Friday 18 May 2012
Hello
You shouldn't be reading this. It's become, in part, my journal and isn't meant for other folk. It started off with light hearted stuff but then became a tad intense... Jonathan if you ever read this stuff again. Remember you're an idiot. And keep smiling.
Please note; the following text details a certain amount about the story of the flight. There's a seperate page, somewhere, detailing a few of my adventures. There maybe a book that that'll wiggle it's way out of my experiences hence there's some funny stuff, some sad stuff & some slightly worrying stuff. There's also too much honesty thrown in.
18.08.09 - Contacted Cancer Research UK to offer my fund raising services. Also spoke to Guinness to check about the record. Don't currently have a licence hence need to address this too !
19.08.09 - Contacted my local flying school to see whether I could borrow an aircraft for 80 days.
19.08.09 - Spoke to the Legal Brokers Ltd team & asked for their funding and support.
25.08.09 - Unsurprisingly told no I couldn't rent, borrow or blag an aircraft for the required period from the flight school.
25.08.09 - Contacted the UK importer of the CTSW microlight & asked to purchase an aircraft.
14.09.09 - Very politely told I couldn't purchase an aircraft. The chap was very nice about it.
16.09.09 - After many chats with the importer (thanks Oliver) and a "good word" put in by a gent called Chris I've been allowed to buy an aircraft. Putting a big deposit down but it's an £70k aircraft and some monies will be financed.
24.09.09 - Permanent hangarage space booked at Barton. Chicken & egg syndrome. ie. no aircraft but paying for space to put it in already....
29.09.09 - Spoke to a lady called Kat at the Bolton News and an article ran in the paper.
01.10.09 - Invited on BBC Radio Manchester (Alan Beswick) to briefly discuss the trip. Nice enough chap. Think he thought I was a bit of a twit. Perceptive chap.
09.10.09 - The Weekly News (national paper) are running the story.
16.10.09 - Slight headache with the aircraft finance. The finance company want all the aircrafts details providing prior to releasing the funds. The importers only want to provide that info when the funds have been forwarded. Headaches abound.
25.10.09 - Had two thousand glossy A6 fliers printed & said we'd offer "free flights for generous donations" on them. Which I didn't think would be a problem as all the monies would go to the charity... but it's been suggested to me that this might not be allowed by the authorities (for reasons I don't understand)... I've emailed the British Microlight Association and await their feedback.... It's not easy raising money for charity these days !!
13.11.09 - Generally not my favourite day to even get out of bed (Friday 13th)... but the Finance agreement has been signed & the massive deposit for the aircraft is being handed over today. Unless anything else goes wrong the count down to the aircraft being delivered should commence now.
23.11.09 - To this point Legal Brokers Ltd has invested £22,000 in the trip. Ouch!
25.11.09 - A) Story ran in Lancashire Living today. B) Been told twice today, by seperate folk, that I'm going to fly into a mountain. C) Mum's getting worried & keeps inviting me round for tea. D) The insurance company don't want to insure me for certain parts of the world... Apparently some countries are dangerous... I have decided to be shocked by this revelation.
27.11.09 - Special clearance is required, by the military authorities, for flights into Russian & Chinese airspace... this'll be a fun process to go through.
28.11.09 - Spoke to great man called Colin Bodill who holds the RTW "flex wing" record. ie. traditional looking microlight. He had a nightmare dodging monsoons, people waving guns in his face, being delayed in Russia for 17 days, being interrogated in China for 3 days and having to make emergency landings in the US etc etc... sounds like fun... Mum will have a fit if she reads about Colin's exploits...
My major anxiety, though, is centred around my "toiletary" needs during the flight.... Death I can confront. Having to do my "business" in the aircraft & then keep it company for hours I don't think I can face in the same butch way.
02.12.09 - Working through a "flight clearance company" to gain flying privileges through various countries. Todays headache is that Myanmar (Burma) doesn't seem to have aircraft fuel for sale......
03.12.09 - We've been approaching the Press again today & it's been suggested that we write a book... The communal thought then became, "what if the hypothetical book became a film".... and we all started to ponder who'd play who... I was hoping Alan Davies would play me (querky, well intentioned, not overly bright - should've been Dr Who) but the office Mafia have decided it'd need to be Matt Lucas... cheeky buggers !
11.12.09 - Despite having a face for Radio... I've been asked to give a TV interview on, Manchesters, Channel M.... they say they'll follow the story and create a series of reports covering the build up to the flight & the trip itself. We've also approached the Discovery Channel.
15.12.09 - Received an honourable mention on Tower FM.
