atb1943: It seems we have several things in common in our pasts. As I mentioned in a previous post on this thread, my first ever flight was also in 1953-53 from Portsmouth, in a Messenger. 15 mins over the Solent, including some steep turns around the forts, I recall. Rapide 'JSL was on the Portsmouth Aero Club fleet for a long time, well into the 60s. It's now in Australia. Had many rides in it, along with the Austers. My pals and I used to hang around the club, helping push aircraft in and out of the hangars, strapping-in pleasure flight customers — many of whom were fetched from Southsea beach by the club Dormobile, and square-searching the field for Auster tailwheels broken off by students, and in return we'd get the occasional flight. For my own part, my first trip in the luxurious cabin of club member Len Snook's Comanche 250, which was the first in the UK when it arrived in the summer of '59, rather spoiled me for the fuel- and dope-smelling Austers and Tigers. How times change! For me and most of my friends those were formative years. And the nicest thing is that with the odd exception we are all still good friends, and all involved in aviation at some level. One incident I now recall humour was the occasion on which I tried to impress a potential girlfriend by inviting her for a ride in one of the club Austers commanded by the first of our little group to gain a PPL. Unfortunately this chap, still a good friend and now a senior 747 captain, elected to do an unannounced PFL down to 50 feet somewhere over the back of Portsdown Hill. It frightened the poor girl so much that after we landed back at Portsmouth and I'd taken her home I never saw her again!