A real high flier…

What started your interest in aviation?

Even as a very young child I looked at the sky, fascinated by clouds and noticed aircraft too. We lived on the northern outskirts of Leeds until I was seven, so traffic from Yeadon probably caught my attention. Dad would take us to watch aircraft there to give mum a rest from two very energetic boys, and those visits most likely started our interest in aeroplane spotting.

A job move for dad in the late 1950s saw the family living in St Anne’s, under the approach to the short runway at Squire’s Gate Airport, and Autair Ambassadors would loom large over our dorma bungalow. Warton, just up the road, was very busy and English Electric Lightnings were common as they departed low level up the Ribble Estuary. The TSR2 interrupted my 11+ exam, and I blame my lack of academic success on it, as I watched it circle out the window, instead of answering the questions.

We could cycle to the southern crash gate at the airport in minutes to watch the goings ons. It was a busy place in the early 1960s. I vividly remember one summer evening watching a Jodel landing on the cross runway and being struck by the blue tint to the canopy and seeing two people clearly in the cockpit. I think it was that moment of realisation that kindled the desire to be there myself one day.

When was your first flight?

My dad treated my brother and I to a surprise pleasure flight with Air Navigation & Trading Ltd. It cost £5 /10 shillings for the three of us to see Blackpool Tower in Cessna 172 G-ATAF. When our turn came Richard, my brother, and I got in the back with dad front right. Our pilot was ‘The Boss’, Bill Bateson.

The sensation of lift building up with acceleration was thrilling and the flight still remains a clear memory today. I particularly recall flying downwind next to the Tower over rows of terraced houses many of which, as it was still autumn, had coal fires lit. Our Cessna bumped slightly over each row like running a toy over corrugated cardboard – an early introduction to the physics of the atmosphere.

That was it. Our career paths were set in stone and a flying life would be my story. Or so I thought…

Where did you do your flight training?

Another move, this time to south Manchester, in the mid-1960s. We lobbied hard to live next to Manchester Airport for obvious reasons, and ended up in Altrincham. We were ‘sentenced to years of hard labour’ at the Altrincham Country Grammar School for Boys! Leaving there in 1972 with indifferent qualifications, hopes of becoming a pilot had already been dashed at a careers evening when a pilot in a BEA uniform looked up from his trestle table and said, “Oh no, we don’t take people who wear glasses.” Crestfallen and lost for what to do next with no chance of university I managed to get an office job in the centre of Manchester.

Dad came to the rescue. He had worked in the oil industry since finishing a job in Germany back in the 1940s, so he knew all about the impending oil crisis. The deal was this – my brother and I could live at home paying mum a peppercorn rent and as long as we put all of our wages into learning to fly, he would support us.

My salary as an insurance broker’s clerk was £800 a year in 1972 and a flying lesson at the Lancashire Aero Club, which was based at Barton Aerodrome, was £7.50p.

Walking into the clubhouse we were stopped by a man who asked us if he could help. When we explained we wanted to learn to fly he took us over to the tower, showed us a Cessna 150 and answered our questions. That was the late Mike Bowden who was Club Secretary at the time, and always made a beeline for prospective new members. His welcome made all the difference. It’s a lesson I’ve never forgotten when talking to newcomers.

I completed exercises 1 to 6 on Wednesday 2 Sept 1972 in a Cessna FA150K Aerobat G-AXVC with the fearsome instructor Peter Euteneuer. Three months later I went solo a couple of days before my 19th birthday, after just seven hours and 20 minutes. Quietly spoken Irishman Paddy McCabe sent me solo and I don’t recall any apprehension at the time, despite having only been aloft nine times.

I had five instructors teach me to fly. Apart from Peter and Paddy, there was Ian Ratcliffe who chain-smoked, Tom Dugdale a retired Farnboro’ test pilot and Arthur ‘Charlie’ Rollo the CFI. He had taught in the RAF in India, to pupils who didn’t have English as a first language, so he used his pipe as a way of gesturing changes in direction – a bit like a conductor’s baton.

I learned something from each of them, which means I have firm views about having more than one instructor to help get a broader education.

You helped a lot with the Manchester Airshow – what were your duties?

The Lancashire Aero Club has a long tradition of staging airshows at Barton, and in 1972 the committee decided on an ambitious plan to celebrate the club’s 50th anniversary by holding an event. From then until around 1990 a Manchester Airshow was held each year, regularly attracting several thousand spectators. As the event grew, I went from banging in fence posts and picking up litter, to flight line coordinator, to commentator and eventually airshow director.

We had a fantastic team in those days with Tony Brown and Paul Eite from Manchester Airport ATC and Clive Barron doing the publicity – and working miracles attracting spectacular displays far better than a small grass aerodrome should expect. I had joined the LAC committee in the late 1970s and eventually became Club Chairman in 1980.

Your current job, and past career?

When I look back at all the jobs I’ve had the word ‘career’ takes on a slightly different meaning, as in more akin to ‘career down a hill’. With indifferent academic qualifications, and my flying dreams thwarted by an eye defect, I ended up changing direction about every seven years.

