By the time I left school and went to college my unofficial flying log book already had about 250 hours, but still without licence. Fortunately my parents had won a scholarship scheme that was supposed to pay for my Diploma education over a three year period. But in 1972 I discovered the Sportair Training School back at Biggin Hill were operating the Fournier Motor Glider, for training hire at around £5 per hour and £3 for the single seat RF4. With a combination of funds from the scholarship, plus earnings from work, my shiny new PPL was acquired. Fortunately Gordon Franks (MD of Sportair) knew about my years at Redhill and fast-tracked my instructional period so that I could fly solo within 4 hours of starting the course.
I became involved in all manner of sport flying disciplines, courtesy of the Tiger Club and the annual calendar of display events they organised across the UK and Europe. This included acts like the Stampe Duo, standing-on-the-wing, and a spell as the Turb Team Formation Leader. Other specialities included the Biplane Four and the occasional mass flypast Balbo formations with sixteen aircraft.
The Formula Air Racing Association had successfully launched a season of pylon race events sponsored by Heineken where I was allowed to shoehorn my six foot plus frame into the incredibly snug confines of Formula One aircraft. In fact, the races in Andrew Chadwick’s “White Lightning” Cassutt were only possible for me to fly without shoes or helmet. But Michael Jones let me fly his Rollason Beta “Blue Chip” with reasonable success and a lot more comfort.
By 1977 I was working full time as a Merchant Trading Executive in Holborn. My career pathway was laid out – promotion prospects, expense account and company car. What was not to like? Then along came Philip Meeson to my office one day and said would I fly for him for a provisional three-month tour of France on a new sponsorship contract. Initially this was in a Stampe SV4C with a Renault 4PO5 engine. It took me a week or two to convince parents, girlfriend and others that this was a good idea!
The Ford Motor Company Tractor Division was based in Brussels. The company had launched a new series of tractor vehicles from the smallest 1000 Series up to a magnificent Prairie sized monster with driving wheels taller than me. John Prentice was the Director in charge and came up with the brainchild of incorporating an aerobatic display at each of the rural venues where the demonstration team set up. It proved to be a very effective campaign where members of the agricultural community and associated trade press had something unusual to witness rather than just another ploughing contest!
The Stampe was an excellent example of the type, but I quickly discovered the fragility of the Renault engine operating at full throttle and I still have the bent piece of the camshaft as a souvenir of my first dead stick landing! The temporary hiatus didn’t last long as Philip already had a Pitts S1C in his back pocket. This was quickly mobilised and livered in Ford colours and became the workhorse of what turned out to be a 4 year campaign, starting in March 1977 and finishing in November 1980.
It was by far the most exciting and satisfying tour of my career. It covered most of western Europe, Scandinavia, Iberia, Ireland and some parts of rural England. I might add this was all dead reckoning navigation with only charts, a compass and my watch. My GPS then was actually a Ground Proximity System which started warnings from what I was sitting on!