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05/06/2026

Arun & Chichester (Air) Enthusiasts Society
AirACES
www.airaces.org.uk
Patrons – Sqn Ldr Richard (Dick) Kharegat RAF (Ret’d) – ex Vulcan, Victor, B52 Pilot
Sqn Ldr Rod Dean RAF (Ret’d) – ex Hawker Hunter Pilot and Display Pilot

PRESS RELEASE

Monday 22nd June 2026 - 1845 for 1930 hrs
Boxgrove Village Hall, PO18 0EE

“Solo 2 Darwin – in the Footsteps of Amy Johnson”
Presented by Ms Amanda Harrison
Do you have a dream that you have been told you can never
do? Solo 2 Darwin is one woman’s dream that she never
gave up on, even through the dark days of cancer. Amanda
is the true spirit of adventure, proving ordinary people can
achieve something extraordinary. On 11th May 2019,
Amanda took off in her 1942 Tiger Moth biplane, to honour
the amazing Amy Johnson, who, in 1930, was the first
woman to fly solo from the UK to Darwin, Australia in 19
days. Most adventurers choose a modern aircraft to fly
around the world in. Amanda wanted an authentic adventure
in a vintage biplane with its cockpit open to all the elements, for her solo voyage.
The Solo 2 Darwin adventure saw Amanda flying through spectacular scenery,
extreme temperatures, two engine failures, mountains of bureaucracy and finally
having to end this attempt with the warning of the possibility of being shot down.
The talk will have you flying with Amanda, who, with trademark humour and
tenacity, will have you experiencing the drama, the dangers and the sheer
exhilaration of flying all by yourself in a tiny fragile aeroplane across the planet.
AirACES is an aviation talk society, providing its members with regular talks, given
by experts in many different fields related to the world of aviation.
VENUE – Boxgrove Village Hall, The Street, Boxgrove, Chichester, PO18 0EE
6.45 pm for 7.30 pm start. Members £5, Non-members £10 and under 16s FREE.
Doors open at 6.45 no pre-booking, no reserved seating
For further information about AirACES, please see www.airaces.org.uk
Email: [email protected] or call Air Aces on 07393 131344

12/05/2026

Arun & Chichester (Air) Enthusiasts Society
AirACES
www.airaces.org.uk
Patrons – Sqn Ldr Richard (Dick) Kharegat RAF (Ret’d) – ex Vulcan, Victor, B52 Pilot
Sqn Ldr Rod Dean RAF (Ret’d) – ex Hawker Hunter Pilot and Display Pilot

PRESS RELEASE

Monday 18th May 2026 - 1845 for 1930 hrs

Boxgrove Village Hall, PO18 0EE
“Testing Fast Jets -Aden to ADV”
Presented by Group Captain Ron Burrows AFC, FRAeS, JP, RAF (Ret’d)
Ron Burrows joined the RAF in 1962 and flew Hunter fighter/ground attack aircraft
on close support missions over the deserts and
mountains of what is now Southern Yemen. In 1970,
he graduated from the US Navy Test Pilots’ School
with a posting to the Aeroplane and Armament
Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down.
During his subsequent four test flying tours, he
tested all the RAF’s fast-jets and trainers of the time.
He was the first RAF pilot to fly the MRCA/Tornado prototype in 1975 and he later
became the CO of the Fighter Test Squadron at the Aeroplane and Armament
Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) at Boscombe Down. He conducted
Buccaneer hot-weather trials in Arizona, Jaguar cold-weather trials in Alberta,
Harrier GR3 ski-jump tests, and in-flight refuelling trials from a variety of tankers,
including the improvised Vulcan tanker. Following staff appointments in NATO
and the UK MoD, he was promoted to Group Captain in 1985 and became
A&AEE’s chief test pilot.
His talk spans his RAF career from 1962 to 1988, from Aden Emergency to testing
the Tornado, describing A&AEE’s test facilities and methods employed. He
entertains with stories of two ejections and other close shaves and explains what it
was like to fly and test the fast jets of the era.
AirACES is an aviation talk society, providing its members with regular talks,
given by experts in many different fields related to the world of aviation.
VENUE – Boxgrove Village Hall, The Street, Boxgrove, Chichester, PO18 0EE
6.45 pm for 7.30 pm start. Members £5, Non-members £10 and under 16s FREE.
Doors open at 6.45 no pre-booking, no reserved seating
For further information about AirACES, please see www.airaces.org.uk
Email: [email protected] or call Air Aces on 07393 131344

