Special Newsletter Autumn 2008

Dear member
Newcastle international Airport – The Management of Newcastle International Airport have extended to St George Flight Training an opportunity to start a new Pilot Training Academy at Newcastle International. We have accepted this exciting invitation and our office opens there on the 1st November 2008. This confirms the commitment of CEO David Laws and his Management Team at Newcastle Airport to General Aviation and is in line with their press release dated 14th July 2008 and for those of you who have not seen details of this forward thinking project I reprint the press release verbatim:

JULY 14, 2008

NEWCASTLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ACQUIRES SAMSON AVIATION

Airport announces plans to grow private aviation and create
new visitor centre under its ownership

Newcastle International Airport is delighted to announce that it has acquired Samson Aviation Services Limited, the general aviation business located on the south side of the airport site, in a deal valued at some £450,000.

The deal forms part of Newcastle International’s wider plans to redevelop the entire south side of the airport site, including the creation of a new visitor centre and viewing area, a luxury business park and the expansion of Newcastle College’s Aviation Academy.

The acquisition also brings the original 1930s airport terminal building back under the airport’s ownership.

Dave Laws, chief executive of Newcastle International said: “We’re delighted to acquire Samson Aviation. It has been successfully operated as a family-run business for 15 years and is already in very good shape. Samson has grown successfully over the years and has established an excellent reputation for the quality of its services.

“We now want to build on that success and have ambitious plans to grow business aviation and other light aircraft activity at Newcastle International over the coming years. Our aim is to transform the airport into one of the country’s foremost bases for private aircraft owners.”
As well as an extensive range of commercial clientele, the private terminal handles transatlantic delivery flights, emergency ambulance movements, freight flights and military operations.
Newcastle International also has exciting plans for the original passenger terminal building dating back to 1935 when the airport first began operating commercial flights.

Dave Laws added: “With our 75th anniversary only two years away, we hope to be able to refurbish the original terminal building and restore it to its former 1930s glory. Our hope is to turn it into a new visitor centre with an outdoor viewing area overlooking the airfield.

“We know there’s been strong demand for this type of facility ever since the viewing gallery in the modern terminal closed in 2003. Hopefully our plans will help us give something back to the local community and will be welcomed by those who wish to come to the airport as visitors and spectators, not just as passengers.”

The original terminal building was officially opened on July 26, 1935 by the Secretary of State for Air, Sir Phillip Cunliffe-Lister. In recent years the building has been operated as a private bar and restaurant for Aero Club members and airport staff.

Plans to develop a 50-acre site adjacent to Samson Aviation are already well underway. This includes the creation of a new airport business park, split onto two sites and providing over one million square feet of business space for luxury offices, air freight, hangers and warehouses. In addition, construction is currently taking place on the expansion of Newcastle College’s Aviation Academy. Due to open this September, the expansion will create a further 1,500 square metres of training space for the delivery of the college’s world class aviation training programmes.

- ENDS –

Your Flying School has been brought in at an early stage in this great new development for both GA and Business Aviation and I look forward to working alongside the Newcastle Airport team in particular to help promote their 75th anniversary in two years time – the original 1930’s terminal building mentioned in the press release is to become a Visitor Centre and Restaurant and this is where yours truly first departed on a ‘foreign’ holiday to Jersey in an Elizabethan Aircraft more years ago than I care to remember – what I do remember is that the aircraft taxied up virtually to the front door for embarkation! As one who had his first civilian flying lesson at Newcastle in 1968 after having flown as a cadet in the ATC it should be a bit like ‘coming home’, although some people may remember me running an AOC operation from the Main Terminal in the early 80’s when I carried out ‘charter work, pleasure flights and aerial survey flying’.
St George Flight Training will be providing Air Experience/Adventure Flights and all PPL licences and ratings plus Commercial Pilot and Flying Instructor training at the new facility which will be located in the Samson Aviation Building on the Airport Southside.
The Teesside facility will continue as is for the moment but the bulk of ‘Air Experience’ flights on behalf of High Street Multiples will transfer to Newcastle as well as existing members who live say Durham northwards plus those who travel way down to us from Cheviot Country might like to transfer to Newcastle! Membership will provide joint access to both schools for hire and training, membership cards (currently £45) will be issued shortly valid for both venues – membership currency will be mandatory (insurance wise) to train on or to hire school aircraft – please check your membership validity as soon as possible. Existing aircraft will serve two venues at first with new additions arriving in the first half of 2009.

Gate 10 access – Craig McCleod at Cleveland Flying Club has helped us out of a major dilemma following Gate 8 withdrawal by airport security – he is allowing instructors and students to go through their gate (10) however rental pilots and passengers are still required to go through Gate 7 – a bit of a bind but I am forever hopeful of a more permanent solution to our gate problem. Our grateful thanks to Craig and to Fiona who is responsible for T Pass issues, Passport and/or DVLC - ID inspection etc. When you pass through the Cleveland School please respect their environment and obey all security instructions by their staff, also we are allowed to use their catering facilities should you fell peckish!

Fuel Costs It has been necessary during the last couple of months to add a small surcharge to your bill because of the increasing cost of Avgas – I am happy to say that this has now been removed but I am reviewing this on a monthly basis, let us hope now for some stability!

Touch and Go’s etc. The Airport have now started charging for touch and go’s/go arounds and instrument approaches – including VAT it will now add £6 a time to your bill for the two seaters and £9 a go for the four seaters – the final landing will be incorporated into your training/rental rate – still very competitive at £135 and £150 hourly respectively but even better value on the Bonus Scheme if you afford to invest £1000 in your flying reducing the rates by around 10% see our Tariff Page for actual nett figures. Newcastle and Durham Tees Airports have a similar based flying school charging structure and we are proposing an identical price list for both airports.

Full Course Prepayments For the moment I have had to suspend full course cost prepayments because of the volativity of fuel prices, airport charges etc. I hope to reintroduce this at some future time when we have some stability in the system! – some of you who have prepaid may have a small shortfall in terms of 45 hours prepaid because of the introduction at Durham Tees Valley of touch and go charges without prior notification – this introduction was unforecastable and sadly we have to pass it on.

Best wishes and Happy Flying,

Eric Reed CFI – Head of Training
St George Flight Training Ltd