Chairman & Officer i/c

Air Commodore Mark Manwaring

Fast-jet navigator Mark joined the RAF in 1984, aged just 18, following five years at 338 (West Ham) Squadron Air Training Corps. After completing training, Mark completed flying tours on the Phantom and then Tornado in the air defence role. He later went on to command 55 Squadron and has now amassed over 3,500 flying hours.

When not flying or conducting his day job (Mark is still serving) he is busy building his own aircraft. Mark has set himself the challenge of breaking the solo world speed record of the circumnavigation of the earth in the RAF Flight of the Navigator project. If building his own highly modified Vans RV7 isn’t enough, he is also trying to raise vital funds for the RAF Benevolent Fund and ‘inspire the next generation’ through STEM events.

For more information on the project, go to: www.raffotn.org.uk. You can also watch Marks VLOGs on his YouTube channel: Flight Of The Navigator. Interesting fact – Mark is the Military Commentator for Europe’s biggest airshow, the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford.

Deputy Chairman

Buster Jeffrey

Buster has been a member at Halton since passing his PPL in 1997. After a successful career in the motor trade – which included running his own business, Buster started Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) training in 2002. Upon completion of his CPL, Buster became First Officer for London Executive Aviation, flying Citation 560 XL. Buster was CFI at HAC from  2007 until early this year (2024). With his vast experience and wealth of knowledge he is a real asset to the club.

Interesting fact – Buster once flew Prince Andrew to Tripoli, Libya (Prince Andrew is still waiting for him to bring him back!)

CFI & Full Time Flying Instructor

Deacon Brown

I was three years old when I knew I wanted to be a pilot.

In 2006 I joined the Air Cadets, and completed my first solo flight at RAF Halton in 2009, so it holds a special place in my heart. I continued working towards my PPL which I completed at Wycombe Air Park. Shortly after I started studying for the ATPL exams – distance learning, whilst working to fund the course.

After successfully passing the exams I continued with my flight training completing my Commercial and Flight Instructor courses at Denham. My other interests are photography, the outdoors and participating in sport including football, tennis, squash and bouldering. Interesting facts about me I flew an aircraft solo before I could drive a car and my favourite aircraft is The Vulcan.

DCFI & Part Time Flying Instructor

Richard Bull

Richard has a long history with RAF Halton having started his flying journey here over 30 years ago. He now returns as Deputy Chief Flying Instructor. Having started out with 613 VGS and Halton Aero Club, Richard went on to gain a wealth of experience in PPL/IMC/Multi and Instrument Rating Instruction whilst working from Cranfield. His passion for aviation continued with him also adding experience as an aerial photography and glider tug pilot too. Currently alongside his Deputy Chief Flying Instructor role at HAC, he also is a part time Line Training Captain at EasyJet. Richard has flown from many bases around the UK for many different airlines and has amassed over 15,000 hours in his logbook and counting. He is keen to impart all the knowledge he has acquired over his career especially as a Training Captain and share his enthusiasm for Halton Aero Club and aviation.

Interesting fact: – Richard had type ratings on the Bae ATP, Dash 8, Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 plus a Command on the Airbus by the age of 26. He is also a keen cyclist and cycled the Etape du Tour 2024.

Examiner & Part Time Instructor

Alec Trevett

Wing Commander Alec Trevett MSc DipM RAF (Rtd) is a former RAF Fighter Controller who served from 1973 to 2003 in a wide range of operational, training, examining, command and staff appointments in the UK and overseas including Germany, Belgium and the Falkland Islands.

Alec has been flying with HAC since 1989 and has been a part-time HAC instructor since 2001. He was temporary HAC Chairman from Sep 2002 until he left the Service in May 2003. When not instructing or examining PPL/LAPL/IR(R)R) course students here at Halton Alec teaches trainee examiners and instructors in the Midlands and is a Flight Instructor Examiner (FIE) holding both UK CAA and EASA instructing and examining approvals from the Danish CAA. Alec holds a Multi Engine Piston rating and occasionally flies the Diamond DA-42 Twinstar. (But his favourite aircraft is still the mighty Chipmunk.)

Having been involved with flight safety as the Aviation Safety Member for the (then) RAF Flying Clubs Association (RAFFCA) from 2003 to 2005 Alec is currently the General Aviation Safety Council (GASCo) Regional Safety Officer (RSO) for the South Midlands. He is also an independent pilot member of the CHIRP General Aviation Advisory Board (GAAB). Alec lives in the local area and, this year, (2024) celebrated 35 years association with HAC.

Assistant Head of Training

Steve Thorogood

Steve’s love of flying led to him gaining his PPL at Biggin Hill back in 1971 when he was only 17 years old! Steve joined HAC as a part-time instructor in 1993 and is either found instructing on every aircraft on the fleet or flying his own aircraft out of Lee-on-Solent or Denham. After a successful career as an Air Traffic Controller, Steve retired in 2009. It’s no surprise then that Steve runs our PPL radio ground school and he plays a vital role as a radio licence examiner.

Steve was previously DCFI & CFI before hanging up his Instructor boots at the end of Oct 2024

Interesting fact – Whilst in air traffic, Steve, would regularly line up Concordes with 747s for a race (no surprise who won).

Operations Manager & Membership Secretary

Mike Russell

Wing Commander Mike Russell OBE MBA RAF Retired is a former  RAF Navigator and aircraft Captain from 1966 to 1996 flying Shackeleton Mk3 and Nimrod MR1 Anti-Submarine Warfare aircraft amassing some 3000 hours in the air. Has the dubious honour of being the 1st Navigator in a Nimrod glider after multi engine failure in 1972.

