The consortium of businessmen then managed to persuade the creditors to accept a long term full settlement for the £2000 owed instead of forcing the Club into liquidation, and secretly tried to sell the Club as a going concern, which of course they were not entitled to do since they did not own the Club.

In April 1967 a Bank Loan was negotiated and paid off all the outstanding money. The Club then took on John Baxter as full time Airport Manager and Secretary, and had two full time and one part time flying instructors, and three Cessna 150 aircraft for training. These were leased from VicAir Ltd.; a firm set up by one of the four businessmen mentioned before.

The flying school set up by the Club was seeking C.A.A. approval and there were 20 student pilots. Tuition cost £7.50p for an hours flying and 15 minutes debriefing afterwards, gaining a private pilots licence, (PPL), cost about £300 and 40 hours tuition. David Campbell was Chief Flying Instructor and commuted from Luton in his own aircraft, a Fournier RF4.

Very soon the Club was in difficulties again, seemingly with debts of £7000, only 88 members (this was 1968), and an airfield badly in need of repair, with only one runway for daylight use in operation. Rental of the aircraft could no longer be met, and the Club faced insolvency again. The consortium of four businessmen meanwhile had put the Club up for sale in the Times newspaper, which was still illegal of course.

At this stage Michael Goddard a local businessman of Wadkin & Co; who had the Clubs interests very much to heart and flew his own aircraft out of Leicester East, took legal advice. With the help of Bill Ford of Ford & Slater (a local firm) and also a pilot they threw out the four businessmen and took the finances of the Club in hand. Michael Turnor became Secretary. The constitution of the Club was changed and a Council of Management elected, they guaranteed the overdraft, inherited the deficit and the hire purchase of four Cessna aircraft. Flying training and management was placed completely in the hands of the charismatic CFI Joe Sharps, and between the end of 1968 and 1969 the situation changed from having four aircraft rented, to four owned, a loss of £1,247 was turned into a profit of £3,003, flying membership went up to 150, and the deficit came back to £3,490.

So 1969 was a year of stabilisation, a more satisfactory lease was negotiated with the Co-op and a much better business relationship established with them.

Two grass runways were prepared and brought into use, but were only really viable in dry summer weather due to waterlogging. Members themselves formed working parties to do any manual labour needed, including painting and refurbishment, keeping the hanger in good condition.

One member, David Nowill, was responsible for building and installing full night lighting on the main runway including glide slope indicators and an airfield location beacon on the Clubhouse roof. This system quickly gained full C.A.A. approval to the extent that they persuaded other small fields to install the same lighting!

In spring 1971, the Leicestershire Aero Club was awarded the Lennox Boyd Trophy, for the Organisation which having achieved the most to further the cause of light civil aviation in this country.

The new prosperity of the Club was based on two key factors, the formation of a C.A.A. approved flying school set up as a business and producing a profit, out of which airfield expenses could be met. The second was a very popular annual Flying Display with a massive voluntary effort from the members organising and staging the event. Their continued enthusiasm has also carried out most of the physical work necessary to maintain and improve the airfield, the club receiving no financial help or subsidies whatsoever from anyone outside the club membership.

In 1974 the airfields designation was changed to "Leicester Airport", fully reflecting its new status.

The other two runways of the wartime triangle have now got tarmac landing strips on them and serve as useful alternatives when the wind is not favouring the main runway. Proper taxiways have been built and lit along with a brand new fuelling facility. There are now two additional private hangers, with a third planned, to take the engineers out of the big cold wartime hanger.

The Clubhouse is still in the old wartime control tower, which is regularly refurbished, with a comfortable lounge, clubroom and bar. A full time steward offers a full menu six days a week, and there is a comfortable and warm covered viewing balcony.

The club has full and part-time office and reception staff on duty seven days a week 364 days a year. Full briefing facilities for local and visiting pilots are provided with the Clubhouse and airfield open every day of the week.

The Club is still, as ever, totally independent and self supporting with no Council or Government subsidies or grants whatsoever, maybe the only small aero club in this country still running its own airfield its own way, a proud boast.

Angela Nowill.