›› AGM 2008 at Sywell - 21^st June

Margot Brookman had a great day out and remains up in the clouds after her flight. Margot was celebrating her 80^th Birthday “Happy Birthday Margot from the International Auster Club.”

So why was Margot flying in an Auster for her 80^th birthday celebration? Well as a young girl she can remember having many flights in Auster aircraft with her father A.L.Wykes.

The following are extracts from Auster books and records.

The Early Days

• In 1938 Alexander Lance Wykes a local Leicestershire businessman, Flying enthusiast and member of the County Flying Group, travelled to North America and negotiated a license agreement to build an American designed light aeroplane in England.
• A.L.Wykes was the Managing Director of Crowthers limited a Thurmaston Company who manufactured textile machinery in the Britannia works, Melton Road. The license obtained was for the manufacture of the Taylorcraft Model B Aeroplane.
• On the 21st November 1938 Taylorcraft Aeroplanes (England) Limited was registered as a Private company with both production and selling rights for the British Empire and Europe.
• With works at Thurmaston, Leicester under the direction of Mr. A.L. Wykes, the first British Taylorcraft flew on 24th April 1939.
• License Agreement signed and TAYLORCRAFT AEROPLANES (ENGLAND) formed at Thurmaston, Leics. Nominal capital was £15,000 and the Directors were A.L.WYKES, Frank BATES and Percy Wykes.
• A.L.Wykes, the driving force behind ‘Austers’ is killed demonstrating in a military display at Leicester in 1944.
• DATE: May 15, 1944 TAKE-OFF POINT: Rearsby, Leics CRASH LOCATION: Rearsby, Leics AIRCRAFT TYPE & SERIAL: Auster Mk IV MT454. CREW FATALITIES: Mr A.L. Wykes, TP (company founder) PURPOSE OF TEST FLIGHT: Demonstrating chandelles ACCIDENT DETAIL: Stalled on top of a turn at low altitude and crashed near airfield.

Photographs of the event can be seen on the fly-ins photo gallery.