JHB007

John Woodside

Based: Isle of Man
Age: 55
Occupation: Ex ATC. Joined NATS in 1967 at Birmingham with subsequent posts to Liverpool, Eastern Radar (Watton) and Southern Radar( Sopley). Further training spells at Northern ATCC (Preston), now closed, Bournemouth and West Drayton. Subsequently posted to Ronaldsway and stayed there.

Other interests:
Flying - first experienced as ATC cadet on Chipmunks and that sparked further obsession. PPL at Cambridge in 1971 and added all ratings over the years. Ended on twins in 2002 when medical problems stopped completion of a CPL.

Flight Sim - Addicted since 1994 and FS4 days. Scenery and aircraft design  work began soon after joining FSFORUM. Joined Noble Air in it's early days, started the UK and JHB hubs, was SHC Europe and CEO for two years. Kept JHB running as a separate VA on retiring from Noble. Joined SATCO then VATSIM and finally FPI to torture pilots.

Other interests too numerous to mention but include photography, ornithology, cooking, reading, music, travel and DIY.
 

JHB010

Mike Lucas

Based: Market Harborough (economic migrant from E. Scotland)
Age: 58

Occupation - statistician (lapsed); now with actuarial profession. (Actuaries are like accountants, but without the sense of humour ...). Briefly ran my own IT consultancy during mid-life crisis in late 90s. As a statistician, worked for a spell with the CAA at ATC Evaluation Unit (Bournemouth - Hurn), in particular trying to assess likely impact of the introduction of Concorde.

Other interests - tinkering with PCs, various sports (only as a spectator now), travel, ornithology, Times crossword.

Flight sim - initially with MSFS4, but also Sublogic (I still have their charts), Fly, FU, AS2, X-Plane (still used in Linux) and the odd military one. I was one of the early recruits (along with Bones) to the Noble Air VA - briefly UK Hub Captain.

Never had the time or resources to fly for real, but hooked on aviation since short-trouser days - brought up in shadow of RAF Leuchars.
 

JHB037

Phil Reynolds

Based: Birmingham
Age: 33

Occupation: In real life, I work for The NEC (the exhibition centre, not the electronics company) in their IT department as an applications analyst and Oracle DBA.

Other interests: My flightsim history started with FS4, progressing with VA's such as Noble Air before joining JHB. I've "dabbled" in scenery design, my most notable work being the West Midlands area and airports, Heathrow and Gatwick for the FS98 product VFR: England and Wales. I'm currently working on a rendition or Birmingham (and have been for quite a while, it's a labour of love!).

I believe I'm the baby of the JHB crew, 33 years and counting.....

JHB068

Gerry Winskill

Based: Isle of Man
Age:  72
Occupation:

Other interests:

Based Ramsey, Isle of Man, having moved here thirteen years ago. Spent entire career with ICI and one of its subsidiary companies, much of the period being involved with the oil industry.

After ATC at school, did National Service, trained as a GCA Radar Fitter, at Locking, then on the mid field unit at St Mawgan, when it was a Master Div station.

As well as bikes, raced an early MG Midget, until marriage won the battle for income.

First flight sim experience was with a Basic prog, with display confined to a simple panel; no scenery. Now use a three monitor setup, with GoFlight kit in abundance.

Other interests include GA, jazz, tenor sax, motor bikes, photography, malt whiskey, reading and Manchester United. Now save to pay others to do the jobs I've always hated!

Web Site
 

JHB130

Peter Dodds

Based: Chester
Age:
Occupation:

Other interests: "Musician, Miner, Engineer, Boater, Flight simmer, Pilot, Writer, Parent, Exhausted - in that order."

Web Site

CIX VFR Club

JHB144

Tom Smith

Based: Hexham
Age: 61
Occupation: Retired 5 years but help out in garage 2 or 3 days a week..
Spent working life in petro-chems then oil industry. Middle East - Far East. For last 20 years off shore North Sea.

Other interests:

JHB153

Paul Reynolds

Based: Kingston-Upon-Hull
Age: 47
Occupation: Carer

Other Interests: watching Motor Racing and North American sports (Ice Hockey and American Football). I'm also heavily involved with community activity especially relating to housing issues.

Born in Blaenrhondda, South Wales but raised in Sandhurst, Berks, the town, not the army base.

My interest in flying started at an early age with father being an airframe fitter for British Eagle until they liquidated in 1969. My first job was at Farnborough testing the resistance of parachutes to sea water but a family relocation saw me in Hull and the link to aircraft broken. I've been flight simming since FS5.1, am completely self-taught and hence full of bad habits but enjoy it immensely. Despite many hours of simulated flying and being 47 years of age, I've yet to fly for real!

Web Page

JHB156

Ernie
Laycock

Based: Telford
Age: 87
Occupation:

Other interests:

JHB167

Frank Turley

Based : Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Born 1944, left school 1960
Occupation : Bean Counter (now semi-retired)

Flight Sim : Started with Bruce Artwick, have bought all versions since, plus Fly!, X-Plane, numerous add-ons, generations of PCs.

Other Interests : Being a grandad, Derby County FC.  

JHB175

Kevin Townshend

Based: Farnborough
Age: 50'ish
Occupation: TV Cameraman with 2 BAFTA's to my name ( though mostly Sport these days)

Other comments:

I live in Farnborough Park, just a stone's throw from the displaced threshold of Rwy 24.

I'm the youngest member of an ageing rock n roll band, (Heavy Pencil) - Guitarist.

I have a PPL earned at Alderney, Hurn, Sisteron and Biggin Hill. First Solo Cherbourg (LFRC).

I drive my weekend VR6 far too fast!

JHB180

Alastair McIntyre

Home base: Glasgow
Age: 61
Occupation: Retired (ex draughtsman)

Other interests: Building and flying model aircraft, cycling, hill walking.

Web Site

JHB188

Frank Fisher

Born December '42 Left school to start first job December '57. Barring a few months, have been fully employed up to date.

Started in computers with the Dragon Data Dragon32 (same time as BBC micro came out). Graduated to IBM XT, then AT386 and now an AMD 64/3200. Started on FS V5.0, now using FS2004.

Been online for nearly 4 years from dialup MP thro to BroadBand MP and joined FPI early last year (must check date) now also using Vatsim.

JHB193

Mike Brook

Based: Solihull
Age: 60
Occupation: Aerospace engine electronics industry before enforced early retirement in 2002 as a result of 9/11.

Other interests: Hill-walking.  Avid enthusiast of anything and everything to do with aviation. Flight simmer since 1988 (FS3/4?), original member of the old FSFORUM on CompuServe. UKScenery devotee since the mid nineties, was at Cov '98. Founder member of the GOM Club (I don't beleeeeve it...) and recent recruit to JHB (Diamonds are forever etc...).