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Today I have a
different hat on to my usual Dial-a-Cab Credit Union one, this
time it’s about me! As anyone that knows me or who has come in
to the Credit Union office and mentioned airplanes, they know
that I am mad about aircraft and have been ever since I first
saw one - Spitfires in particular. When I was a kid, all I ever wished for was to go to air shows like Farnborough or Biggin Hill. I must have driven my parents mad, I even applied to join the RAF when I was just 12 years old! Mind you, I did get a lovely letter back that thanked me, but suggested in a lovely tone that it might be better if I came back when I was a tad older! Sadly for me I never did, but my love of all things flying has never left me. Then four years ago, my wife Beverly gave me for my birthday a flying lesson at my local airfield at Stapleford Abbotts. Ok, so it isn’t as much a lesson as more of a scenic flight and if you live near the airfield and not in controlled airspace, you get to fly over your house as I did. The instructor that takes you up will tell you all about available lessons and do his best to sign you up, but in all honesty he didn’t have to work too hard to convince me! My mind was made up the minute we raced down the runway and he told me to pull back on my joystick - please no rude comments, I’m being serious here! As the wheels left the runway and we went up to the wide expanse of sky above us, I was convinced. The result is that I now have my pilot’s licence and I am absolutely thrilled about it. As you can imagine, this is no cheap hobby and if you decide to have a go, make sure you have the finance in place. I can see you thinking that here we go with the DaC Credit Union part! Well, yes, you’re right and if you |
John gets his wings... Credit Union John is flying high! |
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 want do what I have, we can help - onwards and upwards! But my finances came from my parents who had died within a year of each other and God bless them, left me some money and I hope they are pleased with the way I used it. Since my lessons started, I have had three instructors all of whom have become firm friends and who are now delighted with my flying skills. So how do you begin? When you begin the lessons, you have to do seven written exams and if you are like me, then the last serious studying I did was the Knowledge some 30 or so years ago. But before you are allowed to do your first solo flight, you must have done the Air Law exam and I must say that finding the time did hold me up by a year, but eventually I did and one fine day my instructor said the magic words: "Ok that’s enough, you can go solo now for one circuit of the airfield! Boy was that the best feeling and as I went going round I began humming the theme to 633 squadron! I was slightly nervous beneath the bravado, but it went smoothly and it marked another milestone for me. Navigation was the next thing to crack and I thought that would be a piece of cake. But no, certainly not at first, there’s a lot to be taken into consideration when planning a flight. It has to be done the old fashioned way before satnavs - |
yes they have them for flying
as well - and before any smart arse asks if I have to follow the
road signs, no you have to read the map, notice the shapes of
towns and villages, there’s the upper wind direction to take
into consideration and you’d be surprised how easy it is to
become disorientated. But there are ways and means to get you
back on track, which I won’t go into now, but if you are
interested, give me a call at the Credit Union office and if
you’re not a member, we can sort that out easily enough by
signing you up. I can also tell you what you’d be letting yourself in for and how after passing the final flying exam - the skills test – you have to go up with the Chief Flying Instructor and do everything you’ve been taught – things such as stalling, wing drops, spiral dives and engine failures etc. Coincidence or not, I passed but wasn’t it strange that considering my love of Spitfires, Hurricanes and Lancasters, that I should get my licence in Battle of Britain week? My one regret is that my parents were not there to see it – but maybe they were on my first solo flight, humming along to 633 squadron with me. I do hope so. If I have whetted your appetite for all things flying, you can contact Stapleford Flight centre on 01708 688 380. They also do pleasure flights over London as well as trial lessons. I hope you have found this article of some interest and please, please, please no Biggles jokes! John Riley (K38) |
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DIVYESH DOES THE CABBIES RUN And helps Dial-a-Dream... |
On Saturday September 11, Dial-a-Cab driver Divyesh Ruparelia
(V59) took part in the Cabbies 5K
run at Hackney Marshes. The run was organised by Two2Go,
an organisation whose aim is to raise awareness in exercise,
fitness and healthy living in local communities close to the
Olympic area with just 2 years to go before the Games open.
Hence the name Two2Go.The event had a Marathon, a 10K and a 5K run, which incorporated the Cabbies 5K run, plus there were other fun activities. The weather was threatening, but thankfully the rain stayed away in the main. The route of the run took runners round so that they had the Olympic Village in the background, and that lent a definite buzz to the run. Divyesh told Call Sign that he was pleased to complete his 5K in 29 minutes 53 seconds. Mind you, the cab driver that won did it in 18 minutes. Well done him! Divyesh continued: "I did the run in aid of Dial-a-Dream, which DaC drivers will be aware is the charity run by Tom Whitbread and Bob "the dog" Heath. It makes the dreams of 6 to 18 year old terminally ill children come true. The reason I like this charity is because it’s run by the two gentleman with no overheads coming off, so you know every penny goes to the cause! I have so far raised £60 in cash from friends (with £10 coming from a punter), plus a few have donated directly to the Charities Aids Foundation website at www.cafonline.org ,so if anyone wishes to donate please do so by going the website and searching for Dial-a-Dream. I have also had pledges from friends who I have to meet and collect from, so hopefully the final total will be closer to £200." |
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