1999 International air rally

Flight Journal, Dec 1999 by Jones, Geoffrey P

Britain's Popular Flying Association (PFA) finished the century on a high. The annual air rally at Cranfield, Bedfordshire, held on July 2 to 4, was widely acclaimed as the "best ever by a long shot," and it emphasized the increasing European spirit and geniality.

With generally excellent weather and a regenerated PFA under new chief executive Graham Newby, it was the variety and internationalism of the event that staggered even regulars to this big rally. The number of aircraft visitors was just over the 1,600 mark, but there were aircraft from 15 other countries, including Spain, Italy, Finland, Poland and the Czech Republic; some pilots flew more than 1,000 nautical miles to be there.

As the PFA enters the new millennium, there could be a change of name to the British Sport Flying Association (BSFA) or something similar, together with a membership drive and more "commercial" outlook. The PFA currently has 8,100 members and looks after 2,300 "Permit-to-fly" aircraft in the UK on behalf of the British Civil Aviation Authority. There are about 1,000 kit and homebuilt aircraft currently being built by PFA members there. Y2K's rally at Cranfield will be held one week earlier than usual, on June 23 to 26, because the British Grand Prix is at nearby Silverstone during the first weekend of July. Geoffrey P. Jones