Listed below are some recent flying achievements by club members.
As the list is probably incomplete, feel free to notify the webmaster if
you think someone should be added to the listing. We tend not to mention
ever step in the process to raising a pilot's qualifications, usually the
completed qualification or major steps.
PS I've been told that there were more first solos and badges in 2011, but if
you don't tell me who did what, I can't add anything.
2012
Solo
It's early, but who will get here first.
Badges
It's early, but who will get here first.
Others
Chris Palmer - BI rating, January
2011
Solo
Alex Furness-Smith - November
Terry Mitchell - November (a year after his bother Tom)
Natasha Spottiswood - September
Robert Foster - June, Going for Solo course
Lizzie Pike - April, after a 12 year break
John MacFarlane - Apri, Going for Solo course
Vieri Abolaffio - April
Chris Ballance - March, the first University student to go solo in 2011
Badges
Fran Aitken - Diamond Height
John Roberts - Diamond Height
Charles Jessop - Diamond Height (5000m / 16000'+ height gain)
Ollie Bosanko - Diamond Distance (502km)
Lee Hitchins - Bronze badge
Jon Verrill - Silver badge completed, 5 years after first part completed
Others
Clive Dalzell - Assistant Instructor rating
Vicky Smith - Assistant Instructor rating
Charles Jessop - Assistant Instructor rating, at the age of 19!
Pete Harvey - FIRST in the Open Class Nationals
Dave Watt - second in the 15m Nationals
Derren Francis - second in the 18m Nationals
Charles Jessop - Basic Instructor rating, May
Jollien Chow - Basic Instructor rating, March
Alan Jenkins - Basic Instructor rating, March
Richard Markham - Basic Instructor rating, March
Phillipa Roberts - Basic Instructor rating, March
2010
Solo
Lee Hitchins (November)
Brad Walker (November), age 19
Simon Jones (September)
Tom Mitchell (September, age 19)
Tim Ambler (August after 20 year break)
Mitch Hankus (August)
Gerard Vegrych (June, Going for Solo course)
Pete Garrett (May)
Susan Waring (May, on an Intensive Training course, after a a break
of over two years)
Tom Fanner-Hoskin (April, on a Going for Solo course)
Tara Slater (April, after a two year break due to work)
Ron Smith (April, on a Going for Solo course)
Rory Barker (February, OUGC student)
Badges
Phil Gardener - 58km flight to complete his Siver Badge (September)
James Best - 300km flight to complete Gold Badge (only went solo two
years ago!)
Nigel Gough - 500km cross-country (July)
Debbie Thomas - 300km cross-country (June, in a glider ten years older
than herself!)
Tom Mitchell - Centennial Fund Gliding Scholarship
Pete Harvery - 6th in World Championships
Maz Makari - Second in World Advanced Aerobatic Known Round
Ollie Bosanko - Assistant Instructor Rating
Paul Jessop - Assistant Instructor Rating
The Bicester Aerobatic Team, for totally dominating the National Glding
Aerobatic Championships!
Beginners - Rachael Brewin 1st, Gem Roberston 2nd,
Sports - Sally Cooper 1st, Richard Chapman 3rd,
Intermediate - Dave Morgan 1st.
Advanced - Maz Makari 2nd ( very close 2nd ).
Unlimited - Mike Newman 1st
Rachel Brewin - Second in the Booker Aerobatic comp
Paul Maco - First in Bicester Aerobatic comp (Beginners Class)
Richard Chapman - First in Bicester Aerobatic comp (Sports Class)
Dave Morgan - First Dan Smith Aerobatic Comp.
Maz Makari - Second Dan Smith Aerobatic Comp.
Sal Cooper - Third Dan Smith Aerobatic Comp.
2009
Solo
Max Skoda (November)
Mark Forster (October)
John Potter (September)
Jamie Williams (September)
Simon Parr (September) just two weeks after taking up gliding!
David Parr - saw a glider for the first time on Monday, soloed it on
Friday after a mere 30 launches! (September)
Zeferino Raposo ((September)
Jan Kortyczko (September)
Christopher Allen (August)
Alister Driver, 17, (August)
Nick van Holstein (August)
Mary Jullien (August) after a ten year break from gliding.
Patrick Kearon (July), just two weeks after taking up gliding!
Andy Mayer (July)
Sean Kearon (June), after a seven year break from gliding.
Jennifer Willis, 17, (June)
Paul Farrelly (June)
James Duncan (May)
Richard Markham (May) after a six year break from gliding.
Phil Abbott (May), after a 24 year break from gliding.
Chris Fernau (February)
Badges
Jeremy Heath - Silver Distance (September)
Charles Jessop - Bronze and Cross Country Endorsement (August)
James Best - Silver (April)
Dan Goodman - Silver (April)
Richard Lever - Silver (April)
Corbin Davies - Silver (April)
Lukas Brandt - completed Gold badge (March)
Others
Dave Watt - second in the 15m Nationals (10 points behind the winner)
Fran Aitken - 8th in the Junior Nationals
Derren Francis - fourth in the 18m Nationals - only beaten by some World
and European champions
Pete Harvey - Winner European Open Class Championship
- for the third time in a row
AND Winner of the UK Open Class National Championships
John Roberts - second Bicester Regionals (Open Class)
Martin Durham - third Bicester Regionals (Open Class)
Sunay Shah - Winner of the Bicester Regionals (Sports Class)
Ian Smith / Micky Boik - second Bicester Regionals (Sports Class)
Cris Emson / Red Staley - third Bicester Regionals (Sport Class)
Maz Makari - Winner British Aerobatics Championship Sports Class
Corbin Davies - fourth place British Aerobatics Championship Beginners
Class
2008
Solo
Richard Wilkens (December) convert from power flying
Charles Jessop (October)
Jeremy Heath (September)
Steve Oddy (August)
James Best (July)
Daniel Marszalec (July)
Dave Burrett (May)
Tara Salter (May)
James Krautgartner (March)
Kirsty McNaught - first of the new year, from OUGC (February)
George Tvalashvili - first solo in the motor glider (January)
Badges
Rogier "Rocky" Westerhuis completed his Bronze (December)
Pete Cadle completed his Silver (September)
Jolien Chow completed her Silver (August)
Matt Turnbull - 500km (July)
Philippa Roberts completed her Silver. (July)
Seth Helstrip - completed Bronze and cross-country endorsement and completed Silver. (July)