Search this site

< Back LAA Training Day 30 Nov 2024 LAA Staff Training Day so LAA HQ will be closed. Next Previous

An Introduction to Permit Aircraft Avionics Price Member - £224, Non-Member - £244 (includes printed course material) Duration Arrival 09:00. Finish 17:00. < Back About the Course This course is an introduction to permit aircraft avionics. The course starts with explaining the LAA rules and guidance regarding avionics fit in your aircraft, discusses how to plan and install your avionics including panel design, explains how modern avionics connect with each other and the various protocols (electronic languages) that they commonly use. The course takes you through selection of your avionics including EFIS, ELTs and PLBs, Autopilots, Antennas, Transponders, Radios and Audio Panels including some of the more common options available, including redundancy options where applicabl The course also includes practical demonstration and practice in wiring the most commonly used avionics connectors, the ubiquitous D Sub connector, and provides advice on minimising interference and best practice for shielding connections. The course finishes with an introduction to avionics considerations for Permit Aircraft planning to apply for permission to fly in IMC or at night. Your Instructor Mark Castle-Smith Dates 2027 dates coming soon Times Arrival 09:00. Finish 17:00. Duration One day course Venue LAA HQ, Turweston Aerodrome, NN13 5YD Price Member - £224, Non-Member - £244 (includes printed course material) Booking Pls call the LAA on 01280 846 786 to enquire/book or email cheryl.routledge@laa.uk.com . *Please note that payment is required when booking, to confirm your place. NO place will be held without confirmed payment* **Please note that your booking payment is non-refundable unless we can fill your place timeously or there are exceptional circumstances**

< Back Engineering updates in November and December 7 Jan 2026 The following documents have been issued/updated in the Engineering 'Info Library' during November and December. Technical Leaflets : TL 2.18 Change of owner/co-owner details TL 3.12 Engines and propellers fitted to LAA aircraft TL 3.17 List of approved prototype modifications Standard modifications : SM12871 Europa fresh air rotory ventilators SM16618 Europa PTFE lined hinges SM16770 LED exernal lights (new) Continuing airworthiness information : Alert A-13-2025 Sporcruiser nose leg failures Alert A-14-2025 Eurofox fuel line disconnected in flight Alert A-15-2025 Glasair rudder pedal bearing failures MTD-04-2025 Rans control linkage rode end connector washers MTD-05-2025 Eurofox rudder pedal cracking MTD-06-2025 Europa tailplane torque tube clamp mod failure TADS: Continental engines Eurofox Ikarus C42 Jabiru engines Pioneer 300 and 300 Hawk Piper J3C/L4 Woodcomp propellers Next Previous

< Back The New Permit Revalidation System - Step-by-Step Guide 9 Apr 2025 The new LAA Permit to Fly revalidation system will go live on 15th April 2025. This streamlined, fully online process offers an easier and faster way for aircraft Owners and Inspectors to handle Permit to Fly revalidations. Watch this video for a step-by-step guide on how to complete the online Permit Revalidation process, both as an Owner and as an Inspector. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOGRQ89dOA8 There are a few key considerations to ensure your revalidation under the new system goes smoothly: Please make sure you know your username and password before applying for your aircraft’s revalidation. If you have forgotten your login details, please contact the LAA Office. All aircraft using the new system for the first time will require a check flight no older than 3 months at the time you submit the revalidation application. This is in order to provide a baseline for the online system. The 3-year check flight schedule will then apply subsequently to most aircraft types. Some aircraft will still require a check flight at every revalidation, these are: Aircraft cleared for glider tugging in their Operating Limitations document. Aircraft cleared for Night/IFR. Aircraft which have flown less than 12 hours since the previous revalidation inspection. You will not have to submit your CFS-1 Check Flight Schedule when applying through the new system. However, a CFS-1 will need to be completed for each check flight and stored with the aircraft’s documentation, so that it is available when needed. We encourage you submit your revalidation application through the new online system, as processing time is expected to be faster than an ‘old-style’ revalidation. If you still wish to make an ‘old-style’ application up until 15th May 2025, all 3 forms must be submitted by this date and you will only transition to the 3-year check flight schedule after your first revalidation through the new system. Note: The option to apply for revalidation in ‘My Aircraft Data’ on the LAA website may appear shortly before the go-live date on 15th April 2025 as our IT infrastructure is updated. However, we will only be able to process applications received on or after the official go-live date. A handy list of 'Frequently Asked Questions' is available below: 20240409 - Permit Revalidation Process FAQs V1.0 .pdf Download PDF • 175KB Next Previous

