Living the dream…

Hello Sam. Why aviation, and what sparked your interest?

That is a good question…! I’m really not sure how it all started. It’s been aeroplanes since day one. I was born and raised in a small village just outside Oxford, not much more than a stone’s throw away from Oxford (Kidlington) Airport in fact, and went to school in Woodstock.

One of my earliest memories is watching aeroplanes overhead. Oxford was, and still is, a busy airport, so it must’ve played a part in my curiosity with aviation.

My parents picked up on my interest and were very encouraging. They would supply me with books on aviation history and I’d read about Louis Bleriot, the Wright Brothers, and Neil Armstrong etc. I was around five years old when dad took me to RIAT for the first time and I remember parking up and seeing lines of C130s and just being spellbound. Then as the years went on we went to visit Duxford and Shuttleworth, and if I wasn’t already totally infatuated with aeroplanes and flight I was then! But to pinpoint a start in my passion I couldn’t say, maybe it’s something one is simply born with – the desire to fly.

When was your first flight?

It was in a DH82a Tiger Moth, G-AHAN. I felt very lucky indeed to have my first flight in a Tiger! It was then based at White Waltham and was a gift for my 10th birthday from a next door neighbour, whom I believe at the time had a share in it.

While I was still at school I undertook a gliding course at Oxford Gliding Club, which saw me go solo. After leaving school I went on to do a six-year joinery and wood machining apprenticeship, and it was at this time that I was just about able to afford to do my PPL, along with helping out at the flying club at weekends.

What did your apprenticeship involve?

It was at a small local company which was very close knit and was very much one to one training.

I’d start off learning to make different joints by hand, identifying timber, selecting timber and sharpening tools.

This then led to setting out and technical drawing, which were all skills one had to master before going onto machines and starting your own project. It was a very ‘old school’ approach, but the best one in my opinion, and certainly gave me a good foundation.

Once I completed my apprenticeship I then went self-employed to undertake and help out in various projects such as boat building, cabinet making, aircraft maintenance and restoration, and ground crewing for a local company running Tiger Moth experience flights. I even somehow managed to squeeze in a few good holidays in Europe and a few weeks travelling around California. Of course, I had to visit Chino, Planes of Fame and Yanks Air Museum while I was there.

Have you always enjoyed working hands-on with materials?

Yes, it’s always been the case and it comes much more naturally than my ability to do any theoretical work! It started when I was growing up. I would always be making model aeroplanes, from free-flight balsa wood and tissue gliders, to bigger remote control scale models. My family have always been quite hands-on. My dad is in construction, and one of my grandfathers was a mechanical engineer, while the other was a pattern maker.

Where did you do your flight training?

My flight training for my PPL was done at Enstone Flying Club and took me just over a year. In the beginning, I was working weekends at the club to help fund it. It was a magical time. I completed my tailwheel course not long after my PPL, too.

I then went on to do my night rating and IR(R) at Pilot Flight Training, Oxford. Then finally my aerobatic course at Turweston Flying Club, where I’m still a member.

I did a season of glider tug flying, which was great fun and if I still had some spare time then I’d definitely be doing it! It’s a great way to develop your flying skills. There’s lots of variables, and the basic stick and rudder flying is good to hone your discipline.

And, you won an Air League bursary?

I was lucky enough to win two, in fact. I was awarded two bursaries over the years from the Air League, firstly for my IR(R), and secondly for my aerobatic course. It does fantastic work and I don’t think it gets quite enough exposure for what it does. It certainly helped me achieve something I could not afford otherwise and allowed me to add to my skill set. I am very grateful to it for the assistance, and encourage other young pilots to take advantage of its scholarship offers.

Was it a big step to start your own aviation company?

Yes! I started The Midland Aeroplane Company (TMAC) around two years ago with the help of some good friends, and we specialise in the maintenance, repair and restoration of vintage, light and classic aeroplanes. We have a good solid team of three full-time engineers, plus there’s myself and three part-time engineers. We’ve all got individual specialisms to draw from and have been professionally trained in various corners of the industry over many years, but also can get our heads together as a team for everyday tasks as well.

We take on a lot of major repair and restoration work, from sheet metal to wood and fabric. As well as ongoing maintenance, we also offer a homebuild completion facility and avionic re-fits. Some of our latest big projects we’ve completed include a Cessna Airmaster rebuild and re-cover, and a Piper L21 rebuild. We also look after a large number of Chipmunks and are well versed with their various foibles and details.

