Graham Bourns
Flying Instructor and Examiner (NPPL, PPL & IMC, including Electric Aircraft).
A corporate jet captain and line training captain, I currently fly the Bombardier Global Vision series of aircraft. Alongside this, I am an active and enthusiastic flight instructor and examiner for light aircraft (including electric and microlights).
My many thousands of flying hours range from simple single seat open cockpit aircraft to globe-trotting corporate jets. I enjoy day/VFR flying from small grass airfields like Popham, to bouncing around the tropopause in a swept wing glass cockpit jet.
Common to both environments, my strong passion in aviation is being a people person, always eager to learn myself, and to try and pass on the benefits of my skills and experiences to others less experienced in aviation.
Jonathan Smith
ATPL(A), PPL(A) IR Instructor, Examiner.
I’ve been devoted to aviation since I got involved in RC model flying as a teenager. I fly all types of RC aircraft - planes, helicopters and micro turbine jets. I am a certified Regional BMFA Instructor and Area Chief Examiner in both RC Slope Soaring and Aeroplanes and represent the BMFA panel.
My initial full size aviation career commenced with Laker Airways as a ground engineer. In 1986, I discovered flexwing microlights and qualified with a microlight group D licence, then as a microlight instructor. In early 1988, I commenced PPL A training and within a month, had my licence. To go commercial, I needed 700 hours, so I qualified as a flying instructor until I completed my commercial licence in 1990.
On completion of my ATPL(A) I joined Channel Express (now Jet2), flying the Handley Page Herald - a twin turbo prop freighter - around the UK mainland and the Channel Islands. Three years later, I was flying a jet with Air Foyle, operating TNT aircraft for the TNT global logistics company in the BAe 146, followed by the Airbus B4. Then I had the greatest pleasure to captain the Queen of the Skies - the B747-400 - for 9 years until retirement in 2019, spending a total of 24 years in the airlines.
I returned to general aviation flying prior to retirement in 2015/16, flying the DR400 Robin and recommenced instructing in 2022 on PA28s, C42s and the Eurofox.
Cliff Hawkins
[Qualifications]
Text here please Cliff!
Bob Dennay
Aircraft and Microlight Class Rating Instructor and Revalidation Examiner.
As a child I was fascinated by aviation. This led me to the school cadet force with my first flight in a Chipmunk seeing the Concorde production line. My first solo flight was in a glider at age 16. Shortly afterwards I joined the RAF as a Halton apprentice for 3 years, training as an aircraft technician and was selected for officer training after graduation. I met my need to fly by moving through hang gliding, on to gliding, becoming chief flying instructor at RAF Kinloss in Scotland. In parallel I was flying motor gliders and gained my PPL in 1986.
Aviation has been kind to me with 2 professional careers – the first on the ground with the RAF, the second in the air worldwide. I returned to the UK in 2018 and am now thoroughly enjoying instructing on a variety of light aircraft, primarily at Popham.
A recent welcome challenge has been completing electric aircraft differences training and I now particularly enjoy introducing both pilots and non-pilots to the Velis Electro as one of the few instructors in the country on this aircraft type.
I’m also one of a team of ten radio operators who you’ll hear when you fly in to Popham!
