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David Phillips cuts VAC 60th Birthday Cake at Breighton. ___Tim Badham cuts VAC 60th Birthday Cake at Old Warden.
Breighton Photo courtesy of Anne Hughes, Old Warden Photo courtesy of Geraldine O'Meara.
Alan Chalkley
We are sorry to have to share sad news with you that Alan Chalkley, one of the founder members of the VAC, passed away on 12th February 2024. We send our condolences to his wife, Beryl, and his family who were with him as he died peacefully at his care home in North Wales where he had lived for some months. This year we are celebrating our 60th year as a club and Alan was there at the beginning, writing under the pseudonym "John Beeswax" in the PFA magazine where he reported on the club's activities for many years. As a pilot he had owned and loved the J3 Cub G-ASPS which he sold to Steve Slater in 2014, knowing it would be well looked after. Always a gentleman and supporter of the club, Alan will be much missed by us all with many having fond memories of times spent from Finmere days and later. He saw many VAC Chairmen, and a lady Chair, throughout his years with us and was there to support us along the way. Alan has "slipped the surly bonds of Earth." Always modest and caring, he was an inspiration to us all. Anne Hughes (VAC Chair)
Alan Chalkley Photo by © Tim Badham
VAC Taildragger Award Press Release 30th October 2023.
The Vintage Aircraft Club are pleased to announce the awardee for the VAC Taildragger Scholarship 2023, in memory of VAC member Liz Inwood, was presented to Rose Walters at the VAC AGM at Old Warden on 29th October.
Flying and Preserving Historic Aircraft by the late David Ogilvy.
Download the Press Release for David Ogilvy's book, Flying and Preserving Historic Aircraft.
You Tube footage of Fly-In VAC members were invited to.
If you would like to know what a Vintage Aircraft themed fly-in might look like, check out this You Tube footage of a Fly-In at Seething Airfield that the VAC was invited to 0n the 3rd July this year (2022). This link to You Tube is also on our 2022 Events Calendar page.How Green is your Airfield, and Vintage Aircraft and the Environment.
An informal talk to VAC members on BODMIN AIRFIELD was given by JAY GATES via Zoom on Wednesday 10th November 2021.
The talk consisted of a brief introduction to Jay and his role at Bodmin, together with a short history of the airfield. This was followed by an explanation of how they came to realise that they were, in fact, a very environmentaly friendly "green" airfield. A description of what this consisted of, and how they set about maintaining this situation, together with some advice on how to involve the local community, and how to turn any suitable airfield green made up the rest of the talk. The Zoom session was recorded, and an edited version of it together with a pdf download of the powerpoint presentation can be accessed from this page. or from the sidebar menu on every page. The VAC environmental statement can also now be found on the "How green is your airfield" page.
Transport Trust Lifetime Achievement Award
VAC President, David Ogilvy OBE, FRAeS, is awarded the Transport Trust's Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Transport Trust have kindly given us permission to include the article about
David and his award that they published in their Winter 2020/21 edition of Transport Digest.
Download the Transport Trust Article here. The PDF files open in a new window.
If you want to know more about the Transport Trust, please follow this link.
Return to the skies, by Anne Hughes and Andy Amor
G-AVDF first flew on 8th April 1967 and was Sir Peter Masefield's dream come true. A British light aircraft that would be at the centre of light aviation as a tourer and trainer with a military aircraft, the Bulldog, to follow. This is the story of how the prototype Beagle Pup was restored to fly again
For further information and to purchase the book, please visit this page.
NEW PRESIDENT FOR THE VINTAGE AIRCRAFT CLUB
The Vintage Aircraft Club are delighted to share the news of the appointment of a new President for the Club. Air Chief Marshal Sir John Allison KCB CBE has been involved with the VAC over many years and we are pleased that he accepted our invitation to take on the role, replacing the late David Ogilvy OBE FRAeS. John, who has held a PPL since just after his 17th birthday, says he is honoured to have been invited to become the President of the VAC. Having trained as an RAF pilot and graduating from Cranwell in 1964 he won the prize for best pilot in his entry, and also the aerobatic trophy. His subsequent career took him from front line pilot, flying Lightnings, ultimately to be Commander-in-Chief of Strike Command. In parallel, he flew recreationally, notably as an air display pilot, which gave him access to many interesting cockpits. By the time he retired from flying earlier this year he had 116 distinct types, all flown as captain, in his logbook.
He has owned and operated a number of vintage aircraft, including an Auster, Luton Minor, Bucker Jungmann, Yak 50, Miles Gemini and a Beechcraft Bonanza. Both his sons, James and David, share his passion for flying.
Anne Hughes (VAC Chair)
Sir John Allison
General Data Protection Regulation.
The Club's GDPR statement can be found here!Membership:
Membership of the club costs just £25 per year. For your membership you get a copy of the magazine four times a year, discounted landing fees at our events and access to exclusive members only events.
Events
The club organises both Fly In events, and Non Fly In (access by ground travel only) events. Most of these are open to all who are interested in Vintage and Classic Aircraft, whether members of the club or not, but some events are exclusivley for members.
Magazine
The Journal of the Vintage Aircraft Club, called Vintage and Classic, is published four times per year. Some back issues are available in pdf format online here.
Facebook Page
The club also maintains a Facebook Page here.