09/04/2026

Arun & Chichester (Air) Enthusiasts Society
AirACES
www.airaces.org.uk
Patrons – Sqn Ldr Richard (Dick) Kharegat RAF (Ret’d) – ex Vulcan, Victor, B52 Pilot
Sqn Ldr Rod Dean RAF (Ret’d) – ex Hawker Hunter Pilot and Display Pilot

PRESS RELEASE

Monday 27th April 2026 - 1845 for 1930 hrs
Boxgrove Village Hall, PO18 0EE
“More Stories About the RAF Heritage Group”
Presented by Sqn Ldr Rick Lipscomb
Sqn Ldr Rick Lipscomb is no stranger to AirACES having previously acquainted
us with the RAF Heritage Group and its work ensuring the preservation and sharing
of the history of the RAF.
This time his talk will cover the recent
diverse activities of the Group including
the replacement of the gate guardian
Tornado on the parade square at RAF
Halton with a Eurofighter Typhoon,
including the “how and why”.
He will also cover the replacement of the
gate guard at RAF Honington, the 3x Tucanos that have been placed in Museums,
the gifting of Sea King helicopters from HMS Sultan to various museums, a
Jaguar and Tornado donated to the Development at the former RAF Bruggen,
Germany, and the recent support to the Metropolitan Police Art and Antiques Unit.
AirACES is an aviation talk society, providing its members with regular talks,
given by experts in many different fields related to the world of aviation.
VENUE – Boxgrove Village Hall, The Street, Boxgrove, Chichester, PO18 0EE
6.45 pm for 7.30 pm start. Members £5, Non-members £10 and under 16s FREE.
Doors open at 6.45 no pre-booking, no reserved seating
For further information about AirACES, please see www.airaces.org.uk
Email: [email protected] or call Air Aces on 07393 131344

10/03/2026

Arun & Chichester (Air) Enthusiasts Society
AirACES
www.airaces.org.uk
Patrons – Sqn Ldr Richard (Dick) Kharegat RAF (Ret’d) – ex Vulcan, Victor, B52 Pilot
Sqn Ldr Rod Dean RAF (Ret’d) – ex Hawker Hunter Pilot and Display Pilot

PRESS RELEASE
Monday 23rd March 2026 - 1845 for 1930 hrs
Boxgrove Village Hall, PO18 0EE
“Hawker Typhoon - Forgotten Hero”
Presented by Mr Anthony Knight
Anthony Knight is currently the Secretary of TECT, (Typhoon Entente Cordiale Trust),
an organisation formed in 2007 to preserve the history and traditions of the former
Hawker Typhoon squadrons and develop links with the Eurofighter Typhoon squadrons.
The Hawker Typhoon was the biggest, fastest, most powerful and most heavily armed
fighter in the RAF from 1942 until 1945 but is
not widely known about. It operated mainly over
the continent and was instrumental in the
successful Battle of Normandy and the
subsequent advance through France, Belgium,
Holland and Germany. Residents of West Sussex
would have been familiar with the howl of its
Napier Sabre engine until the Typhoon squadrons
moved to France after D-Day. After V-E Day the Typhoons were flown back to
England to be scrapped, their fascinating history being soon forgotten.
They played a major part in victory in World War II and we should remember their brief
but essential contribution. The talk will explore the development of the Typhoon, its
changing roles, its activities before and after D-Day and efforts to preserve its memory.
AirACES is an aviation talk society, providing its members with regular talks, given by
experts in many different fields related to the world of aviation.
VENUE – Boxgrove Village Hall, The Street, Boxgrove, Chichester, PO18 0EE
6.45 pm for 7.30 pm start. Members £5, Non-members £10 and under 16s FREE.
Doors open at 6.45 no pre-booking, no reserved seating
For further information about AirACES, please see www.airaces.org.uk
Email: [email protected] or call Air Aces on 07423 670703

