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'Home-made' plane pilot wins aerobatic title | 'Home-made' plane pilot wins aerobatic title |
(35 minutes later) | |
A pilot from Oxford who flies an aeroplane which he built himself has been named UK aerobatic champion. | A pilot from Oxford who flies an aeroplane which he built himself has been named UK aerobatic champion. |
Neil Parkinson, 40, built his Pitts Special biplane at Gloucestershire airport where he also keeps the aircraft. | Neil Parkinson, 40, built his Pitts Special biplane at Gloucestershire airport where he also keeps the aircraft. |
He was crowned British Aerobatic Association champion after winning the standard level national championship at Conington airfield near Peterborough. | He was crowned British Aerobatic Association champion after winning the standard level national championship at Conington airfield near Peterborough. |
Mr Parkinson said he was "over the moon" to have won. | Mr Parkinson said he was "over the moon" to have won. |
The commercial pilot, who has been flying since he was 13, began building the aircraft in 1997 but it lay in his garage for nearly a decade before he completed it in 2012. | |
"I started it in 1997 with some plans and drawings. You buy the metal and you buy the wood, get a saw and you make an aeroplane," he said. | "I started it in 1997 with some plans and drawings. You buy the metal and you buy the wood, get a saw and you make an aeroplane," he said. |
"At the millennium it looked like a fuselage and then it sat dusty in my garage for about 10 years until about three years ago I thought I'd better finish it." | "At the millennium it looked like a fuselage and then it sat dusty in my garage for about 10 years until about three years ago I thought I'd better finish it." |
The competition is judged on a series of set manoeuvres such as loop the loops, rolls, dives and climbs. | The competition is judged on a series of set manoeuvres such as loop the loops, rolls, dives and climbs. |
Mr Parkinson said: "Obviously I can't do aerobatics at work because it scares the passengers, and it's quite nice to do something like this on your days off to shake the cobwebs out." | Mr Parkinson said: "Obviously I can't do aerobatics at work because it scares the passengers, and it's quite nice to do something like this on your days off to shake the cobwebs out." |
Darren Lewington from Gloucestershire airport said: "To have built the aircraft himself and taken it to the top of the championship is a remarkable achievement." | Darren Lewington from Gloucestershire airport said: "To have built the aircraft himself and taken it to the top of the championship is a remarkable achievement." |
A spokesman for the British Aerobatic Association said it was "not unusual" for a pilot to build his own aerobatic aircraft. | A spokesman for the British Aerobatic Association said it was "not unusual" for a pilot to build his own aerobatic aircraft. |
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