HOORAY. In this time of bad and worse news, a story of joy and achievement. Imagine realising your lifelong dream at 83 years of age.
Born in the early 1930s, Brian Patton always had an interest in engineering in general and aircraft in particular, and talking to him is like a lesson in local history. Although his family's business was making bakery equipment and developing the spring clips we see today on water bottles and jars, his father, Marcus Patton, became a car designer for the famous Chamber Brothers who set up as general engineers in 1897 and started building motorcars in 1904.
Jack Chambers designed the first Vauxhall in their small Cuba Street premises in Belfast. Production was limited to one car a week; however, after moving to University Street, production capability increased tenfold, but only around 50 cars were built in the 1920s and production ceased in 1927 – which is thought to be the longest production period by an Irish car manufacturer.
When he left Chambers, Marcus Patton joined Charles Hurst and the two of them set up a car and general engineering company in Montgomery Street, so it was obvious that the young Brian would have an interest in cars, But his father told him – aeroplanes are the future.
Like many successful people, Brian left school at 16. He was waiting for a taxi to the airport en route to making a life in Canada when a message came through from consulate that no visa had been agreed.
“So I had to start to think, 'What next?'”
Next was Short Brothers and Harland where he became an indentured apprentice in the tool-making department and then the air frame assembly unit working on fighter aircraft. Being a man of principal, he spoke up at one of the apprentice meetings criticising the facilities at Belfast Technicial College.
“Three weeks later I got a message to go and see Mr Harvey, the general manager and wondered what was up. His secretary suggested I take off my overalls and put on a jacket.
"‘We noted what you said at the apprentice meeting,’ he told me. ‘And we’ve made an allocation of money to the NI Education Committee to bring equipment at the college up to a modern standard.’ Then he added: ‘I would like a new personal assistant. You seem to know something about engineering’, and I started on the following Monday. A terrific education as I saw the company from the top man, Rear Admiral Sir Matthew Slattery, right down to the shop floor.”
Although he was mentored by chief aerodynamicist David Keith Lucas, Brian couldn’t afford to take flying lessons on an apprentice wage. All these years later, that has been put to rights.
Under the expert tuition of Ken Crompton, the microlight chief flying instructor at the Ulster Flying Club at Newtownards, he took to the air in June of this year.
“I’ve checked with my colleagues throughout UK and Ireland and we reckon Brian is the oldest student to have qualified,” Ken says.
He’s still on a restricted licence and limited to the Ards Peninsula and eight nautical miles from base but it won’t be long before his skills are polished to perfection and he will be granted a full licence which means he can fly anywhere in the world and, as he says, with his lady friend if he wishes.
So, was he excited about his solo flight 10 days ago?
“Not really," Brian tells me. "I was concentrating so much on the flying and the instruments. I want to dominate the aircraft. I tend to be too gentle with it. Did a landing I wasn’t pleased with so took off and flew another circuit and made a perfect second attempt. When I make up my mind to do something I get on with it.”
Is such a fragile looking craft dangerous?
“I don’t think so, only as dangerous as the pilots. There’s a saying – there are bold pilots and there are old pilots but there are no old bold pilots."
He adds that one of the reasons he’s taken up flying is because he has outlived most of his colleagues and now has a new circle of friends.
This man is special. Apart from mastering the art of flying a microlight, his engineering skills include making miniature steam trains and he is planning a book. That will be worth the read.
ANOTHER GOOD READ
AGE NI are a powerful force to be reckoned with – they have the interests of all older people at heart. Age may be just a number but sometimes those numbers add up to stress and hardship. That’s when it’s a good thing to have Age NI to call on.
Among their many books on advice, they have just produced Recipes for a Warmer Winter, a free booklet with a selection of dishes designed to be nutritious and tasty and easy to prepare.
The mushroom soup is delicious and includes minerals, vitamin B and potassium. The beef stroganoff can be adjusted to include turkey or chicken – so good for leftovers after Christmas – and the microwave lemon sponge pudding contains an egg and vitamin C, so a good bet too.
You can get a free copy by contacting the advice free phone 0808 808 7575 or by emailing advice@ageni.org. If you have a query or a concern these are the numbers to talk to a local member of staff.
