The Purple Aviation Team
Storm Smith, Flying Instructor, Eshott Airfield Owner
Storm spent 10 years in the Army reaching the rank of Major. He was qualified as an Advanced Diving Supervisor and Military Parachutist both at Low and High Altitude. In 1994 he left the Army and joined Rolls Royce Plc working in India Nigeria and China in various roles. In 1998 he flew a Microlight from Bangalore to the Farnborough Air Show raising over £200,000 for an Indian cause related charity. This was one of the first flights of its kind by microlight.
In 2002 he purchased Eshott Airfield and embarked on a 5 year development plan with the aim of creating a centre of aviation sports excellence in the North East of England. In 2003 he flew across the English Channel with Miles Hilton-Barber who became the fist blind person to do so in a microlight. In 2004 they set a new British high-altitude record, climbing to 20,300ft dealing with open cockpit temperatures of minus 55oC.
On returning from China he set up Purple Aviation and qualified as an Assistant Flying Instructor on a Full Time Course with Gerry Breen in the Algarve, Portugal. He has since qualified as a Full Flying Instructor and BMAA Check Pilot.
Storm has been married for 19 years to Nicky and has four children Max, Tom, Oliver and Georgina.
Steve Clarehugh – Chief Flying Instructor, Eshott Airfield Manager
Steve started flying 20 years ago and has been instructing from Eshott Airfield for the past 16 years with Northumbria Microlights and more recently also with Purple Aviation. Professional qualifications include flying instructor (weight shift & three -axis), examiner, as well as engineering inspector rating both for the BMAA and the PFA.
Steve is also an experienced test pilot and has been involved in several microlight build projects. He lives next to the airfield with his wife Fiona and is always there to help anyone with his ‘can do’ attitude. Steve has a number of other businesses, running a Small Holding, a Woodland Burial Site and Plant Hire Equipment.
John Sinclair-Day – Flying Instructor (QFI)
John works for Purple Aviation part-time at the weekend looking after all three-axis training using the school’s Eurostars.
Like many, John’s interest in the magic of flying began with model aircraft at an early age and membership in the Air Training Corps gave opportunity to fly himself resulting in first solo in a glider at the age of 16. John is technically-minded and having gained BSc and PhD (chemistry) his day-job is a technical manager for International Paint based in Felling. John began microlighting in the flexwing type in 1999 but switched to fixed wing in 2002 and has flown more than a thousand hours in microlights including several European trips. He qualified as a Flying Instructor on a full time course at Gerry Breen’s School in Portugal in April 2007 and is really enjoying teaching the skills and theories of flying to people from all backgrounds.
Gordon Wilson – Flying Instructor (QFI)
After qualifying as an Assistant Flying Instructor on weight shift aircraft in August 2009, Gordon started working on a part time basis at Purple Aviation. He is currently looking after the training of weight shift pilots.
Gordon spent 16 years in the Army and was heavily involved in the training of new recruits. Unfortunately, whilst Sub Aqua Diving in Cyprus , Gordon suffered decompression sickness which meant that he was no longer able to continue as a diver. Always on the look out for adventure and a challenge, Gordon left the army in 1994 and retrained as an IT Trainer and studied to gain a BA Hons in Education. He started his flying career in 1999 after a trial flight at Eshott airfield and has never looked back. Gordon particularly enjoys all aspects of flight training and will spend however long it takes to “get it right” with the student pilot. Always keen to pass on his knowledge he is particularly good at the theoretical side of flight training.
During the week he also runs his own driving school and is married to Yvonne and has 2 sons, Gavin and Benjamin.
Lawrence Bell – Flying Instructor (QFI)
Lawrence started his flying career as a glider pilot and progressed on to powered flying with us in 2008. After gaining his private pilot’s licence at Purple Aviation, he joined an aircraft syndicate and began to build experience.
It was clear that Lawrence intended to pursue a career in aviation and we were keen to have him on board. It took little persuasion for him to accept our offer and since completing the Flying Instructor Course in 2009, Lawrence has proved to be an asset to the team.
His enthusiasm for flying is infectious and you will regularly catch him in the clubhouse having a coffee with students and other pilots.
Prior to working for Purple Aviation, Lawrence worked for the Bank of Scotland as a Customer Relations Manager. He left in 2009 to pursue a career in aviation.
Lawrence also teaches the piano on a part time basis and writes articles for the British Microlight Aircraft Association magazine.