So Who Am I And Why Did I Decide To Start This Blog?

A bit of background to who I am. Well I've been an aviation enthusiast since childhood. My first airshow was at Woodford in 1978. I've been a spotter and a photographer on and off since then. Being from Hazel Grove in Stockport, Ringway and Woodford were my local airfields, both were visited regularly. I moved to Warrington in the late 90's which brought both Barton and Liverpool into closer range. I particularly enjoy watching the comings and goings at Barton on a sunny afternoon these days.

My current spotting interests (due to Covid) is largely Manchester and Liverpool Movements and both high and low level 'over-the-top' aircraft, particularly the large numbers of helicopters, including many military ones that pass over my home daily.

I've been a member of TAS (The Aviation Society) since 1981. Throughout the 80s their UK coach trips were my 'go to' for getting round the country. I went on a lot of the London Airports trips but my favorites were always the ones to airbases and airshows at lesser military bases such as Lee-On-Solent, Portland, Wyton, Alconbury and Leuchars. 

Thought I'd add a few things that still stick in my memory from way back:

• Sat at school watching the Vulcans coming into Woodford for modifications during the Falklands War in 1982, always far more interesting than double English!
• Family holidays in the early 80s to Black Rock Sands in North Wales where everyday you got to see the Hawks and Wessex from Valley and sometimes the more exotic Meteor's, Canberra's and Devon out of Llanbedr
• A TAS trip in 1983 to the Cosford Airshow. Wondered what was happening when we headed East on the M62 instead of South on the M6. We ended up going first to the Church Fenton airshow to see some Jordanian F-5A's that were there, then heading to Finningley where there was a deployment of twelve Columbia ANG F-4D Phantoms. We finally ended up at Cosford early afternoon.
• The wettest most miserable airshow I ever went to, the Lightning farewell airshow at Binbrook in 87 - Awful day but still worth it !! 
• Mildenhall Airshow's - the Bud', the burgers oh and the SR-71A Blackbird displays - nuff said!
• As I came out of my engineering apprenticeship in the early 90s I was given the new VCR at Manchester Airport to project manage all the new building services in (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Electrics, Lighting, data etc). What an experience, from converting the top floor of the tower block to a temporary VCR whilst the old one was lifted off to constructing the new one on top and handing it over. Not just an impressive job for the CV but I got to see the airport from a different viewpoint, including this particular diversion day:

• Lastly Champion's League Final day at Manchester Airport in May 2003, got there for gates open about 6am and then watched the constant stream of airlines and biz jets until late afternoon. Probably the best (modern) day I've had there! Sure beat those Sunday afternoon's in the early 80s when you had to decide whether to get the 4pm bus home or wait for the Lufty pig and get the 5pm!! 

Now

These days I don't get out and about half as much as I used to. The missus always has jobs for us to do and things to to sort at weekends. One bonus I do have is having a static caravan in Rhosneigr at the end of the RAF Valley runway so apart from the Hawks and Texans I get to see the odd Typhoon and F-15, also saw my first F-35 Lightning II there. 

Military aircraft have always been my preference but living in the North West, you've got to take what you can get. Working from home during the last twelve months because of Covid has livened things up though, especially the amount of military helicopters I see out of my garden, pairs of Apache, Puma and Chinook are fairly regular sights. Recently the Antonov's and Ilyushin's going in and out of Liverpool post Brexit have been a good distraction. 

So why write this blog? Well I've always been a big reader of aircraft books, especially those with a local slant. I've previously wrote blogs over the last 10 years on both current affairs and music but found after a few years you get a bit of writer's block, hence a change of subject. My plan is to write as I feel on subjects concerning aviation in the North West (and I include North Wales in that area). Articles could be on any subject, they could be simple fact based articles or opinion based