Howard in his DG-300 cockpit (2004)
My sport/hobby is flying gliders (soaring) as a member of a German flying club.
I am a British Citizen from the North of England and started aviation with the construction and flying of radio-controlled model aircraft. My employment brought me to the city of Hamburg where I took up gliding in 1981 with the Luftsportverein Kreis Pinneberg e.V.
I gained my German glider pilot's license PPL/C in 1983 and the motorglider rating (PPL/B) in 1984. I have the FAI-Silver badge and and two diamonds (300 km & 500 km).
I am currently the club's "Segelflugreferent" and am also responsible for PR-work. Together with my wife Heike, I produce the club's newsletter "Der Thermikfuchs".
From 1989 to 2009 I was the owner of a D.G.300 Club Elan glider with the competition registration "HEM". I take part in the Deutsche Meisterschaft in Streckensegelflug DMSt. for the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. With this glider the best completed flight was 413 kms around the city of Hamburg (1992). In May 2002 I attempted a 515 km flight on the Schwäbisch Alb (Southern Germany) and landed out after 488 kms.
After 20 years ownership of the DG-300 we decided that in order to make any progress an upgrade was necessary. So since September 2009 we have a DG-808c (the DG-300 was sold to a fellow club member). In the first full season with the DG-808c (2010) I achieved my 500 km diamond flight from Uetersen airfield.
In addition to flying from our club's site at Uetersen airfield (West of Hamburg) I have flown from Oppingen-Au, Blaubeuren and Leibertingen (all Schwäbisch Alb), Wilsche (near Gifhorn), Rechlin-Lärz (McPomm) and from Aboyne in Scotland.
I speak both the English and German languages.