the Rookie Pilot's tie-down

Why 'Rookie Pilot'?  Well, when I first learnt to fly I felt I still had a lot to learn, and certainly a lot I wanted to achieve.  Now, the more I fly (and 'more' is only a pretty modest numbers of hours) I realise there's more still to learn.  I know this because I'm the one who sees first-hand the mistakes I still make, despite best endeavours.  I just hope I learn from them.  A pilot shouldn't stop learning - don't trust one who says (s)he's learnt it all.

'Rookie Pilot is also the nom de plume I assumed when I wrote some articles which were published in 'Private Pilot', an aviation magazine which ceased publication because somebody was more interested in buying its mailing list than than in the inherent value of the magazine.  Its a shame we have to suffer people like that.  You can read those articles in their original un-expurgated form, and others I've since written and published only via this web site, by following this link to Articles.

This background shot is at the 2004 'Flying Legends' warbirds display at Duxford, UK (EGSU).  Six spitfires make the break against an atmospheric sky, surely dancing on their 'laughter-silvered wings'.  Eleven flew that day.  Can you imagine being in one of those machines??  Heaven!      Click here to see some more Spitfires. 

Talking of 'laughter-silvered wings', most aviators will realise that those are not my own words, but a quotation from that well                           known poem by John Gillespie Magee Jnr's, 'High Flight'.  Most aviators know at least the first two lines of his wonderfully moving poem.  The whole text can be found if you follow the link                               but moreover, you will also learn a little about the man himself, which not too many people do know.

I'd also like to use this website to                               pay tribute to some of my fellow pilots who have been instrumental                           (no pun at all intended) in my flying experience, who have taught me something, sometimes about                                    myself.        You can find out who they are by following the link to                                     Significant Other Pilots.

If you don't mind looking at second rate photographs (I'm not a professional photographer and these days I tend to shoot mostly 5Mpx pictures on a Canon IXUS 500, although when I really want something special I'll still shoot slide film on either a Canon EOS-10D or one of my two vintage Olympus OM-1s) you can help yourself to my Aviation Photo Gallery.

If you actually wanted to hear something about my personal attitude towards flying, you could go to Perspectives in Aviation Safety.   This web-cast is hosted by Kathleen O'Brien, the Flight Safety Manager of the Long Beach Flight Standards District Office.  She's a charming lady, by far the most friendly face in the FAA you could imagine.  OK, so the FAA is a beaurocracy, but don't knock everyone in it - there must be other Kathleens too, maybe at better odds than finding intelligent life on other planets!!  Anyway, for some reason she wanted to interview me for her programme, which you can listen to if you don't have paint to watch dry (I make that remark in respect of myself, not of the other interviewees).

Please also help yourself to my personal selection of Aviation Links.  I've avoided the obvious DUAT and FAA sites, etc., on the assumption that a serious pilot can find them out for themselves.

Safe landings.

Send feedback to RookiePilot@Wilsher.net

All photographs and text on these web pages are copyright Richard G. Wilsher unless otherwise credited.