Phil joined the Aerostars in 2000 after buying his white and grey Yak-50 and has been flying as Aerostar Lead since 2002. When not flying with the team Phil is employed as a training captain for the airline easyJet flying the Airbus A319 from Stansted airport. He started his aviation career as a flying instructor and has now been flying commercially for over 18 years, including a spell at Air UK before joining GO, where his responsibilities included involvement in the company’s flight safety department. Phil is married with a young family and lives in Bishop’s Stortford.
Gabriel Barton - Aerostar 2
Like several other members of the team Gabriel started flying at an early age; a glider pilot at 16, private pilot’s licence at 17, and then training as a professional helicopter pilot servicing the North Sea oil industry before moving to the demanding job of flying the search and rescue helicopter based at Lee-on-Solent on the south coast. After several years as a CAA helicopter examiner, Gabriel made the switch to fixed wing airline flying in 2001, taking a position as captain with easyJet in 2003 and being selected as a training captain in 2006. Gabriel joined the Aerostars at the beginning of 2004 and after a spell as the team’s soloist now flies on the leader’s right side and leads the heart and opposition manoeuvres, a position he has flown since 2006.
Jeff Stowe - Aerostar 3
Taking the mirror position to Gabriel on the left of the leader in his green and yellow Yak-50 is Jeff Stow, a hugely experienced private pilot. Jeff has been flying for over 25 years, switching to aviation after a number of years as a successful competitor in motor sports, and as one of the initial Yak purchasers in the UK he now has well over 1000 hours experience on type. Along with several of the other current team members Jeff has been with the team since the beginning in 1997 and has been flying in his present position since 2003. When not flying Jeff still enjoys competitive driving and remains active in the vintage car scene. Jeff runs his own property maintenance business, he is married with two sons and lives just outside Hemel Hempstead.
Andy Hammond - Aerostar 4
Andy has been with the Aerostars since the inception of the team in 1997 and was team leader for the years 2000-2002. Like Jeff above, Andy has owned various models of Yak, including one of the first Yak-50s imported to the country in the mid-90s and he now has well over 1300 hours on Russian aircraft. He is a director of a successful multi-media company and is a self-confessed pyromaniac, having a passion for fireworks and always enjoys a good bang. In past years Andy has organised several pyrotechnic demonstrations, including the Aerostars’ own evening displays at Old Warden. He flies a grey and red Yak-50 appropriately registered G-HAMM on the far right side of the formation, joining on the leader’s wing for loops and rolls later in the display.
Mark Rijske - Aerostar 5
Mark joined the Aerostars in 2001, having graduated via the Yak-52 formation school run biannually at North Weald airfield in Essex, where the team are based. Mark trained as a lawyer in his native New Zealand and now is a partner in a property business based in London. He holds a PPL with over 500 hours experience on Yaks and lives just outside London with his wife and three young children. Mark flies his Yak-50 on the far left side of the formation, and like Aerostar 4 joins on the leader’s wing for loops and rolls later in the display.
Dave Boardman - Aerostar 6
Dave got the aerobatic bug following a flying session with Gabriel back in the early 1990’s. Subsequently he learnt to fly in a Slingsby T67, chosen because of its aerobatic ability. Then in 2002 Dave converted to a Yak-52 and began to learn the basics of formation flying and formation aerobatics on courses at North Weald. In 2004 he bought a Yak-50 and spent another year of intense practice in the new machine before joining the team in 2005. As Aerostar 6 Dave occupies the team’s soloist position and can be seen demonstrating the Yak-50’s aerobatic ability in his aircraft which still carries an original DOSAAF paint scheme. Dave lives in Hampshire with partner Debbie and son Alex and works as an observer on the police air support unit based at Lee on Solent.
Mark Levy - Aerostar 7
After spells as an air traffic controller and part-time flying instructor, Mark is now a captain with British Airways. He is presently based at London Heathrow flying Boeing 757 and 767 jets to destinations in Europe, Africa and North America and has logged over 13,000 flying hours. Mark has been a display pilot since 1989 and was one of original founder members of the Aerostars team in 1997 when it evolved from the Red Star Racing Team, leading the Aerostars until 1999. Mark’s wife is also an airline pilot and they live near Beaconsfield with their two young daughters. Mark has the unique distinction of having flown in every position in the team.
Gene Wilson - Reserve Pilot
Gene, another founder member of the team, has more flying hours than he cares to remember. He has in past seasons flown at a number of different positions in the team but has now elected to take a less active role in the future due to his extensive family and business commitments. Gene is the Managing Director of Titan Airways, a successful charter airline operating worldwide from Stansted with a fleet comprising of BAe146, Boeing B737 and B757 aircraft. He continues to regularly fly as captain on his company aircraft, holds a current helicopter licence, as well as enjoying his unlimited aerobatic Sukhoi-29 when time allows! Gene is married with four children and lives near Saffron Waldon in Essex.
Phil joined the Aerostars in 2000 after buying his white and grey Yak-50 and has been flying as Aerostar Lead since 2002. When not flying with the team Phil is employed as a training captain for the airline easyJet flying the Airbus A319 from Stansted airport. He started his aviation career as a flying instructor and has now been flying commercially for over 18 years, including a spell at Air UK before joining GO, where his responsibilities included involvement in the company’s flight safety department. Phil is married with a young family and lives in Bishop’s Stortford.
