We're pleased to announce that the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators (GAPAN) has kindly donated a hoist for disabled access to gliders to the Society.

This hoist will be formally presented to the Society when GAPAN hold their annual garden party at Lasham on 10th August, the last day of the Nationals.

A message to all members from the Master of the Guild may be seen here.

All Southside Caravan Park volunteers are invited to a barbecue

Saturday 2nd August at 7pm, Southside Caravan Park.

This is for all digger drivers, dumper drivers, ditch diggers, pipe layers, rabbit fencers, orange safety mesh fencers, tree planters, tea providers, inspection chamber installers, concrete lifters, concrete layers, cementers, BT line layers, flint removers, sand spreaders, shingle spreaders and any other helpers.

Food is provided but bring a bottle and your wellies.

Of course a few volunteers are needed to help with the bar and barbecue on the night. Please bear in mind that this work is very physical and Richard recommends that you only volunteer for a couple of hours.

Please see Jill Atkinson for shift duties.

Many congratulations to the twenty people this morning who tested out the systems for pulling a 757 with wheelchairs.

On 6th September, the British Disabled Flying Association plan to set a world record at this - but in a practice today 20 people managed to tow the 58 tonne aircraft a distance of 40 metres. It'll need to be impressive in September to beat that!

Our thanks to DHL for lending the aeroplane to the BDFA and to AmSafe for providing the means to firmly attach a large number of wheelchairs to a single aircraft.

You can see the BBC report on the test pull here.

The British Women's Gliding team of 2007 was presented the Prince of Wales Cup on Wednesday 2nd July 2008 at the Royal Aero Club. This cup is for the best performance by an airsports team, a great achievement. The team included two Lasham members - Liz Sparrow (left) and Kay Draper (right).

Remarkably Kay Draper has received this cup before, in 1988. Kay was a member of the victorious 1987 women's world hang gliding team a feat which earned her and the other members of the team an FAI gold medal.