My flying and aircraft photos

[captainflynn23]

Hi guys,
Im new here and decided i'd post some of my pics from flights (I've got my Private Pilots License ) and also some general aircraft pics too.
The pics are mine and i'd appreciate it if they are not posted elsewhere. I'll continue to update the post as time permits.

So just a quick intro of myself - i'm 27, live in Milton Keynes and i've been flying light aircraft since the end of 2003. I have wanted to be an airline pilot since I was about 2yrs old but have recently wondered if its really what I want as aviation has changed too much for the worse over the years. I'm currently unemployed but do have a voluntary job.

Anyway, with the intro out of the way, on to the pics..

British Airways B757 G-CPET in the retro livery worn for the B757 retirement from British Airways. Taken on November 6th 2011 as G-CPET made the final BA B757 landing..



I took this set of the same balloon back on 28th Sept 2011 just west of Milton Keynes, I was in a Beech 19A Musketeer..







RAF West Raynham..



Former RAF Tempsford



Former RAE Bedford, now Bedford Autodrome..



Caldecotte Lake, Milton Keynes



Milton Keynes



Milton Keynes and the SKY Personnel balloon..



This was taken in March 2011 when XS458 was having an engine test. This Lightning performs fast taxi runs on specific dates throughout the year..



Also taken in 2011 at Cranfield..

[anonymous-user]

captainflynn23 said:

I have wanted to be an airline pilot since I was about 2yrs old but have recently wondered if its really what I want as aviation has changed too much for the worse over the years.

Go for it. I love my job and you can still have a great lifestyle depending on who you work for. Even if your first job isn't with a career airline you'll be so happy to have a job it won't bother you for at least a few years and then you have the dilemma of whether you want to stay put as a Captain or move on.

You can still fly light aircraft on your days off.

Airline pilots love to complain but not many of them leave and retrain for something else.

Great photos by the way

[captainflynn23]

Hey,
Thanks for the message of inspiration and positivity. As you say, most airline pilots moan, and then you look at sites like pprune and wonder why anyone bothers becoming a pilot.
I think what bothers me is the way the airlines call the shots now. It just seems like Ryanair (and others) have come on the scene and really wrecked the T's and C's of the job. There arent many industries that say 'fork out 70K and you MIGHT get a job' I'm waiting for the day when the airlines turn around and say 'we dont pay our pilots anymore, its a voluntary job they do on the side of a paid job they have elsewhere' haha

It might not sound like it, but I do love flying and aircraft. I think over the past year i've just noticed that im only 2 and a half years off of 30 and i'm nowhere near where I had hoped i'd be regarding the training. Last week I started an application process to become a special constable and if all goes well and if I get accepted and enjoy it i'd look into becoming a full police officer instead and maybe fly for fun. If I dont get accepted i'd continue to try and slug it out with the flying and see where I get. As I said, it might not sound like it, but aircraft and flying are my most favourite things really.. anyway, a few more pics..

Taken at Helitech, Duxford, September 2011, a spitfire taxies out as a DH Tiger Moth comes into land..



The Bowl, music venue, Milton Keynes..



Former Twinwood Farm airfield..



Currently at Cranfield on maintenance is one of the forumla 1 management BAe 146's..



M-TEAM departing Cranfield on June 21st 2011..



The Starry Beech 99 N899AG in for maintenance at Cranfield on September 10th 2011..



M-KELY which is kept in the IAE hangar at Cranfield..



After a formation flight on 21st June 2010 me and my friend was enroute back to Cranfield and saw a virgin balloon near Cardington airship sheds..



Although now I fly from Cranfield, I actually learnt to fly while living in Cornwall for a few years.. this is St Ives in September 2005..



Taken as a backseat passenger after a flight to Lands end and routing back to Perranporth, passing Hayle, Cornwall, Sept 2005..



Passing St Agnes, on final to runway 05 at Perranporth in Sept 2005..



Flying around Truro, 2005..



C47 at Duxford, taken on my K800i Phone



RAF Helicopter at Helitech, Duxford, September 2011..



The Greater Manchester Police helicopter at Helitech, Duxford, Sept 2011..



Atlantic Airlines B737-300F G-JMCL at Coventry, Sept 29th 2011..

[Mr Dave]

Those pictures of Cornwall look lovely.

Flying above Northern Ireland, especially over strangford lough and even there looks nice.

Flying just makes everywhere look like less of a dive!

[captainflynn23]

Hey Mr Dave, what is it that you fly? I have never flown over N.Ireland but I can imagine it must be really nice! Im glad you like the Cornwall pics. Cornwall can be beautiful for flying, but also challenging when its windy!

Heres a few more to add..

RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall, August 2005..



An124 UR82027 of ADB at Nottingham East Mids Airport in late 2006..



