Alternative to Cranwell for Silent Flight Nationals

[Spoons]

From Mike Proctor, its a concern !

We have just been informed that it is most unlikely that we will have use of Cranwell for the SF Nats.

Negotiations have been "difficult" this year and for some time this outcome has been on the cards. Indeed we have only just got final permission for the FF Nats in 5 weeks time! Frankly there seems to be no real reason behind this, other than that we are something they don't need at Cranwell. The fight goes on but prospects are low, at best.

 

Clearly we need to make alternative provision for the SF Nats and fairly quickly. 

 

Points to consider are:-

* We do not have a field anywhere, big enough to do 3 events/day. Several attempts by Chris Moynihan to find such a place were made relatively recently without success. The last time we were in this predicament we settled for a "split" Nats based on Pure gliders and E Gliders.

 

* If we cannot have Cranwell we would probably be best advised to avoid Aug BH when quite a few people would like to go to Barkston.

 

* If we were to spilt into F3K/B/J + 100S    and       F5J/F5B eSoaring Open + 2M              we would have 4 events each to cram either into a weekend or possibly 3 day weekends. Each location would need camping on-field or locally

 

*Where could these events fit into a calendar already sorted for 2015? 

   I could offer Sept 12/13 which is scheduled as Wetlands Weekend anyway, for E Gliding but is only 2 weeks away from the Barkston Nats

   Could P Gliding go into early August, to be 2 or 3 weeks away from Nats but make both SF Nats a month apart. Would Edgecot be availabe?

   (It may well be that some CD's are not available on these dates)

 

This is no more than a starter-for-10, written quickly after receiving the news from Dave Phipps.

 

I look forward to your comments and realise that we need to think this through carefully but quickly, if it involves changing other events.

 

Other then using the Wetlands, or try to find another venue and hold on a different day from main Power Nationals.

 

 

[EssexBOF]

This seems strange as at the BARCS AGM we were given to believe that the SF reputation was such that there would not be a problem with Cranwell this year. Something has happened since obviously.

[Rick Lloyd]

Any update yet????