Steve lives in Derbyshire with his wife and their three dogs. He flies the Embraer 145 regional jet for a UK airline, is an instructor and Type Rating Examiner and is based at East Midlands Airport. Steve is the holder of an Unlimited level aerobatic display authorisation from the CAA for solo and formation aerobatics down to 100 feet and flypast at 50 feet. He is also an experienced Flying Display Director.

Having spent his early years in Wigan, Steve’s first visit to an air show was at Woodford in the early 70’s. Steve joined the Air Training Corps, flying as often as possible with the Air Experience Flight at RAF Woodvale in the Chipmunk. He subsequently went on to fly gliders at RAF Burtonwood close to Warrington.

In 1980 after “A” levels in Pure and Applied Mathematics and Physics, Steve went to Leeds University to study Mathematics, History and Philosophy of Science. Having obtained a Post Graduate Certificate in Education from Huddersfield Polytechnic in 1984 Steve got married and started his first job as a lecturer in Pure and Applied Mathematics at North Manchester College.

In 1988 he did a “silver C” conversion from gliding gaining a Private Pilot’s Licence at Sherburn with the aim of getting into aerobatics. A career change into commercial aviation occurred in 1990 through glider towing at Aboyne airfield and self-study to obtain the experience and licence to get started.

Steve’s first proper flying job came in 1992 flying the Saab 340 turbo prop for Business Air based in Aberdeen. Having flown around the UK, the Highlands and Islands, his first command was in Glasgow and then South to East Midlands. In 1999 the Embraer 145 fleet was created and Steve was one of the first four Captains tasked with kick starting the operation as a Training Captain. He now has around 11 000 flying hours in powered aircraft and 2500 in gliders. His time is divided between line flying on the company’s routes, training and examining at the simulator based in Le Bourget.

Aerobatic competition and display flying began in 2000 and Steve has competed at Intermediate, Advanced and Unlimited levels. His first aircraft was a Pitts S2S which he helped to restore in 1997. The Extra came in 2003. “It doesn’t have the look of romance that the biplane has on the ground but I think that the Extra makes up for it both in sound and performance and you have to admit that it has a look all of its own.”