Old Sarum Flying Team

Our Flying instructors are drawn from a wide range of backgrounds, both civilian and military. Old Sarum has several full time instructors; these are supplemented by a number of part time instructors. This gives us great flexibility and the ability to successfully meet the needs of our student pilots.

We firmly believe that students make faster progress toward their chosen goal by having one consistent instructor. So we take great care to match students and instructors and carefully consider the individual needs of each new student and assign a named instructor who will oversee and carry out most of the training. A backup instructor is appointed to cover holidays and sickness.

We are very fortunate at Old Sarum to include amongst our instructors a number of CAA Examiners. This means that all tests required at PPl/NPPL level can be done in-house.

Our Team

Lesley Maynard : Managing Director & Examiner

Lesley Maynard is the Airfield Manager at Old Sarum and responsible for ensuring that the whole facility is safe and maintained to a high standard.

She set up the Flying Club in 1992 with just 2 cessna 152’s there are now 17 training aircraft of 5 different types.
The Club House in particular reflects the fact that her previous experience was in retail. One of the aims in 1992 was to provide a friendly but smart Club environment not, the usual greasy spoon image typical of the flying club world so that Students, friends and family could join in the Club atmosphere, even if they did not fly.

On the technical side Lesley took up flying in Micro-lights in 1983 and was one of the first Licence holders, 2 years later she moved on to light Aircraft but never gave up her Flex wing flying, and after a further 2 years she had gained a Commercial Licence and Instructor Rating. Now she is an Examiner for both single engine and twin engine aircraft, and does Instruction inbetween the ever increasing paper work load imposed on the Flying world.

At Old Sarum she says the Flying has to be fun, safe, affordable and Students can expect the highest quality aircraft, Instructors and facilities.

David Scouller : Head of Training

David Scouller is acknowledged as one of the UK’s most experienced flying instructors. He trained as an instructor at the RAF Central Flying School, wining the flying prize. A veteran of the Royal Air Force and the general aviation industry he brings more than 50 years extensive flying experience to Old Sarum Flying Club.

David’s distinguished career, during which he has achieved more than 13,000 flying hours, includes some of the most valued positions in the military and civil aviation world. A graduate of the Empire Test Pilots School, David served in the Fighter Test Squadron at Boscombe Down progressing to tutor of the Empire Test Pilots School and finally rising to Commander of the Fighter Test Squadron in 1978. David then served as Commanding Officer Experimental Flying at RAE Farnborough and as Director of Flying for the MOD, he oversaw all UK military test flying.

During David’s extensive flying career he has flown 196 different aircraft types including jet, turboprop, piston engine aeroplanes spanning fighters, bombers, airliners and light aircraft, plus helicopters and airships

David includes amongst his extensive qualifications, CAA flying instructor examiner, PPL examiner, CPL, FIC and IR instructor.

Madeline Mountford : Chief Flying Instructor and Examiner

Madeline started flying in 1991 following a trial lesson bought for her by her sister. After just half an hour of flying along the south coast, Madeline was hooked.

She developed aspirations to become a crop sprayer and headed to Alabama to complete a US Commercial Pilots Licence and crop spraying course. Unfortunately, no one wanted to employ a low flying hours English girl so Madeline had to settle for banner towing in Florida.

After 900 hours of flying up and down the same stretch of beach Madeline returned to the UK and obtained her UK Commercial Pilots Licence. The instructors rating followed and she has been instructing at Old Sarum ever since.

Dave Sawdon : Part-time Instructor/Examiner

Dave has been at Old Sarum since 1995 and is one of our part-time instructors and examiners. He holds a CPL/IR and an unrestricted instructor rating, which allows him to teach ab initio PPL, aerobatics, tailwheel, night, IMC and multi-engined flying: he is also approved as an examiner for single and multi-engined aircraft and previously as both a full category gliding instructor and a tug pilot.

Dave first flew solo in a glider in 1970, in a powered aircraft in 1983 and in a helicopter in 2002. At various times since 1982 he has had shares in a range of aircraft including a PIK20D, Cub, Rallye, Cessna 152, Tripacer, Grob 109B, Vagabond, Long-Eze, Bulldog and Arrow and has flown over 60 types.

Dave enjoys teaching all aspects of flying but is frequently seen upside-down over Wiltshire!

When not involved in flying Dave works for a major IT corporation. He has a degree in Electronic Engineering, is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the IEE and has published a significant number of technical papers, given several invited papers at international conferences and been granted seven pap tent applications – he is acknowledged internationally as an expert in his professional field. In a previous existence he has been a Morris Dancer, Fire Eater and Folk dancer, but assures us that this has (almost) been cured!!!!

He also, once owned a technicolour car with “MAKE LOVE KILL WAR” painted on one side and “WAR IS DIEING” on the other. Despite this he appears perfectly normal now!!!!! (although we keep an eye on him!!)

