What do you fly?

[AshVX220]

We have a number of pilots on the forum, El Stovey and Ginetta Girl spring to mind and I think Tonker is/was aircrew?

I'm just interested in who flies and who flies what.

I don't fly, but have a mate who used to be a Sea Harrier pilot, now an instructor at RAF Valley.

Plus my best mate used to fly 777's for Emirates and now flies 787 for Virgin.

All I've flown is the F-35 sim at Warton.

[AshVX220]

I guess I could add as an air cadet I flew in a chippy quite a lot, but also did my gilder course at 16 in a motor glider out of RAF Halton. That was in a Slinsby Falke, I think we called them Venture's though, but can't actually remember.

[AshVX220]

Nice, I like the idea of flying helicopters. Though have heard they far more difficult to fly. Are modern helicopters becoming easier to fly with better computer enhanced flight controls now? In much the same way as model helicopters are becoming a bit easier to fly?

I think (probably very wrongly) that helicopters offer a more "accessible" for of flying in that you have more opportunities of where to land and take off from.

[AshVX220]

Great reply, thanks.

[AshVX220]

frodo_monkey said:

I’m now in a desk job but still in the RAF. Flew (as a WSO - backseater):

Tornado F3: about 650hrs 2005-08
Tornado GR4: about 1500hrs, 2010-17

Plus the standard smattering of trainer aircraft, transport etc.

Cool, do you know Dezzie Taylor? She's a mate/colleague of mine.

[AshVX220]

edfrp said:

A Piper PA-15 Vagabond, and just finished building a Van's Aircraft RV-8 with a mate.

They look great fun!

[AshVX220]

SwissJonese said:

Kneedowndean said:

Helicopters for a living.

Kneedowndean - what are those extensions on that helicopter. I saw what I thought was a police heli flying over Cardiff a few times with something similar?

I thought they were like sprayers of some sort.

[AshVX220]

PeterGadsby said:

Yarders91 said:

Was very lucky to get a backseat ride in a Typhoon last year for just over an hour.
Without a doubt the most incredible experience in my life

Performance takeoff ( 0 to 10,000 feet straight upwards) with a bit of low level stuff through the highlands before flying over my kids school towards the north sea to go through the sound barrier upside down. Even got to have a go myself and did a fair few rolls, loops, split S's and high G stuff.

Big bucket list item ticked off and am forever grateful to have had the opportunity to experience something like that as not a lot of folk do, Somewhat bitter sweet though as i know i will probably never get to experience something like that again.

I'd love to get into flying myself and do a PPL but i just dont have the funds for it.

WOW - How did you manage to get that?

WOW indeed, definitely would like to hear the background of how you managed to pull that off!

[AshVX220]

rs4al said:

Surprised no ex Harrier pilots have posted as goes the old joke “how can you tell if a Harrier pilot is in the room ? They would of already told you”

Edited by rs4al on Friday 24th May 05:44

I thought that went for all pilots.