Our parts store ,” says Rob. “Everyone always thinks that missing spare parts is a big problem,” says Rob. My turn. Full power, release brakes, I am trying to feel if the aeroplane is ready to fly, and I pull the flap-actuating Johnson bar to the 40° notch. I pulled one second too early! The 170 tries to fly but mushes and settles down again. She wasn’t ready! Slight bounce, and finally, we are flying. I stayed in ground-effect and slowly retracted the flaps to the first notch / 10°, and with a safe speed, I started to climb. Time to climb – and become a test pilot. My 170 is equipped with a Sportsman leading-edge stall kit, and I knew that my indicated stall speeds would be pretty low, between 40 to 0, depending on the configuration.

After the second beer he muses: “Maybe I should get potential pilots and mechanics drunk first and then let them sign the contract with us…” He directs us to create a grid with one column for the different flaps position, one for the stall warning activation, and a final one for the actual airspeed, and says, “today, we are going to be test pilots.” Based on the familiarisation and test flight we did the previous day, I perform my final approach at the Optimum Stabilised Approach Speed of 50mph (we determined this speed the day before) down into ground-effect. For those not familiar with the 170, it is basically a Cessna 172 (actually is the other way around). Have you ever approached in a 172 comfortable at 50mph? Hitting the spot

CC performed the first approach demonstrating his technique. He started his approach higher than you usually see in most General Aviation airports. Well… as for me… I’d like to fly a DC-6. At least fly with me. Is there something that could be done…?” I ask cautiously.

As ever, the organisation is first rate and arriving aviators are shown exactly where to park. The central grass area by the hangars is mostly kept for trike flyers – quite right too as they have worked the hardest getting here, but then I am rather biased.We also take a look at the apartments for pilots and mechanics that Everts makes available if required. “If you are unhappy with your accommodation, you can also stay here with us,” the 61-year-old suggests. Rob will be here in 20 minutes. Just spoke to him. Get on your way,” says Chris, putting the radio aside. For the local supermarket,” explains Rob. But some of it would be distributed directly to smaller planes and then flown to even smaller towns with even smaller airports. The whole country only has four bits of controlled airspace. If you want to land at the capital’s international airport, you simply submit a flight plan and go. Touch-and-goes are free, and a landing costs less than €10.

Saturday at Spamfield is always the biggest arrival day and sitting with a coffee and an enormous breakfast bap in the cafe area you can enjoy all the landings – good and bad. And so there I was, new to Vilnius and immediately on the lookout for an aeroplane we could share. Lithuania has an unexpectedly vibrant GA scene. It’s a tiny nation (population: a third of London’s, land area: three times the size of Wales), but it boasts something like 50 aerodromes. The first flight of the day was going to be dedicated to performing stabilised approaches and spot landings. We also discussed how to aim for a spot using an imaginary ‘rifle sight’ and make precise landings every time. By precise, we are talking about hitting a marked line on his runway! Another aeroplane, a DC-6, bears the likeness of Howard Hughes, a pioneer aviator whose life was celebrated in the 2003 film The Aviator , starring Leonardo DiCaprio. They had been landing on Runway 05, which would have been perfect for a downwind join, but when we called up they gave us 23, which meant some re-positioning.

Tomorrow I have to fly to Galena, a small town on the Yukon River, in a DC-6. You could fly up in a small plane. There are still two places left. And then you could stand right next to the runway and take a picture of the DC-6 approaching . What do you think?” It seems that if, after their training, they had the choice between a major airline and Everts Air, they would almost always choose the major airlines. On board is the Norwegian, Thomas Waerner, winner of the Alaskan ‘Iditarod’, the toughest sled dog race in the world, together with his 24 huskies. At some stage, after gradually climbing to 3,000ft-plus, we gradually head out to sea and aim for Ryde pier, then overhead Bembridge airfield from where you can see the airfield at Sandown, just in from the coast. Getting from A to B, with autopilot on and IFR filed, is great, but that’s what airlines are for. Low and slow, above beautiful landscapes and with the ever-niggling thought of, ‘will I get there, or will the 1946 engine quit on me?’ is much more fun.

We at KMAC used to hire a few caravans over at the adjacent Cheverton Copse Holiday Park where pilots and club members would then do a big shop at Morrisons and congregate for a Saturday night bash. The following year it was held at Sandown and the ‘modern Spamfield’ (to use Olympic terminology) was born, and I haven’t missed many over the years.

Barberton Valley, near the popular safari areas in Botswana and Mozambique, was the original base for Bush-Air. He built an entire airport, runway, hangars, control tower, and accommodations for the students. From the beginning, it was a huge success, and students worldwide were booking for months in advance. Permanent US base OK, SkyDemon refused to play ball, stubbornly repeating that our ‘subscription had expired’… OH NO IT HADN’T! The next day it’s actually already early morning, but it’s still dark, the sun hasn’t really risen yet. When we climb out of the Pilatus PC-12 at Galena Airfield, our nose hair freezes after just two breaths. Sid has become quite a hit with the women, who all seem to want to take ‘selfies’ with him – he never gets a minute to himself now he has achieved celebrity status! We like to route inland on the return to Kent, following along the edge of the towering South Downs, while occasionally swooping a little lower over the steep-sided valleys. We are home in 1hr 25min, before most people are having their breakfast.