The On-Track Aviation Team
 

 

 alan newton
Alan Newton - Born in Cheshire and after leaving College joined the Royal Air Force in 1979. During his 18 years in the Royal Air Force Alan saw operational tours on the Victor during the Falklands Conflict and the VC10 during the Gulf War. He also spent many years as a flying instructor on the Tucano and Jet Provost teaching both ab-initio and qualified pilots gaining an A2 Instructor Category. After leaving the Royal Air Force Alan joined Cathay Pacific Airways flying the Boeing 747-400. He is an RTF Examiner and Flight Instructor Examiner on both land and seaplanes. Alan is a co-founder of On-Track Aviation Limited and is the Head of Training. 

 
Mark Young - Born in London and was educated in South Devon before joining the Royal Air Force as an Aircraft Engineer in 1977. During his 17 years service he worked on several aircraft types and complexity. He gained his PPL in 1984 and progressed onto becoming a flying instructor at several locations around the UK. After leaving the Royal Air Force Mark joined CSE Aviation Limited as an engineer and eventually joining Oxford Air Training School (OATS) as a Commercial Pilot Instructor. Mark subsequently became the Flight Training Manager Modular Flying Courses at OATS. Mark has flown the Fokker F27 for Channel Express, Shorts Skyvan for Babcock Defence Services and the Dash 8 for Airsouthwest. As well as his flying and engineering background he also has a degree in Professional Studies in education which he studied for at Oxford Brookes University. Mark is a co-founder of On-Track Aviation Limited and is the CPL CFI. He is also an FIC instructor, PPL Flight Examiner and CPL 170A Examiner. 

 John Halstead
John Halstead - Born in Yorkshire in 1946 and after leaving school he joined the Royal Air Force as an apprentice. Commissioned in 1967 John went onto completed pilot training after which he flew the Dominie and Brittania before becoming a flying instructor. His career as a flying instructor eventually lead him to achieving an A1 Instructor Category after which he joined the ranks of the Royal Air Force Central Flying School Examining Wing. After a final tour on the VC10, John joined Virgin Atlantic Airways flying the Boeing 747. In the summer of 2003 John retired from Virgin Atlantic Airways and continues to pursue his love of flying with On-Track Aviation. John is a Flight Instructor Examiner. 

 Mike Grierson
Mike Grierson - Trained as a radio engineer before joining the Royal Air Force where he served as a navigator on the Victor, Hercules, VC10, Devon and DC3. In addition, Mike graduated from the Staff Navigation Course, instructed at the Royal Air Force Officer Cadet Training Unit and was the Operations Support Manager for the Tristar. After a long career in the Royal Air Force Mike joined the CAA as a Training Standards Inspector in 1995, retiring in May 2008. He obtained his PPL in 1989, BCPL with AFI rating in 1992 and went onto gain an ATPL 4 years later. As a flying instructor Mike has taught students on RAF Flying Scholarships, PPL and Flying Instructor Courses. Mike was awarded the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators Master Air Navigator Certificate in 2000. He is an RTF Examiner and a Flight Instructor Examiner.

 patrick plunkett
Patrick Plunkett - Pat was born in 1945 and while studying Physics at University, joined the University Air Squadron. He started full time Royal Air Force service in 1967. All his operational flying was on large jets and included 4 tours of duty on the Victor and one on the E3-D AWACS. Patrick was also a flying instructor on Chipmunks and Bulldogs. After leaving the Royal Air Force, Pat joined Oxford Aviation Training (OAT) in 1999 instructing CPL/IR courses on both single and multi-engine aircraft. Pat retired from Oxford Aviation Training (OAT) in the summer of 2005. He is a Flight Instructor Examiner and CPL 170A Examiner.

 Nick Heard
Nick Heard - Nick was born in Stoke-on-Trent and learned to fly in 1977 at Teesside Airport with an RAF Flying Scholarship. He completed his education at University, where he flew Bulldogs with the University Air Squadron. He joined the RAF in 1981 and, after completing flying training, became a Jet Provost QFI. In 1987 Nick moved onto the Tornado GR1 which he flew for ten years, flying in the 1991 Gulf War and completing instructional and standardisation tours afterwards in the UK and Germany. He gained A2 instructor qualifications on both the Jet Provost and Tornado. After leaving the RAF in 1997, Nick flew the Fokker F50 for KLMuk before joining Cathay Pacific Airways in 2000 flying the Boeing 747-400. Nick holds a JAA FI Rating and is a correspondent for the LOOP magazine.

