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I started making and flying model aircraft in the 1970's concentrating on accurate scale models. As a child, it was planes that fascinated me- Concorde, Harrier jump jets and the like. They were extraordinary and I had to know how they worked. So I began building flying models.
An engineer by trade, I soon started to prefer helicopters to planes. So naturally, over the years, the building and flying of aircraft progressed to the helicopter- the ultimate flying machine. Making and flying model helicopters is far more difficult.
Later, through a contact in my previous work, I was introduced to the Noel Edmonds charity which offered disabled children the chance to fly in helicopters. I was asked to build a scale model of the helicopter used (Bell Jetranger). At these charity events, my models were of great use to blind and partially sighted children. They were able to "feel" and "visualize" a scale model of the helicopter that they would be flying in.
Today, my building and flying of aircraft is far more than a hobby. I use my models and my teaching qualifications to present science topics in schools.
I set up ˜Airborne Education™ in 1998 and I have become well known in South Yorkshire (Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield) and also my home county of Nottinghamshire. I am a self-employed science presenter, going into schools and visually teaching children a range of science topics, including how aircraft work.
I get great feedback from the kids and schools that I’ve worked with. You can view a number of letters from some of the children who have enjoyed the Airborne Education experience here.
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