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Flying Instruction
The Practical Aspects of our instruction
Your instruction will be delivered according to a new philosophy. This philosophy places a huge emphasis on the foundations of aerobatics by exploring the principles of manoeuvre. During these exercises, which open a sphere of flying far wider than aerobatics, the candidate will be performing aerobatic manoeuvres as a consequence of manoeuvre, rather than as a focus in itself. This teaching covers other areas, such as basic fighter combat manoeuvres. It’s very different from anything that you will find in any other flying school.
Our "New Philosophy"
Our philosophy has its roots back as far as 1916 so it is not strictly “New” – its just that the wheel may be about to turn full circle.
Beginnings: the Smith-Barry Special School of Flying
The modern flying training teaching methods and instructing syllabus began with Major Smith-Barry in 1916. He set up his Special School of Flying (No 60 Squadron) at Gosport and was later credited by Sir Hugh Trenchard (founder and Marshal of the Royal Air Force) as being “the man who taught the world how to fly”. He created a flying school and developed teaching methods that were described by his contemporaries as being exciting and electrifying. There was a strong emphasis on aerobatics and exploring the capabilities of the aeroplane. No 60 (Gosport) Squadron became an inspiration to the Royal Flying Corps as the quality of the graduating pilots improved dramatically which may have had a significant bearing on the course of the air war.
The Spirit of Flying
Flying training across the world today has its roots in the Smith-Barry system. Sadly, however, the spirit of Gosport has been lost for a long time and modern flying training is comparatively stale. Evidence of this is the lack of emphasis and even deletion from the syllabus of teachings on spinning, stalling, manoeuvre and aerobatics. The “fun” bits have been removed. Training aeroplanes have also become less capable over the years.
Licensing and Safety
The training system today has been overshadowed by a minefield of licensing trivia – a pilot is no longer referred to as a “pilot”, but a “PPL” or a “CPL”. Meanwhile, safety is not improving significantly; pilots continue to die senselessly year after year from the most basic mistakes resulting from losing control of their craft*. Go to a flying tavern and you are more likely to hear about the intricacies of JAR-FCL than how to do a slow roll or how to finely judge a glide approach!
So this is why we set up Advanced Flying (London) Ltd – to give back to Britain some of that 1916 Gosport spirit “that taught the world how to fly”.
Advanced Flying (London) Ltd makes aerobatics fun and easy to learn. We have avoided the all-too-commonly used “aerobatics-by-numbers” approach with gut-wrenching and violent control inputs which attempt to emulate misunderstood Aresti figures and which mask good technique.
Learning to “Fly the Wing”
We teach a vastly different method using a gentle but positive style emphasising precise control of the wing. It is a natural flying technique that is remarkably simple and quick to learn; it enables a pilot to master all of the basic and combination manoeuvres with speed, precise control and safety. One learns to “feel” the aeroplane through the stick and rudder. Indeed, on the very first flight with Advanced Flying (London) Ltd, one will be looping, rolling and wing-over-ing continually – saying good-bye to an automotive style of flying forever.
“New” Techniques
Our techniques are “new” in the sense of being re-introduced, but the fundamentals have been known for decades. They appear to have either been forgotten or kept secret. In any case, much has come from Australia – more precisely from Noel Kruse of Sydney Aerobatic School. They have since been developed by myself following observations over the years. Some of these observations are from surprising sources at the edges of the normal sphere of general aviation and include aircraft such as the hang-glider and the Airbus!
Without Military “Flavour”
Our courses are the antithesis of military flying in many ways. We have an open and friendly approach adapted to the individual. We are always open to new ideas and aim to be adaptable, deploring dogma. Our syllabus is simply a framework used as a starting point if necessary. We are far more adventurous and playful than in any military flying course – we can afford to be as we have a very agile and capable aeroplane that will out-perform any military piston single-engine trainer.
Thesis – Justification of our Techniques
We are desperately trying to avoid a book on aerobatics as we believe that a tome of technical information and techniques might deter a newcomer from an activity that is relatively straightforward. Our notes, however, are approaching book proportions. This is not because fundamental advanced flying warrants a book – most of it can be described in a few pages and is better demonstrated than deliberated upon – but because 95% of it is justification for the benefit of the cynic so that at the end he can say “Well……you have a point”! Our notes will therefore be published initially in a cut-down format as a thesis “Advanced Flying and Aerobatics” (as soon as we learn to illustrate!).
* Review of General Aviation Fatal Accidents (CAA Publication - CAP 667): This document finds that a causal factor for 50% of fatal accidents is Loss of Control !!!
Flying Instructor
I’m Darren Audet and together with my wife Marie-Louise, have established Advanced Flying (London) Ltd because we have an important message to give about flying. I was taught to fly by Noel Kruse of Sydney Aerobatic School in 1986. At the conclusion of my training on the Pitts S-2A Special (VH-FFF), I entered my first aerobatic competition at the Australian Nationals and won at Intermediate Level. Mal Beard, now Captain of Flying at the Australian Aerobatic Club, granted me a low level aerobatic waiver.
Shortly afterwards, I was invited to England to fly for Queen and Country (or more precisely, Queen and many other countries!). This included operational flying over the North Atlantic in the closing years of the Cold War hunting an enemy that mostly eluded us, the jungles of West Africa, the mountains of Macedonia and the Balkans, the deserts of the Middle East…..as well as some other countries difficult to pronounce within earshot of the MOD.
Since completing my contract with HM, I have flown the Canadair Regional Jet before joining a major national airline. Until recently my wife and I were living and working in Berlin, Germany. I now fly the Airbus aircraft from a major London base.
The message that we have to give is that advanced flying is within the grasp of nearly everyone and that it can be simple, safe and enormous fun…………………….
…………………….particularly in a Pitts S-2C!!!
Background:
Directors of Advanced Flying (London) Ltd:
Marie-Louise and Darren Audet
Marie-Louise Audet: Business Development Coordinator and Manager
Darren Audet: Instructor
Qualifications:
- Airbus Training Captain (TRI)
- Flying Experience: 9000+ hours
- Qualified Flight Safety Officer / CRMI
- Graduate of No 7 Flying Training School Church Fenton
- Bachelor of Science: Physics (RAAF Academy / Melbourne Uni)
