Pooleys Blogs

Thirty-Seven Years in the Sky: Celebrating Helena Hughes date icon21 June 2026

Thirty-Seven Years in the Sky: Celebrating Helena Hughes

Helena Hughes has spent 37 years as an operational Air Traffic Control Officer, taught generations of student pilots through her Pooleys textbooks, and this week retired from one of the most remarkable careers in British aviation. This is her story, and the tribute that marked the end of an era.

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The History of the Pooleys Flight Guide: Britain's Essential Pilot Reference date icon09 June 2026

The History of the Pooleys Flight Guide: Britain's Essential Pilot Reference

The Pooleys Flight Guide has been the standard reference for UK general aviation for over sixty years. This is the story of how one former RAF pilot turned a notepad and a determination to fill a gap in the market into the most comprehensive aeronautical directory in the United Kingdom.

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Understanding the Weather and Flying Further Afield date icon05 May 2026

Understanding the Weather and Flying Further Afield - Pooley Aviation Academy in Person Event

A practical in-person training day focused on meteorology and navigation, helping pilots interpret weather information, make safer go or no-go decisions, and build confidence when planning flights further afield in the UK and Europe.

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Dawn to Dusk date icon23 January 2026

Eireborne: A Dawn to Dusk Winning Adventure Around Ireland

When pilot Derek Pake set out for the 2023 Pooleys Dawn to Dusk Challenge, his goal was simple: attempt something more ambitious than his third-place entry the year before. His theme would take him and fellow pilot Kate Turner on a stunning one-day circumnavigation of Ireland, retracing the story of WWII coastal lookout posts and the iconic whitewashed “EIRE” markers that once warned lost aircraft they were entering neutral Irish airspace.

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