Flying around the UK

Ian is a keen private pilot and has held a UK National Private Pilot’s License since 2012.

He mostly flies an Ikarus C42 microlight category aircraft. The C42 is a two seat sport aircraft with a maximum take off weight of 472kg and a cruising speed of 80 knots.

C42 G-CDVI departing Henstridge Aug 2022

Ian at the controls of C42 G-CDVI

Barbara with C42 G-CCYR at RAF Cosford Oct 2022

C42 G-CCYR at Stoney Lane airstrip Oct 2022

Over 190 airfields visited

The weather is CAVOK!, C42 G-FLYC near Southampton, taken from sister ship G-SFLB

Ian has visited 191 different airfields in the C42, ranging from small grass farm strips to some larger UK airports including Alderney, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Exeter, Norwich, Oxford and Southend.

To mark the 100th airfield he visited he landed at Birmingham International, at one point No4 in the circuit to an Emirates A380 and two Ryanair 737s!

On the day he visited his 150th airfield he landed at the small hill top airfield of Nayland with its steep upslope, a little like landing at the famous Courcheval Altiport!

Like many UK private pilots, after waiting out the long groundings for Covid lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, Ian is now back in the air for more flying adventures.

Barbara boards G-FLYC at RAF Halton, November 2021

C42s G-SFLB and G-FLYC at RAF Halton, November 2021

Approaching Land’s End, the most westerly point of mainland England

G-FLYC Lands End airport October 2021

Naylands steep sloping runway, August 2021

Final approach to Nayland

Ian with C42 G-FLYC at Tatenhill 2019

Ikarus C42 G-FLYC in front of the old 1930s terminal at Birmingham, October 2018

Flying with record breaking Barbara

Barbara at the controls of C42 G-FLYC

Ian does most of his flying with Barbara, an amazing pilot who is 90 years old and still going strong. We believe she holds the UK record for qualifying for her private pilots license at the oldest age, 79 years old.

Barbara has joined Ian on many of his airfield adventures and has now passed 125 different airfields visited in the UK herself too.

Here are a selection of pictures from some of our past trips in the UK.