SoA Fly-In and BBQ at Bowldown

A great day at Bowldown Airfield was enjoyed by a large turnout of 109+ adults and children of all ages from 6 to 17 years old; including 2 SoA School Liaison Staff, 4 Students from Bridge Learning Campus, 2 from Bedminster Down School and 2 from Churchill Academy (all with their families), 7 volunteer helpers from BMFA along with their guests, 18 RAS volunteer pilots and guests and a team of 6 staff from Jet2. The weather was at least dry but with a strong, nagging wind, which proved challenging for some aircraft and the ‘Ground Crew’ trying to fill in paperwork on a very windy airstrip! Nevertheless, lots of flying was achieved, and everyone who wanted to fly had the chance of a ride in one of the interesting RAS aircraft and helicopters that had flown in to participate. In total, there were 59 happy passengers each of whom will have their own experiences to tell but judging by their smiles as they disembarked – all good – and for some a first-time airborne thrill. Two awesome aerobatic displays provided great entertainment and photo shoots for the audience.

A presentation by Jet2, highlighting future opportunities for the youngsters went down very well. It was a great start to the day, with everyone arriving in time to hear about different career paths that had been taken by each representative, and each from diverse start points. A genuinely interesting insight to the highly regarded airline and the job satisfaction amongst its staff members. There were 2 Jet2 Pilots, 2 Apprentice Pilots, a Senior Crew member and Ruth Shackleton, General Manager of Crew Development. They enjoyed mingling with the guests during the day, spurring on an awareness to pursue an interest/career in aviation.

A delicious BBQ was kindly provided by Dawnie Vernon, and run by her daughter, which was very much appreciated by everyone. Homemade cakes, snacks, tea, coffee, and soft drinks were also on offer and very welcome, especially in the barn at the end of the day, after an afternoon flying around in the wind!

Schools have been asked to send their feedback and photos, as have all those who attended the event, so hopefully they will be available for sharing in due course….

Thanks to everyone who hosted and helped with the running of a hugely enjoyable “Fly-in and BBQ 2023” – an experience that exceeded all expectations for many of the attendees. We hope the word will spread, to encourage a greater response and engagement from the participants of the SoA Programme in future.