About me

First of all, please feel free to call me 'Bob'.
Although I've used 'Robert' on the site name for 'official' purposes (it is the name on my passport after all) and I use the initial 'R' in my signature, everyone calls me 'Bob'.

I've loved watching aircraft ever since my parents took me to Heathrow airport when I was about three years old and I'm told that I started to draw them very soon after.
I didn't take art as a subject at school, opting for 'Geometrical and Engineering Drawing' instead.

The aviation theme cropped up again when I joined the RAF for what turned out to be just over twelve years. Although I was in the 'Supply' trade, six of the years were spent indulging my love for the high places with the RAF Mountain Rescue Service. Most of that time was spent at RAF Valley, (covering the Snowdonia area).

I first started dabbling in oils when my wife got me a small set just before I left the RAF and that opened the way to becoming employed as a professional artist for the next ten years with Buccaneer Distributions. I produced many paintings for their clients, including:- Boeing, British Airways, DHL, Hewlett-Packard, and TNT, along with Swiss, French, German and British Air Force units/Squadrons (including the famous Red Arrows).

Although my current day job keeps me very busy, I still indulge my passion for aircraft in what spare time I get; whether it be standing on freezing mountains hopefully photographing fast jets streaming vortices, or painting and drawing them back in the warmth at home.

That's me on the right, by the way.