Ladies and Gentlemen...fantastic news. Thanks to your generosity over time and a massive amount of work from our amazing team of elderly volunteers...we have overcome all existential threats and taken SOPHIE into the air! Daylight under her wheels after 24 years!
In an emotional first flight, our LAA inspector and pilot, Tim, flew two circuits of RAF Kirknewton and brought her down smoothly and safely on the 17th of September. He was very pleased with the way she performed and said she was a lovely lady and he'd be happy to fly her any time.
So the first objective has been achieved. From scratch, a bunch of volunteer retirees have built and now flown Scotland's only full sized flying WW1 aircraft. An extraordinary achievement.
But this is so much more than an uplifting story of altruism, passion and determination...it's the first step towards a unique force in the community. Sophie is a magnet, a portal and she teaches us about so many things.
With your continued help, we are going to grow our charity and make a huge impact on our community. We're already impacting schools and local initiatives and have taken on young people who have not fared well in the schools.
It's a bit cheesy to say 'The Sky's the Limit', but in this case it's true. The work starts now and every penny will go towards turning the APSS and Sophie into the most important and exciting venture in East Lothian and Scotland.
Please spread the word...
Why the community needs us
We are a unique hub for volunteers, for training and for intergenerational STEM projects with schools..
Our impact on the community
We've taken on school leavers as trainees who had not thrived at school and have inspired over 1200 school kids over the year.