Helping to run Manchester Airport’s operations, including a secondment to the second runway project, was a highlight, and that led to joining the CAA where I used the practical experiences of international airport operations to help form policy around runway safety.

I couldn’t believe I’d landed such a fantastic job, and it came off the back of my work at Manchester Airport as Technical Liaison Manager on the Runway 2 Project. The CAA needed a new Policy Officer for Aeronautical Ground Lighting and I was invited to apply.

Milestones included the change to LED approach and runway lighting – technology was racing ahead of the rule-making process, which saw me involved with trials at Manchester Airport.

I started to attract other runway associated briefs to my portfolio and joined the ICAO International Friction Task Force in 2009. We worked with other regulators, Boeing and Airbus, and academics to evolve a better way to describe braking action in the wet, or in winter conditions. It’s pleasing to note that the Global Reporting Format designed to help reduce runway overruns in winter weather was finally introduced late last year.

One morning I was summoned to the departmental director’s office for a meeting. It was with ‘Rocket’ Ron Elder (AVM ret’d), and I guessed this was really it! So, I was somewhat taken aback when he asked me to get involved with introducing GPS approaches to UK aerodromes and tasked me with being secretary to the group which would deliver this. Our work culminated with Grant Shapps MP, the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group – Aviation (APPG-A), unveiling CAP1122 at the 2014 Aero Expo held that year at Sywell. The fact that political decisions related to Brexit have dashed the efforts of so many and set the UK aviation industry back through the loss of access to EGNOS is, in my opinion, to say the least, mildly irritating. In fact, I might go as far as to say I’m ‘rather miffed’!

I retired in 2016, but as the phone kept ringing with people needing advice, I formed my aviation consultancy. Since then, I’ve been trying to help deliver RNP approaches to aerodromes with approach control. It’s been a struggle due to the rigorous Airspace Change Proposal process, which still is not light touch enough.

Today, nearly 50 years after leaving school, I’m MD of my own company providing specialist support to airports, aerodromes and airfields dealing with regulatory compliance and technology developments such as GPS approaches. I’ve just taken on my first Vertiport client; a sign of things to come.

How did you hear about the PFA/LAA?

Tuesday night was club night at Barton in the 1970s, and it was announced that the LAC had given the clubhouse over to the Popular Flying Association for Strut Night on the last Thursday of every month. Mike Bowden encouraged students and club members to go along and I joined the strut at its inaugural meeting in 1973. I joined the PFA shortly after the Northwest Strut meaning, and I’ve been a member for around 48 years. Those early days as a PFA/Strut member formed friendships that have lasted the course. One of the first was with Dave Gray, who tragically passed away not too long ago.

You helped a lot with 2021’s LAA Rally?

In late 2015 the then manager at Sywell asked me to help introduce GPS Instrument Approaches there. A long-lasting professional relationship with Phil Hall developed and we delivered the first in the country in March 2020. Since then, I’ve helped Jeff Bell and since his retirement, Michael Bletsoe-Brown, with various supporting functions, so I was in position earlier this year to see problems looming.

Without FISOs in the Tower the Rally could not go ahead. But there were no spare FISOs in any case and time was running out. It struck me that I might be able to persuade the CAA to allow some level of operations using Air Ground Operators instead, and Steve Slater suggested talking to Chris Thompson the LAA National Coach about putting an ad hoc team together for the weekend.

Chris runs the team at Popham, and with credentials that include the Microlight Fair, I felt we were in with a chance. I put together a Safety Case and concept of operations along with a number of meetings with the CAA and at the end of May 2021 permission was granted. I thoroughly enjoyed flying in every day, despite some less than ideal weather.

Number of types and hours you’ve flown?

In nearly 50 years I’ve owned or had shares in six aircraft, but lost count of types I’ve blagged a go in – maybe as many as another 50. Despite the years, I’ve only logged 700 hours, which is due in part to a lack of money in the early years and a 10 years hiatus, 2004-2014.

Do you have a favourite type?

I got a job in 1977 working for Malcolm Rawlinson in Bolton. He was Secretary of the LAC and was looking for a sales engineer to help expand his business selling car body panels to the UK and European motor industry.

He owned a Piper PA-24-250B Comanche G-ARLB and I had the use of it for business and pleasure. Pleasure barely describes the experience as it was the most powerful, fast, but honest aeroplane I had flown. I took it all over the UK and Europe making full use of its capabilities and my slightly rusty IMC rating. Based at Barton, I used to smile to myself hearing Cessna 172 drivers tell me it was too small at which to land.

Your current and past aeroplanes?

In the 1970s some aircraft appreciated in value year-onyear. One marque that always proved a wise investment were Jodels. Richard and I went to the ‘bank of dad’ with a proposition. Buy a Jodel which we would run for a few years then sell it for a profit equivalent to no less than the return on a Building Society savings account.

