by : David Bremner

Last December I took delivery of an aircraft (the Falcon XP canard) I'd wanted to own for 10 years. The delivery flight from Dunkeswell, Devon to Barton, Manchester was utterly exhilarating, and over the next month I and my fellow syndicate members got familiarised with it, and started to plan the things we were going to do with it.

Tethered outside, it had withstood gales successfully, and we were dumbstruck to find it upside down one morning. The wind, curling round the edge of a hangar, had worked a knot loose until it eventually came undone.

We had paid our first insurance premium less than a month before, and so it was with no little trepidation that I contacted the insurer, knowing that the repair bill would be pretty horrendous. Now I know that insurance companies exist to pay claims (I work for one!) but I was reassured by its attitude, and the loss adjuster (a pilot and PFA man who's built his own aircraft) was also totally positive.

The repairs were very complex and the aircraft came within a hair's breadth of being written off, but finally the aircraft has been restored to its original state, and will (I hope) be back in the air by the time you read this.

Various things come out of this.

First, I'll never resent paying an insurance bill again - particularly not for a shared aircraft. The thought of falling out with friends over something like that doesn't bear thinking about.

Second, although I'd only had the aircraft for such a short time, the feeling of loss and of subsequent repossession have been almost physical. What that says about my personality, I dread to think. Do others feel such a close bond with their planes? Answers on a postcard please.

Finally, it would be remiss of me not to put in a shameless plug for Bartletts the insurance brokers, whose quotation was extremely competitive and who dealt with our claim speedily, professionally and reassuringly, and to thank Gordon McDill, who failed to meet any of my expectations of a loss adjuster. His enthusiasm for flying, extensive knowledge of the market, and determination to see it back in the air if at all possible, were all key contributors to the successful outcome.

And to Dave Almey and the guys at Skycraft, who've exceeded our expectations in bringing the Falcon back to life, a special thank you. So often, those who bring enthusiasm to their profession leave professionalism behind, but when the going got tough, Dave did whatever was necessary to deliver the goods as promised - and still found time to add a few extra touches where his enthusiasm got the better of him.