This is what has been sent to various flying magazines by Stuart. Some of them say they will publish. Let’s see who it is going to be.

I would like to tell you about a great story of a young aviator that will no doubt be a renowned name in the future

Jack Godwin is one of our students here at Cotswold Flying School Ltd
I believe his situation is very unique
Jack was only 15 when he came to us with his dream of becoming a pilot, it became apparent straight away that he was a natural pilot when he did every aspect of flying in some of his first lessons including the landing
I was also amazed to learn that Jack had his own business and web site, he was funding all of his training himself with proceeds from odd jobs and car washing in his village

After a mere 5 hours he was obviously ready to go solo but we needed to wait for his 16th birthday 30th November 2011
So in the meant time I was in constant contact advising him of future career paths as I have not only a military and civil Air Traffic Control background, but i was Ops Manager at Cabair College of Air Training for some time
We also prepared Jack with the necessary medical and Air Law exam. There were some strategic lessons planned just prior to his birthday to maintain consistency and after only 7.5 hours of training with us Jack was ready

The day finally arrived yesterday Jacks birthday, and he arrived with family members including an anxious mum
The weather was not perfect and there was a crosswind of around 14kts average with some stronger gusts but Jack flew with his instructor Capt Chris Puddy, a man with thousands of hours commercial and instructional flying
Chris put Jack through his paces and briefed him thoroughly on all possible emergency procedures
It was clear that Jack was more than capable of managing the crosswind and Chris jumped out after a few circuits
This was the moment,…..Jack taxied to the holding point and the F.I.S.O. at Cotswold Airport Kemble cleared him to take of at his discretion, luckily the circuit was devoid of other traffic so there would be no distractions other than the wind
Jack launched into the air compensating for the crosswind expertly, his R/T phraseology was also quite professional for his experience as I listened with a transceiver near the edge of the airside area near the restaurant
His circuit was very quick because of the wind carrying him swiftly on the downwind leg, and after 4 minutes he was on final approach. He lined up perfectly on the centre line and attitude and rate of descent looked very exact.
landing a little long but minor adjustments for the strong wind Jack touched down smoothly about a third down the runway. I heard his mum breathe a sigh of relief, but instructor Chris Puddy and myself were reassuring throughout and neither of us were concerned

Jack manoeuvred the aircraft to our hangar and declared that the experience was brilliant!

A post flight debrief in the bar (Jack only settling for a Full English Breakfast as his celebration/ at 2 o’clock in the afternoon) and we discussed the future plan for his completion of the P.P.L. course. We will have to wait another whole year until we can send Jack on his Final Licence Skills Test and I am certain he will be ready much earlier than that.

I have experienced only a handful of students in my 8 years at an airline pilot college, that I could easily envisage jumping straight into the right hand seat of a British Airways Boeing 777 after 150 hours of commercial training in light piston aircraft, and Jack Godwin is definitely one of them!

Even his Web site is very professional. http://www.jgservices.co.uk/

He also made the Bath Chronicle.
http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/Jack-flies-solo-ndash-16th-birthday/story-14082136-detail/story.html