For me the thing that really did it was the flying I did as a "passenger" in the mid/late 80's as a skydiver (at the then named Leeds Bradford Freefall Club). One of the a/c I used to jump from was an Islander piloted by a gentleman by the name of Tom - I believe he is now the Aerobatics Association Vice-chairman Tom Cassells. I remember him as a pleasant chappy who was always happy to explain things to me.
Thinking back now, aviation had always appealed to me anyway but the parachuting really brought me much closer to it. Unfortunately as a student I could not have possibly afforded to do a PPL then let alone the subsequent flying so I put it off until the mid 90's
when I could sort of "afford" it.
Fujiflyer
