My Training!
How I got into Flying
Having always been interested in aviation as a child, I decided to join
the Air Cadets based at School. Through this scheme I got several Air
Experience flights in RAF Chipmunks, rather like civilian trial flights,
but free. The best bit for me was the aero's. From this I went on to
do 9 hours Basic Glider Training in the RAF Vigilant ( Known by many in
the civilian world as the Grob 109). The course finished with a 'Ghost
Solo'. From here, after many visits to a Wing Commander acting as a Liaison
Officer, and selection and medical tests at RAF Cranwell, I was awarded
a RAF Flying Scholarship.
Getting my PPL
The RAF Flying Scholarship paid for half my PPL (20 hrs ), and after
the course at Teeside Aero Club in July 1995. I quickly completed my PPL
within a month from start to finish at Teeside, which remained my local
airfield after qualification.
I returned to school to finish my 'A' levels in 1996, but managed to keep
the flying ticking over!
Later on in 1996 I decided I needed a new challenge in my Flying, and started
my IMC rating.
Taking it Further
I then followed the 'self' improver route, much of which is explained
in 'Getting your ATPL'
I stayed in the UK for hour building, when the weather was bad studying
for my correspondance courses. I must admit at times I could see the bank
account dwindling, and nothing but a big wall in front of me, but when the
exam results finally came through, the news was good !
I completed my training for the GFT this spring, and on July 1 st (after
5 cancellations), passed my AFIR test. (Just out of interest, this was
2 years to the day after my first training flight at Teeside!)
I have spent this last summer instructing at my 'home' club at Teeside,
specialising in teaching ground school to Flying Scholarship cadets, but
still managed to get 100hrs flying in 2 months.
What Now ?
I'm now studying at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, in the Computing
Science department. I still help out at Teesside on the odd weekend to
keep my flying up!
In any spare time I'm studying for my Performance Group A, and hopefully
it won't be too long before I get round to my Instrument Rating.
"Sounds Fun - How do I do that?"