Squires Gate airport launch for aviation safety course

Airframe Designs which landed in Blackpool in September at the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone created the new initiative to fill a need in the county.

Working within a highly regulated aviation industry, and in particular the field of aircraft modification and repair certification (essentially aircraft design activity), bosses realised it is essential that all engineers within the business become fully conversant with the rules that govern approved EASA Part21J design organisations.

EASA is the European Aviation Safety Agency and responsible for regulating aviation in all 28 member states of the EU. Despite Brexit, the UK industry will remain governed by this body for the foreseeable future.

Managing director of Airframe Designs, Jerrod Hartley, swapped his MD role to become a course director for the EASA Part21J Rules and Compliance Verification sessions. Jerrod was joined by two ex-UK Civil Aviation Authority ‘grey beards’, Leon Winnert and Rory Martin who together have around 90 years of specialist aviation expertise in the field of CAA and EASA surveillance.

Jerrod decided to launch the course after considering the options available for training his own staff.

He could either send his staff away on expensive courses in London or use local resources and facilities for his entire office.

Furthermore, he invited external delegates and the course attracted interest and attendance from STC21 in Derby, 365Aero in Stevenage, AeroSIFT from Preston and academics from the Blackpool and Fylde College Aerospace Department, with a total of 16 delegates in attendance.

was delivered at Blackpool and The Fylde College’s new Lancashire Energy HQ at Squires Gate, just around the corner from the Airframe Designs Office.

He said the Energy HQ provided an ideal training venue, offering state of the art rooms and equipment for course delivery, catering, a refectory and parking.

Jerrod said: “The staff at Energy HQ were fantastic hosts. They viewed their partnership with AFD as way of engaging with local business and encouraging a long term strategic partnership for future staff training programmes, delivering EnginE Master Classes, and also creating a route into industry for B&FC graduates who have studied BTEC or degree level aerospace engineering at the Bispham campus.

"The course included a course dinner and networking opportunity, at the Café Grand Restaurant, in the Grand Hotel in St Annes, again investing in local business and allowing the delegates to extend their aviation discussions while sampling fine dining in an eloquent ambience."