Some years ago a group of PFA members met in the “King and Queen” at Brighton, and decided that it would be a good idea to form a local club to promote PFA activities in the area. They were looking for a symbolic word to describe this type of club, and decided to call it a Strut. The name stuck, and the idea spread. There are currently fifty such groups stretching the length and breadth of the country, so there is likely to be a local branch near you.

Most Struts hold regular monthly meetings (in pubs/flying clubs) which often feature a guest speaker talking on aviation related topics, programmes of talks, films and excursions. There is always ample time for fellow enthusiasts to chat about their projects etc., within an amicable environment that will soon have you making new friends.

Within a Strut you will find members of widely diverse interests – from armchair enthusiasts to Commercial pilots – from homebuilder to PFA Inspector. Their most important role is to provide a local focus for PFA members to discuss common problems, to help each other, to share experiences and to provide local knowledge of things like sources of materials, services such as welding or current status of local airfields and private strips. It is odds on that there will be somebody there who can answer your questions and give sound advice. And that really is the strength of the Strut system. A PFA member toiling away on his own in his workshop, possibly wondering where on earth he is going to get some specialised work done, or perhaps a keen PPL holder struggling to find a way to afford to keep flying, whatever your needs, your local Strut members will be able to point you in the right direction.

Though the Struts themselves perform a purely social function, associated with some of them are Co-ownership Groups, which share the workload and cost of operating or constructing an aircraft.

And don’t think it all begins and ends with Strut nights either.

They also host local fly-ins, which can range from barbecues on farm strips to major events with over 200 visiting aircraft. Other regular events include annual dinners, museum visits, fly-outs, Young Aviator Days and the Strut’s own annual Fly-in. There’s always plenty going on, much of which non-aviation minded partners will also enjoy.

Many of them organise teams to help with specific tasks at the PFA's main annual event, Flying For Fun, every year. All of these activities, of course, depend on volunteers within the Strut to run them.

Struts are self-regulating, and are themselves members of the PFA. They each have their own committees and their own way of doing things. The Struts are all members of the PFA National Council, which meets quarterly to discuss common problems and to provide feedback from the membership to the Executive Committee. The Strut Co-ordinator is the link with PFA Headquarters at Turweston and will be kept abreast of any important developments so that he can pass them on, either at Strut nights or via the Strut Newsletter produced by most Struts for their members.

Your local Strut is the centre of PFA activity in your area. By supporting it and getting involved in its activities you will make new friends and gain tremendous additional benefit from your PFA membership. If you are a member of the PFA, or if you are simply interested in finding out what the PFA is all about, you will be welcome at the meetings of your local Strut.