It's a long time ago now but if I remember correctly, in 1984 when I celebrated my thirtieth birthday, I had an hours flying experience at Eastleigh Airport as a very special treat.  What a very special experience it was as well.  I remember driving to the airport in our red Mini Metro with Anne, Emma, Sarah and Angie all in the car feeling excited and nervous.  They all watched me from the observation area take-off and, after an hours flight, land again.  I remember Anne telling me that someone standing next to her also watching my plane land commented that my landing was a bit hairy and that the instructor must have taken over at the last second as it was quite a nose dive approach.  They were correct, he did and it was!

On 23rd September 2015 just after my sixty-first birthday I again took to the skies thirty one years after my first flight.

This flight, again as part of my birthday celebrations, was from Limoges Airport in South Western France where I now live.  What was it like after thirty one years?  Exactly the same - FANTASTIC.  So, a big "Thank you" to you both for indulging me in my fantasies and being instrumental in me now training for my Private Pilots Licence.  Literally a dream come true.

I am unable to express why I like flying.  I just do.  I love the feel of the control of the aircraft, of being up in  the sky, of looking down at the ground, the sunshine, the clouds, the noise of the engine in fact everything about it I love.  I'm sure it makes no sense to many people why I love it but then I'm a radio nerd as well so I guess it's in keeping.

I want to thank you both for indulging me and if any of the kids or grandchildren need someone to blame then I'll point them in your direction.  ME, I'm off to get my licence!

This will not be a Blog or a diary of events.  Just a collection of pictures that I hope will convey my experience of my training and, hopefully, later on my flying adventures.

15th September 1984 Eastleigh (Southampton) Airport	About lunch time - my first flight [note the control tower and my hair!!]	23 September 2015 14:00 - Aeroclub du Limousin	31 years between flights  -    climbing aboard F-GKQH
but still just as FUN	Back on the ground with Roger,  my Instructor	This is the aircraft I usually train in Callsign F-GCRY
Room for two passengers in the back and some travel bags	I spend too much time looking at this when I should be looking out of the window	21 October 2015 - Course books, Navigation calculator (computer!), Headset and Carry Bag arrive	3 April 2016 - Navigation flight Bellac-Ille de Jourdain-Confolons-Bonnifont
14:00 21st April 2016 - First solo flight in F-GABB or "Bravo deux fois" as it's known at the club and by the Air Traffic Controllers.	24th April Navigation flight Chasseneuil-Availles Limouzine-Bellac	24th April PLOG	24th April - After a great navigation flight in glorious weather.
1st May Navigation flight Souterraine-St Leonard de Noblat-Chalus	1st May PLOG	7th May Navigation flight & Touch & Go to Poitiers	7th May PLOG
7th May flight was in a new plane for me. G-BTID a Piper PA28-160	Cockpit view of the PA28. This plane has an updated transponder which transmits more information.	This enables Jen to track my flights !!!  This is the flight to Poitiers on 7th May.	15 May - Track for steep turns, spiral dive recovery and collision avoidance lesson.
20 May - Circuit flying to get me used to the PA28 handling with two 360's as the circuit was quite busy for Limoges.	27 May - Instrument flying lesson. I flew this track with the windows blocked out, just reading the instruments.	However, it's not just all fun flying around in an aeroplane. The Private Pilots Licence consists of nine theory exams	as well as actually learning to fly the plane(s)
1.Principles of Flight, 2.Aircraft General  3.Flight Planning and Performance	4.Air Law (Boring) and 5.Meteorology (Hard Work)	6.Human Performance & Limitations (Frightening) and 7.Operational Procedures	8.Communications (No Problem)
			The Flight Radiotelephony Operator's Licence (FRTOL) authorises you to operate an Aircraft Radio Station in a UK registered aircraft.
9.Navigation (REALLY Bloody Hard Work)	You need to be able to use this computer(!!!)	on both sides	and there is a practical Radio Telephony Exam with a CAA Examiner that lasts about 45 minutes
			images/1st video/IFR Flight.mp4
and while we're doing pictures, here is my kneeboard used whilst flying	and my trusty Headset both of which get tangled up with my map and my PLOG whilst flying the plane!!!	Well, by 26th November 2016 all these nine exams and the RT exam have been completed and I can get back to the plane - OR NOT!	24th Feb 2017 - This is the flight video I posted to Facebook but the quality was not very good.  This is best viewed in "FULL SCREEN"
As I tend to be a little preoccupied during my flights and unable to take pictures I thought I'd post a flight track. So - 10 April Lesson Flight Track	10 April - 2nd Solo Flight Track	17 April Flight Track	24 April
29 May Cross Country Navigation Lesson Track.   I think a map track is better - you can see where I've been	4 June Cross Country Navigation Track Part 1	Part 2 after refuelling @ Niort because the fuel pump at Limoges was not working. The yellow line above Benest is where I did a low pass & orbit over Bonnifont to wave to Jen	Here I am flying over the bottom field of the homestead at 500 feet. It still looks high up in the picture but it seemed VERY low to me. Almost as if I could reach out and touch the roof!
I spend as much time planning a flight as I do flying it so thought I'd add the Charts for each flight as well.     13 June Chart for cross country navigation	13 June Track	19 June Cross Country Chart	19 June Track Part 1
and Part 2. Not because we stopped anywhere but sometimes the Tracking system thinks you've landed and starts again!