Description
Object description
British civilian glider and commercial pilot in GB, 1980-2007
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand, 1963- 1980: family; emigration to Australia; move to New Guinea; emigration to New Zealand, return to Scotland, 1972; early education; early experiences of aviation; further details of education; interest in making a career in aviation; gap year and applying to Edinburgh University. Recollections of flying gliders as civilian pilot in GB, 1980-2007: attending five day gliding course. 1980.
REEL 2 Continues: opinion of German gliders; method of instruction; attitude to first experience of gliding; checks prior to glider flight; driving winch truck; interior of glider cockpit; weighting glider down; method of ascertaining location and height; trimming glider; controlling glider; preparations for take off; reasons for requirements for gliders to have nose hooks; method of taking off in glider; releasing glider from tow aircraft; flying gliders.
REEL 3 Continues: landing glider; clothing worn in gliders and question of wearing parachute; use of signs on ground to detect air conditions; flying in gaggle during competitions; problems of dehydration and urinating in flight; cockpit space in glider; problems of cold and pressure; use of water bottle; question of eating in flight; attitude to studying at Edinburgh University; attitude to flying during university course; membership of glider club; start of glider lessons.
REEL 4 Continues: glider controls; account of flying glider; first impressions of glider flying; controlling glider in flight; sequence of instruction during first lessons; question of stalling or spinning gliders; reaction to flying upside down; account of crash landing glider in Buckinghamshire, 1998; injuries from crash.
REEL 5 Continues: potential threats of collision in air; use of auto to determine climbing and falling; character of modern gliders; gliding at high altitudes; challenging nature of gliding and perception of gliding as sport; use of thermals; signs used to find thermals; flying glider in thermals and technique of centring; concentration necessary during competitions.
REEL 6 Continues: description of glider flights and importance of achieving a good lift drag speed; restrictions on areas that gliders can operate; description of 'dolphining'; landing gliders at airfields and fields; choice of landing sites in fields; dealing with farmers who have had gliders landing in field and contrast with balloons landings; approach to landings; competition landings; final approach and landing glider.
REEL 7 Continues: further details of crash landing in glider; hospitalisation for injuries and reaction of family; question of attitude to gliding after crash; physical condition after leaving hospital; advice received about injuries and recovery; organisation of gliding competitions; tactics employed during competitions.
REEL 8 Continues: flying conditions needed for competitions; method of determining winners of competitions; camaraderie in the competitive glider pilots; different glider classes during competition; timing of National competitions; character of National and Regional competitions; factors effecting competitions; description of term 'stubbling'; organisation of daily tasks during competitions; degree of gliding activities, 1980- 1989; attending first competitions, 1992; pattern of competitions from 1993; attending first National competitions, 1997; sponsorship; return to gliding after accident, 1999.
REEL 9 Continues: story of landing at RAF airfield; organisation of Women's European championships; attending competition in Lithuania; nature of competitions in Eastern Europe; success of British women's team in Lithuania and trophy awarded; problems of gliding in Czech Republic; question of qualifying for British women's gliding team. Recollections of period as civilian pilot and commercial pilot in GB, 1985-2007: decision to become commercial pilot; reaction to Edinburgh University Air Squadron not accepting female students; obtaining pilot's licence; first familiarisation flight during private lesson; pre-flight checks; taxi-ing aircraft; contrast in taking off in aircraft and gliders.
REEL 10 Continues: principles of flying aircraft; contrast in visibility in aircraft and gliders; soloing; degree of communications needed whilst flying; pattern of instruction; need to trust instruments and instrument flying; flying in cloud; story of aircraft crash in bad weather; importance of respecting weather; move to Aberdeen for veterinary work; acting as tow pilot for gliders; bar facilities at airfield at Aberdeen; decision to apply to train with British Airways, 1987; selection weekend with British Midlands Airways, 1987; question of sex discrimination during interview with British Midlands Airways, 1987.
REEL 11 Continues: taking flying instructors rating; period as flying instructor with flying club at Edinburgh, 1987-1988; question of why people take private pilots licence; syllabus of flying instructors course and examinations; question of cost of flying; character of twin aircraft instrument rating; reaction to passing test; studying for instrument rating examinations; applying for British Airways training course, 1989; British Airway's curtailing of pilot training course, 1990.
REEL 12 Continues: applying for job with Europe Express, 1990; first day with Europe Express; pattern of ground training; arriving late for examination at Gatwick; flights in flight simulator; first experiences of circuit training; base check and instruments test; sequence of instructional training; reaction to first flight with passengers; flying Fokker 306; pay, 1990; freight flights.
REEL 13 Continues: freezing conditions at Maastricht; financial collapse of Europe Express; employment with Air UK; number of women crew flying with Air UK; lecturers cupboard full of aircraft bits; flying Fokker F 27 Friendship; pattern of instruction; shift pattern with Air UK; camaraderie at Air UK; flying routes operated by Air UK; attending jet course with Fokker 100; character of Fokker 100; navigational systems; introduction of auto landing facilities; reaction to flying jet aircraft; use of down time during flights.
REEL 14 Continues: activities during flight; pre-flight checks; provision of cheese tray for flight crew; captain's pre-flight announcements; dealing with problem passengers; checking flight information; flights across Atlantic using North Atlantic track system; flying routine; provision of bunks and sleeping areas for flight crew in Boeing 707 Jumbo and Boeing 777s; relations between flight crew and cabin crew in British Airways.
REEL 15 Continues: question of flight crew sitting in first class seats; activities prior to final approach and landing; question of manually flying aircraft on long haul routes; importance of maintaining landings; question of promotion prospects; joining British Airways, 1996; reasons for wanting to join British Airways; allocation to fly Boeing 737s; reporting to Heathrow on first day; training with British Airways.
REEL 16 Continues: evacuation exercises from aircraft; character of Boeing 737s; attempts to make good landings; routes flown from Birmingham; descriptions of dying fleets; question of getting to fly Concorde; flying over Africa and Russia; provisions for aircrew; VIPs flown; story of flight to Libya; flying Boeing 737.
REEL 17 Continues: travel aspects of job; trips to Islamabad; decision to fly Boeing 777; short haul flights in Europe; promotion; flying Boeing Jumbo Jet; preference for flying Boeing 777; camaraderie between air crew; standard operational procedures and reasons for most accidents; behaviour of some pilots towards aircrew; emergency which occurred with landing gear of Fokker 100.
REEL 18 Continues: dealing with wind and fog; restrictions caused by security measures since 2001; changes in passenger attitudes towards terrorists; flying into airports in hotter climates; question of language problem in some countries; unsocial able nature of job; restrictions on alcohol consumption; visit to Grand Canyon; reaction to flights over Hindu Kush and rainforests.