I did my A&B gliding certificates at RAF Debden two weeks after my 16th birthday, and my Flying Scholarship/PPL in the summer of 1973 at Southend Light Aviation Centre. My first solo was in PA28-140 S-ASWA, and Edward Clack did my GFT in G-AVLT. Never made it into professional piloting but have been an aviation professional my entire career, working as a Systems Engineer, and latterly a Project Manager, for 3 well known names in the aircraft design and manufacturing industry, both rotary and fixed wing.