16.12.09 - Last night I had to go through the horrible process of discussing my Will with Mum & Dad. I need to find a capable Executor to look after my neices long term future, (more information than you need but I'm a straight, single, man with no kids) adopt the cat and possibly take over Legal Brokers Ltd in the event I bump into something. The flight originally seemed like a great adventure but thinkin' about all this stuff isn't what you'd call a good laugh... D'oh.
17.12.09 - Ying & yang. Yesterday sadness, today humour. The Aircraft registration details have come through. It's call sign, as randomly assigned by the CAA, will be G-CGIZ.... Hence it seems I'll be Captain GIZ... which made the children in the office laugh...
24.12.09 - One of our biggest clients, at Legal Brokers, was taken into a form of administration today by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Hence it seems like we've potentially lost £33,000 (+) which, 18 months ago, would have had me bouncing off the ceiling....
I'm a lot better at dealing with the pressures of running a business, these days, but this wasn't great news on Christmas Eve. There's a chance we'll get our funds if the SRA's agents help.... common sense needs to prevail....Otherwise I've been advised to sue the SRA and their agents which I'd rather not do. It's never easy dealing with the legal profession, though. Generally not nice folk.
I was hoping to purchase an "aircraft parachute" hence in the event of a problem I press a button, in the aircraft, and both myself and the aircraft float ('ish) down to earth... the loss of the monies means I won't be able to invest in this system.
07.01.10 - Had an email from the firm I'm using for international flight clearances and apart from listing headaches with various Visa's, Military clearances, trips needed to numerous London Embassies etc.... the bullet point detailing Turkey reads exactly as follows;
"Turkey - very suspicious of microlights, they will allow you through though, but no changes will be permitted. We lost a client in a microlight enroute from Trabzon to Tabriz, he got lost in non-VFR conditions and flew into a mountain".....
Cheerful stuff.
08.01.10 - Decided that just in case I do come to a sticky end (Bah humbug) I'll put sufficient funds in my Will so that everyone who's made a donation can spend an evening at Manchester's Comedy Store & get drunk on me. The Will also covers "forfeits". ie. folk will have to do "stuff" to benefit from my reluctant demise. Should be funny.
20.01.10 - 1.58AM I hate mornings. Chuckin' it down outside. Pitch black... 2 hours ago a matey of mine, cheers Pete, sent me a picture text of a headline in the Daily Mail.
In short a chap called Martin Bromage crashed his Microlight into the sea on the first day of his Charity flight to Australia....For some reason this news has kept me awake.... I need to come clean, at this horrible time in the AM, and admit that whilst the flight is aimed at honouring the name of Audrey Moore (who sadly died of Cancer) it's also a way to help me move past my failed relationship with DW. In case you stumble across this at some time, spud, I know it's been over a year since we split, and you've moved on, but please know that I loved you and I'm desperately sad we couldn't work through the issues. We're both fools. My Will's pretty much sorted now and you'll get a chunk of cash if I do bounce off, collide with or struggle with my doggy paddle (ie. ditch in some sea or other). Part of the cash is for a holiday for you, and your chap, in South Aftrica. I figure you can do the diving with Sharks, thing, and get a tan too. The rest should be enough for a reasonable deposit on a house..... Mr Martin Bromage, and family, I salute you.
Going to try sleeping now I've got this off my chest...
21.01.10 - To try to lighten the mood, after last nights lack of sleep, I'm reminded of a really funny Billy Connolly sketch regarding Wildebeests. DW shall henceforth be referred to as Agnes. As a point of reference I'll, most likely, be one of the Wildebeests. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vItQtTZTcAk. Enjoy.
21.01.10 - Struggling with the SRA and Intervention agents. The bad debt is £44k. No one's being helpful. Two lawyers in particular are being distinctly unpleasant. It's all going in the book I'm writing !
22.01.10 - Met the Bury North MP, David Chaytor, this afternoon (my parents are enlisting the support of David Crausby MP) with a view to contacting the Law Society & their Intervention agents (DWF). This might not sound as if it's anything to do with the flight.... but if I can get the funds we're owed I'll invest in the aircraft parachute system... I have to say David was very helpful. He struck me as a genuine chap & I'd vote for him.
If you know a little about politics you'll know that David's had a few problems recently. Say no more.
01.02.10 - A chap, Matt Nuttall, sponsored me £100 if I'd do the Tough Guy Challenge with him (8 mile run c/w lots of freezing cold water immersion).... Hardest, hardest, hardest thing I've ever done.... Took us 4 & a bit hours.... Didn't stop shaking 'till midnight.... I'll swear my nuts nearly fell off.