< Back AGM The awards ceremony will start at 11.30 a.m. Registration for entry into the AGM will be open at 10.45. For more details, please see link below. https://www.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk/agm2025 Next Previous

< Back New LAA Inspector - James Coyne-Downhill 15 Sept 2025 We are pleased to welcome James Coyne-Downhill as a new LAA Inspector, having attended an LAA Inspector Assessment Day at Turweston recently. James started flying at the age of 14 with the Air Cadets, flew solo on his 16th birthday, and earned his Private Pilot’s Licence at 18. By day, he works on Dassault Falcon 20 business jets as part of a base maintenance team, following an aircraft engineering apprenticeship at Cobham. Outside of work, he enjoys flying and maintaining Luscombe 8As. Next Previous

< Back LAA host British Young Pilots 19 Feb 2026 The LAA is happy to support British Young Pilot's Weekend Club at LAA HQ, Turweston Aerodrome. More details about these events can be found below: BYP .png Download PNG • 2.87MB Weekend Club Turweston .pdf Download PDF • 688KB Next Previous

< Back New Technical Leaflet - Lifed Items 13 Aug 2026 There are usually a number of components on an aircraft where the manufacturer (of the airframe, engine, propeller or other equipment) recommends that they be overhauled/replaced on a regular calendar basis (because they deteriorate through ageing) or a flying hour basis (because they wear out through use), or both. In some cases, these recommendations must be adhered to, for instance where they have been mandated by a Mandatory Permit Directive, or Airworthiness Directive for a type that previously held a Certificate of Airworthiness, or incorporated in an Aircraft Maintenance Programme that has been specified by the LAA. In other cases, these recommendations are not mandatory and the owner has discretion to vary them. As a new development instigated in 2026, to help members and Inspectors to meet their ‘duty of care’ obligations, for safety and, not least, peace of mind, the LAA now advise that: When any component is known to have a recommended limited life, any extension of the life beyond that recommended by the manufacturer is listed down. Against each one, a conscious decision should be made whether or not to continue the part in service or not. In each case, where the decision is to continue the part in service, the justification, mitigation or alternative means of compliance should be recorded. The guidance in this new Technical Leaflet is aimed at helping owners to make and properly record these maintenance decisions, including: How to identify lifed items When a component life is considered mandatory If a life is not mandatory, how to decide an alternative course of action and record the decision not to follow the recommended life The aim is for owners to make considered decisions on such parts, and have a list that can be regularly reviewed by them and their Inspector. To coincide with the launch of this Technical Leaflet and its new advice, LAA have introduced a format for a document ‘ Lifed Item Tracking Supplement Form ’, available to download from the LAA website, that can be used to record the list of lifed items on an aircraft, any deviations that the owner has elected to make from the manufacturer’s recommendations, and the justifications for each case. The LAA Generic Maintenance Schedule LAA/GMS/12/150 has also been updated to include a recommended format that can be used to record the relevant information for aircraft being maintained on customised versions of the GMS. Example entries are given in Appendix 1 of the Technical Leaflet. These documents are linked below. Whichever means of recording is used, this is intended to remain as part of the aircraft’s technical records, along with the logbooks and worksheets etc. and be passed on to a new owner should the aircraft be sold. It’s recommended that the seller bring the list to the buyer’s attention and prevail upon the buyer to review the content and amend as they see fit as part of their transition into taking responsibility for the aircraft’s continued airworthiness. We hope this new Technical Leaflet and associated documents will help discussions between Owners and Inspectors at each Airworthiness Review regarding lifed items. TL 2.34 Lifed Items .pdf Download PDF • 212KB LAA-LI - Lifed Item Tracking Supplement Form - Iss 1 .docx Download DOCX • 79KB GMS-12-150 Issue 3 .doc Download DOC • 263KB Next Previous

