A nostalgic moment

[sycamore]

Just thought I`d share a nostalgic moment ,or three as it`s a bit of an `anniversary` ; 47 years ago this month I soloed an Auster at Luton airport,after being let loose by the CFI, David Campbell, after about 7 hours dual, over 5 months. A year later(15/7/61) , after conversions to the Chipmunk and Tiger Moth, a further 31 hours dual/solo, I took my PPL flight test and passed.(prices in those days £3-7s-6d Auster, £3-12s-6d Tiger, and £5 gns for the Chippy).It took a while as I was an Apprentice at Halton, and pay was about £3 a week,and one had to buy blanco, polish,brasso, toothpaste,soap etc as well.So getting to Luton relied either on a bus, walking or `hitch-hiking`,and combinations of; so,a belated `thank you` to all those families who used to travel along the B489 Wendover, Dunstable, Luton,
and gave me a lift- the `blonde in the sports car` never appeared !
On the way home , if all the money hadn`t been spent, then a pint of stout and cider and a pork pie in the `Rising Sun`( I think?) in Aston Clinton would close the weekend satisfactorily..
Well, it`s 47 years later, 12000 hrs in the logbook,a few wars won, a few medals, 130 types, 3 crashes,;I still make mistakes, but I try to remember a couple of points from days(instructors actually) of old :` always expect the unexpected,` and;` learn one new thing about flying/aircraft/yourself on every sortie`.
I now have to go and make lunch.....otherwise !! truly unexpected........Syc:D

[Albert Driver]

....and there was me thinking you must have just had a particularly good lunch!

So which was the greatest achievement? Surviving "a few wars" or 12000 hours or 3 crashes....

...or surviving Halton?

[Riverboat]

You're a lucky person to have trained on Austers and then got converted on to Chipmunks and Tiger Moths! After flying these types, you will have learnt to fly the right way - unless those three crashes occured during this period!