25/02/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

When i woke this morning, I hadn’t expected that i would be doing some flying. Days that are this full of surprise are magical. Through my home window in West London, i could see the sun beaming through the high clouds. With my morning coffee , I called Cranfield having checked the TAFS and METARS on the web to book G-ECGC.

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29/01/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

A wonderful article by Peter J. Kuznick:

On November 1, Paul Warfield Tibbets, Jr., the man who piloted the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, died at his Columbus, Ohio home at age 92. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Pilot in Command, Pioneers, Airmanship, History | Print | No Comments »

09/01/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

Last year we interviewed Barry Cardno from Wanaka in New Zealand. He is a terrific person who is in the later stages of publishing his book about his experiences of having a plane crash and life before and afterwards. He sent us this brilliant video of hi flying in NZ. You can just make out him using the bolt on hand controls during take off and landing..

He told me “You might be able to tell its warm here by how my 160hp Cessna 172 never lept into the air off any of the airstrips (all at 1000+ ft ASL, and 28-30′C). There was three of us on board, but the trick is always fly to the conditions.”

His interview for those who have not read it yet can be found here…please click to read the full text

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21/12/2007 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

I became associated with Rotary International because they read about my pilot training during 2007. Because of flying, they asked me to help them in their campaign for eradicating polio from the world. The BBC Asia Today Programme kindly featured recent polio immunization day.. The Power of Dreams

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30/05/2007 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

The Aviator Ball - 24th November 2007, London, United Kingdom. The Aviator Ball will be hosting their first event at the Amadeus Centre in Maida Vale, London, UK on November 24th 2007. This Gala Charity Fundraising Ball will be in aid of the British Disabled Flying Association. Please Save the date in your diary and when full details are released on the event I will let everyone know. Put on your dancing wings.

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24/05/2007 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

It has been 4 weeks since i last flew the PA28 with the BDFA and Paul. I was loking forward to it alot. I met Paul just after and my friend Luca came with me. He and i got the plane ready, took the cover off - and i did the walk round, check the fuel including checking to make sure that there was no air in it and fitting the hand control. i am very stringent with these checks and i am getting quicker at doing them. Read the rest of this entry »

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24/04/2007 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

AIRMANSHIP – DO THIS CHECK EVERY 15 MINS WHEN FLYING – F R E D A CHECK

F UEL
R ADIOS
E ENGINE – T X P
D IRECTIONAL INDICATOR
A LTIMETER – SET AS REQUIRED Read the rest of this entry »

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22/04/2007 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

Squadron Leader and test pilot who has died aged 85.

Neville Duke was born January 11th 1922. He died April 7th 2007.

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21/04/2007 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

On May 12 2005, a disabled couple John de Frayssinet (Pilot) and Jennifer Ayres (navigator) broke the absolute World Air Speed record (piston) from Lands End to John o’Groats to support the British Disabled Flying Association. The previous record was at 138.553 mph. In the Pilotfriend Glasair, John and Jenny flew the same course at 207.3 mph, taking some hour and a quarter off the existing record.

watch their video

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21/04/2007 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

The British Disabled Flying Association has many goals and objectives for the next 10 years:- some of them are as follows: you can help by making a donation via their website

1 A flight training centre facility for disabled people
2 Access to specially adapted and designed training aircraft
3 Fundraising & Awareness

please continue to the next page to carry on finding out about our ambitions
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21/04/2007 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

We flew up to 1500 feet and it was a great day until we took off when the sun went behind the clouds. ..we also had a very interesting take off and got to have 2 for the price of one as they say..i shall not continue with the story but let you work out why perhaps that may have been… it was fun though and it was an experience worth having at a safe altitude.. Read the rest of this entry »

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20/04/2007 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

FLAP OPERATION RULES

DO NOT OVER STRESS FRAPS = BLOW OFF

THEREFORE

AIRPEED MUST BE LESS THEN MAX SPEED FOR FLAP EXTENION (VFE – VELOCITY FLAP EXTENTION)

ON ASI – WHITE BAND CONFIRMS FLAP OPERATING RANGE

E.G – Read the rest of this entry »

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19/04/2007 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

ALWAYS LOOK OUT OF THE WINDOW AND ALWAYS BE AWARE OF WHAT IS IN FRONT AND TO THE SIDES AND UP AND DOWN OF YOU WHEN IN A PLANE - DON’T PLAY WITH SAFETY