Aviation

Aviation has always had a pull—something about it that’s hard to explain unless you’ve felt it for yourself. The noise, the motion, the sense that you’re doing something you’re not really supposed to be able to do… and yet there you are, up in the sky.

My first experience wasn’t a commercial flight or a holiday jet—it was something far better. A Piper Tomahawk, lifted off the ground with someone I knew at the controls, and before long, I was up there flying over my own house. Not just a passenger either—I was handed the controls and allowed to fly the aircraft myself on the way over to Haverfordwest. For a first flight, that’s about as good as it gets. There’s nothing quite like that moment when you realise you’re not just in the air… you’re actually in control of it.

Not long after, I had another opportunity in a light aircraft—a Cessna 150—flying over towards Bristol. Different aircraft, same feeling. Simple, raw, and completely unforgettable.

Since then, I’ve spent plenty of time in the air, but in a very different way. Boeing 777s and 737s, including the ever-reliable 737-800, have carried me across the UK, Europe, Africa, and the US—Ibiza, Majorca, Minorca, Boston, Kenya, Uganda, Spain, Ireland, Rotterdam, Scotland, even up to the Shetland Islands. Comfortable, efficient, impressive in their own right… but it’s never quite the same.

Because once you’ve had your hands on the controls of a light aircraft, even briefly, everything else feels a little bit distant. You’re travelling, not flying.

I’ve not been back in the pilot’s seat since those early days, which is something I’d change in a heartbeat given the chance. Because that feeling never really leaves you—it just sits there, waiting.

And like most people who’ve been bitten by it, I’ve got my favourites too. The legends. The machines that carry more than just engineering—they carry history, presence, and something close to soul. The Spitfire sits firmly at the top, followed by the Mustang, the Douglas DC-1, the Harrier, and the unmistakable Corsair.

Some things you experience once… and they stay with you for life.

Flying is one of them.