Air Touring, the early days
Hi All, In my search for an old Instructor from Air Touring I came across this site;
Brief history; I started flying with AT on the 3rd of Sept 1978 the instructor was Trevor Prytherch; Finally acquiring my PPL on the 13th April 1980 at 40 hours 04 mins. The club was a truly family and social event, the social club ran many seasonal functions and festivities a great place to hang out. The CFI at the later time was Mike Weeks and he put me up on my first sole at 8.5 hours. the guy behind the desk at the time was Roger Patterson, a pupil PPL as well. (Later becoming my Instructor) I went on to fly the Rallye 150St & St100, Tapico and Tobago type. After many failed attempts to get a on a civil airline training scheme, That last was Bcal that accepted me and then was sold to BA and they dropped the scheme. In 1989 on the 27th August I made my last flight as P1. Broke and divorced.
I flew hardly any hours at after that ( I borrowed a C172 while on honeymoon in France to show my new wife the Chateaus) and a bit with people that had planes and helicopters. This April (2016) I was 60 and my wife tracked down Roger Paterson, who now does the GFT's at Surrey and Kent flying club, Biggin Hill. She arranged a flight to Headcorn for tea as a surprise. We eventually made the trip on the 31st July this year. Clare in the back with video and myself as a PUT. The Old hangar at AT has been replaced by a new Blue thing and the main hangar is home to Spitfires, Hurricanes and a part built ME109. No more bustle, no over packed circuit, in fact nothing else on the circuit, all gone. If anyone wants more information guess I might be able to help but the post is really to try and track down Mike Weeks, so if anyone knows of his whereabouts???
Regards, hope tis was no so boring?