03/02/2026

Arun & Chichester (Air) Enthusiasts Society
AirACES
www.airaces.org.uk
Patrons – Sqn Ldr Richard (Dick) Kharegat RAF (Ret’d) – ex Vulcan, Victor, B52 Pilot
Sqn Ldr Rod Dean RAF (Ret’d) – ex Hawker Hunter Pilot and Display Pilot

PRESS RELEASE

Monday 23rd February 2026 - 1845 for 1930 hrs
Boxgrove Village Hall, PO18 0EE
Two Talks -

Greatest Aviator”
“90 Years of the Spitfire” and “Winkle – Our
Presented by Mr Paul Beaver
Paul Beaver is a leading aviation historian, broadcaster and author, as well as an
historic airplane pilot who has been flying the Spitfire since 2011. He has written
more than forty books. As well as being an author, Paul has been a television war
reporter, journalist with Jane’s, a parliamentary advisor and served twenty-seven
years in the Territorial Army, rising to the rank of Colonel in the Army Air Corps.

90 years of the Spitfire.
Paul Beaver explores the amazing icon’s legacy through
the prism of R J Mitchell. Paul’s latest book is entitled
MITCHELL which was published in September 2025. In
the book, the author follows the engineering successes of
the man who is truly The Father of the Spitfire.
Winkle – our greatest aviator.
Captain Eric (Winkle) Brown is a legend. In his 30 year career
as a naval pilot, test pilot and Captain of a Royal Naval Air
Station he flew 487 different types of aeroplane and
helicopter. This record is impossible to beat. Paul Beaver
knew him for 40 years and has written a widely acclaimed and
best selling Biography which was published in 2023.
AirACES is an aviation talk society, providing its members with regular talks,
given by experts in many different fields related to the world of aviation.
VENUE – Boxgrove Village Hall, The Street, Boxgrove, Chichester, PO18 0EE
6.45 pm for 7.30 pm start. Members £5, Non-members £10 and under 16s FREE.
Doors open at 6.45 no pre-booking, no reserved seating
For further information about AirACES, please see www.airaces.org.uk
Email: [email protected] or call Air Aces on 07423 670703

10/01/2026

Happy New Year to all our readers, here are the details of the first AirACES meeting of 2026.

Arun & Chichester (Air) Enthusiasts Society
AirACES
www.airaces.org.uk
Patrons – Sqn Ldr Richard (Dick) Kharegat RAF (Ret’d) – ex Vulcan, Victor, B52 Pilot
Sqn Ldr Rod Dean RAF (Ret’d) – ex Hawker Hunter Pilot and Display Pilot

PRESS RELEASE
Monday 26th January 2026 - 1845 for 1930 hrs
Boxgrove Village Hall, PO18 0EE
“Flying and Displaying Vintage Piston Aircraft”
Presented by Mr Rod Dean
Rod Dean is a familiar face to
many of us, not only as a greatly
valued patron of AirACES, but
also as a superb speaker on many
aspects of aviation.
Rod is one of the most respected
figures in aviation – not only as a
hugely experienced display pilot,
but also Flying Display Director
and Flying Display Co-ordinator
at numerous air shows.
This talk “Flying and Displaying Vintage Piston Aircraft” looks at his 40 years of
display flying with particular emphasis on the classic vintage aircraft such as the
Mustang, Hurricane, Spitfire and many others. Highlights include some far flung
venues such as Sumburgh and displays in what had been East Germany and other
parts of Europe. Also includes a technical review of a number of the big piston
engine fighters and finishes with a look back at a number of particularly memorable
moments and events.
AirACES is an aviation talk society, providing its members with regular talks,
given by experts in many different fields related to the world of aviation.
VENUE – Boxgrove Village Hall, The Street, Boxgrove, Chichester, PO18 0EE
6.45 pm for 7.30 pm start. Members £5, Non-members £10 and under 16s FREE.
Doors open at 6.45 no pre-booking, no reserved seating
For further information about AirACES, please see www.airaces.org.uk
Email: [email protected] or call Air Aces on 07423 670703

