A Chipmunk Surprise

One of the features of a Blogger is the ability to track the number of page views.  Occasionally I recognise people I know through their comments but I received a rare surprise a couple of days ago when a reader, referencing my Chipmunk flying recollection in a recent post, contacted me and pointed out that next January it will be 50 years since I had sent him on his first solo flight from the, then, satellite airfield, Rufforth.  I scurried to my Pilot's Flying Log Book and there he was for January 25th 1971, his name underlined as was my practice to indicate a "first solo."  I note that I flew 5 times that day, including supervising the first solo from Air Traffic Control, so I doubt whether I would have stopped for lunch.

The nicest part of the surprise contact is that my old student informs me that he is a part owner of a civilian registered Chipmunk and he has invited me to fly it with him when the weather gets better next year.  Naturally, I accepted the invitation with alacrity and blew the dust from an old copy of "Chipmunk T Mk10 Pilot's Notes." Turning to the handling section I note that “the aircraft is pleasant to fly; the controls are light and well harmonised and remain responsive throughout the speed range.”   Just as I remembered it! This is me, in the back, somewhere over a snow covered Yorkshire a month later in 1971.