Vic Norman

Flying experience:       4000+ hours
No. of displays flown:  1800+ displays

Born in 1947, Vic caught the flying bug at a very young age from his father as he owned and flew an aeroplane which Vic frequently flew in.

Vic never really considered himself to be an ‘academic’ person after failing both his 11+ and then his common entrance exam at 13, he much preferred the practical aspects of his schooling and went on to be in the swimming team and to captain the under 11’s rugby team. In his spare time, Vic would also race go-karts and says he was even chosen to be in the British team but unfortunately was not allowed to race as he wasn’t yet the minimum age of 16.

After gaining a few ‘O’ levels, he left school and went on to enroll at the Chelsea College of Aeronautical Engineering on the Kings Road – he says that this was a good place to be in the 1960’s! Around this time, he met and fell in love with his now wife, Anne. Between his aeronautical studies, Vic managed to somehow find the time to pursue his other passions in life. He used to re-build and race vintage cars and was also a keen soapbox racer, which he still does at least once a year to this day. He also found the time to learn to fly at Stapleford Aerodrome where he eventually gained his full flying license.

In the late 1970’s, Vic bought his very first aircraft which was a Stampe bi-plane - he used this to polish up his flying technique and learn new aerobatic skills. In 1982, he took the next step and bought a Zlin 50 which was a highly aerobatic machine indeed. Vic used this to perform in at over 800 public displays including the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix and British Grand Prix. This was to be the start of rather a large collection.

Vic has successfully managed to earn a living in the display industry for over 28 years now. He says that he still loves flying the Stearman’s and still gets the same buzz from every display. He is a very experienced and established display pilot and holds a Civil Aviation Authority display pilot examiners authorization. Despite his flying achievements, Vic maintains that his greatest achievements are his 3 amazing children (all with their own flying licence) and the fact his wife Anne has stuck by his side for the last 43 years. He boasts that his last but not least achievement is, he has never had a 9-5 job and is unfamiliar with the concept!