Introduction
Now I have retired, I'm able to do all the stuff I wanted to do, but didn't have time for. I still do some work, but am able to cherry-pick what I do and don't need to worry about earning an income. Happy days! As hinted at in the images and links above, I'm an active pilot, Class Rating flying instructor, author, publisher and photographer. I also enjoy public speaking, now my teaching at the University has almost come to an end. I'm especially keen on aerial photography and hundreds of my photos, both from the air and on the ground, have been published.
In my working life, I was a lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire, becoming Head of Aerospace and, later, Associate Dean. I retired fully in 2023, having had five years part-time on phased retirement. Towards the end of my career, having been an aerospace engineer but not a pilot, I began flying paragliders, progressing through microlight aircraft, and eventually gaining a full PPL in 2020 and qualifying as a Class Rating Instructor in 2025. I am still involved with microlights, through training others, but have my own Evektor Eurostar light aircraft.
In 2024, I became a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society General Aviation Group committee, and in 2025 became the RAeS representative on the General Aviation Safety Council, GASCo. I recently discovered another activity — walking squash. If that sounds completely off-beam, it's really squash for older people who aren't all that good at it. In my case, I don't do much walking on the squash court either. It's a great way of keeping fit, though, without the competitive edge.