02/12/2025

Arun & Chichester (Air) Enthusiasts Society
AirACES
www.airaces.org.uk
Patrons – Sqn Ldr Richard (Dick) Kharegat RAF (Ret’d) – ex Vulcan, Victor, B52 Pilot
Sqn Ldr Rod Dean RAF (Ret’d) – ex Hawker Hunter Pilot and Display Pilot

PRESS RELEASE
Monday 8th December 2025 - 1845 for 1930 hrs
Boxgrove Village Hall, PO18 0EE
“More Aerobatic Flying”
Presented by Mr Chris Burkett, Former UK National Aerobatic
Champion and Member of G-Force Aerobatics
Air display pilot Chris Burkett is
returning to Air ACES, to give
more insights into the world of
global aerobatic display flying,
with further tales and photos of his
recent adventures, spanning the
globe and including China, India,
Nigeria, the Middle East and the
Philippines.
And closer to home he displays at
UK air displays and even private
events such as gender reveals!
AirACES is an aviation talk society, providing its members with regular talks,
given by experts in many different fields related to the world of aviation.
VENUE – Boxgrove Village Hall, The Street, Boxgrove, Chichester, PO18 0EE
6.45 pm for 7.30 pm start. Members £5, Non-members £10 and under 16s FREE.
Doors open at 6.45 no pre-booking, no reserved seating
For further information about AirACES, please see www.airaces.org.uk
Email: [email protected] or call Air Aces on 07423 670703

08/11/2025

Arun & Chichester (Air) Enthusiasts Society
AirACES
www.airaces.org.uk
Patrons – Sqn Ldr Richard (Dick) Kharegat RAF (Ret’d) – ex Vulcan, Victor, B52 Pilot
Sqn Ldr Rod Dean RAF (Ret’d) – ex Hawker Hunter Pilot and Display Pilot

PRESS RELEASE

Monday 24th November 2025 - 1845 for 1930 hrs
Boxgrove Village Hall, PO18 0EE
“The RAF ‘V’ Bombers, Vulcan, Victor and Valiant”
A talk presented by Mr Andy Richardson
Andy Richardson has been engaged in aviation throughout his adult life. Starting
in 1960 with an 18-year flying career in the RAF which included crewing the
nuclear armed Vulcan during the Cold War. He subsequently held high level posts
in International Business Development in British Aerospace, MacDonnell Douglas
and Boeing until his retirement. He is a Member of the Royal Institute of Navigation
and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Post WWII with the advent of the nuclear age
Britain’s military aviation ability was low in
terms of aircraft, aircrew and system capability.
New four-jet bomber designs, the Avro Vulcan,
Vickers Valiant and Handley Page Victor were
brought into service. For over a decade the RAF
“V” bombers and their crews provided Britain’s
Nuclear Deterrent and in so doing kept the
country safe during the height of the Cold War.
They have been appropriately named the
“ultimate peacekeepers”.
AirACES is an aviation talk society, providing its members with regular talks,
given by experts in many different fields related to the world of aviation.
VENUE – Boxgrove Village Hall, The Street, Boxgrove, Chichester, PO18 0EE
6.45 pm for 7.30 pm start. Members £5, Non-members £10 and under 16s FREE.
Doors open at 6.45 pm no pre-booking, no reserved seating
For further information about AirACES, please see www.airaces.org.uk
Email: [email protected] or call Air Aces on 07423 670703

17/10/2025

OCTOBER 2025 Meeting.

