I was then gripped by Airfix and carried on modelling until I left home in 1992 to join British Airways as Apprentice Aircraft Technician. I was completely at home with aircraft. I bought my first scanner in 1993. I would spend my spare time in the Staff carpark at Hatton Cross, I would measure my day by the daily departure of Concorde Speed bird 001 to New-York and then the departure to Washingto
n. I was fortunate to be placed in TBB first on Major Overhaul where I got to manually wind down Concorde's reverser bucket, and then on to Minors where I would sit on the flight deck whilst Concorde was towed out the hangar and set the parking brake when commanded. I would help the crews with departures and pre-flight checks and although I was never fortunate enough to get a flight to New-York, my personal highlight was to be able to sit in the F/O seat during an engine run and take the Olympus engine from idle to full power and re-heat. Sadly at the end of my Apprenticeship I was not offered a place with the Concorde team as I had hoped. British Airways had recently opened a maintenance facility in South Wales. So, in 1995 I began working at British Airways Maintenance Cardiff. I worked at BAMC for 6 years before illness forced me to leave. When I returned to working, it was as a part-time School Caretaker at my local Primary School (where my children attended and my first wife worked)
The school was between Cardiff International Airport and RAF St. Athan, so I got to see both civilian and military aircraft. Highlight at this time was probably standing on the flat roof of the School watching an Antonov AN-124 approach and land at Cardiff. It was bringing in a Rolls-Royce Trent engine for trial manoevres, BAMC were about to service B777's and they needed to know if they could transport the massive engine to the engine overhaul facility in Caerphilly. A change in life made me move out of Wales, I secured a job at a Primary School within stones throw of LHR. I had started Digital Photography when I started a family, but never going beyond a compact. I had always spotted with scope and notepad, but was finding it difficult to keep up. Then my Father-in-Law let me borrow his bridge camera...
I was hooked, bought a bridge cam and became addicted. May 2014 saw my journey down the DSLR road with the purchase of my current camera the Nikon D7000. I have developed gear aquisition syndrome and December saw my first major investment in glass. I have recently begun editing in Light-room, I have been mentored by Matthew Reynolds who is very information and patient, not afraid to give constructive criticism either. I have had FB pages for my work before, this page is my step up to the next level. I'm starting to get recognised, my confidence grows, please join me on my journey. Lee
