International Auster Club 40th Anniversary Fly-In
Rearsby
August 25, 2013
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Today the Auster Club Fly-in was a private event to commemorate their 40th anniversary held at a specially prepared air strip alongside the former Auster and later Beagle factory. The airfield was then known as Rearsby which was built in 1938 by Sir William Lindsay Everard the Beer mogul for Auster production it was also used during the service Hurricane and Typhoon fighters. The all grass airfield was given up for farming following the demise of Beagle Aircraft in 1969.
The 40th Anniversary fly-in was planned for the day before but poor weather caused a last-minute postponement, which was unfortunate as 49 Austers had accepted he Club's invitation to attend. The day started with a thick low mist and for a few hours it looked like very few Austers would actually make it in. In the end 16 pilots landed their beloved Austers on a somewhat crude airstrip marked with blue plastic sacks which many pilots could not see until on finals.
Highlight of the event was the Auster B8 Agricola (G-CBOA) which is the only flyable Agricola in the World. This is a type that was sold almost exclusively in New Zealand. First flown in 1955 attempts to sell the aircraft met with little success and only nine examples were produced. ZK-BXO was the sole survivor and was restored by John Stephenson of Whitianga in New Zealand before its eventual return to the UK in 2005. |
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| The Auster Club line up basking in the early afternoon sun |
| Left to right: First to arrive Auster J/1 Autocrat (G-AIGF). |
Left to right: Auster J/5G Cirrus Autocar (A11-301 'NW931' registered G-ARKG) painted in Royal Australian Navy colour scheme,
Auster J/1N Alpha (G-BLPG painted as RCAF '16693' ex G-AZIH),
Auster J/1 Autocrat (G-AHHH),
Auster J/2 Arrow (G-BAEH) all arriving as soon as the mist lifted. |
| Auster B8 Agricola (G-CBOA) |
| Auster B8 Agricola (G-CBOA) this is the only flyable Agricola. |
| Auster J/4 Archer (G-AIGW) built in 1946 originally as a J/2 Arrow. |
| Left to right: Auster J-5F Aiglet (G-AMTA). |
| Beagle A.61 Terrier 2 (G-ASAJ painted as Auster T.7 'WE569'). |
| Left to right: A.61 Terrier 2 (G-ASAJ painted as Auster T.7 'WE569') it's with Classic Aircraft. |
| Left to right: Beagle Auster A.61 Terrier (G-ARUI). |
| Auster J/4 Archer (G-AIGW) built in 1946 originally as a J/2 Arrow. |
| Auster J-1N Alpha (G-AHCL). |
| Left to right: Taylorcraft Auster 5/150 (G-ALXZ) and Auster D.4/108 (G-ARLG). |
Left to right: Auster J/1 Autocrat (G-AHHH) and Beagle A.61 Series 2 Terrier (G-AYDX).
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| Left to right: Auster J5L Aiglet Trainer (G-AOFS) and the departing Auster B8 Agricola (G-CBOA). |
