Flying the Mighty Buccaneer

From light singles to Hunter T7, now owning a mighty Blackburn Buccaneer based with Thunder City at Cape Town. By Ian Pringle.

FLYING THE BUCCANEER poses a particular problem for a private pilot and fast jet novice: it only has one set of controls. So your first flight is effectively your first solo. This was my challenge.

   As I walked around this enormous 64 ft long, 16 ft high, 41,000 lb auw machine, I felt some serious doubt creep in. Why was I was doing this? If I messed things up all I had was a voice in the rear seat to help.

   Let me go back a few years. My flying life had been pretty straightforward—light singles, twins and helicopters—until I saw an advert in Pilot offering a share in a Hawker Hunter T7 based at Kemble. The Hunter is an absolute joy to fly and not hugely complex. The main challenge for me was adapting to the speed. During my early dual sorties the aircraft was often on final when my brain was still on downwind. But after some serious and highly professional training under Delta Jets instructors Dave Roome and Martin Stoner, I was eventually sent off on my first jet solo. After this, I continued training with Dave and Andy Cubin to gain a full Hunter exemption, effectively a rating, to self-authorise flights and carry pax. I spent the next chapter of my jet flying taking family and friends for flips in the T7.