I must be one of the lucky ones too.. .Like Speechless Two, I was sent on my first solo by W/C Bill Lucas in RN Tiger BB694 at Roborough in Sept.1961.. .. .Had a full military/Airline career in between and then started to fly them again for one of the "pleasure flight" companies about five years ago.. .. .Some of the pax are amazing.. .. .Had a wartime Hellcat pilot who turned up in his original FAA battledress blouse, seaman sweater,sheepskin boots and "C" helmet and mask.. .. .- an ex-Hurricane instructor who hadn't flown for over 50 years and promptly flew the bl...dy thing on rails.. .. .- a 1920s pilot(90) who just wanted "to fly in the clouds" again.It must have been minus 5 as we climbed up through - still don't know whether the tears were on account of the cold or pure emotion .....magic.. .. .Finally there was the gentleman who had last flown Sunderlands over the Atlantic conveys. He was flying it when I had my first (and last?) engine hiccup.. ."We seem to have a bit of a problem,old chap. Do you think you can get her down ?", he said, as the Gypsy started to complain.. .We managed to land back at Old Warden,downwind, still coughing profusely.. .Sticking valves - Tigers really don't like 100LL very much.. .. .Can't finish without the icing on the cake and the amazing attraction that the Tiger still creates with its presence.. .. .Neville Duke came over to chat one weekend whilst I was getting ready for another trip.He still flies and had come in, as he does every year, this time to celebrate the 60th.anniversary of his first solo at 13EFTS. Little did he know that I had worshipped the ground he walked on since he had first test-flown the Hunter in 1951. As a schoolboy, he was my hero and even then I vowed that,one day,I would fly one of those.. .. .Rgds, Sleeve. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="smile.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="smile.gif" />. . . . <small>[ 08 March 2002, 22:43: Message edited by: Sleeve Wing ]</small>