Who needs a Reliant Regal? Sir David Jason, 83, takes to the skies in his own Robinson R44 helicopter before touching down in Buckinghamshire after getting his pilot’s licence in 2005
Sir David Jason was seen taking to the skies in his Robinson R44 helicopter on Wednesday before touching down in Buckinghamshire.
The Only Fools And Horses star, 83, certainly looked the part, as he sported a Robinson Helicopter cap and a HeliAir black jacket.
David, who became a qualified helicopter pilot back in 2005, shielded his eyes with a pair of black sunglasses as he joined his co-pilot for the trip.
The four-seater aircraft is the world’s best selling helicopter, priced at £350,000 new, and is often used by the military and government as well as private individuals.
The actor first set his sight’s on flying when he was 28, and recalled his disastrous first flying exam in his autobiography Del Of A Life.
Flying high: Sir David Jason, 83, was seen taking to the skies in his Robinson R44 Rave helicopter on Wednesday before touching down in Buckinghamshire
Slick: The Only Fools And Horses star certainly looked the part, as he sported a Robinson Helicopter cap
Confidence: David credited flying for helping kick off his acting career: ‘When I started flying, I found you didn’t need an academic mind – you just needed determination and dedication (pictured as Del Boy with his Reliant Regal in Only Fools and Horses)
In the book he explained: ‘I managed to get lost and I had to land in a field to ask a farmer for directions. Poor bloke.
‘He was surprised enough to see a helicopter come down on his land and even more surprised to see Del Boy get out of it.
‘I failed the exam, needless to say, and by next week the story of the bozo who got lost on his cross-country test was all around the airfield.
David added: ‘Still, I passed eventually, and with the need I now had to get to meetings and locations up and down the country, I managed to rationalise buying my own little machine – a four-seater Robinson 44, my mechanical pride and joy.’
David credited flying for helping kick off his acting career: ‘When I started flying, I found you didn’t need an academic mind – you just needed determination and dedication.
‘I don’t think I would ever have taken on professional acting roles if I hadn’t had the ability to fly.
‘I had quite low self-esteem and it gave me the self-confidence to believe I could do anything that I put my mind to,’ he concluded.
The outing comes after David revealed he would ‘never’ have thought he’d appear in one of Britain’s highest-rated festive specials – especially after getting his start in front of the camera playing a goose.
Up and away: David, who became a qualified helicopter pilot back in 2005, shielded his eyes with a pair of black sunglasses as he joined his co-pilot for the trip
Hobby: He also donned a HeliAir black jacket and a green fleece
In the sky: The four seater aircraft is the world’s best selling helicopter and is often used by the military and government as well as private individuals
The actor, made his first TV appearance on Decemver 26, 1965 when he played King Goose in a BBC production of Mother Goose.
31 years later on December 26 1996, 24.3million people watched him as Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter in Only Fools And Horses’ Christmas special where he and Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst) dressed up like Batman and Robin.
According to the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board, it’s one of the biggest audiences ever recorded for a single transmission in the UK.
The actor first set his sight’s on flying when he was 28, and recalled his disastrous first flying exam in his autobiography Del Of A Life
Oops: In the book he explained: ‘I managed to get lost and I had to land in a field to ask a farmer for directions. Poor bloke’
Funny: He continued: ‘He was surprised enough to see a helicopter come down on his land and even more surprised to see Del Boy get out of it’
Oh dear: ‘I failed the exam, needless to say, and by next week the story of the bozo who got lost on his cross-country test was all around the airfield,’ he laughed
Pricey! According to medium.com the helicopter has yearly fixed costs in the tens of thousands of pounds, estimated at £61,554
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, David said: ‘It’s been a journey. You would never, ever have thought that could possibly happen from playing the King of Goose Land on television… you’re lucky if you got another job.’
David, who was raised in North Finchley, London, told how his whole family gathered around to watch his first TV appearance.
He said: ‘The thing about it is you’ve got a poor, working-class family, and because television was still quite new then, it wasn’t in everybody’s house.
‘But then to have one of your own, one of your family actually on the television itself was an amazing achievement.’
What are the costs of running a Robinson R44 helicopter?
- According to Real Business, the helicopter costs £350,000 new and only half of that second-hand
- Hourly run costs for the Robinson are a few hundred pounds, with the manufacturer estimating around 14 gallons of fuel used per hour
- There is however, yearly fixed costs in the tens of thousands of pounds estimated at £61,554, which medium.com breaks down as:
- Servicing cost: £9,554 per year
- Insurance cost: £22,500 per year
- Fuel cost: £21,100 per year
- Hangarage cost: £6,000 per year
- Landing fee costs: £2,400 per year
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