He agreed and a chance conversation with Geoff Farr one lunchtime at Barton set us on the hunt for a D120 or 117. He had arrived in G-ASPF from Dairy House Farm near Audlem in Cheshire and would go on to write a delightful book titled Country Flying. After seeing a lot of less than ideal examples including one flown up from Bristol which was condemned by the engineers on a pre-buy inspection, we came across G-BAKR a SAN D117 at Elstree. It had just been rebuilt and was in great instantly obvious condition. Less than £3,000 changed hands and we owned our first aircraft which we kept at the southside hangars at Ringway as the waiting list for Barton stretched into the next century. Baker, as she is known, is still flying from Kent. We sold it for £3,500 so honouring our side of the deal.

Single-seaters such as a Luton Minor and a Nipper followed until, in February 1984, I saw an advert in Flight magazine for a Stinson HW75 for sale at Redhill. I knew all about Stinsons having seen the Fairey Aviation SR10J Reliant at Biggin Hill in the 1960s. An Ian Alan book detailed the smaller L5 Sentinel and 108 four-seater, and I had always hankered after one. Richard and I drove down on a foggy winter’s day to look at the machine. The owner wasn’t available, but one Brendan Marshall O’Brien – all swept back hair, badged flying jacket and ebullience unlimited – took us both flying. I was hooked, but we were slow to find the money and it was sold to another buyer. He turned out to be a dealer, so a few months later we agreed on a price, and Richard and I flew it back to Barton. I nicknamed it Cloud Hound. After many years of adventures in it, sadly, a friend ground looped it on landing at a Cranfield PFA Rally. I lost ownership after that but made a promise to get it back one day, which I did in 2014.

How did you and your Stinson end up as Goodwood Revival guests?

In 2018 I had a contract to help Goodwood Aerodrome install runway lighting and used my Stinson for some of the trips there for meetings. Mark Gibb and the late Rob Wildeboer took an interest in Cloud Hound which was nice, but I didn’t realise why.

In the spring of 2019 a smart looking letter dropped through the letterbox, which was an invitation from The Duke of Richmond to me, my wife and the Stinson for the Revival Meeting that autumn.

It was one of the most memorable weekends of my life and everyone at Goodwood Aerodrome couldn’t have done more for the aircraft and their owners. The party on Saturday was a surreal experience… like taking part in a West End musical in costume while being fed!

What’s been your favourite aviation moment?

Sunday 30 June 1985 dawned warm and sunny. I’d borrowed a Taylor Monoplane G-BEYW from my friend Russell Abrahams with the intention of going to the Andover Strut meeting at Middle Wallop.

Named Red Hot by Russell, who was a perfectionist, he’d tuned and balanced the VW engine to such an extent it was the smoothest most rorty motor I’d flown behind until then.

I couldn’t get there in one go so stopped in at the Shotteswell Fly in near Banbury as I knew there was a petrol station next door. I arrived at Middle Wallop at 1315 having left Barton at 0930, and was somewhat taken aback to be awarded the Most Meritorious Flight award.

To get home I hopped over to Thruxton, as by now there was a gentle southerly breeze and I was more confident of fuel consumption. On the way home with no turbulence, unlimited visibility and a perfectly trimmed aircraft I amused myself by inducing small turns simply by holding the palm of my hand out of the open cockpit. Both hands slowed the Mono down very slightly, so the nose gently fell.

Bottom left Paul (right) helping out at the Manchester Airshow in the 1980s.

Bottom middle After a friend ground looped Cloud Hound, Paul lost the aircraft for a time. He purchased it back in 2014 and had it restored.

Bottom right A big radial-powered Stinson SR-9C would be Paul’s dream aircraft.

I sat there suspended under a clear blue sky with no vibration or bumps feeling completely at one with my machine knowing, even then, that this was a memorable day.

Do you have any aviation heroes?

Sir George Cayley, Baronet, 1773-1857, was both the father of aeronautics and a Yorkshireman. He nailed the principles of flight and built machines 100 years before modern science caught up. He said, “The air is a navigable ocean that laps at everyman’s door.” A truth I feel we must continue to defend.

Closer to home my brother Richard achieved what I couldn’t, going from a PPL in the 1970s through instructing, to night freight flights in a Beech Queen Air, to small airlines, then retiring in 2013 from the BA 747 fleet, having flown the BAC1-11and every Boeing in their inventory. Not too shabby a result, all things considered.

Any lessons learned from flying?

Someone once said, “If you live, you learn. If you learn, you live.” And that’s stuck with me to this day. It certainly has helped me keep out of big trouble, and I’m my worst critic when it comes to flying. I’ll often fly another circuit if I am not satisfied with my last landing.

I’ve had two very close shaves, but even after 30 years I’m still too embarrassed to describe them. Seven lives left, though!

Any aircraft you’d love to own?

Although I’ll always be faithful to my Stinson HW75, its larger cousin the Reliant, especially the SR-9C with the curved windshield, is my dream aircraft. But with nearly a 50ft wingspan and a very thirsty radial it will probably remain so.

Do you have any other hobbies?

Cars have always featured large in my life, and up till 2012 would’ve described myself as a petrol head. I’ve currently got a ‘72 1300L VW Beetle tucked away in storage awaiting some TLC.

Any advice for all aircraft owners and pilots?

Don’t miss an opportunity to fly. Don’t fly with an empty seat. Do something to encourage young people especially girls into aviation. Savour every airborne hour! ■