fourfax

The joining instructions (actually the Admin Order) have now been emailed to all attendees (twice, I think…).

The detailed transport plan can be found at Annex C and the Programme of Events at Annex D. I have also attached a Transport Cribsheet to remind you of the pick-up and drop-off times, and a Directions document to help you find your way. These documents are PDF files and so should be easy to open on any modern computer or smartphone.

The Sqn has asked me to emphasise the following points:

1. Coaches. Officers will be present on coaches for pick ups Friday night and Saturday lunch. They will have our tickets and brochures. The remainder will be available for collection at the Officers’ Mess reception on Friday Night or at IV Sqn Moran Building on Saturday (daytime). Personnel on coaches will have rapid access to events provided their name is on the official fourfax list.

2. Self Drive. Friday and Saturday night self-drivers are to park at the school car park (map attached) and walk to the Officers’ Mess (50m). The guard will allow them on if their name is on the official fourfax list. For Saturday afternoon it is more complicated. Drivers will need to collect passes from the main guard room (they will have a list, but will not pre-make the passes). There will be a shuttle service of officers with cars to escort people in their cars from the main guard room to the IV Sqn car park.

3. Saturday Open Day. The hog roast and ice cream van will be outside. A vegetarian platter will be in the crew room. Refreshments (tea, coffee, soft drinks, beer) will be available in the crew room also. Activities include: Sqn History Room, Old videos/photos in crew room, Flying Training Devices and Full Mission Simulator tours, Static display (Typhoon, Hawk, Merlin) and flying display (Spitfire, Sea Fury, Falcons, Sea King, Hawks). There will be a group photo after the Hawks land at 1500L.

4. Coach drop off. Can everyone ensure that they get on the correct coach for drop off at hotels – they will be labelled. Note that on Saturday night the people staying at Hotel Cymyran will leave at 0005 whilst all others leave at 0015.

5. Dress is smart casual on Friday evening and jacket & tie on Saturday evening.

Safe driving – see you all tomorrow!

From The Sqn, more details on Wednesday:

The overall plan is to have 2 x 55 seat buses allowing us to split the number of hotels in half. Although full details can only be calculated once numbers confirmed, a round-robin pick up/drop off should take approximately one hour. Due to the magnitude of this task, I will restrict it to just 6 runs as follows (all times local):

• Pick up from hotels starting at 1700 and dropping off at Officers Mess at 1800 (Friday 21 Sep).

• Pick up from Officers Mess at 2300 and dropping off at hotels by 0000 (Friday 21 Sep).

• Pick up from hotels starting at 1200 and dropping off at the Moran Building at 1300 (Saturday 22 Sep).

• Pick up from Moran Building at 1600 and dropping off at hotels by 1700 (Saturday 22 Sep).

• Pick up from hotels starting at 1800 and dropping off at Officers Mess at 1900 (Saturday 22 Sep).

• Pick up from Officers Mess at 0015 and dropping off at hotels by 0115 (Saturday 22 Sep / early Sunday morning).

I will provide you with detailed pick-up/drop-off times for each hotel once I have the final attendance list.

Security: Members on MT coaches: Personnel on coaches will be checked against a list by the coach driver (plus an Officer on Friday) and allowed on without passes as escorted personnel. We are planning to issue passes/tickets on the coach.

Security: Self-drivers: Friday Meet & Greet: Self-drivers can park at the primary school car park opposite the Officers’ Mess (on the left as you drive towards RAF Valley) and walk 100m to the Mess – this is due to limited parking. The guard will have a full list of names and will let guests on without passes provided they appear on the list and have photo ID.

Security: Saturday Day Event: self-drivers will need to report to the Main Guard Room (MGR) and get car permits and individual passes. The MGR will have a list of names to confirm ID, and whilst these are being prepared they will contact IV Sqn to send an escort down. We will have a team of Officers on hand to “shuttle” guests between MGR and IV Sqn car park throughout the day.

Security: Self-drivers: Saturday Evening: Same as Friday M&G i.e. Self-drivers can park at the primary school car park opposite the Officers’ Mess (on the left as you drive towards RAF Valley) and walk 100m to the Mess – this is due to limited parking. The guard will have a full list of names and will let guests on without passes provided they appear on the list and have photo ID.

£475 raised last time I checked – great effort!

Friday night Meet & Greet: smart casual

Saturday night Dinner: jacket & tie

Please all rush out and buy the September edition of Aeroplane Monthly, now on sale!

The editor, Jarrod Cotter, ex-IV(AC) photog at Gutersloh, has very kindly published an advert for the Centenary. Let’s all thank him by buying copies!

(I’m also working on ads in RAF News and Navy News…)

Aeroplane Monthly Centenary Ad

This just in from the Sqn:

Sea Fishing. We have provisionally chartered a boat for a Sea Fishing trip from Holyhead between 0900L and 1200L on Saturday 22 Sep. The cost is £200 and this can be split by up to 10 people (£20 each if all places filled). Please let us know if any of your members would be interested, and we will confirm the booking if desired.

Golf. We have provisionally booked 2 rounds of golf; 4 people tee-off at 1056L and 4 people tee-off at 1101L on Saturday 22 Sep. This can be for 9 or 18 holes, but playing the full course may infringe on timings for the Sqn visit. Cost is £40 per person if playing in groups of 4. If, however, you play in groups of 3 then we have 2 club members willing join you to make up the 4th person in each group, thereby getting discount rates of £20 per person. Please let us know if any of your members would be interested, and once again we will confirm the booking if desired. [Update: All eight places are now just £20 each, so there are now three spare golf slots!]

So far five members have expressed an interest in fishing (five spaces available) and five in golf (three spaces available). Please let me know if you would like to take part in either of these Saturday morning activities so we can finalise numbers and prices.