Mike gained his PPL at HAC in 2013 and flies the PA28 and the C152 and now has nearly 300 hours with the Club. He has been Membership Sec since 2014, stood in as Ops Mgr for 3 months in Summer 2018 and was appointed to be the permanent Ops Mgr in Oct 24.

Flight Safety Team

Sammy Nassiri

Sammy is the Flight Safety Officer at Halton Aero Club. He first learnt to fly on the University Air Squadron where he achieved his Preliminary Flying Badge (or ‘Budgie Wings’) on the Tutor T1. Shortly after graduating university Sammy converted his UAS hours to a PPL at HAC, where he has been a member ever since. When not flying professionally Sammy is the proud co-owner of a Jodel D120 Paris-Nice. Currently undergoing restoration, the Jodel is being prepared to be showcased at fly-ins soon.

Simon Oldfield

Simon Oldfield is the current Director of the United Kingdom Airprox Board (UKAB). He caught ‘the aviation bug’ at an early age and first learned to fly as a glider pilot with the then Air Cadets (now RAF Air Cadets). After a brief period in the insurance broking industry, he joined the Royal Air Force in November 1985 as an avionics technician. He was accepted into Initial Officer Training in November 1990 and then progressed to train as a navigator. He was posted to fly Tornado GR1 bombers in Germany and then onto the Tornado GR4. During his time flying this aircraft he saw operational service in Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan and spent time as an instructor and standards evaluator on the Tornado Operational Conversion Unit and amassed around 2500 flying hours, including 3 years spent on exchange with the French Air Force flying the Mirage 2000D. Towards the end of his time in the Royal Air Force he was posted to the newly formed Royal Air Force Safety Centre as the Fast Jet Flight Safety subject matter expert. During this time, he gained an MSc in Safety and Human Factors in Aviation from Cranfield University. On leaving the RAF at the end of 2019 he joined the HAC and commenced his training for a Private Pilot’s Licence.

Part Time Instructor

Adnan Ahsan

My ambition to become a Commercial Pilot began, I guess, when I first went on a jet aged just six. I completed my PPL at Denham aged 18. After finishing my A levels, I started a degree course in Air Transport Management that combined flight training at Wycombe Air Park.

After completing my degree I gained a frozen ATPL in 2012. It wasn’t until I gained my Flight Instructor rating in 2013 that I started instructing at RAF Halton. I now fly a King Air for BAE and instruct part time at HAC when work & family commitments allow.

My interests outside of aviation include Cricket and Martial Arts. Interesting fact: I gave flying lessons to Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe at RAF Halton.

Part Time Instructor

James Pearce

James’s interest in flying developed by chance whilst pursuing a career in offshore sailing. Having caught the flying bug, he completed his basic training in Florida aged 17, coming back to finish his commercial and instructor licences in the UK.

Starting his career as an Instructor at Cranfield in 2008, he moved later that year to work as the full time instructor at RAF Halton aged 18. Though only the full time club Instructor for 10 months, he still works at HAC in a part-time capacity. James provides training on all the HAC aircraft.

Having flown a verity of aircraft for different companies, James currently flies as Captain of a private Gulfstream G550. He says the job is challenging, varied but extremely rewarding having taken numerous world leaders and celebrities to over 88 countries and counting.

James’s Interesting fact: “On a flight from Singapore to Tokyo, I logged the fastest recorded groundspeed for the Gulfstream G550 of 700 knots (806 mph) which is 36 mph faster than the speed of sound.

RAF Sport Aviation & ELCAS Representative

Carl Finch

A Royal Air Force Veteran of 22 years, now a First Officer with Ryanair. Carl served as an Air & Space Operations Manager. Joining in Feb 2001, Carl gained his PPL whilst posted to RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. Flying to Rhodes, was a highlight for what he says was “a very expensive sandwich”.

When back in the UK, Carl joined RAF Lyneham Flying Club and whilst with LFC he was put forward for the RAFSA Aerobatics Competition. Having a taster of aerobatics, he was then sponsored to complete his Aerobatic Rating which was completed in the SA Bulldog aircraft.

Posted to RAF Halton, RTS in 2017, he joined HAC and in 2019 he was asked to assist at the club’s RIAT stand. After this event Carl was invited by the OIC to oversee Enhanced Learning Credits (ELCAS) for the club. This role requires him to liaise and support HAC in coordinating the applications for Service Personnel & Service Leavers with utilising their ELCAS Credits. In Oct 2020, Carl completed his IR(R) with Buster utilising his ELCAS credits to help towards the cost of the course.

In 2020 Carl decided to start his Air Transport Pilot (ATPL) studies, completing the ground school in Jan 2022 and then completed his Commercial Licence (CPL) and Instrument rating (IR) again in Cyprus in Jun 22. After completing his APSMCC on the A320 with VA in Cambridge and AUPRT on the firefly with CRM, White Waltham; this enabled him to start his pursuit for an Airline job.

In May 2023 he passed his Assessment & interview with Ryanair and started his B737 type rating course in Sep 23 in his transition out of the RAF. Successfully passing in Nov he is now a First Officer based out of Glasgow Prestwick Airport.

Carl says “On my first solo at RAF Brize Norton, I could see Concords landing at Heathrow for their final time, what a memory”.