About Me

My flying career started looking out of the window of a mobile classroom in 1970s Northamptonshire as two Harriers flew past at about 300′ and grabbed my attention far more than the fascinating long division being dished out by Miss Denny.

I did my first loop-the-loop as a passenger in a de Havilland Chipmunk from Marshalls airfield in Cambridge in something like 1982.

I first flew solo in a VW-powered Venture motor glider on a frosty morning at RAF Newton in Nottinghamshire at the age 0f 16. My instructor, Flt Lt. Babbage (Rtd.) was having a pee in the field as I touched down silently.

Mark Attwood in the RAF

My first powered solo was from Denham in North London in a Slinsgby T67B in 1986, courtesy of a Flying Scholarship from HM Govt.

I then entered the RAF and although enjoyed the flying, soon realised the military life was not for me, so bought myself out in 1989.

Since then, when money would allow, I’ve attempted to reignite my love for flying by engaging with various aircraft and flying schools, including the Gemini Flash (hair-raising), the Cessna Aerobat (boring), the Robinson R22 (suicidal), the Schweizer 300 CBi (lovely but bloody expensive), the PA38-112 (not bad).

In 2010 I discovered that what I really wanted was to get back to basics. A little field, a small aircraft, a portacabin, a gas hob and a kettle, a friendly flying instructor.

Heaven.