FLYING THE SE5A WW1 FIGHTER

In the hangar, the SE5A looks just great. A squat biplane with ailerons on each wing, She’s Tiger Moth size with 200 HP up front and she’s still cleared for aerobatic flight. One can’t...

FLIGHT TESTING THE SOPWITH PUP

I’m strapped in and ready, parked at the end of the duty runway. The sky around Old Warden is clear, the airfield closed to all other traffic. I’ve checked the cockpit, the switches are...

FIRST SOLO IN A SPITFIRE

Somehow, I always knew that one day I would fly a Spitfire. Coincidentally, when that eventful day arrived it happened to be the anniversary of my first solo some 22 years previously. It had...

A HOP IN THE DEP

The Collections Deperdussin is unique even amongst the Collections aircraft in that it is the only machine without any cockpit instrumentation whatsoever. If that were not enough, the pilot also has to contend with...

FLYING SHUTTLEWORTH TRUST AIRCRAFT

Flying Shuttleworth aircraft is challenging and different. In order to illustrate some of the differing flying techniques necessary to pilot the Collection’s aircraft, lets look at the history and specific handling qualities of three...

FLYING THE DRAGON RAPIDE, SIXTY YEARS ON

Aviation has its fair share of characters, both human and mechanical. It is the mechanical ones, the aeroplanes, that are particularly fascinating, because of the surprisingly personal characteristics possessed by some individual aircraft within...