Winter draws on again... crisp beautiful flying days and also the evening sky is spectacular!  Although there was fog all around us, Enstone was bathed in sun this week, so we all took some video and pictures!      Rescue Mission to Welshpool Fridays successful rescue mission to bring G-BWPH back from Welshpool. Gill and student Anton ferried Alex Sears and Skipper, as part of a navigation lesson. Paul was taken along to hand-swing the temperamental PA28 into starting.  The first image below is arriving at Welshpool...🫣 The subsequent pictures were taken as Gill and Anton flew back in G-BXSD and Alex flew BWPH home through the torrid weather with Paul.  It is always good to have a second pilot on board, even if it's to take pictures! She has currently, (G-BWPH, not Alex), been made to sit in a corner at Oxford Airport with LS Airmotive awaiting investigation by Liam and his team as to why she keeps refusing to start.      We have much to celebrate in this newsletter: Students; the weather;  clouds and we've been flying!  Congratulations to Dominic and Sergey Congratulations to Dominic Lyons & Sergey Ichtchenko on both gaining their Pilots licences on Tuesday this week, an exciting day for us and a fabulous achievement for Dominic and Sergey.  Both with a story to tell....  Dominic (above) started his training elsewhere but came to us because he didn't think he was making enough progress and wanted to be fast tracked.  Instructor Richard Pitts pulled out all the stops to get him to solo and then to pilot, in a few weeks. Despite the common delays with flying, one of which was the weather meaning we had to postpone his skills test... Eventually we were gifted the perfect day! Thanks to Richard for the training and examiner Dave Wilco for taking him through his skills test; we now have another great Pilot AND Dominic's Dad is coming on board soon, to get his Enstone Pilot Wings too! Sergey (above) already had a pilots licence in Finland but had to sit a couple of ground exams and a UK skills test to fly whilst he is studying in Oxford. Gill McNeil, prepped him and put him through his skills test, thankfully he passed with flying colours!  Sergey wants to encourage more young local students to powered flight. Congratulations Also to Conor Lastly this week... but by absolutely no means least:  Conor Horgan (above) completed his solo cross country on Thursday, 10 days before his 17th Birthday. The team loves how this studious young man, who appears so chilled has flourished... I hope he does't mind us reporting that when he went solo for the first time he said he was "absolutely petrified" and now here he is navigating unaided, we can't wait to see him get his wings and take his Mum, Anne, flying. Enstone Young Pilots Can Fly  a Plane Solo on Their 16th Birthdays! .     We love celebrating with pilots of any age, but we are often asked: What age do you have to be to learn to fly?   You can start learning to fly at any age, provided you can reach the pedals and see out over the dash of the aircraft! Our youngest student, Simon, was 12 years old when he started.  Hi, I'm Simon  I started flying at EFC when I was only 12 because of my sheer amazement for aircraft as a younger child. I slowly but surely completed all the necessary practical and theoretical components required in good time, achieving my PPL a month after my 17th birthday. The quality of instruction and personalised support was great. Now I am considering a career in Commercial aviation thanks to the team at EFC. We have no trouble finding youngsters who are eager to learn and we would love to encourage more girls into flying. It is possibly, THE greatest confidence booster for any young person and, although challenging, we find that youngsters have the “can do" attitude to flying. The Cessna 152 is one of the best training aircraft in the world, easy to fly with great views from the cockpit. G-BODO has helped hundreds of people to become pilots, if her airframe could talk what tales she could tell… The video below is one of our students completing his solo navigation in G-BODO. Landing on runway 08 at Enstone airfield EGTN with our main hangar and clubhouse in the background. We always advise a trial lesson before deciding; the lesson counts towards a  licence. Our goal is to get students flying solo on or around their 16th Birthday. Just part of the journey to gaining a pilot’s licence which you could attain on their  17th birthday. There is no best time of year to start flying training, as you know the summers can be awful and the winters fabulous in the UK or visa versa. School holiday, intensive courses are a great way to fill those long days! These are some testimonials from our young pilots and their parents. "The trial lesson was a fantastic opportunity to get a feeling for flying an aircraft on your own and Anton loved it from that moment on.  Anton  Enstone Flying Club provides a very flexible teaching schedule, the trainers are very professional, very friendly and very adaptive to individual preferences.  The environment is very relaxed, almost family like, yet professional and aircraft are always available."   Sebastian When he was 11, instead of a conventional present, Sebastian opted to “do something fun” and chose a trial flight at Enstone. He loved it and, at 14, started on the PPL flight training course at Enstone Flying Club. As he cannot get his licence until he is 17, there is no urgency and he fits in his lessons during school holidays. His instructor and the team at Enstone have been incredibly friendly and encouraging and he not only loves the flying itself but also the whole process of learning to be a pilot. Apart from the sheer joy of flying a plane, learning to fly safely requires technical skills, organisation, attention to detail, observation, calmness and the ability to make informed decisions. From a parent’s perspective, these are important life skills whatever career he chooses. A Guide to the costs 'Going solo' on their 16th birthday is the first part of gaining a licence, you can view a complete breakdown guide to of all the costs in gaining your licence by clicking here  to go to our website or call Paul and Angela during business hours. 01608 678204 Christmas Sizzle on 14th December Enstone Christmas Sizzle!  Saturday 14th December members can enjoy a log fire... mince pies and sausage rolls, we would love to say thank you for being an amazing member this year! 10am to 1pmish. Festive hot drinks / mince pies and Paul's never beaten sausage rolls... along with the usual yummy breakfast rolls etc. Christmas jumpers welcome.🎄 All Members are welcome to share a bit of christmas cheer with us🎅🏽 🧑‍🎄 Christmas Hours: There will be a member of the team here over the Christmas Period but Students should check with Instructors to see if they are available between Christmas and the New Year for lessons.

Check out the local weather from our website ...      Paul, Angela and Millie :-)                           MILLIE-MOG SPOT:      Sage advice from the caretaker of the Flying-Club: .   "Flying is no big deal, we cats dream of flying and          practice in our sleep:  Climbing and steep turns in mid air are no problem.... just don't ask us to adjust our attitude.