Speaker Evening

On Thursday 24th August, members and guests of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry enjoyed an interesting talk by private pilot Alan Laing. The theme was 'Scotland from the Air' and Alan's presentation was well illustrated by beautiful views of the varying landscapes he has flown over in the four-seater 160hp Tampico aircraft he shares with eight other owners. They fly from Fife Airport near Glenrothes - one of the best general aviation airfields in Scotland and home to Fife Flying Club. Services are provided by Tayside Aviation Ltd, and after gaining a pilot's licence, members may rent aircraft by the hour or, like Alan, become shareholders in a particular plane. As Alan explained, this need not be prohibitively expensive, no dearer in fact than buying a top-range motorbike, but safer and a lot more fun. He did admit that maintenance and annual airworthiness tests were pricey, but costs were shared by the owners. Every year Fife Flying club runs a FlyKids day when members take disabled children and their carers for a short spin. Alan has already flown to every Scottish island with a surfaced airstrip and frequently hops across to Coll with his partner for lunch! At weekends he pilots parachutists for Skydive St Andrews, a hair raising experience as the plane flies with a door removed and a daredevil photographer clings to the outside of the fuselage to video the jumpers. 

In summing up, Alan said learning to fly was without doubt the best money he had spent in his life. A highlight of the evening was the raffle of a fifty-minute flight across Fife, Edinburgh and the Forth Bridges which Alan kindly donated to the club. It was won by Jill Templeton.