There are just 15 tickets left for our Christmas VRT event. Now that the VRT members have had time to order theirs, I thought it was time to open the door to the UKAR readership.
Guest speaker for the event is air display captain and former fast jet Royal Air Force pilot, Rod Dean.
The subject of Rod's talk will the The Hawker Hunter, the classic British jet which he flew during his 21 years of service with the Royal Air Force, during which he also flew the Sepecat Jaguar, the Gloster Meteor, BAC Jet Provost and the Folland Gnat.
Admission to the event is by advance ticket only and tickets can now be purchased from our on-line box office. Please see below for details of prices, how to order and for more information about the event.
About the event and how to order tickets:
Our Christmas Enthusiasts' Event will take place on Saturday 3 December 2011 at Hawkwell Village Hall, Essex SS5 4EH. As well as our special guest, Rod Dean, it will feature our famous Christmas buffet and a liscensed bar, teas, coffees, our Vulcan souvenir stall and a tombola.
Doors will open at 12 noon with the buffet beginning at 1.00 p.m. Tickets are priced £12 for adults and £7 for under-16s. VRT members can order tickets at the special discounted rate of £10 adults and £5 under-16s. The price of the buffet is included in the ticket price.
Tickets can be ordered on-line at http://avrovulcan.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=52 and will be on sale until Monday 28 November. Please note that on-line ticket sales are subject to a booking fee. Admission to the event is by advance ticket only - there will be no 'on the door' ticket sales.
About Rod Dean:
Rod spent his entire 21 years with the RAF either on operational squadrons or at training units. As well as the Hunter, he also gained time on the Jaguar, Meteor, Gnat, Jet Provost and Chipmunk. In 1972-72 he was the Strike Command Hunter display pilot at RAF Chivenor, flying some 50 public displays over the two seasons and winning the first WD & HO Wills Solo Jet Display Trophy at the 1972 North Weald International Air Tattoo.
He left the RAF as a Squadron Leader and as both a Qualified Flying Instructor and Qualified Weapons Instructor. Rod then spent 10 years as the Business Manager for a flight simulator training company followed by 15 years with the Civil Aviation Authority. When he left the CAA, he became Chief Executive Officer of Air Safety Support International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the CAA tasked with overseeing civil aviation regulation in the UK Overseas Territories. Prior to this Rod was the Head of the CAA's General Aviation Department. He is now the Flight Operations Consultant and Flying Display Director at the world famous Farnborough International Air Show.
As a civilian display pilot, Rod has flown a wide variety of World War II and post-war piston-engined fighters such as the Mustang, Corsair, Wildcat, Sea Fury, Bearcat, Hurricane, Harvard and, his most favourite of all, the Spitfire. He has also flown a number of vintage jet aircraft including the Vampire, Venom, T33, F86 Sabre and, not surprisingly, the Hunter. His CAA Display Authorisation covers all these aircraft and he is fully qualified to lead formations of any size - as was shown at Duxford in September 2000 when he was privileged to lead the 'Big Wing' formation of 19 Spitfires and Hurruicanes.
In 2001 Rod lead a team of five Hunters at the RAF Cottesmore Royal International Air Tattoo. Their display was judged to be the Best Overall Flying Demonstration and the team was awarded the King Hussein Memorial Sword. He is also a CAA Display Authorisation Evaluator.
Rod and his wife live in Surrey with their youngest son. His eldest son is a fast-jet pilot in the RAF and his daughter is teaching at a university in Shanghai.
Thank you
