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Bryan was born in Guernsey, Tricia on a farm in Harrold, Bedfordshire. Bryan obtained a BEd from St Luke’s Exeter and later on a BPhil from Birmingham. Tricia trained as an Occupational Therapist at St Loye’s Exeter. Newly married in the early 1980s, they spent four years in India at Hebron School.
With two young children, Bryan and Tricia started their adventure with preparation for work with MAF at the end of 1990 when they headed off to Tennessee, USA, to turn Bryan’s British Private Pilots Licence into an American Commercial Licence and Instrument Rating. While in the USA they were linked up with Hopkinsville Vineyard Church.
Bryan worked as a Flying Instructor until joining MAF’s operation in Tanzania in July 1992. They spent four years there, mainly in Mwanza. Their youngest joined the family just before they moved to Uganda, which was home for five years. This was followed by two years in Bangladesh.
Bryan’s work has involved flying the Cessna 185 and Turbine Beaver Floatplanes, piston-engined Cessna 206 and 210 and the popular turbine Caravan. His various rôles have included Base Manager in Mwanza, Chief Pilot and running the floatplane project in Uganda, and Training Captain in Bangladesh.
Bryan and Tricia have both been very involved in various Churches on our assignments. Tricia’s work has revolved around the family, using her occupational therapy skills, and has also included radio flight following, office work, home schooling, hospitality and staff training.
Since returning to Guernsey at the start of 2004, Bryan’s job has changed from being a full-time Pilot, teamed with Tricia and family based overseas, to being a spokesperson for MAF, particularly in the Channel Islands. As well as raising the profile of MAF’s exciting mission work in and around the UK, his previous overseas experience as a MAF Pilot means he can also still do short-term relief Pilot assignments for MAF overseas. Recent assignments have involved many hours of flying in Chad, Uganda and Sudan.