Arun & Chichester (Air) Enthusiasts Society
AirACES
www.airaces.org.uk
Patrons – Sqn Ldr Richard (Dick) Kharegat RAF (Ret’d) – ex Vulcan, Victor, B52 Pilot
Sqn Ldr Rod Dean RAF (Ret’d) – ex Hawker Hunter Pilot and Display Pilot

PRESS RELEASE
Monday 27th October 2025 - 1845 for 1930 hrs
Boxgrove Village Hall, PO18 0EE

“The Duxford B17G and the 8th May 1944 mission to Berlin”
Presented by Mr Jeremy Gardner (A volunteer at IWM, Duxford)

The US Eighth Army Air Force first visited Berlin
in strength on 6th March 1944, although the 95th
Bomb Group had famously penetrated the air
space above Berlin on 4th March, despite the
weather recall that went out.
RAF Bomber Command had already had a crack
at the ‘Big City’ and now it was the Americans’
turn to find out just what a tough target it was.
Arthur (Bomber) Harris despatched 19 major night time raids to the Reich capital
between August 1943 and March 1944. It cost his Command over six hundred heavy
bombers and their crews. Would the Eighth’s heavies fare better in daylight? The first
mission cost General Doolittle 69 of his heavy bombers, so on the face of it nothing
had changed.
On the 8th May 1944, another mission to Berlin
was planned, and amongst the attacking aircraft
was B17G 238133 “Reluctant Dragon” of the
96th Bomb Group.

AirACES is an aviation talk society, providing its members with regular talks, given
by experts in many different fields related to the world of aviation.
VENUE – Boxgrove Village Hall, The Street, Boxgrove, Chichester, PO18 0EE
6.45 pm for 7.30 start. Members £5, Non-members £10 and under 16s FREE.
Doors open at 6.45 no pre-booking, no reserved seating
For further information about AirACES, please see www.airaces.org.uk
Email: [email protected] or call Air Aces on 07423 670703

05/09/2025

Arun & Chichester (Air) Enthusiasts Society
AirACES
www.airaces.org.uk
Patrons – Sqn Ldr Richard (Dick) Kharegat RAF (Ret’d) – ex Vulcan, Victor, B52 Pilot
Sqn Ldr Rod Dean RAF (Ret’d) – ex Hawker Hunter Pilot and Display Pilot

PRESS RELEASE
Monday 22nd September 2025 - 1845 for 1930 hrs
Boxgrove Village Hall, PO18 0EE

“The Royal Flying Doctor Service” and “Air Miss”
Two talks - presented by Sqn Ldr Graham Laurie and Mrs Jo Laurie
* Sqn Ldr Graham Laurie was selected to pilot the aircraft that the Royal Family used *
* An Australian Lieutenant saw a French doctor fly to a patient in a remote area *
* Why an Australian $20 note? *
Their relevance will be revealed as to the
history of this famous organisation, the
Royal Flying Doctor Service. Graham will
trace the story from its humble beginning to
the Royal Flying Doctor Service of today.
The presentation will include a 25-minute
film about the Service.
For the second talk, Mrs Jo Laurie, who was a BA
stewardess for many years, will share some tales from her
experiences during the time she travelled to many places
around the world.
AirACES is an aviation talk society, providing its members with regular talks, given
by experts in many different fields related to the world of aviation.
VENUE – Boxgrove Village Hall, The Street, Boxgrove, Chichester, PO18 0EE
6.45 pm for 7.30 start. Members £5, Non-members £10 and under 16s FREE.
Doors open at 6.45 no pre-booking, no reserved seating
For further information about AirACES, please see www.airaces.org.uk
Email: [email protected] or call Air Aces on 07423 670703

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Criccieth

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