Sandra Reid : Instructor

Sandra Reid started flying paragliders in 1989, enjoying the challenge of unpowered flight in many countries around the world. In 2001, the foot and mouth outbreak temporarily closed the countryside for paragliding activity, and she obtained her Microlight licence during the summer of that year, flying in the UK, Spain and France. She continued to tour the UK in her own Microlight, and completed her first solo flight to France in 2002.

In 2003, she completed her Instructor training with Gerry Breen in Portugal, and shortly afterwards started working as an Assistant Flying Instructor at Kemble Flying Club near Cirencester. She has also worked on a part time basis at Microlight schools in Marlborough, York and Buckingham, and successfully upgraded to Flying Instructor in 2005.

Sandra joined Old Sarum Flying Club at the beginning of 2005 and teaches Weightshift Microlight flying on a part time basis, whilst continuing to work as Logistics Manager in a local manufacturing company.

She continues to tour around the UK and overseas with other like minded pilots, and is an active member of Hampshire Microlight Flying Club.

Keith Morton : Flying Instructor / RT Examiner

Keith Morton, was first introduced to Aviation by joining RNARY Fleetlands in Gosport in September 1957 as an Aircraft Electrical Fitter Apprentice. In 1959 an opportunity arose to join the Fleetlands Gliding Club which was to be affiliated to the Portsmouth Naval Gliding Club operating at HMS Daedalus, Lee on Solent. Out of the original 12 apprentices to form this club, only Keith, after 50 launches and one other achieved solo and only Keith remains a member of PNGC today.

In 1960 Keith achieved his Silver “C” Certificate and soon became a Gliding Instructor in 1965 after a Tiger Moth was introduced to PNGC for Aerotowing Duties, Keith hitched a ride one day which changed his view of Aviation. Keith joined the Tiger Moth syndicate [at £2 10s 0d per hour]. At Portsmouth Airfield he soloed after 6 circuits and completed his PPL in 4½Hrs. The majority of Keith’s flying was Aerotowing until 1985 when he gained his IMC.

1996 saw Keith gain his CPL shortly after he became a flying instructor and has been at Old Sarum ever since.

Geoff Prout : Flying Instructor

He was a founder member of the Flying Club and has instructed here for 10 years, also assisting the CFI in instructor training.

He remains an enthusiastic aviator and often commutes to work at Old Sarum by flying in his Cirrus SR22.

Phil Mummery : Flying Instructor

Phil Mummery first flew at Thruxton Airfield during the mid seventies as a result of winning a draw at the local village fete.  The weather was miserable but the flight in the Auster was absolutely fantastic.

In 1980 he learned to fly at the former RAF Laarbruch Flying Club in Germany. He Soloed on a Cessna 172 and participated in gliding and soloed in a K2 vintage glider.

In 1984, whilst working at the Lasham Gliding Centre, Phil joined the Dan Air Flying Club and continued flying their Cessna 150 for the next 4 years.

In June 1988 Phil embarked on an Assistant Flying Instructors Course at Woodvale Aviation in Cheshire. This Course was one of the last Flying Instructor Courses available before they changed the rules. Phil was immediately employed by a busy flying school at East Midlands International Airport then moved back South where he joined the team at Bournemouth Flying Club.

Phil started as an Assistant Flying Instructor at Bournemouth then progressed to Deputy Chief Flying Instructor and on to Chief Flying Instructor. He was there for 9 years.  During this time he graduated from the Guildhall University in London (it has now been re-named) with his Commercial Pilots Licence and then his Airline Transport Pilots Licence (ATPL).

Phil became a PPL Examiner and Commercial Instructor at Bournemouth Flying Club and continued to operate there until July 1998 when he was given the opportunity to fly commercially.

Phil moved back up North to Liverpool were he trained on the HS 748 Turboprop Aircraft for the freight carrier Emerald Airways.  He was then a co-pilot for their Bournemouth operation (a mail contract to East Midlands International Airport).

Phil is now a freelance instructor and examiner at Old Sarum Flying Club.

Rob Wasmuth – Flying Instructor

Rob was born and grew up in Newbury, Berkshire. Always keen on aviation he spent five years in the Air Cadets gaining a fair amount of flying experience and fuelling the aviation bug. On leaving college he was faced with his career choice; pursue a childhood ambition or get stuck into the corporate nonsense that was a career in sales & marketing. He decided on the latter! In 2003 and after a particularly long business lunch he realised slightly later than he would have liked that this really wasn’t for him. What followed was a hastily planned trip to the 2003 Flyer Show and a slightly ambitious, rather expensive but worth while plan to change careers. “My wife wanted a Porsche and a new conservatory, lucky for me she was flexible”.

In August 2006 Rob gained his frozen ATPL adding his instructor rating in September, the latter completed at Old Sarum. Rob is now a full time instructor teaching JAR PPL's (A), UK NPPL (A) and UK NPPL Microlights and is a Tail Wheel instructor on the 1950 Piper Club.

Now living in Bournemouth Rob enjoys music, film, food and reading when he isn’t flying. Favourite aircraft G-DRAG!