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Pathfinder Flying Club |
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Royal Air Force Wyton |
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The Pathfinder Flying Club at Hangar 2. |
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About Us |
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The primary aim of the Pathfinder Flying Club is to provide regular Service personnel with flying instruction, to PPL standard, at the lowest possible cost. In addition it aims to provide facilities for instructional and recreational flying for Service reservists, members of the UAS and the ATC/CCF. Service dependants, retired Service personnel, Civil Service staffs and locally employed contractor staffs can sometimes join, but there are restrictions on numbers that can be accepted from these latter 4 categories as there is an absolute requirement to maintain a service majority of members within the club. Very occasionally, there may be opportunities for membership to be granted to civilians from the local area that are able to contribute significantly to further the aims of the Club. However, it is not possible to consider such applications at the present time. All flying operations are conducted in accordance with Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulations, the aircraft are on the civil register and instructors, although some are RAF pilots, all hold civilian instructor qualifications. The Chief Flying Instructor (CFI) manages all flying operations and instructional standards. Additionally, as an organization that benefits from Service charities, the Club must comply with certain Service general instructions. However, in general the Club is self-financing through the charges made to its members. By kind permission of the Station Commander RAF Brampton, Wyton and Henlow, the Club enjoys use of RAF Wyton airfield, hangarage, the Club infrastructure and other support services and equipment. The Club can thus offer some of the cheapest flying in the UK. Nevertheless, it is not a commercial flying school. IT IS A CLUB AND RELIES ON THE SUPPORT OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF ITS MEMBERS FOR ITS CONTINUED SUCCESS. Whether a member can volunteer specific expertise or merely offer an extra pair of hands for refueling aircraft, answering telephones or even cleaning coffee cups, each is equally valuable to the smooth running of the Club. Furthermore, a lot can be learnt about flying from "crew room banter", so time spent at the Club is never wasted. In addition, the club asks that each member spend up to 4 half day's per year to act as Duty Pilot. This is a vital function, as the Duty Pilot effectively 'opens up' at the start of flying and assists the smooth running of the club. |
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The Crewroom |
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The Bar area |
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The Hangar |