Sloping Off - September 2005
The Diary of a Flyer
by B Leonard Wise
The story so far. B Leonard Wise is looking for a hobby and wants to fly a Spitfire He has been to the flying site and advised to get a Trainer to start with. But insists on a Spitfire.
March 3rd
Today I shall buy my Spitfire, Hooray. I went into the Local Model Shop to buy it. It should have been a simple job. You go in to the shop, you ask for a Spitfire, the Shopkeeper sells it to you, you pay for it, take it to the Airfield and fly it. What could be more simple. However I discovered that this Hobby is full of people who like making simple things difficult. Having watched people do it I can see that flying is easy. I expect that they are not used to people of my ability in this Hobby.
Anyway I went into the shop and asked for a Spitfire. The Shopkeeper then asked a stupid question, What do you want it for ? I replied with as much dignity as I could muster, To Fly of course. Then he offered me a Kit to build, and said I would need servos, radio and an engine. Keeping my patience and speaking in a calm voice I said Look my good man, if I want a motor Car I go to the Garage, ask for a Car, we agree on the colour and price, and they supply it. They do not sell me the engine separately. Nor do they sell it without wheels. It comes complete, why cannot you do the same for a Spitfire.
Not like that here he said, people mostly build their own planes. Of course you can have an ARTF. What is that 1. ask. Almost ready to fly said he. The body and wings etc are made all you have to do is put in the engine Servos etc I did not tell him that I did not know what a servo was.. Nor do I fancy trying to put it all together. Why do they make it all so difficult? I find it hard to believe what he said next. No one sells ready made, ready to fly planes. You could always look for a second hand one of course. If you can find one. I can see that this is a general conspiracy to keep people of my ability out of this hobby. He continued, If I did have a ready to fly second hand Spitfire I would not sell it to you. You would crash it and waste your money. What you need is a high wing trainer and I do have one of them, it’s an ARTF.
In an effort to put him in his place, I told him that I held an important position in industry, that of Deputy Assistant Credit Controller, and in our Company the Motto was the customer was always right. He was not in the least put out. Quite right Squire he said it is the same here. You want a ready built ready to fly Spitfire and you are right. I know you cannot get one, so I am right, We are both right. ...see?
I can see his drift, he did not have what I wanted and so he wanted to fob me off with what he did have. I could see right through him. I do not want his High Wing Trainer, I want a Spitfire, and am determined to have one. I stormed out. I have a good mind to invest my pension in a model shop just to show these people how to run a business.
More fun with B Leonard in the next issue...will he get his Spitfire?
