Latest News
Ray retires
5th April
After many years of involvement in airshows, one of the co-founders of TSA Consulting Ltd, Ray Thilthorpe, has retired. Coincident with his retirement, his contribution to the UK airshow industry was marked by the British Air Display Association awarding Ray with their Lifetime Recognition Award.The citation read....
"Ray Thilthorpe has enjoyed a lifetime in aviation! He learnt to fly whilst still at school in Rochester on a trusted Tiger Moth, which was one of them new-fangled aeroplane thingies in those days! So it was perhaps inevitable that he would seek to join the RFC – sorry RAF - and continue his love of flying.
After flying training he went on to fly the Vulcan and then the PR Canberra but it was his posting to the Red Arrows in 1978 that saw his first significant encounter with the World of airshows! Ray was Red 10, flying the Gnat, and as he will tell you, in those days that meant being the Team Manager, Road Manager, Commentator, and also being responsible for all PR matters – a role that now occupies the attention of at least 3 people!
During his extended tenure he saw through the transition from the Gnat to the Hawk, completing a 4th year with the team flying their first season with the Hawk.
After Ray had completed his tour with the Reds he moved onto Valley for his final tour instructing the next generation of fast-jet pilots, many of whom are now air marshals! He also found himself working on commentary projects with the BBC and piloting camera aircraft on series like QED’s Round Britain Whizz – the forerunner of the modern day Coast, and other similar programmes.
During that final tour he was approached by Southend Council to help with a problem they had with young people in the town on Bank Holidays, which led to the staging of their first seafront airshow. Although Ray flew for a short time on 737s with BMI out of Heathrow, narrowly avoiding the Kegworth accident, ultimately it was the draw of more and more airshows that led to him working on them full time. There followed many years of working out of his small office at home, building up a portfolio of 5 or 6 of the big seafront airshows each year, alongside a lot of smaller and one-off projects. In 2005 Ray and Ian paired up and that then led to me joining them too and TSA Consulting was formed in 2007. At the ripe old age of sixty-something, and despite going to the gym on most days, Ray has decided to retire, although his legacy of shows continues and he will always be the ‘T’ in ‘TSA’. He is now spending his time enjoying being a very busy grandfather to his 2 grand children."
EAC Award for Ian Sheeley
23rd February
Ian Sheeley has been awarded the European Airshow Council Chairman’s Special Achievement Award for 2012.
The award comprised a certificate and a unique piece of hand-crafted Belgian glass and was presented by the EAC Chairman, Gilbert Buekenberghs, at the Airshow Dinner at the European Airshow Council’s Annual Convention held in Brussels in February 2012. (www.european-airshow.com)
The Citation read:
"In recognition of his contribution over many years to the EAC Annual Convention when it met in Hasselt, Belgium, most especially in arranging and leading special Seminars, and his current work editing the EAC Airshow Manual. Reference was also made to his role as Chairman of the new British Air Display Association."
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Cirencester
Gloucestershire
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