A bit about me: Paul Gibbs

[G-NIPR]

Hello Group,
Thought I would start off with a bit about me, I hope that the rest of you will introduce yourselves too.....
I have been a TAP (total aviation person) for all of my conscious life!
From being a spotter (NOT reg collector!) as a boy, to building r/c models and flying as an air cadet, onto gaining an ATPL commercial licence.
I was lucky enough to be awarded a flying scholarship by the RAF in 1991 at the age of seventeen, and went on to complete my PPL immediately after.
I spent a couple of years working for a small flying school as a general assistant, getting paid small amounts of cash and as much flying as I could grab.
Built my hours up to around 120 ish, tried unsuccessfully to join the RAF, and then was VERY lucky to be awarded a fully sponsored placement with Air Atlantique at Coventry.
After a year or so of doing menial jobs (from photocopying to hay bailing!) I completed my BCPL licence which allowed me to carry out aerial work.
First posting was to Lydd to fly the coastguard Islander (great fun, would go back if I could!), then after a year or so of that back to Coventry.
Flew various light twins (C402B, C402C, C404, C310) on aerial survey and pollution spotting flights. Once I had 700 hours I got my CPL, allowing me to fly public transport.
Got rated on the glorious Douglas DC6 and flew freight around Europe for around three years. In parallel with this got rated on my first turboprop, the Cessna F406, also as a freighter.
In 2000 took a transfer to Inverness, to work for Highland Airways (part of the Air Atlantique group) and got rated on the Jetstream 31, whilst continuing to fly the F406.
Jobs are many and varied up here, but include daily newspaper flights to the Scottish Islands (Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland), oil industry support flights as well as several scheduled runs.
I bought my Nipper in 1999, initially as a half share with my brother. Bought him out a few years ago, so now own it entirely.
In 2003 I commenced a full rebuild on G-AVXC (as she was known) and it is nearly finished. The restored aeroplane will be known as G-NIPR.
I still fly model aircraft, normally at least half dozen times each week, and have just bought a flexwing microlight (Pegasus XL-R).
I am a member of the PFA, BMAA and BMFA.
Total hours now around 6400, with 140 on Nippers.
As you may have deduced flying is my life, my work and my passion and is showing no sign of getting any less!
I hope the post has not bored you, and you will tell us all about YOUR flying background.
I look forward to reading it......


Happy Nippering.

Paul Gibbs
G-NIPR

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[Pat Blenkinsopp]

Greetings all, and Paul, (what a sensational flying career you have had Blimey a DC6 in yer logbook !)

I cannot hope to match Pauls wonderful flying career but my enthusiasm for flying is no less strong. As as small boy I seemed to be able to make any model fly reasonably well and having had great success with my Keil Kraft Cheif glider proceeded to start designing my own models, a trend that has continued ever since. Modeling wise my high spots were the 1992 British Nationals where i came 6th in F4C (class 1 scale) and 4th in clubman scale (both radio control for those not in the know) My F4C model was an SE5 to quarter scale and it beat Pete McDermotts Snipe on static marks for judging (Pete was the world champion at the time.....He has and continues to devote his life to exceptional scale flying models) he didnt talk to me for about a year!

Having had a false start in the world of art (Graphic design and ceramics) I joined the Royal Navy as a Chopper pilot and flew Gazelles and Wessex 5's. I achieved just under 500 hrs rotary before and ear infection killed my balance with regard to instrument flying I was ok in VFR but Ifr was a different story.
Frustrated at being grounded with the RN unwilling to fix me I left the RN to join the Royal Artillery. I spent The next 17 years teaching soldiers how to blow things up at a distance, and great fgun it was too.

Just about the time I was due to leave the Army I did my PPL and on leaving the Army I did my CPL (Having had my ear sorted out privately a dozen years earlier) My CPL was followed straigt away by the IR and instructors ratings.I instructed for six years on a part time basis and also did quite a bit of aerial work for a very well known photographer. The best job i did was to fly Patrick (the Photographer) the ENTIRE coast line of France at between 200 and 500 ft to take photos for a yatchtee publication called the Shell Channel Pilot. We did a similar publication flying from Blackpool all the way round the south coast around to Boston on the Wash. We even got permission to fly almost to Tower Bridge at 300 ft .That bit was Brilliant, but I doubt you could get that sort of clearance nowdays (post 9/11) All this was done in a Piper Cherokee retractable from the right hand seat (whilst Patrick clicked away through the DV window othe left side. The whole trip ended up unceremoniously with a wheels up landing at base (Old Sarum) due to a hydraulic power pack failure. My skill at flying left wing down at 65 kts in a big sideslip is unparralleled !!!

I first spotted a Nipper at Thruxton in 1973. It was love at first sight but I didnt have the 3500 quid the owner was asking. Last year (Aug) I bit the proverbial bullet and bought ASXI from Bryan Dixon up in Bagby. It took 3 magical hours to fly to Old Sarum, a trip I wont forget. I now have 54 hrs on type, and have had a blast during every one of them. I am beginning to get the hang af a few basic aerobatics and starting to link them together. Frankly you just cannot beat going up for a flight after work just as the sun is going down, throw in a few stress releaving aeros, join overhead and check to see if the CFI's car is in the car park...if not do a nice little run in at 120 mph and ease her allong the runway at 30 ft pulling up for a run in and break..Land....have a couple o beers and reflect on the joys of ownership of a Nipper! Doesnt actually get much better than that does it ?

