Jim Watt of Tayside Aviation says he got into the aviation industry because his interest was piqued when he served in the Royal Navy. “Although the Wasp helicopter was the high tech device of its day, I look back now at how basic they were,” he says.

Watt left the Royal Navy and flying in 1981 and worked for a few corporate companies. “Then I took up flying three-axis microlights from Oban and Cumbernauld Airfields and, while this was great fun, the engines at that time were pretty unreliable and after a couple of forced landings I moved on to flying light aircraft in 1992.”

Involvement in various groups was a social way to fly and he found it a good way to fly, keeping costs low. Around 10 years ago Watt bought a TB10 Tobago, which he still owns, and used this for business around the UK. “Shortly after this I got the opportunity to buy Tayside Aviation with a few business partners. I moved from owning one airplane to owning 22, so I guess I moved from hobby flying to a business. At the ripe old age of 49, I went off and completed my ATPL exams, my CPL and added a flying instructor rating.”

Tayside Aviation is a flight training organisation in Scotland with 18 aircraft and a Part 145 maintenance facility. “Based at Dundee airport, we deliver all training up to and including PPL, CPL, MEIR and MCC courses. We introduced an ALSIM MCC simulator three years ago to assist with the delivery of the multi-engine instrument rating courses. Tayside also run a second flying school at Fife Airport operating five Cessna aircraft. On behalf of the RAF, Tayside deliver the air cadet pilot scheme that offers 200 scholarships a year at Dundee Airport.”

In Watt’s opinion, the turbo-charged Seneca 2 is a good training aircraft. “It is big and heavy enough to bite you if you were to mishandle it and, due to the heavy controls, it needs to be flown in trim. It good short field capabilities and on single engine it will let you know what your feet are for.”

Watt is accountable manager for engineering as well as for flying and being a flying instructor means he can role change several times a day. “There isn’t a typical day as we have to take advantage of weather and the flying programme. It is nice, however, to be able to teach flying and run the business at the same time. It breaks up the day. I once flew seven different types in one day – not by design, a few had to be moved to and fro from the two sites, a few instructional sorties and an engin-eering test flight. All in a day’s work!”

One of the most memorable times Watt recalls was an early December week. He had dispatched two instructors to pick up one of Tayside Aviation’s Grob 115s from the factory in Germany. They had spent several days trying to get back to Dundee when he received a call saying they had to leave the aircraft in Nancy, France, due to weather and were coming home by train. “I was up a ladder fitting a new windsock at the time wondering where Nancy was,” Watt says. “The following day I flew the Arrow to Nancy with another pilot and we flew the Grob in formation all the way to Dundee the next day. Then it was back running the mill at the end of the week.”

So what are the most rewarding aspects of Watt’s job? “I still enjoy flying the TB10 and instructing is challenging and rewarding. I get to see so many people go solo which in itself is a privilege. Seeing the company grow and our students go on to get a job with an airline with our help is the icing on the multi-layered cake.” Jim Watt, Tayside Aviation