Real Flying

I started my PPL training in October 2007, however my interest in flying started in 1977 as these early entries from my log book show....

Over the past 30 odd years I have been privileged to get some hands-on time with real aircraft.

Before I started my PPL training my log book looked a bit like this:-

Date Aircraft Flight Remarks
Type Registration From To  
17th Dec 1977 Piper Cherokee PA28-140 G-AVFY Ipswich Bembridge, IOW Return trip of Family day out
15th Apr 1982 Cessna 150 G-BHDU Sandown, IOW Sandown, IOW S +L, turns
29th Aug 1982 Cessna 150 G-BHDU Sandown, IOW Sandown, IOW Climbs & Descents
14th May 1983 Britten Norman BN-2A-6 Islander G-AYRU Netheravon Netheravon Para drops
14th May 1983 Britten Norman BN-2A-6 Islander G-AYRU Netheravon Netheravon Para drops
20th Aug 1983 Cessna 150 G-BHDU Sandown, IOW Sandown, IOW I/F circuit intro
? Lockheed L1011 Tristar ? Well before 911, passengers were allowed onto flight decks. On one occasion I sat in the co-pilots seat and had a steer !
1985 ? Westland Wessex ? RAF Coltishal RAF Coltishal Air experience flight
3rd May 1990 Hawker Siddeley Harrier T4 ? RAF Wiitering RAF Wittering On my last day  in the RAF I finally got a trip in the back of a harrier.

TOTALLY AWESOME experience.

Low level, high G, loops and 3 hovers !!!!!

Aircraft Pics

Aircraft Registration Picture Notes
Piper Cherokee PA28-14 G-AVFY I can't find a pic of the actual aircraft anywhere.

This aircraft appeared at Bournemouth Air Show 1986...

http://www.scramble.nl/mil/show/showreports/bourne86.htm
Cessna 152 G-BHDU I found this picture of the actual aircraft I flew on the internet at:-

http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/023466.html
Britten Norman BN-2A-6 Islander G-AYRU This thumbnail links to a copyright protected image of the actual aircraft I flew.
Lockheed L1011 Tristar   Not the actual one I had hands-on with, but very similar.
Hawker Siddeley Harrier T4   Again not the right Squadron, but it's the right model.

I didn't fly this one, just had a great trip in the back doing low level.

Westland Wessex   Probably not the right squadron or version.