Matt Ponsford celebrated his 16th birthday at Shoreham Airport on Wednesday, February 11, with a solo flight in the family's 1973 Cessna 150 Aerobat.

In 1976, his father, Graham, appeared in the Herald after completing his first solo flight on his 17th birthday – the minimum age at the time.

"It was awesome," said Matt, who started flying lessons only four months ago.

"There's no feeling like it, really, flying on your own for the first time."

Aerobatic

Dad Graham said: "Your first solo flight is something you can't repeat.

"Hopefully, he gets as much benefit out of flying as I have over the years."

Matt's instructor, Stuart McKinnon, of Phoenix Flying, said: "He's done very well.

"It's actually an aerobatic version of the aircraft, so he's been upside down a fair bit while he's been learning."

Freedom

Matt said the thing he liked most about flying solo was the freedom.

"You can't really describe it. It's just flying."

He was able to fly solo on his 16th birthday because the minimum age was lowered in 2000.

"Matt is one of the few who's managed the achievement of doing it on his 16th birthday," said Mr McKinnon.

Cega

Graham is now the chief executive of the family's air taxi business, Cega – something he told the Herald in 1976 he could not imagine doing.

"I don't know whether they would have me," he said with a laugh at the time.

Now he says it was the aviation side of Cega that made him join his older brother, Clive, in 1980.

Matt's elder brother, James, also completed a solo flight on his 16th birthday, two years ago.

James is just about to start training for his commercial pilot's licence.

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