UNIVERSAL QUALITY

   CYGNUS SYSTEMS (CYGNUS-UNIVERSAL LTD)

CYGNUS-UNIVERSAL LTD, UNIVERSAL QUALITY - CYGNUS SYSTEMS - MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UPGRADING & IMPROVEMENT; APPLICATION SOFTWARE; ANALYSIS & PLANNING; IS09000, AS9100, EASA PART 21, JAR-21, EASA PART 145, JAR-145; JAR-OPS & CAA REQUIREMENTS; PROPOSAL/BID MANAGEMENT & METHODOLOGY; QUALITY ASSURANCE, QUALITY CONTROL, & TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT, MAINTENANCE & MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS; COMPANY WIDE COMPUTER SYSTEMS; PROCEDURE WRITING; LANGUAGES - FRENCH & RUSSIAN; WRITING & DOCUMENTS; PROJECT MANAGEMENT; INTERIM MANAGEMENT; TENDERING; BID PREPARATION; PRESENTATIONS; WEB SITE DESIGN & BUILDING/HTML; OGP; JAR-OPS 3; MANUALS; PROCESS MAPPING; FLYING - GA & LIGHT AIRCRAFT

To a greater or lesser extent all my interests - both past and present - have contributed to my work.

While I have had a number dominant interests - these days the syndrome that "work interferes with one's hobbies" has never been truer.   One of the fortunate side effects as far as work is concerned is that hobbies and interests contribute to work.   I learnt more about leadership on some of the world's great mountains; I learnt more about aircraft when I built one;  and - I learnt more about computers when I started to take them apart......and building them.   Perhaps I learnt more about keeping my nerve from skydiving.    I could go on.    Suffice it to say that I have learnt a great deal from my hobbies and interests.

At various times I have been involved in:

Computers     

I spend spare time reading reading computer books and magazines.

This Web Site was built by me, using FrontPage 2003.

Open University

In an intense period of study, I gained a BA Degree from the Open University, completing studies in 1976.    Subjects taken were Technology, Engineering Mechanics, Materials, Systems Behaviour and Systems Management.

Later completed two MSc level courses:                                                  

Building and Flying My Own Aircraft

I always dreamed of building and flying my own aircraft.   The completion of my year long RAF Engineering Course and my BA Degree studies, plus access to engineering facilities, gave me the opportunity to start work in 1978.   The aircraft chosen was a FRED Series II, which entailed a very large amount of design work, as well as fabrication in metal, wood and composites.    Five years later the aircraft flew and was flown subsequently over the next 13 years.     During this period, engines were upgraded and a very large amount of time was given to the design and manufacture of engine components.     In 1990, I started work on a French aircraft, the Ibis.   Work was shelved however - after I had built the engine and translated most of the manual - due to other pressures.

I authored a number of articles during this period - on such topics as building and flying the FRED, upgrading and modifying VW engines, the future of the PFA and the CAA Approval system as it affected aircraft 'homebuilders'.

Currently, I fly and maintain my own aircraft - a Long-EZ. 

Over a 2 year period I was on the Executive and National Committees of the Popular Flying Association.

Mountaineering

Most of my mountaineering was done a few years ago.     I have personally led expeditions to:

I have climbed Kuh-I-Damevend (18,375ft), Kilimanjaro (19,340ft), Mont Blanc (15,770ft), Matterhorn (14,82ft), Kinabalu (13,455ft), Mount Kenya (Batian) (17,058ft), Ben Nevis (4,400ft), and scores of other peaks.    In the past, I was an accomplished climber on rock and snow and ice and have done hundreds of routes in England, Scotland, Wales, Cyprus, the Austrian, Swiss and French Alps.

My love of mountaineering grew from an initial and intense involvement in potholing.   The views in the mountains are better!   In 1995, I returned to Mont Blanc ..... and in 1997, I climbed Suilven, in Scotland.

Above - looking out over the Elbrus Mountains of Iran,  a traverse of Mont Blanc, the view on the descent from the Matterhorn, and Suilven, in Scotland.

Free Fall Parachuting

Free fall parachuting was a passion from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s.    I completed just under 400 parachute jumps and used all the then state of the art parachutes, ie PXs, Conquisators, ParaCommanders, ParaPlanes, etc.     For a period of several years, I was a BPA Approved Parachuting Instructor and taught many students.

Sub Aqua

I had involvement in Sub Aqua and had my own tanks and wet suit.    I was signed up as a Second Class Diver and dived in the waters around Cyprus, Singapore, the Maldives and off the South Coast of England.

Languages

I have for many years followed up my interest in languages - mainly French and Russian.    Involvement has been by self study, language tapes and reading grammar books.     In the same way that others do cross words, I read French and Russian books.     I have used my languages practically in France and Uzbekistan.

Travel

Both in my work and time off (not much these days), I travelled  to over 50 countries.     At the end of 1968 and the beginning of 1969, my wife and myself drove from Singapore to England.

Photography

Expensive cameras have always accompanied me on my travels.    I have hundred of photos - some good, some not so good.

DIY

Work on cars  and houses has been part of my life - as necessary - for many years.    My big love - two Jaguar E-Types.