Top While still at school, Sam went solo at Oxford Gliding Club.

Above and left Sam has enjoyed flying the Turweston Flying Club Piper Cub Cruiser –sometimes with his dad as the back seat passenger.

Below Sam’s first flight was in a Tiger Moth at White Waltham.

It’s a dream job to do, working with like-minded people who have an enormous amount of pride in their work, and collectively share a passion for aeroplanes and flying. Day to day, it really is the team that makes it.

How has the LAA helped you?

It has always been very supportive and shown a keen interest in the business. Any time I need to raise a query, it has always taken the time to help. It really is great to know that the LAA is there, and that there’s a vast amount of knowledge and resources to draw from.

How many types of aircraft have you flown?

To date I’ve flown 14 different types, mostly various tailwheel types, and I have around 300 hours – a comparative drop in the ocean!

Do you have a favourite and a ‘not-so-keenon’ type?

My favourite type, so far, has got to be the Chipmunk. It’s a wonderful hands-on machine, from manually priming for an engine start, right through to the looping and swooping. Oh, and then cleaning the oil off afterwards! It’s everything I like

Top Sam kneeling on the wing of a P-51D Mustang, while his dad sits in the cockpit. Being in the right place at the right time meant Sam was lucky enough to get what he rates as his best flight so far, in the Mustang’s back seat.

Above left One of the latest Midland Aeroplane Company projects was the restoration of the UK’s sole Cessna Skymaster.

Above right Sam, hard at work doing some ironing… about flying, a real charm. I can’t say I’ve flown anything that I considered not to be enjoyable, but I guess there’s still time!

Any current or previously owned aircraft?

Currently I own a Taylorcraft Plus D, or Auster MkI, depending on your persuasion. She’s an ongoing project and I’ll be covering her over the winter period.

What’ve been your favourite moments in aviation?

My best flight so far has to be a back seat ride in a North American P-51D. I was very lucky to be in the right place at the right time, and it was an incredible experience! Once those 12 cylinders rumble into life it summons up all sorts of emotions. It feels like a shiver runs through you and the aeroplane simultaneously, and the thought never escapes your mind that 20-something youngsters with barely a few hundred flying hours were taking these into combat…

My best aviation moment was probably flying my dad into Abingdon Air Show in a Cub, which was where he and my grandad would go to watch many airshows in the 1970s and 1980s. It was good to take him on ‘the other side of the fence’ as a thank you for all the support he’d given me, and it really felt like the completion of the circle.

Do you have any aviation heroes?

I could list so many, but one that always stands out to me is

Francis Chichester. His flying is often overshadowed by his sailing feats, but he had a lot of aviation ‘firsts’. These include flying down to Australia solo, then across the Tasman Sea and then up the South Pacific to Japan –incredible stuff. He also pioneered a lot of astro-navigation for flying. A much underrated aviator.

Any aviation lessons learned?

On my QXC, way before the days of SkyDemon, when I got a little preoccupied on a leg flying over Wales somewhere.

When I finally landed at my destination I took a little too long deliberating and realised I probably should be making my way back. Once airborne I suddenly thought, “It’s early January and quite late in the day, what time is the official sunset?”

I flew that last leg the best I could, picking out every feature and reference and sticking to my planned heading, making it back with about six minutes to spare. There were plenty of little lessons learned that day, but mainly it reminds me to stick to the 6 P’s…

Do you have any other non-aviation interests or hobbies?

I enjoy a lot of music and play the guitar – pretty badly! I also like to draw and have an appreciation of people who have a real talent for creating good art.

I love the countryside and taking the dog for a good long walk. I’m really interested in history, particularly military history – I’m most certainly a WWII buff.

Any advice for fellow pilots and aircraft owners and operators?

Time spent in the cockpit before you start, even if it’s just a few minutes of contemplation and thought, is something that has always served me well. It gives you time to get in the zone and to think through the flight ahead.

If you’re an owner, don’t be afraid to get stuck into understanding the inner workings of your aeroplane. Even if you don’t think you’re that practical, just helping to de-panel it when the annual is due, you’ll be surprised how much more you can learn, and it can help keep you ahead of the aeroplane when it comes to noticing potential issues. ■