Flying has always been part of my life, whether it's being entertained by an air display or flying about the English countryside with friends. Having discovered aerobatics I decided this is what I wanted to do. A combination of time, financial commitment, training and support from family resulted in me becoming an aerobatic air display pilot.
I was introduced to flying a Pitts S2-A a smaller version of the 'Monster' by Alan Cassidy, a UK National Champion based at White Waltham, I was then fortunate to be in a position to fly G-ISZA also a Pitts S2-A. After flying hundreds of hours in the Pitts I took on the job of finishing the build of the Pitts Model 12, the most powerful Pitts built, which offers spectacular performance. My aim is to provide a display that is entertaining, noisy and visually memorable.
My regular day job is a Flight Information Service Officer (FISO) at Cotswold Airport aka Kemble Airfield. This job has given me a real insight as to what it's like to be on the other side of the radio. I have learnt that short clear RT is the key when operating at a busy airfield.
I also maintain a small company providing medical simulation training to University medical students and hospital staff. One major area of training has been human factors, the understanding of this in aviation has been a key contribution to the development of this area in medicine. Further information can be found at www.simpatico.co