22.02.10 - Jonathan Hilton officially became the owner of a brand spanking new "Flight Design CTSW Microlight". Bloody hell. I wonder whether now would be the right time to mention that I don't have a microlight licence, yet ?
By way of a PS.. I might be the owner of the damn thing but it's still stuck down South somewhere without any wings.
07.03.10 - Struggling with Flight Clearance over China. We've got a friend in Beijing trying to help at the moment... If the worst happens and we don't get clearance by the Chinese Military I may have to say sod it & fly to Australia and back this year ...and keep working on the Chinese chaps with a view to the RTW trip next year. Turbulent times.
Plus with the SRA being unhelpful in our attempts to recover the Wolstenholmes funds (now £40k o/s) it might be wise from a business perspective to do a shorter trip this year...
18.03.10 - Went flying today in the schools aircraft. Flew through a wee bit of "wind shear", on landing, and experienced a mild toiletary moment as a result. Very bumpy. Why am I doing this, again ?
23.03.10 - My aircraft is still sat in a barn, down south, with it's wings off. The avionics have been fitted now. We're getting warmer.
02.04.10 - Lots of emails bouncing around to both the British Microlight Association and the Civil Aviation Authority. In brief the fundraising is going very slowly hence the revised plan is to get some fliers done, pardon the pun, and offer chaps free pleasure flights.... The hope being that they then decide to, independently, donate monies directly to Cancer Research UK.... ie. the donation is seperate to the sight seeing trip..... It's not easy trying to raise funds for charity these days !
09.04.10 - Slap my face and call me Betty.... the aircraft has made it's way, c/w wings, to Manchester. Am shocked, pleased & petrified at the same time. Going to get drunk, tonight.
11.04.10 - Went through the Aircraft manual. A) The engine isn't certificated for Aviation purposes. B) Every page seems to mention, "WARNING, there is the potential for serious or fatal injury"..... I have either A) Balls of steel or B) Brains of mush. Probably B. Definitely B. Most definitely B. Crap.
To add insult to injury Man U could only manage a draw against Big Sam's side, today. I despair.
12.04.10 - Spoke to a Scottish chap to organise a Life raft, Survival suit & Emergency Locator Beacon.... his words of wisdom were, "if you have an engine failure you'll die". All said in a deadpan, I'm not joking, kind of way. I mentioned the possibility of Oz & back instead of RTW and regardless he seemed adamant I'm a gonner. I'm going to send him a deep fried Mars Bar in the hope it'll chear him up. I was having a reasonable day until I spoke to our Caledonian cousin.
Had a follow up conversation with this gent & he sent me the following email;
"Jon ,
For your cat's sake can I repectfully suggest that you sell this 3 Axis microlight and buy an aeroplane , might I suggest a Cessna 206 to fly to Austrailia and return.
The main reasons being :
1. Your low experience in what I would consider to be " long cross countries "
2. Poor reliability from Rotax engines ( see manufacturers disclaimer )
2.a Insufficient payload to take with you the necessary survival eqipment for the route concerned
3. Routing such as to give you fuel ( unleaded ) at locations of 700 Nm apart ( I think this is impossible )
4 . In the event of a forced landing the likelyhood of being rescued from these locations I would consider as "remote".
5. Amelia , Lindberg, Bleriot have created history already why repeat it !
I would appreciate your comments"
It was enough being told this stuff over the phone. The email was a nice touch. Feel sick now.
As an aside to this.... Being mentioned alongside a few aviation greats would be cool. Sadly I suspect I won't . I can see myself being posthumously entered for the Darwin Awards.
20.05.10 - HIPs were cancelled today (a part of Legal Brokers Ltd business plan) and the Chinese are still reluctant to allow me through their airspace. With the demise of HIPs I need to find ways to beef up our income in order to safeguard two jobs here. Hence the Chinese scenario plus the HIPs demise is making me lean towards flying to Australia later this year (after the Monsoon season) and breaking that record... with the RTW trip pencilled in for next year.
08.05.10 - Invited, by email, Agnes to Barton Hangar Dance... Swing band on, everyone dressed up. Lot's of dancing in the Hangar. Circa 1940's style event. Aggers didn't respond.
Took another lady. Met her about a year previously via a lady I swam the Channel with. Very attractive.
I got the "tingle" when we first met but was in a relationship with Ags so didn't talk to her. Just smiled & politely said hi, We had a good, fun, evening. Lots of dancing. Our first date.
Heya... the story reconvenes (maybe spelt wrong) at www.legalbrokers.co.uk/charity/charity-flights-june-2010-onwards/index.htm