Oxfordshire Sport Flying have a dedicated team of flying and motorgliding instructors to help you make the most of your flying training or trial lesson.
Read on below and meet the team:
John Blakemore – OSF Chief Flying Instructor/Examiner /Head of Training/Operations Director
John’s introduction to aviation came with the Air Cadets and flying at RAF Cosford. He read Civil Engineering at University and soon joined their gliding club. He progressed quickly to being a fully rated Gliding Instructor before joining the world of motor gliding and subsequently general aviation.
John’s association with OSF goes back to the 1980’s and as well as being the current CFI he has a great passion to continue to develop OSF and move all aspects of it’s operation forward promoting a safe environment for all to enjoy.
Ray Brownrigg – OSF Senior Instructor/Examiner & Head of Engineering
Ray started flying gliders in the early 1970’s becoming CFI at several of the RAFGSA clubs. He joined OSF in 1984 undertaking the many roles including Managing Director, Chief Engineer and CFI.
Ray shows a great passion for OSF and remains very active particularly contributing his vast experience not only to flying for OSF but also to engineering where his reputation is respected countrywide.
Lee Merritt – OSF Senior Instructor/Examiner
Lee is a full time professional flight instructor and CAA Examiner for initial licenses and advanced ratings, qualified as a PPL examiner, IR(R) examiner, TMG examiner, RT examiner and ground examiner.
He is also a qualified night instructor and Instrument Rating instructor, and holds both single and multi-engine piston ratings, IR(R) rating, FI(A) rating, CRI rating, IRI rating, FE rating, TMG rating, EASA aerobatics rating and night rating.
When instructing, Lee always emphases the need for all pilots to develop a high degree of situational awareness with an acute attitude towards safety from the very first lesson in the cockpit.
David Blakemore – Flying Instructor/Airline Pilot
David’s passion for aviation was developed at a young age. He also joined the Air Cadets and worked at OSF every Saturday for flying time. He went solo in the motor glider just days after his 16th birthday, gaining his PPL the following year.
David now flies as a commercial airline pilot but loves nothing more than being at OSF flying both TMG’s and SEP”s as a flying instructor, promoting cross country flying and ‘going places’.
Mike Radcliffe – OSF Accountable Manager/ Managing & Finance Director
Mike joined OSF roughly the same time as John having previously been a member of Booker GC. Although always being more on the admin side, he did convert on to motorgliders on the G109’s. He continues flying to this day, now mostly in his Sportcruiser.
Apart from the admin, Mike is an AGCS examiner and has built up a team of 7 members who man the Tower and has another 2 under training. A bit like a stick of rock, Mike has OSF running through him and thoroughly enjoys the excellent club atmosphere that exists at OSF.
Rudi Joubert, OSF Infrastructure Manager
Rudi grew up on a farm in South Africa where he learnt invaluable life skills. He joined the services as an aircraft engineer and more recently at OSF is close to finalising his build of an Ibis RG 03 Canard, which will be the first wooden Canard to fly in the UK.
Rudi further has and continues to carry out and manage much of the building and ground improvement works at OSF something for the benefit of all members and that all members have positively commented on.
OSF Members
All OSF Members are considered a part of “the team” as they make so many and varied contributions to the running and up-keep of the club to make it both a successful flying training school as well as friendly relaxed place where to fly and enjoy all the experiences that aviation provides. – Our thanks to you all!!
