Dave Graham's post is certainly right in the sequence of events, but I would contest a few specific details.
While during the wartime years there had been a number of
National Association of Spotters Clubs and the more official
Royal Observer Corps units on Merseyside their aims and objectives were somewhat different from the modern 'spotter'. In 1948 Air Britain was formed by spotters in the London region and acted as a focus for aviation registration interests through the 50s, as did the magazine 'Air Pictorial'.
Around Liverpool in the 50's main emphasis for the spotters based in Manchester and Liverpool was the activity at Burtonwood. In February 1956 some of these spotters (Don Stephens, Alan Roach, Phil Butler, Bob Tunna, Bryan Heatley, Peter Edwards and others) formed the
Merseyside Group of Aviation Enthusiasts (MGAE), with the first membership magazine in November 1956 edited by C.P.Whalley and Phil Butler as the Group's Hon. Secretary. Initial magazine name was
'Merseyside Aeronews', changed from November 1958 to
'Northern Aeronews'. In April 1962 a change of format and a change of name to
'Flypast'. From January 1963 the name was changed to
Merseyside Society of Aviation Enthusiasts (MSAE) apparently on merger with a splinter group known as the
Society of Aviation Enthusiasts - although this was before my time.
In the mid Sixties a number of Air Britain members set up a meetings group running parallel to the MSAE's activities as
Air Britain (Liverpool) Branch and met monthly in the Stork Hotel (now long demolished) in central Liverpool. No magazine or even newsletter ever published. Although I was a member of this group, I'm unsure as to when it faded out of existence - probably very late '60s, maybe just into the 70s?
At their AGM in March 1972 the mouthful that was the MSAE, was shortened to the much more manageable
Merseyside Aviation Society (MAS), with
'Flypast' continuing as their member's magazine. Dave is slightly incorrect as to the chronology of the commercial 'FlyPast' magazine, as Ken Ellis was not involved in its foundation - (it was not until 1984/85 that he moved from Flypast to FlyPast) - however the capital P in the middle of FlyPast is there to mark that it was different from the pre-existing MAS version. As the MAS
'Flypast' became more professional with off-set litho printing etc and down to 8 issues a year, a local monthly member's magazine
'EGGP' with fast publication turn-around on a Gestetner printer existed from Jan 1979 to Dec 1986. I know quite alot about this as I was editor/typist/printer for the whole of that time! The final
'Flypast' appeared in late 1985.
In January 1986 a number of 'dissidents', fed up with the MAS's emphasis on book publication and sales, split and formed
Air Britain, Liverpool Branch, with a house magazine
'North West Air News'. For the whole of 1986 the two groups existed in parallel wasteful competition/duplication of effort. In late 1986 an agreement was reached that the MAS would cease membership activity and monthly magazine, and help the new group become financially secure, in the process to show a continuity of enthusiast group name, a small renaming formed
Air Britain (Merseyside) Branch. Their paper magazine
'North West Air News' continued until June 2006 - thereafter the Liverpool Movements appeared on their website until June 2014, and since July 2014 are on NWAN forum.
For more on MAS's book publishing activities, titles etc:
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/16992/list-mgae-mas-books-published The MAS slowly wound down book sales activities, until wound up legally in the mid Nineties. Sometime late 1990s/early 2000s, Air Britain Merseyside Branch ceased to be a branch group of Air Britain (Historians) Ltd, and adopted the magazine title as the group name until the
North West Air News Group ceased to be in late 2006. Dave Graham as web-master for the group continued the website activity in the
NWAN name for continuity, until he ceased and 'pulled the plug' in June 2014. However that was not the end of the story as the
North West Aviation News Forum first formed mid '90s by NWAN Group, hosted by Lycos, later xsorbit and since March 2009 by proboards continues to unite and support Liverpool and Manchester enthusiasts.
During the early 2000s, with web-master Martin Dennett, a
Google Liverpool Spotters Group operates a forum and e-mail notfication site in parallel to, but quite seperate from, this nwan forum site. This group has gone through several changes and is still around in the early 2020s.
Although with many members in common to the enthusiast groups, but with a different set of objectives, the
Friends of Liverpool Airport was launched early in 1980, with its first quarterly members magazine
'09/27' appearing in January 1982. FoLA are still very much active today with monthly meetings, quarterly magazine and website
www.fola.org.uk . Indeed, FoLA are now the longest continuously running Liverpool aviation group by a big margin.
Finally mention of aircraft preservation groups on Merseyside.
The oldest, formed in 1962 is the
'Northern Aircraft Preservation Group' (NAPS) although based at Peel Green and Urmston in Manchester, they for a while had aircraft stored in Childwall. This group evolved and is now
'The Aeroplane Collection' (TAC), today with their main premises at Hooton Park Aerodrome and a number of rebuilt aircraft out on loan to museums. The
Viscount Preservation Trust (VPT) was formed to look after Viscount G-ALWF, which was preserved at Liverpool Airport 1972-1976. In more recent times, aircraft preservation saw the
'Wirral Aviation Society' forming the
'Jetstream Club', initially with a Jetstream 41 at the Marriott. As the group grew at the former Airport site, so the name was changed in 2010 to
'Speke Aerodrome Heritage Group' (SAHG). Also on the former apron since early 2007 is Britannia G-ANCF under the care of
'Britannia Aircraft Preservation Trust' (BAPT).
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In summary:Merseyside Group of Aviation Enthusiasts (MGAE) - Feb 1956 to Jan 1963
Merseyside Society of Aviation Enthusiasts (MSAE) - Jan 1963 to March 1972
Merseyside Aviation Society (MAS) - March 1972 to Dec 1986 (although not finally wound up until mid 1990s)
for a period of time the group legally became
Merseyside Aviation Society Ltd to financially limit the liability of the Committee/Directors as our annual turn-over was akin to that of a small business!
Air Britain Liverpool Branch - mid 60s to late 60s/very early 70s
Air Britain (Liverpool) Branch - Jan 1986 to Dec 1986
Air Britain (Merseyside) Branch - Jan 1987 to late 1990s/early 2000s
North West Air News Group (NWAN) - late 1990s/early 2000s to mid 2006
www.nwan.co.uk - (now no longer a membership society) July 2006 until June 2014 when shut down by site owner. Parent site to a forum, initially hosted on lycos, then xsorbit, now proboards.
From July 2014 the
North West Aviation News (NWAN Forum) www.derbosoft.proboards.com stands alone.
Google Liverpool Spotters group - an internet only messaging site founded during the early 2000s. (Appears to still be operating 2024)
Liverpool Airport History Group - an internet group formed around 2018(ish) to exchange memories and historical information.
Friends of Liverpool Airport - early 1980 and still very much in existence today, 44 years on.
www.fola.org.ukBoth MAS and FoLA for a period became Limited Companies - this legal change is not reflected above. The change of status being due to a need to financially protect the committee at time when there was a considerable annual turnover.
Anyone care to tighten up any of the unspecified dates for me?
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All aviation activity on Merseyside has been recorded and published in detail since November 1956 - quite a continuity of record.
'paper' magazines containing these records have been:
Merseyside Aeronews November 1956 to October 1958
Northern Aeronews November 1958 to March 1962
Flypast April 1962 to end of 1985
EGGP January 1979 to December 1986
North West Air News January 1986 to June 2006
www.nwan.co.uk July 2006 to June 2014 (now closed down, and records no longer available)
forum on www.derbosoft.proboards.com from July 2014
09/27 January 1982 to date and continues
Consulted MAS at 21 (April 1977) and FoLA '09/27' No.96 (Spring 2008) and memory - which is the bit that may have got things wrong! Brian.