Originally Posted by Amazulu

If you're into aviation, your first solo is one of the best experiences of your life - a day of days. As your solo approaches you build it up in your head but the reality was that it was a piece of cake. When I did mine, I knew I was close but the actual solo was a bit unexpected. We'd a done a few circuits and I'd landed for another touch and go and my instructor said don't power up and taxi in to the hangars. He jumped out and said go for it - you know what to do. I was in the groove and it went like clockwork - like I was flying on rails. I remember being 1000ft up on downwind, looking over at the runway and realising that there was nobody in the right-hand seat! Then it kind of hit home but my landing was perfect (my second landing was shit but that's another story!). It was done and the feeling of achievement was awesome - I'd flown and landed an aircraft. Then it was back to circuits, circuits and more circuits - wash, rinse, repeat - my logbook has about 4 pages where nearly all the entries are 'Yxxx - Circuits'! Flying over the sea is great, so much smoother than over land - well it is around here anyway. The planes I fly are not equipped for over-water flight so we stick to gliding distance from the shore but that's cool. I'm currently doing my cross-country navigation endorsement so loads of inland flying - and it's tough. Although we use an ipad with nav software, for training we have to do it manually. It's hard at first but it keeps your mind on the task at hand. Flying VFR in these parts is very easy and because the skies are usually very clear, I can pick out certain landmarks from over 80kms away. Great stuff. The South coast of England would be a great place to fly but I'd really love to do some flying in Scotland, that looks amazing - only when the weather is good though! I really want to fly into here one day: https://www.glenforsa.com/airfield

Originally Posted by arkon

Thought I'd stop by and say hello, any old guard still on here from 20 years ago? Any sparing partners that have changed their minds and dislike it here as much as I still do?

Originally Posted by dracupg

Hi All,

Been here 21 years, and pop into the forum occasionally to check if I'm missing out on any major arguments. There were certainly a few crackers back in the day LOL.

Every 5 years or so, I get a major attack of homesickness and go a bit weird looking at real estate prices in Glasgow. Yeah, I know. Who on earth would want to swap Sydney for Glasgow? I still have a lot of friends and family there and I suppose with retirement looming, that sort of thing starts to have increasing weight. Having said that, any homesickness is usually eradicated after a 15 minute walk in Glasgow city centre.

Even after all this time, I'm not sure that I am 100% settled here, and I've come to accept that I will probably never be 100% settled anywhere, Sydney or Glasgow. I'm happy that my kids will have the chance to live and work in the UK if they want to give it a go. Europe would have been a nice option for them too, but I don't want to start a Brexit argument lol.

This forum has always provided a lot of great information and honest, although sometimes controversial viewpoints and I would recommend anyone thinking about moving to Australia takes them all on board, and not just the ones they agree with.

When I first came onto this forum years ago, I could never understand why anyone would want to return to the UK. Now I totally get it. Must be getting soft in my old age :-)

Originally Posted by Hutch

Just coming up on our 20 year mark. My parents retired here in the mid 90s and we visited on holiday and decided to move over too. They're both gone now - mum seven years ago, dad this time last year when we were coincidentally on a trip back to the UK. We're certainly not going anywhere - house is nearly paid off and we maintain a mortgage only to have access to redraw. I worked for SLSA for over a decade and that took me all over Australia (well, coastal Australia) and every time I returned home to South Coast NSW I knew this was the best part of the country in every way. Cost of living and property prices have sky-rocketed of course, but the fringe benefits of living here far outweigh any inconveniences. Friends and family in the UK are always staggered at how quickly and efficiently we get medical treatment here - Medicare for the most part - we have never paid a cent for medical insurance. We're fully embedded in life here - always stuff going on - the highways have been enormously improved since we moved here and it's piss-easy to get into Sydney whenever we want. House is renovated, 14Kw of solar on the roof, 14kw battery in the garage, both driving fairly new cars. I enjoyed visiting the UK for six weeks last year, but it's not home any more.

Originally Posted by Retirednow

58 years in a week or so. Remembering my time at Woomera and then joining the RAAF. Half a century went by far too quickly..

Originally Posted by Pollyana

Real trip down memory lane seeing some of these names from the good old days of BE and lovely to see that it worked out for so many of you!

I'm just the opposite, I feel like my life has restarted now I'm back in the UK, my Aus years were just time spent in limbo

Originally Posted by Pollyana

Real trip down memory lane seeing some of these names from the good old days of BE and lovely to see that it worked out for so many of you!

I'm just the opposite, I feel like my life has restarted now I'm back in the UK, my Aus years were just time spent in limbo