I must have been a slow learner - dusted off my old logbook to reveal 82 minutes and 25 launches to solo on T31's over one month in Feb/March 1962 with 622 at Christchurch. That included 8 minutes thermalling on one flight over the old de Havilland factory - yes, thermalling in a T31! First solo in XN246 which is now in the Solent Sky Museum. Loved it so much I carried on as a Staff Cadet before getting Auntie Betty to start paying for my flying the following year.
Instructors recorded in my logbook were Cullen (who spun in T31 XN247 that August avoiding an Auster), Longman, Hylton, Hopkins, Collins, Lasenby, Clarke, Pugh, Bradley, Bowman, Lovell, Turrell, Rock, Dave Pascall (who went to BA via Hamble), Burt, Earl, and of course the CO, Ron Hayter. Happy days!
