Warbird Experience

If you've only ever flown in airliners, you may not have experienced the excitement, fun, wonder, and spectacle that flying can be in a smaller aircraft. When I was a teenager, in the early 60s, I was a member of 452 Squadron of the Air Training Corps (ATC) in Hornchurch, Essex.

Among the most exciting memories from the ATC (apart from the itchy uniform and drill - which I did enjoy) was during the Summer Camp at RAF Chivenor which, at the time, was flying Hawker Hunters - the aircraft flown by the world famous 111 (triple one) squadron aerobatics team. 

Only the senior ATC officer's son flew in a Hunter but the rest of us took a half hour flight in a De Havilland Chipmunk, which was then, I believe, the RAF's basic trainer. Kitted out with a parachute, we each took our turn. I was expecting to travel at the fastest I had ever travelled but with a top speed of 120 knots, I don't think we ever exceeded about 90mph! But it made me love flying.

For my 60th birthday in 2006 my family bought me a wonderful birthday present - a flight in a T-6 Harvard (a.k.a. Texan) from





based at Rochester Airport, Kent.

Yesterday, for my son's 40th birthday, close family clubbed together for a simlar flight. The team at Wardbird Experiences are all such a friendly bunch, it's like spending a couple of hours with old friends, who just happen to operate a flying school - the flights are introductory flying lessons, and you get to fly the Harvard! 

I think the smile, above, indicates how much fun it is. And he hadn't even got into the 'plane! I'm sure he'll agree, it's nothing like riding in an Airbus - it's real flying.