I would, however, for those people who believe that GA needs stricter controls, to run through this scenario, mapped onto driving:

Imagine you have decided to drive from Reading to Slough – a pretty short drive by all accounts. So firstly, about an hour before you go, you log onto the internet, print off the relevant maps of Slough, and make the decision of the exact route you will take to get there. You then find out what the weather is going to be like when you set off, enroute and also when  you get there. Remember, if you can’t see at least 5 km into the distance, or there are some nasty looking clouds, then you cannot go unless you have a special expensive rating with your driving licence. Then, assuming all is well meteorologically, decide which town you will drive to, just in case they close Slough for a while.

Once this is done, you phone up the control centre, tell them when you are going, your route, who you are going with, the details of your car and various other pieces of information. Assuming it is OK with them, you can get into your car, and get permission to reverse out of your drive. Having done this, you follow your planned route carefully. On your way out of reading, you request permission to go onto the M4, as you planned to do. Unfortunately because of the number of lorries on the M4 at this time, you have to use the country roads. You make a quick mental calculation of your required fuel and assuming all is okay, you accept the altered route and head towards Slough.

As you pass near Maidenhead, you ensure you keep a good lookout for other cars in the vicinity. It may be a good idea to call up the control centre and ask for them to monitor your position relative to other cars and get them to tell you if there is any conflicting traffic. As you start to get near Slough you check you have enough fuel to make it, that all your instruments and lights are working and that the weather is good enough for you to get into Slough town centre.

The control centre should then allow you to enter Slough via a specific road and join the ring road. Depending on how heavy the traffic is (and how many people are trying to leave Slough at the time… jokes aside) then you may have to drive around the edge of the town several times before you get to have a go and getting in. When it is finally clear enough, the control centre will allow you to drive into the town centre. As soon as you get into the town, you have to turn off the main road as quickly as possible to let other people get into the town behind you. The control centre will then tell you where you are going to park, and the directions to get there.

Once you find your parking place, you check your engine, then switch it off, get out the plane, ensure it is all okay after the flight, then secure it firmly to the parking spot and lock it. You then find the “welcome centre” and make your way over there. You then have to pay an extortionate fee for the privilege of getting into the town. Expect to have your licence checked for validity along with the documents for your car.

When you have got your shopping, before you load it into the car, weigh it exactly and ensure you load enough fuel to get you back. Make sure you load the shopping into the right place in the car to ensure that it is not overloaded in any area and it will not spin out of control on the return journey.

This is obviously a cut down and molded version of events, but I hope it demonstrates the tasks of a pilot over the course of just one short flight. Every pilot has to revalidate his/her licence every 2 years and undergo recurrent training. And that is just for private pilots. Commercial pilots undergo far more checks, far more frequently. If you were a pilot, would you really want stricter controls on what for most people, is essentially one of the safest hobbies around?

It seems from the moment August is upon us, the shops gradually start giving up their precious space to sell us over-priced car shampoo and key ring voice recorders that we can all lovingly pass to one another some 4 or 5 months later.

There are two main types of Christmas shoppers, those who get it all out the way and done with in September and those who leave it until Christmas Eve to lay their hands on whatever gifts they can find. Of course you may fit between these two somewhere, and with the new age of online commerce people are able to shop at their leisure.

The problem I have with the early placement of these types of products in shops is that we loose the festive spirit. It is a nice feeling to be walking through the town near Christmas time, having got all the shopping done a few days previous, watching people trying to get the last few Christmas bargains and rolls of wrapping paper. If everyone goes out and buys their presents in August or just sits and orders everything online (I am guilty of this latter point myself, I must admit), we will loose much of what we know to be the “Christmas spirit”.

So at risk of this becoming just another post by another person fed up with the fact that Christmas seems to get earlier every year, do leave your shopping until November or December, do go and get it in the real world rather than just over the internet and do wonder outside nearer the time and just enjoy the festive spirit.