A
Hinckley man whose wife bought him flying lessons to help him overcome his fear of heights
has gone one step better than that.
Deborah Hobbs invested in three hour-long sessions for her husband Adrian at the
Baginton Airport-based Coventry Helicopter Centre for his birthday, and he enjoyed it so
much he bought the company.
The couple, who successfully built up Hinckley-based Round Peg Recruitment before being
bought out by Securicor three years ago, will now run the firm together.
Hobbs, 41, admitted that when he was first given the present he was sceptical, but it
did not take long before he was smitten with the idea of flying.
He said:
"To be honest I wasn’t keen on going up at all as I have always been a bit
fearful of heights.
"As soon as I did start to fly though it became a fascination, it is about
mastering a machine because when you first start the machine is mastering you.
"I took my first lesson in January and on 9 May I had passed my test, and by 29
May I had bought the company."
Mr and Mrs Hobbs gained an interest in the business while seeing it at close hand for
the three months of his lessons, and Adrian Hobbs is in no doubt that it will be a
success.
He said:
"We realised that there was so much more the company could be doing and more
people we could be appealing to.
"There are three main markets, training, charter and pleasure flights and they all
have huge potential.
"We are looking to develop an air taxi service for businessmen and that can cater
for people travelling to Silverstone, Edinburgh, or anywhere in the UK.
"There is also currently a shortage of pilots in the industry so anyone who can
raise the funds for the lessons could be setting themselves on the road to a career which
can earn them between £50,000 to £60,000 a year."
