The Team

Emily Collett

Emily started flying in 2001 and set out to learn aerobatics as soon as she could. She has been a gliding instructor, a tow pilot and started flying in aerobatic competition, in gliders, in 2007; in the same year she won the Sports class National Championships. She has been competing in aeroplanes since 2009 and has won a number of trophies including the Standard National Championships and the Diana Britten trophy (for the best female competition pilot) each year she has competed. She has now also transferred these skills to air display flying and instructing. Mike and Emily travelled to South Africa as part of the British Aerobatics Team in November 2014, where the team won the Silver medal, to Romania (2015) and the Czech Republic (2017) for the Advanced European Aerobatics Championships. In 2016 Emily became British Advanced National Champion. In 2018 Emily became the first female member of the Great War Display Team, displaying an SE5a replica aircraft.

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Mike Collett

Mike started his flying career in gliders, which included winning the Dan Smith aerobatics trophy in 2003, and spending a number of years as the Chief Flying Instructor of Booker Gliding Club. He has more recently transitioned to the noisier side of powered aerobatics, winning a number of medals in his first year. He was the 2014 National Champion at intermediate, and was selected for the British Team. Mike and Emily travelled to South Africa as part of the British Aerobatics Team in November 2014, where the team won the Silver medal, with Mike finishing 9th overall. In 2016 Mike came 2nd in the British Advanced Aerobatics Championships, with only a whisker between him and Emily. Having become a display pilot Mike now displays both their lovely Cap232 as well as with the Great War Display Team (where he displays Fokker Triplane, SE5a and Junkers CL1 replicas).

Mike also flies for a living, as well as being an instructor. He has approximately 7,000 hours flying time.

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