Introduction

Hello All, we hope you are enjoying the start of what’s looking to be a fantastic Summer!

We have put together this blog just to update you on some changes and important information ahead of the Summer flying season.

What’s in this update:

Changes at Blackbushe
Maintenance
Instructor Shortages
Social Events - Quiz this Thursday, 1st May!
Pricing Changes
Win an hour in our Cessna 172!

Thank you for being a part of the SEMET Family and if you have any question please do get in touch with us!

Cheers,

James, Nick and Anna
Founders

Maintenance

We understand we have had our fair share of maintenance issues associated with our aircraft, which have included a few minor issues and some larger leading to flight cancellations.

Over the past few months, we have worked closely with our Continuing Airworthiness Manager (CAMO) to find a solution.

Recently, we have brought on board our own engineer, Paul, who will be at Blackbushe every Monday to work on our fleet. This is encouraging news, as it will result in fewer defects meaning the aircraft are available when you need them.

Prior to raising a defect please consider chatting with an instructor or member of the team. This will help us triage the issues and make sure they are handled correctly.

However if you are in doubt or are unable to speak to someone please always raise the defect via Cloud-base.

Instructor Shortage

With the huge recruitment drive by Airlines we have been left short of full time Flying Instructors. We are very fortunate however to have a large team made up of current Airline Pilots who make themselves available on their days off to Instruct.

Often this means availability might be added late, ops will always endeavor to send messages out when they can.

From the 1st of May we have increased our instructor pay hoping to attract more instructors to our team for the Summer.

If you find that you haven’t been able to fly as much as you’d like due to the availability of your preferred instructor, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Zayne. He’ll do his best to accommodate you where possible.

Social Events

We are pleased to announce that our very own Max has taken on the role of running the SEMET Social Scene. His aim is to organize club social events and fly-outs.

We are hosting our first event, a Quiz Night, this Thursday 1st May at the clubhouse. Nick and I will both be attending and look forward to seeing as many of you as possible.

Prizes have been kindly supplied by our supplier Pooleys!

Please RSVP with Operations if you would like to attend. Refreshments will be provided.

Changes at Blackbushe

Blackbushe Airport has recently purchased Blackbushe Aviation. We understand that some of our members are interested in SEMET’s future plans!

The encouraging news is that we have developed a good relationship with the airport management and have met to discuss how we can make Blackbushe the place to be for General Aviation Training.

Given that Blackbushe Aviation is already recognised as an Approved Training Organisation (ATO) providing advanced flight training, our aim is to focus on what we believe we are good at and build a flying club that all members can truly be proud of, emphasising high-quality aircraft and comprehensive training for both self-fly hirers and newcomers to the world of aviation.

We also want to extend our warm congratulations to our friends at Blackbushe and look forward to working closely with them in the future.

Pricing Changes and Membership

This past winter has presented us with significant challenges, having flown just 550 hours over a four-month period. This is much lower than what we would expect.

We've also had a rise in supplier costs, which includes rent, landing and parking cards, and aircraft parts. However on a positive note, fuel prices have remained stable, which is a relief.

With the introduction of new instructor rates, in house engineering and other positive changes, it’s a good time to reassess our pricing and membership structure. Starting from May 1st, our new prices will take effect, reflecting an average increase of just under 4% across the fleet. You can find a link to the new prices below.

Just as a reminder you must hold the correct membership with us to receive the member flying rate and also be valid on the aircraft insurance. If you have any doubt please check with Operations.

We will be sending out a members survey shortly as we look to make changes and improvements to our membership offering!

New Pricing

Safety System and Just Culture

In the world of aviation, having a just culture is really important when it comes to safety reporting.

Essentially, a just culture means creating an environment where pilots feel safe to report mistakes and safety issues without the fear of being punished.

This openness encourages people to share their experiences and lessons learned, which can help prevent future accidents and incidents by spotting trends.

Our Head of Safety Charles is always available to talk through any questions you might have.

If in doubt please file a safety report.

Safety Report