I was awarded my Fellowship in 1982. I travelled throughout the United States for four weeks to study general aviation.

The title of my Fellowship was Making a Fresh Start Following Redundancy – I had been made redundant from the motor trade where I was managing director of a Leyland Distributorship in Angus. I had moved into the flying school and aircraft engineering company (Tayside Aviation), which I had started as a hobby in 1968.

The Fellowship provided ideas which I incorporated within the company, resulting in continuous growth and leading to a number of national awards for the company and also for me as an individual. These awards included an OBE in 1993, being made a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 1995, and the Air League Scott-Farnie medal in 2005 for the meritorious support and encouragement to air education. I was also made a member of St John of Jerusalem in 1986, the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators Sword of Honour in 1998, and was awarded the AOPA Lennox-Boyd Trophy.

Although I sold the company in 2007, the new owners retained me as a consultant until I retired in 2019.

I owe a great deal to the Fellowship and appreciated the opportunity to study light aviation in the United States.