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Booker / High Wycombe EGTB in trouble?

Rumours on another site indicate that Booker is in trouble. Anyone know the facts?

Forever learning
EGTB

I have no facts, but my experience is that it’s always been a badly-run place so it’s not surprising. Probably they are staying closed to extract the maximum furlough cash from the government.

Rumours are they they are open one or two days a week for based aircraft only, but there has been no update on their website since 24 March which is always a good indication that management has lost interest.

If I had an aircraft there I’d be getting it out and wouldn’t be paying the hangarage/parking.

EGLM & EGTN

I heard, at second hand, that the flying school is very unlikely to reopen and the staff have been made redundant. The based gliding club has relocated to Chiltern Park which is also apparently closing.

I’ve only been once, but would agree with Graham.

EGHO-LFQF-KCLW, United Kingdom

Capitaine wrote:

I’ve only been once, but would agree with Graham.

Before we disintegrate into the typical airfield bashing , let me counter the strongest held views by those who have the least experience .
I did my IR at Booker and found both the airfield and the school to be excellent, I hope they manage to restructure and would happily base myself there.

Last Edited by mmgreve at 22 Jun 06:39
EGTR

I share mmgreve’s feedback. I hope they survive. It’s not like there is too much on offer as far as taking the IR is concerned, around London.

EGTF, LFTF

Capitaine wrote:

The based gliding club has relocated to Chiltern Park which is also apparently closing.

I think I read somewhere that the local council had stopped the gliding, not closed the airfield.

Forever learning
EGTB

Capitaine wrote:

The based gliding club has relocated to Chiltern Park

Only as a temporary measure until Booker re-opens.

Darley Moor, Gamston (UK)

mmgreve wrote:

let me counter the strongest held views by those who have the least experience

I assume that’s aimed at me, so I’ll counter.

I’ve clearly not spent as much time there as you have (based on how long an IR takes) but my experiences were such that I didn’t want to spend any more time there. Month-long 50hr checks were the start of it, followed by phoney CAMO arrangements with bills to match, shoddy engineering, downright dishonesty and finally an attempt to impound an aircraft. All coupled with the kind of management attitude that is all too prevalent in aviation and treats customers like some sort of annoyance in the best Basil Fawlty tradition.

I flew that aircraft out of there and have never been back, nor will I unless in dire need of something only they can provide.

Other opinions are available of course, but whatever your perspective there’s not much to be said for a company that can’t be bothered to update their website at a time like this.

EGLM & EGTN

That’s the local maintenance outfit, not the airfield or school, though

EGTF, LFTF

denopa wrote:

cal maintenance outfit, not the airfield or school, though

It was all one and the same at the time I’m referring to.

At least, the dispute with maintenance was referred upwards to airfield management. I don’t know how that could have happened without some common ownership structure or at least some sort of common interest.

All the same shambles, as far as I was aware.

EGLM & EGTN
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