They closed us down!!!!! but we will rise again!!!

[Aviomania]

Unfortunately Wednesday was our last flying day at Kingsfield airfield. Our Gliding club was forced to shut down by Cyprus department on civil aviation.

The club was operating there for the last 40 years, 10 miles from Larnaca international airport. Somehow now the authorities feel it is unsafe for us to operate from there so they closed us down.

We are now " Down" but NOT "OUT"!!!!!!

We are looking for land so we can make our own runway and soar to the beautiful Cypriot Skies once again.

This a nice video, tribute to the Gliding Club, filmed and edited by one of our members!!


Goodbye Crusaders Gliding Club! - YouTube

 

[dinoa]

Nicolas,

Good luck with your search. I'm sure something will come up.

Dino

 

[C. Beaty]

Well done video, Nicolas.

Two questions:

Isn’t “Crusader” a dangerous word to be using on the edge of the Muslim world?

Does anyone on the Greek side of Cypress speak Greek?

 

[Gyro_Kai]

Oh what a pity. I'm glad I had the opportunity to enjoy your great flying club. Is it because of Larnaca airport?

Kai.

 

[Steve_UK]

Hi Nic,


Sorry to hear that - good luck in finding a new site.

Great video and I enjoyed looking at the old photos on the club website too - interesting shots of Hercules XV209 with its nose in the hanger!

Will the RAFGSA gliders at Kingsfield stay in Cyprus whilst looking for a new site or do you think they will be shipped back to the UK to join the other RAFGSZ fleet in the UK ?


RAFGSA website

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafgliding/


Cheers


Steve

 

[Penguin]

Nicolas:
What a graceful sport gliding is - and this film is beautiful.
I have a little tear in my eye thinking of your club losing their space.
What is the REAL story? That is, who will make money by seeing the Crusaders depart?
Best wishes in finding a new spot.

 

[Aviomania]

Dino: Thanks, i am sure we will manage... it will take time but we will do it again!!!!

that was the only place (and aircraft) we could fly this winter!!! we had a terrible weather and all the.... dirt roads ... we used for gyroplanes are muddy..so we can not fly. Wednesday ( the last flying day of Crusaders) it snowed for 1 minute at the airfield. It never happened before ( in my lifetime at least)..... but we were there and flew for the last time!!

Mr Beaty: Maybe the reason the close us is the name !!! as i do not see how we can be endangering the commercial operations ... and yes in... CYPRUS we speak Greek.... and English and we have a lot of foreigners

Kai: Yes Larnaca airspace is changing. Now Larnaca's airport CTR.... just finishes on top of us and it is from 700 to 4000 feet. the new airspace......take notice..... has the same shape and now starts form 2000 to 4000 feet.... For the last 40 years when the airspace was lower we did not bothered them... now... we are endangering the airliners.

Steve: Thanks. Yes.... the C130 Hercules was doing its training landing in the strip (evacuation training) and an ice-cream truck was passing.. so they decided to buy an ice-cream...... they all came out of the airplane but the engines were ruining and the C-130 ended up by the corner of the hangar. That was some VERY EXPENSIVE ice-creams!!!

The corner "I" beam is still bent today.

The gliding club operates 8 aircraft. An IS-28 "Brassov" which I and 2 others own, a T-61D Falke that is owned by a Cypriot motorglider club (that is the club we will be using from now on.... so the name "Crusaders" will not be used) and 5 gliders that belonged to RAFGSA.

We have now formed CGA (Cyprus Gliding Association) and we bought 2 of those 5 gliders. an ASK13 and a T21 (which is perfect for Cyprus summers).

The new Cypriot Gliding club will be operating these 4 aircraft as soon as we find land and make the airfield. All gliders are G- registered and we will be under the BGA (British Gliding Assosiation) until Cyprus DCA will impement EASA gliding regulations. Once they implement EASA we MAY register the gliders in Cyprus.. 5B-

me and another member, Avo, are BGA engineers and inspectors as well as BGA instructors so there will be no problem to continue for the moment under BGA.

here is a link of the BFBS news report on the club:
http://www.bfbs.com/news/cyprus/airport-expansion-grounds-gliding-club-55279.html





..............

 

[Aviomania]

Larry, thanks.

the controller!!!.... will have less job in the hands.

Also i have the feeling there is a political reason... the Club was English ... so Cyprus government "Forced" English government to close it..... Also English government... since the club was operated by Cypriots the last 10 Years and not many service men were involved gave the club up.... Although we were making profit for British forces!!!

 

[C. Beaty]

Mr Beaty: Maybe the reason the close us is the name !!! as i do not see how we can be endangering the commercial operations ... and yes in... CYPRUS we speak Greek.... and English and we have a lot of foreigners
..............

Oops! Cypress is a tree that grows where I live. Cyprus is an Eastern Mediterranean island where you live.

Sorry.

 

[choppergabor]

That really is a shame. I wonder what really is behind the decision. Either way it is sad.

 

[Russ Hobbs]

Best wishes Nicolas. I have no doubt with your tenacity you'll soon be back in the air.
Russ

 

[gyronutjoe]

At first I thought you were talking about an airport in the USA. Then I realized it wasn't. Just wonder if their taking lessons from our government.

 

[Wiplash]

Cool video.

Too bad about loosing the airport though...

I took a glider ride at my local airport towed by a plane and they have a truck they use for tow too.

Saw the big yellow catapult in the beginning. Have any close up video of the catapult in action? How fast does it launch you?

 

[scandtours]

Also i have the feeling there is a political reason...

Maybe the reason is this....Several flights every day.
AN124 landing in Larnaca, Cyprus - YouTube

Cyprus is too good for flying. They suggest this instead for flying enthusiasts in Agia Napa.
Drinking competition. Senior frogs Ayia Napa 2011 - YouTube

 

[Aviomania]

thanks guys.. we will be back in the air with gliders again.

Todd: I will find some video of the winch in action and post it. Depending on the glider we get 65 Knots and climb 3000 fpm .

Giorgos:

The Antonovs were leased to help moving equipment from Afghanistan (i think Canadians leased them).

The problem is between Cyprus and UK gov.... Last year Cyprus did not allow the Red arrows team to practice in Cyprus (as they always do) and the went to Crete instead (and they had the crash)... word has it, the RAF sacrificed our club to make Cyprus Government "think" they are in control so red arrows will continue there training in Cyprus... plus other political reasons between the 2 governments.