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Newsletter 19
Winter 2008
Updated on 10Feb2008
Contents
Editorial
Betty Bore Praises Pension Trustees
Committee Member RAeS Award
Fifty-Five Years Of Flying
Hawker Association Future
Information Requests
Members
News Harrier
News Hawk
News Hunter
News Lightning II
Riverside Spectacular
Sea Hawk And Cygnet Memories
Thomas H Miller USMC
XZ439 Sea harrier Help Needed
XZ439 Sea harrier Update

Published by the Hawker Association
for the Members.
Copyright © 2007. All rights reserved Hawker Association
 
    I thought some of you might like to know how BAE Systems Pension Fund Trustees handle things for the spouse when a pensioner dies. I have been very impressed by my contact with them since Cliff died.
    Within days of notifying them I got a reply written in a very sensitive way. Of all the organisations I had to contact their reply was far and away the most helpful. It explained exactly what I had to do to obtain my spouse's pension. They also sent a comprehensive checklist of all that one might have to do after someone dies, together with a list of sources of information collated from experiences of bereaved pensioners.
    Because they had already paid Cliff's next month's pension into our bank account they had to ask for repayment, which was done very sympathetically with a request that if this might cause financial hardship I could contact them via their helpline.
Betty Bore Praises Bae Systems Pension Fund Trustee

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    Having got together the various documents they needed for me to claim my spouse's pension I took these over to the very pleasant new offices at the Farnborough Aerospace Centre which had a beautifully designed garden outside the entrance. There one of eight members of the pension team met me and copied what was needed, chatted about how much she enjoyed her job and got a coffee for me, too. Two days later I received confirmation of benefits with a clear explanation and the first payment was made shortly after that.
    Thank you BAE Systems Pension Fund Trustees for your help and consideration.
    Cliff always felt that working at Hawkers was fascinating and worthwhile. Thinking about it I realise that his colleagues shared the ability to focus very hard on aeronautical problems in order to solve them.
    Meeting many of these former colleagues at Hawker Association meetings I think this focusing ability has carried into retirement with many different forms, be it bird-watching, computing, family history, Brooklands Museum, or whatever. I was amused at the heartfelt affirmative response I got from two or three of the wives when I suggested this.
    I wish the Hawker Association all the best for the future and hope to see you from time to time at the monthly meetings.