Hi bruv!
Greetings............I am Kevins' (considerably) older brother! I still live in Sunderland from whence Kevin took his first little hops off the ground al those years ago.
NB Sunderland Airport is now a giant Nissan car plant but with a Grade 2 listed pre-war hangar.
My first flight was around 1957. I was at an ATC summer camp at RAF Oakington. I recall that day now just as clearly as if it were yesterday. Late afternoon on a glorious sunny day.
Kitted out with my parachute and clambered into the Chipmunks cockpit. "Fancy some aerobatics?" I heard in my headset! Then followed the most ecstatic half hour of my life.
Forgive me for that off-topic indulgence!
Alas, finances and a demanding job meant my later PPL ambitions being shelved, but I keep my fingers crossed for Kevin, and live flying vicariously through him!
Quickly relate a recent commercial flight in Bangladesh last year. In the shuttle between Dhaka and Sylhet, just flying at around 2000' for 300 miles, we saw nothing but water, horizon to horizon. Quite an unnerving experience coming in to land on what appeared to be the only dry bit in the country!