Vice Chairman IPA & IPF, Flight Time Limitations
I am your new Vice Chairman and we will together for the next two years. My name is Richard Lotinga and if you have read anything of Skypointer over the last few years you will know of my existence.
My CV. Happily married with 3 daughters all of whom are at universities scattered around the UK. Started flying through the Air Training Corps when I was 14 and learnt to glide and fly through that excellent organisation. Joined the RAF when I was 18 and spent a happy 20 years flying Phantoms, Hawks, Hunters and Tornado GR1s. Of course, many ups and downs in that time one of the ups being exchanged to the Royal Navy flying Phantoms of the deck of HMS Ark Royal.
Left the RAF in 1992, only to be caught in the downturn and spent the next 11 months out of work. Not a pleasant time at all and I fully sympathise with anyone caught in the same position. However, by one way and another I managed to support the family and finally gain a position with Excalibur Airways in 1993. It was good airline to learn the commercial aviation ‘ropes’ flying the A320 but as many of us have been in this business, was made redundant by the failure of Excalibur in June of 1996.
Having been trained on the DC10 by Excalibur (actually Canadian in Vancouver) I flew for 3 months for ChallengAir, a Belgian airline that became City Bird and then disappeared into, I think, Corsair. That was my first true longhaul, out to the USA and Africa. However, that was only for 3 months. After a round of interviews with various companies I was offered a First Officer position at LGW or a direct Captain position at GLA on the A320 with Air2000. As you can imagine it didn’t take too long to make the decision, so I spent the next 6 months in GLA and thence back to LGW where I am now.
So currently what am I up to? I am a CRM Instructor (facilitator) with what is now First Choice Airways (FCA). I have moved onto the B757 and also the B767 alternating between the two aircraft. I tend to get one longhaul per month though this is likely to increase as FCA increases its B767 fleet from 2 to 6 aircraft over the next year or so. I play golf and (don’t tell anyone else) I like to build model railways, but it is also where I store the beer.
From my articles in Skypointer you will have some idea of my opinions. I am an active member and Director, as are all of your Directors. From my CV you will have seen that I have experienced the realities of life through unemployment and redundancy whilst maintaining a large family. I have flown short, medium and longhaul and from my time in the military realised the delights of aircraft handling but also the dangers therein. Moreover, I still love my flying and I enjoy going to work in the morning. Not everyone can say that.
So what are my aims for my tenure of office, simply to maintain and improve the facilities and opportunities for the members of the IPA and of course the IPF. To that end the article on the consular services is indication of that aim.
Regards