I currently work as an aircraft enngineer at Old Sarum, and am a member of the PFA, BMFA and AOPA.

Hours to date: Hang Gliding 200+ (held the British distance record for one day in 1974 !!!, Gliding 100+, Rotary 500, Fixed wing 1200+ and the most exclusive aircraft I have flown is a Stinson Reliant (Says I to the owner Sir that was the Cadillac of the air...says the owner ..no my boy thats a Cord!!)

As Gibbsy said Happy Nippering

Regards,

Pat

[G-NIPR]

Hello Pat,
Thanks for the profile, made interesting reading. I'll swap you some 'six' time for some of your Wessex five time.
One of my favourite choppers, growing up alongside Lee on Solent as I did!
I remember at the age of around 12/13 being the only soul stood at the fence when 781 SAR flight dispanded and watching the two Wessex fly past with an
ensign on the winch. And the witch on broomstick act at the air days..... God I wish I was back there now, happy days so carefree.
That and the Wasp, can't beat them for pure character.

By the way when you first saw a Nipper I was being born! 1973 vintage myself that I am!!!

Paul.

[G-NIPR]

Blimey, it's six and a half years since I started the site and wrote the little bit about me.
Perhaps time for an update. Even the picture looks old!
Well after my last post in 2006, I stayed with Highland Airways for a very enjoyable further 3 years, and for reasons various, jumped out in January 2009. I was lucky enough (the word lucky appears often in my career) to join Flybe as a captain on the Dash 8 Q400. Funny looking stretched turboprop with 78 seats. Even luckier was that I managed to stay at my existing base of Inverness, minimising the upheaval for myself, my wife and newly born child.
The job was fairly routine compared to my Highland days, Manchester and back, Gatwick and back, you get the idea. However I liked the Dash. Speak to most who fly it, and they hate it. Most of the pilots I have flown with felt they wanted (or in some cases 'deserved') bigger, better and faster! For me though it was all of those things compared to the Jetstream!
It was also my first EFIS type, so that took a bit of getting used to.
I flew around 2500 hours on the type, and just recently have been transferred to my very first JET. The Embraer 175/195 or E-Jet as it is known in the industry. That word lucky was to return in a major way again. Within eight weeks I went from being fat dumb and happy, with no sign of any change on the horizon, to being put at risk of redundancy (seriously too, with scary paperwork generated and sent to me), to being placed on the Jet course and removed from 'risk'. A total and utter emotional roller coaster.
I completed the course, passed the skills test, and as I write this am preparing to fly six circuits in order to get the type on my licence.
I start line training in a week or so. By the the 3rd of June, all being well, I should be a checked out Embraer captain.
It has taken me 18 years of commercial flying to get here, but I took a non standard route. I wouldn't change any of it either. Perhaps I could have earned more earlier, but I have flown aircraft that I have always wished to, seen sights that regular airline pilots don't, and met some great people. Some of these jobs have gone now, probably never to return. The industry is evolving, perhaps in a better way for business, but certainly not for pilots.
I have always been rather sentimental about my flying, perhaps a little too much sometimes. I rather rashly bought the front end of a Jetstream I flew for 8 years, last year. Yes the whole bloody thing! I have spent much money and time filling the holes to make it a complete flightdeck, though entirely non-functioning. Plans are fluid at the moment, but hopefully will be as a roving exhibit to show air cadets and school kids what aviation is about. Makes for an interesting garden ornament anyway!
I hope for a calmer few years with career stability and peace of mind, and for the days when I just want to get airborne there is always the Nipper.
We are fortunate to have access to these little craft, which never cease to deliver whether it be lazy aeros, cross country experiences, 10,000ft climbs, or ultra low level (legal!) highland hedge hopping.
I turn 40 in November, got my ten thousandth hour in January, and my Nipper turns 50 in 4 years time, I hope to continue to fly her for as long as is possible to do so.
Will update again in another six years.
Cheers!

Paul.
G-NIPR.

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[Pat Blenkinsopp]

Nice one Gibbsy,
I think you have had the sort of flying career that I would have liked.
Only problem is I probably would have stuck with the island hoping thing
as thats the sort of flying I like.
Any way keep the faith and happy landings
Still trying to sell ASXI and have a chap from Belgium (also a commercial
pilot , freight) who seems interested.
All the best
Pat

[jockthenipper]

Hi Paul,

Sorry I missed you down here in Devon during your Embraer conversion course, maybe next time when you return for your first sim!! However, good to read about your career path in aviation.

For what it is worth, rather like the other contributors, I 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 last year.

Having just refurbished and permitted a VP1 that has sat in an ISO container for 28 years I was looking for 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.

The fuselage has now been completely repaired and awaits my collection at Airweld. I took the 'repair' opportunity to incorporate the separate rudder mod along with the tall pilot and additional rollover hoop improvements. Repairs are currently underway on the tailplane and elevators and I am planning to load test then recover the wing at the end of June when I have some leave. My biggest dilemma remains what to do with the engine? A cooking 1835cc or go for the full mod as per Neil Spooners beautiful G-ONCS? As always, money will probably dictate!!

Although G-CORD is being refurbished down here in Devon I will eventually migrate back north to St. Andrews 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?!!

Look forward to finally meeting up one day , in the meanwhile good luck with the Nipper and the jet!!

All the best, Peter