Alec Trevett - Born in Wiltshire and started gliding as a 'mere lad' with the Air Training Corps at South Cerney . Commissioned into the Royal Air Force in 1973 as a fighter controller and over a 30 year career served in a wide range of operational, training, examining, command and staff appointments in the UK and overseas including Germany, Belgium and the Falkland Islands. Took up recreational powered flying in 1985 and completed his PPL at RAF Halton where subsequently he became a part-time FI. Alec was trained as an FI by On-Track Aviation and has since been teaching PPL students and conducting both tail wheel and AOPA Aerobatic Certificate training on the Chipmunk. He served as the Aviation Safety Member for the RAF Flying Clubs Association (RAFFCA) from 2003 to 2005 and represented the Association at meetings of the General Aviation Safety Council (GASCo). Since leaving the RAF in early 2003 Alec has worked for Lockheed Martin STASYS and, more recently taken up a position within the CAA Safety Regulation Group. Alec is an FIC instructor and an RTF Examiner.


Nick Heard
Aiden Brown - Aiden has spent most of his 34 years living in the Warwickshire area. He initially learnt to fly in the Air Cadets and completed his PPL at Wellesbourne. After 2 years studying aeronautical engineering at Farnborough he undertook the self improver route to gain a professional flying licence. After towing gliders and hours building in the USA he qualified as an flying instructor and was offered a job at Wellesbourne. In 1999 Aiden joined Oxford Air Training (OAT) where he instructed for the CPL in both the USA and UK. His final 2 years at OAT were spent instructing integrated and modular students for the ME IR. In 2005, Aiden joined Flybe based at Birmingham flying the Dash 8-400Q. Aiden is an FIC instructor.

Mike McKinley - Mike joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1959 and trained on Jet Provosts and Vampires. His main operational flying was in helicopters: Whirlwinds in Borneo in the mid sixties during the small war euphemistically called Confrontation, and then in Northern Ireland during the troubled early seventies. Between and after those times he did a lot of fixed wing basic instruction, including time on the staff of the RAF Central Flying School , both as a staff instructor and an examiner. He left the RAF in 1979 and did many things unconnected with flying. But he kept his flying going by instructing, mostly on the Cessna range of 150s, 152s and 172s. He had a finale of full time flying teaching Army pilots on the Slingsby Firefly for five years. He now flies just for fun in a variety of aircraft types including Chipmunks and Tiger Moths. Mike is a JAA FI.

Peter Thompson - Peter joined the Royal Air Force as an electronics apprentice in 1958, and was commissioned as an Air Electronics Officer in 1964. Following 4 years on Shackleton aircraft he retrained as a pilot, completing advanced flying training on the Gnat in 1969. He attended the CFS instructors course in 1970, following which he served as a QFI on the Jet Provost, gaining A2 QFI standard and qualifying as an IRE. In 1973 he was seconded to British Aerospace in Saudi Arabia , instructing on the BAC 167 Strikemaster, leaving in 1977 to join Laker Airways as a DC-10 pilot. With the demise of Laker Airways he returned to the world of military aviation as a civilian instructor on the Strikemaster in Ecuador, teaching at all levels from basic to weapons and tactics. In 1984 he returned to Saudi Arabia to instruct on the Strikemaster, becoming the OC Standards and then CFI. In 1993 he returned to the UK to take up a position instructing with the Joint Elementary Flying Training School on the T67 Firefly, initially as a Flight Commander and latterly as Head of Training. This was followed in 1995 by a move to Oxford to manage the Skyvan military parachuting contract which ended in 2006. In addition to being an FIC instructor, he is an authorised CRE/IRRE.


Faith Young - Born in Northampton, Faith started flying aged 17. She then became a part time motor glider instructor teaching the Air Cadets and Combined Cadet Forces which she did for seven years. More recently she has been working part time as a FISO. Faith is our full time operations and administration support manager whose duties include co-ordinating the training programme as well as dealing with general enquiries and other administrative roles. She will normally be the first person you speak to when you contact us.

Ian Alexander - Ian who lives in Solihull learnt to fly at Wellesbourne eventually gaining his PPL. He works part time as an Operations / Administrator to cover holiday and sickness. Ian also runs his own engineering company.

Jacob Johnson - Born in 1991 in Redditch, Jacob has always been interested in flying. After leaving full time education he has held various jobs before joining our team as a sales assistant in our Pilot Shop. Jacob is training for his PPL (A) at Wellesbourne Aerodrome and hopes to eventually become a corporate pilot.