< Back New LAA Inspector - Mark Wilkinson 15 Aug 2025 We are pleased to welcome Mark Wilkinson as a new LAA Inspector, having attended an LAA Inspector Assessment Day at Turweston recently. Mark’s aviation career began with 11 years of service in the Royal Air Force, where he initially worked on the Bulldog and Chipmunk aircraft before progressing to the Tornado. Following his military service, Mark spent 25 years in commercial aviation, working primarily on large passenger aircraft - focusing on turboprops and regional jets. This period included a three-year relocation to France, where he was responsible for supporting a BAE146 aircraft. Mark then dedicated eight years to the initial setup and maintenance of the A400M program, before taking on a role maintaining the Grob Tutor aircraft - bringing his career full circle back to light aviation. From his early days working on the Bulldog, he has always had a genuine passion for light aviation. Mark would welcome the opportunity to contribute to the light aviation community, offering support and advice wherever he can. Next Previous

< Back New LAA Inspector - Conrad Ceillam 2 Sept 2025 We are pleased to welcome Conrad Ceillam as a new LAA Inspector, having attended an LAA Inspector Assessment Day at Turweston recently. As a youngster, he worked mostly on 3-engined piston aircraft for commercial flight, and on some twin turboprops in Guernsey. He then moved on to mostly narrow-bodied jets and turboprops, with some executive jets in the UK. Latterly, he worked in Finland on medium-bodied jets, scientific aircraft, and mission/patrol. Since moving to Shetland, he has mostly worked on twin-piston passenger craft. He has held BMAA inspector approvals since April 2023. Next Previous

< Back More new LAA Inspectors - Bryn Holt & Daniel Couzens 16 Jan 2024 It is time to introduce you to two new LAA Inspectors - Bryn Holt and Daniel Couzens, who both attended an LAA Inspector Assessment Day in December, with our Chief Inspector, Lucy. Bryn is the Hangar Supervisor for Shenley Engineering at Headcorn Aerodrome. He has 20 years experience carrying out maintenance on a variety of fixed wing metal, composite and wooden airframes, supporting naturally aspirated and turbocharged Lycoming and Continental Engines, Gipsy Major and Renault 4P03 Engines. Daniel is an Aircraft Engineer based in Lincolnshire, as well as being a qualified CAA welder. The first aircraft he built was an Xair microlight. Congratulations to Bryn and Daniel! 🎊🎉 Next Previous

< Back MTD-02-2025 Issue 3 - Mission M108 Nose Leg Failure 21 Jul 2026 MTD-02-2025 Issue 3 - Mission M108 Nose Leg Failure This MTD is applicable to all Mission M108 aircraft fitted with the tricycle landing gear configuration (LSTC 1-002). This MTD is issued in order to mandate inspection of the affected area of the original nose leg or the installation of the new design standard of nose leg. It also clarifies and expands some aspects of the Lambert Aircraft Service Bulletin (Lambert Aircraft Engineering Service Bulletin SB-108-515 Rev 1). If MTD-05-2025 Issue 2 has been complied with, no further action is required at Issue 3. Please refer to the MTD-02-2025 Issue 3 document for full identification guidance and compliance requirements - available below. MTD-02-2025 Issue 3 - Mission M108 Nose Leg Failure .pdf Download PDF • 170KB Next Previous