I worked with and was helped a lot by Mike. Mike passing is a great loss to GFA, he worked with and for GFA since about the 1980s. He wrote and developed most of the GFA system of airworthiness ie. Basic Sailplane Engineering, MOSP 3, the system of ADs and ANs, that we can service TOST releases, etc etc when he worked for GFA as the Chief Engineer.
He sorted out our early days of being somewhat less safe, worked with CASA to develop how we would operate and therefore also our current day freedoms and Form 2 system of maintenance. Mike stopped working for (being paid) by GFA decades ago, but he continued to assist with organising the Engineering side of GFA; the design approval procedures manual, and fighting this through CASA. As usual Mike just got it done in his own way on his own.
He had in recent years, now over 80, continued as the mainstay GFA engineer, assisting many with engineering approvals for their modification projects on their gliders. He was also trying to bring them all to closure but because he was so busy on many complicated projects I am sure it now worries him how his projects will be finished. Don't worry Mike, we will work it out.
Mike was not easy to work with and I am sure there are a few members out there that ran fowl of Mike. But if you worked with him, he was very helpful, and must have put in thousands of hours helping us all. I learned so much from Mike but possibly the main item was just to find a way and get it done, and properly.
Mike will be sorely missed by us in GFA airworthiness.
Rob Hanbury
Deputy Chair Airworthiness Department, GFA