Gliding

As well as being crazy about Gliding through the skies of England, I am passionate about Internet Marketing as a way of promoting people, their businesses and their products. Also I am an advocate of Attraction Marketing because it gives so much value before taking anything back. As we move into Web2.0 and beyond, the marketing playing field has been leveled to the extent that the small business owner and even the individual can now compete with the corporate mammoth.

I am an experienced Software Development Engineer with 25 years of experience ‘under my belt’. I have run a small business since 1988 providing my services to the Telecoms industry on the whole, with some banking experience recently too. Over the last few years, I have been providing more and more complete solutions to other small businesses which is both challenging and exciting.

At school I was always top of my class in physics, mathematics and computer studies and I took ‘O’ level and ‘A’ level Computer Studies and then went on to study Computer Science at Portsmouth Polytechnic (now Portsmouth University)

I suppose you might say I became addicted to computing when I built a Nascom-1 single board computer system in 1970 and teaching myself the Z80 Assembler Language. I still can’t tear myself away from the keyboard, I’m always learning new languages and technologies; I love producing useful software products and tools.

Back in 1995, I came across the Network Marketing industry and got involved with a company that produced and marketed consumer electronics. I was interested in electronics and the marketing model seemed straight forward. This was to be my springboard into the Network Marketing industry which I have always maintained as a part-time business and additional income source which I run in parallel to my software business.

I have moved into Health and Nutrition as this seems a much more useful product to bring to the market place, not only that I have improved my physique and health at the same time. I have learnt a great deal since I got started and looking back over just the last 6 years, I can’t believe that my business has moved over $1,000,000 of product out to the market place – and all from my own home!

I have always been fascinated about flying, however everyone I spoke to who had a PPL said that after a few years they let their licence expire as they only flew to maintain that licence. I took a trial flight in a glider in spring of 1998 and I was hooked! I took up gliding in 1998 and progressed to cross-country qualified as well as being able to take passengers with me – what a wonderful way to fly!

I have always loved speed and I love driving powerful cars (BMW 745i) and motorcycles (Yamaha FJ-1200), karting can be fun too. I’ve slowed down a bit now after being chased too many times by the boys in blue, so you’ll see me gently cruise by in my Mercedes C250 now.

I’m an outgoing person and I love chatting to people when I’m out and about. So whether it’s gliding, cars, technology, software or Internet Marketing – I can guarantee we’ll have something we can chat about over a beer. See you out there!

April 2009 – a very windy, but flyable day. So windy, it took me a whole hour to fly upwind to Bedford and then just 10 minutes to get back! But hey – it beats having an engine any day! And who would believe that from a 60 second winch launch, it’s possible (using your skill) to stay in the air for 6 hours or so!

Every flight is a new challenge, a slightly different experience. Once in the sky, it’s just you and the birds – although they have the advantage of flapping their wings to stay up!

More at (The Pleasure Of Gliding): www.squidoo.com/gliding

I fly from the Cambridge Gliding Centre at Gransden Lodge Airfield. It’s a great place to fly from because its members are very friendly and although it’s a gliding club, it’s actually run as a very slick operation – it’s truly a credit to its members! The club has a super website at: www.glide.co.uk

Listen to (fellow Cambridge Gliding Centre pilot) Women’s World Champion ‘Sarah Kelman’ on BBC Radio 4′s Women’s Hour: Play audio

Gransden Lodge Airfield Spring

Not quite so easy to find in the Summer!