Dear ETPSA Members

 

I’m writing this on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon in April.  It’s spookily quiet over High Wycombe, with no aeroplanes going in or out of Heathrow due to the Icelandic Volcano; what a bizarre event!  In fact, I’m writing this now because of the volcano – I was supposed to be flying Air Cadets on the Air Experience Flight at Boscombe Down this afternoon!

 

Anyway, I’m pleased to be able to report that our Association is moving into a new and exciting phase of its life.  Since forming in 2000 there has been a relatively low turnover of people on your committee, especially in the chairman post.  Whilst we’ve come a long way from the initial membership of 2 people (Clive Rustin and myself!) I do think it’s important that we have new people with new ideas if our Association is to continue to flourish.  I was therefore very pleased that, following my plea in the last newsletter, several members came forward to offer their services to serve on the committee.  I was even more delighted that, at the New Year Party on 6 February, the assembled members voted in 3 new members of the ETPSA Committee.   I am very pleased to be able to announce that John Turner (currently Director of Flight Operations at BAES Warton) will take over from me as Chairman later this year; Jez Robinson has already taken over from Tim Below as Treasurer and Tony Clark is in the process of taking over as Membership from Clive Rustin.  It is very important that we change the committee around regularly, and I know that our new committee members will bring fresh ideas and bags of enthusiasm to their posts.  My thanks to them for stepping forward. 

 

As they leave their posts I'd especially like to pass on my thanks to Tim Below and Clive Rustin for their fantastic work in support of the ETPSA over many years.  Clive in particular was in with me at the very start - I remember the conversation with him in my office back in about 1999 when he eagerly agreed to take on the donkey work of setting up the ETPSA from scratch.  I was OC ETPS at the time and felt very strongly that the world's oldest and finest TP School simply had to have an Alumni Association.  Clive has been the driving force behind the Association ever since, and I have no doubt that although he is about to relinquish his formal place on the committee, he will still be very much involved behind the scenes.  Well done Clive, the ETPSA owes you a huge debt of thanks.

 

The other big news is that ETPS is soon to have a new Commanding Officer.  Cdr Phil Hayde is moving on to life outside the Royal Navy and Cdr Simon Sparkes will take over in the hot seat at ETPS from mid May.  Very many congratulations to Simon, and many thanks to Phil for his support to the Association – we wish you well for your exciting new life, Phil.

 

Thank you also to all the Members who supported the New Year Party; it sounds like it was a great night and I'm only sorry that Dawn and I were not able to be there this year.

 

I know that our Chairman elect will have new ideas to bring to the Association when he takes the reigns later this year.  In the meantime, I remain firmly in the chair and urge you to get the date for the famous Summer Barbeque onto the kitchen calendar now!    This year the date for the BBQ is Saturday 4 September 2010 and we’ll go for the same timings and format as last year which, by popular consent, seemed to work very well.   As usual, we'll hold the event in the Mess at Boscombe (outside if it's nice!).  As always, the best way of signing up for the BBQ is online.  Regsitration will open soon - I'll put a note in 'STOP PRESS' on the ETPSA homepage when it does - or you can sign up on a paper registration form which we'll circulate with the next newsletter in June. 

 

Dave Best

Chairman

17 April 2010