DH Tiger Moth G-AOBO at Perranporth, August 2005..



Taken on my K800i phone outside Asda, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, in 2009, was this Westland Wasp..



Living near Stadium MK means that i'm not far from Bletchley Park.. and therefore I get to see the BBMF a few times a year during their flypast.. heres the Avro Lancaster..



Heres the French Air Force A340 at East Midlands in October 2009 with an EasyJet A319 on final approach to runway 09.



Heres the big Antonov An225 at East Midlands Airport in October 2009..



A virgin atlantic B747-400 G-VHOT 'Tubular Belle' departs Heathrow in March 2010..



Cambridge Marshall's Airport, September 2010..



Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Sept 28th 2011..



Cranfield College of Aeronautics Scottish Aviation Bulldog taxies in..



XS458 Lightning at Cranfield. Used for fast taxi runs. Here she is sitting in the snow in Feb 2009.



A nice livery on this Beechcraft, N58YD at Cranfield in April 2011..

[pacman1]

High there CF, welcome aboard, thanks for posting the pics. So many 'former' airfields these days, I think its a shame, but times change I guess.

I'm surprised the Lightning is stored outside, can't be doing it much good, especially if someone with the cash were to try and return it to the air!

Good luck with your career.

[Eric Mc]

Nice shots. The aerial views are faecinating - esepcially the disused airfields.

I have to say, MK looks no more exciting from the air as it does from the ground.

[NismoGT]

Lovely pics. Thanks for sharing.

[Vieste]

Great photos you can see my old houses on two of them.

[wolves_wanderer]

Nice pics. I used to be in and out of Patriot at Cranfield all the time so the MK shots are very familiar. I had reams of shots from the heliroutes in London and crossing Heathrow, God knows where they are now.

[ETOPS]

Great photos. I do miss light aircraft flying - I don't get to do much of it anymore. At this time of year, you may have a challenge, but flying around Scotland is a real pleasure, too.

Don't give up on the dream, chap. As another has posted, it can give you the most terrific lifestyle. Lots of time off, wonderful, enjoyable job, opating on some of the most advanced and complex commercial products on earth, alongside great people.

Stay clear of PPRUNE. It's a great resource for the passive bystander, but for industry pros, it is a bloody cancer!

Sure not all flying jobs are all roses, but even the less desirable ones have great upsides. It's been mentioned, but your first job needn't be your career. I spent plenty of time instructing, flying biz jets, and turboprop charters before getting here. Sometimes the money was less than ideal, rosters a nightmare, support non-existent, but I loved every second of the ride and it helped develop my craft in often challenging conditions. Now, I typically work 3 long hauls a month, with 16-20 days off at home. Money is good, the people are good, aircraft good etc, but it is a definite lifestyle choice rather than hands-on flying.

Get after it. It is brill.

[perdu]

great photos

thank you for sharing them

[Fat Albert]

Hi and welcome, Nice Pics! The Musketeer you fly, is it Tony Crowe's?

There are a few pro Pilots post on the Flyer Forum, pop over there for a chat, there is a couple that live quite close to you.

I fly a Rallye from a Farm Strip near Conington (EGSF) so recognise some the places you have photographed

[captainflynn23]

Hey guys,

Thanks so much for the comments, they are well recieved, thankyou kindly

pacman1, I think that the lightning gets regular maintenance and has currently undergone some big maintenance if I recall correctly (something to do with the way its started up) Its taken good care of really. Although sadly the rules won't allow it to fly in the UK.

Eric MC, I quite like MK I've lived in London, Cornwall and now I live in MK and find its a happy medium.

Vieste, Where abouts did you used to live?

Wolves wanderer, did you used to bring an aircraft in for maintenance? Patriot recently left cranfield for Coventry.

ETOPS Many thanks for the comment I must addmit that you are right really. Flying is amazing and very enjoyable. Thats one thing that i'll always agree on. I think sometimes the industry itself is just vulnerable and always seems to have alot of bad times and now all the training cost is put on the student pilots it means theres too many getting their wings and outweighing the jobs. It annoys me abit.
I think what i'll do is carry on flying, and as you said, most pilots had careers before flying. Perhaps i'll continue trying to get into the police and if in future years I still have the flying bug to go further then I might well try and go for it if finances and circumstances permit.
What is it that you are currently flying?
You are right, I will stay clear of PPrune! I spent so many years avoiding that site until about a year ago when I had a casual look..argh, mistake.

Fat Albert Yeeeeeeah its G-AWFZ Since i'm unemployed Tony sometimes keeps me up in the air In June 2010 we did a great formation flight with a chipmunk and a pitts special. I had control for nearly the whole flight while he was taking pics. I hadnt done formation flying before but I have to say its right up there with my first solo and the day I qualified for the PPL. I've got 80hrs now, so still a young'en really.
I know the flyer forum, sometimes I have a look on there but havent yet signed up! I think Tony is a member there.

