I have been interested in flying ever since my father took me to the Farnborough Air Show when I was six. I remember the Vulcan Bomber doing a close fly past and throttling up to full power. The noise was flabbergasting and since then I have been hooked on planes. I have flown in a glider from Southdown Gliding Club and when time permits I am learning to fly powered fixed wing from Goodwood Airfield in West Sussex, UK. Most of my air time has been in a Robin 2120 which is a great aircraft with easy controls and great visibility. The call sign was G-VECE or “Charlie Echo” as my daughter called it. Unfortunately “Vectair”, the club I was a member of closed and the plane is no longer based at Goodwood. I am shortly to do my first solo flight and will probably do this on one of the Goodwood Aeroclub Piper aircraft. I have also flown a Cessna 152 and a Cirrus SR22 as well as a short “go” in a Piper Malibu (wow!).

I think it's a shame that BA have not allowed a single Concord to remain in airworthy condition. It was such a beautiful plane to watch and (I hear) fly. Every industry and market needs a flagship product that can inspire newcomers as well as motivate people within the ranks. Fair enough that as a business service it was not viable but as an ambassador to Anglo-French engineering capability it remains unbeaten. I do wonder how many young boys and girls won't become pilots because they will never see one of these delta wing birds taking off and doing a flypast at an air show. Let's just hope the Red Arrows will be allowed to inspire new generations to come.

Long term I would like to get a sea-plane conversion and fly around the islands of the Bahamas on a touring holiday with the family. I have also seen guided self-fly African safari which looks very interesting.

Richard Jelbert - FLYING