Nipper Novice
Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2012 12:14 pm
Hello,
Have just been registered onto the group site so thought I would take the opportunity to introduce myself. I am Peter Gilmour and have been involved in aviation in one way or another as long as I have had a conscious memory! Possibly due to being brought up in St. Andrews and watching Javelins and Lightnings at Leuchars from a very early age! I consider myself as extremely fortunate as I have been able to live my dream job ever since the age of 19 when I joined the RAF,spending almost my entire career on the F4, before retiring in 1991 and moving into commercial aviation. I then flew for a variety of companies, including Loganair on the ATP and Airworld on the A320 before joining,what was then, Air 2000. That airline has undergone several gestations since then hence I find myself now with Thomson Airways currently flying the B737-800 out of Exeter.
I have always retained an affinity to light aircraft ever since my first solo in a Chipmunk and I instructed for a while at Tayside Aviation while still in the RAF, based at Leuchars. It was this connection that later led to me flying G-AVXD from Manchester to Dundee for Lovat Fraser, the MD of Tayside. That first introduction to the Nipper has always stayed with me and, what remained a latent desire to own a Nipper, finally became a reality a few days ago!
Having just refurbished and permitted a VP1 that has sat in an ISO container for28 years i was looking fir a new project. a new build Nipper was on the list of possibilities and so it was during a conversation with Paul Grellier, at Airweld, that I became aware of G-CORD, a Mk3 that was damaged in a landing accident. A visit to Paul's workshop and some straight negotiation and the deal was done.
So I am now the owner of a rather sad looking Nipper and several boxes of bits! However, I am determined that she will fly again and be right up there amongst the best in class. As for timescales I am not going to speculate as I will do everything properly. There is also the other slight matter of building an RV8 with my brother-in-law in my garage back home in St. Andrews, so the Nipper is intended to keep me amused while i am working down here in Devon. There is one thing I would ask, please do not forward this post to my wife, she does not know I have bought the Nipper and she was expecting a new bathroom this winter!
I have had a quick scan through your site and I can sense a great spirit of camaraderie and mutual support from pilots who truly love flying their aircraft and after all, that is what it is all about.
Although I will refurbish G-CORD down here in Devon I will eventually migrate back north when retirement comes along in 5 years time! So I hope to add to the swelling ranks of the Scottish Nipper contingent, or will that be the Free Scottish Air Force by then?!!
I look forward to meeting you all and asking many obvious questions so I ask for your patience in advance for the forthcoming rebuild.
All the best, Peter
Have just been registered onto the group site so thought I would take the opportunity to introduce myself. I am Peter Gilmour and have been involved in aviation in one way or another as long as I have had a conscious memory! Possibly due to being brought up in St. Andrews and watching Javelins and Lightnings at Leuchars from a very early age! I consider myself as extremely fortunate as I have been able to live my dream job ever since the age of 19 when I joined the RAF,spending almost my entire career on the F4, before retiring in 1991 and moving into commercial aviation. I then flew for a variety of companies, including Loganair on the ATP and Airworld on the A320 before joining,what was then, Air 2000. That airline has undergone several gestations since then hence I find myself now with Thomson Airways currently flying the B737-800 out of Exeter.
I have always retained an affinity to light aircraft ever since my first solo in a Chipmunk and I instructed for a while at Tayside Aviation while still in the RAF, based at Leuchars. It was this connection that later led to me flying G-AVXD from Manchester to Dundee for Lovat Fraser, the MD of Tayside. That first introduction to the Nipper has always stayed with me and, what remained a latent desire to own a Nipper, finally became a reality a few days ago!
Having just refurbished and permitted a VP1 that has sat in an ISO container for28 years i was looking fir a new project. a new build Nipper was on the list of possibilities and so it was during a conversation with Paul Grellier, at Airweld, that I became aware of G-CORD, a Mk3 that was damaged in a landing accident. A visit to Paul's workshop and some straight negotiation and the deal was done.
So I am now the owner of a rather sad looking Nipper and several boxes of bits! However, I am determined that she will fly again and be right up there amongst the best in class. As for timescales I am not going to speculate as I will do everything properly. There is also the other slight matter of building an RV8 with my brother-in-law in my garage back home in St. Andrews, so the Nipper is intended to keep me amused while i am working down here in Devon. There is one thing I would ask, please do not forward this post to my wife, she does not know I have bought the Nipper and she was expecting a new bathroom this winter!
I have had a quick scan through your site and I can sense a great spirit of camaraderie and mutual support from pilots who truly love flying their aircraft and after all, that is what it is all about.
Although I will refurbish G-CORD down here in Devon I will eventually migrate back north when retirement comes along in 5 years time! So I hope to add to the swelling ranks of the Scottish Nipper contingent, or will that be the Free Scottish Air Force by then?!!
I look forward to meeting you all and asking many obvious questions so I ask for your patience in advance for the forthcoming rebuild.
All the best, Peter