Speaking of Conington, I did a flight into there back in 2008 but we (me + a bonus aviation instructor) landed and as the weather was windy we decided we'd put the landing fee on a tab and just backtrack and head back to Cranfield. A nice airfield.
Where abouts is your Rallye kept? I've only ever seen one close up (G-BUKR) and that was in 2004 at truro in Cornwall. Another used to tow banners around Cornwall alot. They look great, especially the wing with its flaps and slats.

Just a few more pics ...

F15 at Lakenheath



USAF KC135 tanker, RAF Mildenhall..



Dakota C47/DC3 G-AMPY at coventry on the day I flew on her in 2008..



Heres the plane that I have taken my recent aerial shots from, Beech 19A Musketeer G-AWFZ..



The Pitts special we flew in formation with. G-FARL at Little Gransden



A bonus aviation PA28 in the bonus hangar at Cranfield..



Xscape and willen lake in the background which is where you can go on balloon flights from..



CMK looking from above Wolverton or there abouts..



Looking south, you can see Furzton lake.. and also Stadium MK, which I live near.

[Fat Albert]

If you take off from Runway 28 at Conington and have an engine failure over the A1, when you put the nose down, there will be a lovely 600M strip straight in front of you...except it has a nice slope and a Tree halfway along...but apart from that it is great!
This is looking from the mid-point of 28:


I am in a Group with two Rallyes, one is a 180T and is a stripped out Glider Tug. It is a bit slow (90kts) as it has a climb/towing propellor on, but you don't need much runway!!


The Other is a 180GT which is a tourer with a longer, heavier airframe and I will be starting to fly this in the spring when I get my wobbly prop signoff:


Both good fun aircraft that combine 4-up touring ability, crisp handling (compared to PA28/172) and short field capability.

I have had my licence for 25 years now, but only have 101 hours due to a break or two!

Oh and here's your mate Gurning in the Ercoupe!

Edited by Fat Albert on Tuesday 6th December 13:31

Edited by Fat Albert on Tuesday 6th December 13:35

[wolves_wanderer]

captainflynn23 said:

Wolves wanderer, did you used to bring an aircraft in for maintenance? Patriot recently left cranfield for Coventry.

Yep, I used to do Aerial Photography and we used to bring our Robbo in. Eventually got rid and rented their machines after that, we were based near Conington so I went in and out of there quite a few times.

[eharding]

captainflynn23 said:

The Pitts special we flew in formation with. G-FARL at Little Gransden

Happy memories of the days when G-FARL was being campaigned around the competition circuit by the eponymous Irish previous owner - including one epic at Waterford. I took the Yak to that one, the concept of ditching a Pitts in the Irish Sea (or any other expanse of water) not being high on my list of things to do.

[Zippee]

Some great pics there and having lived in MK for a few years it's great seeing places you know well from a totally different perspective.
How did you get to go up in the DC3 BTW? I adore those planes.....

[ETOPS]

[quote]What is it that you are currently flying?
[/quote]

I fly the pretty little thing in my profile, 777. Wonderful though it is, I do miss the sheer joy of tossing small aircraft around.

[captainflynn23]

Thanks guys

Fat Albert, I never knew that there was different Rallyes as such with regards to propellors used etc. Good luck with your training to the movable pitch prop! Rallyes do look good! I havent seen any since I left Cornwall in 2007. They seem to be few and far between or maybe i've been unlucky and not noticed any while i've been at Cranfield.
I'll have a look on google maps for that airfield Nice little dog, by the way

haha Yes, good photo!!!! Atleast he has a ....smile... of some sort going on there. I remember him selling that Ercoupe. I never actually did see it sadly but certainly wish I had.

Wolves Wanderer, thanks for the info Are you still flying now or not?

eharding, I think I saw a few pics online with comments regarding to the previous owner and his displays. They sounded impressive. I did notice the C/N of this plane was 1. Is this the first one built?

Zippee, thanks so much The DC3 flight was amazing! I loved it so much It was back in 2008 at coventry when ClassicFlight (air atlantique) were doing their final year of pleasure flights with the DC3 (Due to stupid EASA regulations regarding to passenger flights and a pressurised cabin) You can still do pleasure flights from Coventry with ClassicFlight, but in a DH Dragon Rapide, which is another good type

ETOPS, Thats really impressive! Do you fly the -300 only or the 200 too?

Heres G-LUXE of FAAM and direct flight being put back into the hangar at Cranfield after an engine run..



G-KELZ in the bonus hangar, Cranfield..



Beech Bonanza N657BW