"Every single thing is about who you know" That's how Mike Searle sums up the opportunities he had in aviation - and, fortunately for him, he knew some fascinating people. Some, like a leading Grand Prix driver, enabled him to get going in business. Others let him fly a tremendous range of historic aeroplanes, many of them no longer active but remembered with great fondness. All, though, were an experience. For nearly 30 years, Mike has lived in the USA, until recently maintaining an involvement with old aircraft. Speaking from his home in Arizona, he casts his mind back first to a very different environment. North London was where he received his education, at Hendon Technical College, and thereafter did a four-year apprenticeship with Jaguar and Rover dealer Henley's. It proved an excellent grounding in all things mechanical. A period in the Merchant Marine, working in the engine room, was interesting too. Once, in the Uruguayan capital Montevideo, he missed his ship to Buenos Aires. The only way of making the journey was to buy a ride in a Short Sunderland belonging to CAUSA, Compania Aeronautica Uruguaya SA. "Little did I know that, 40 years later, I'd be flying one..."
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