Michael Howard
My first flight was at the age of nine. My father, Roy who was an RAF pilot, took me up in a 'Chipmunk' single engine aircraft from Shoreham Airport in Sussex. We did loops and barrel rolls over the south coast - fantastic!
Roy taught me to fly when I was fifteen and after leaving school, I obtained my private pilot's licence (PPL), became a Flying Instructor and a PPL examiner by age 20.
During this period, I set up an air charter company flying out of Norwich and Aberdeen airports doing oil support air charters.
At 21, I qualified as a commercial pilot; I flew lots of different types of aircraft from small piston aeroplanes to corporate jets and eventually big jets; Boeing 737; 757 and 767's.
In early 2001 I left flying and built a large house in an eight-acre plot. It was a crazy thing to do but am very proud of this achievement.
In 2011 I went back into flying and instructing - teaching pilots to become Flying Instructors and running pilot seminars. Following that, I became a Flight Simulator Instructor/Examiner, training corporate jet pilots.
It was during this time that I met and married my wonderful wife Heather.
Heather read my 'Drug Smuggling Pilot' story: 'A Cold, Cold, Dish' (no, not me!!). She loved it and encouraged me to write 'Never Answer to a Whistle'.
I do hope you enjoy it - 'A Cold, Cold Dish' is next!
READ MORE