Leader – Mark Jefferies the Global Stars Team

A brief note on my flying experience. I started flying in 1980 and have flown over 130 different types of aircraft from Microlites to L29, Hawker Hunter and Hawk jets. I now have approximately 3800 hrs experience. British aerobatic champion at all levels throughout the years, British Aerobatic team member 10 times. Air display flying started in 1984 and now I have flown shows in numerous aircraft around Europe and have flown by invitation in Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, Romania, Slovenia, Germany, Holland, Turkey, Switzerland, France, Spain, South Africa, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Malta. In 1997 I flew in the southern hemisphere Reno race, Tasmania. I hold a BCPL with Display authorization issued by the CAA giving display permission to 30 ft fly past and 50ft unlimited aerobatics in group A & B aircraft. For the L-29 jet and YAK 3 & 11 the minimum heights are 100ft fly past and 200ft aerobatics. Formation qualified as leader of large formations flying with the Aerostars for 4 years in number 2, 4, 6 & 7 positions, also I have flown as a stunt pilot for films and have flown in the Aero-GP contests.

Mark Jefferies took up aerobatics flying immediately after he got his PPL in December 1980. His first contest was in 1984, in 1985 he entered 6 contests and which saw 5 wins including the nationals in the 1936 designed Bucker Jungmann he rebuilt from a pile of parts obtained from the Spanish Airforce. In a quest for performance and the ability to enter at the higher levels he built a Laser 200 which enabled a win at the Unlimited nationals in 1994, the only person in UK aerobatics to have built and flown to the ultimate goal of aerobatics winning the national title at advanced and unlimited. He has now been national champion at all levels on 10 occasions.

Mark is managing director of YAK UK Ltd, surely one of the UK’s light aviation success stories. Flying his homebuilt Laser 200 he became the British Unlimited Champion in 1994, retiring and then coming back to aerobatics in 1998 has since won the Advanced crown for five straight years from 1998 to 2002. Mark won a bronze medal and a podium appearance for his 3rd place in the Advanced World Aerobatics Championships held in Slovenia in August 2002. Mark and his former wife Cathy have two daughters Jasmine and Tara, the family home being the farm at the heart of Little Gransden airfield in Bedfordshire. He flies many types of aircraft, notably from the Russian YAK series. It was the YAK 11 rebuild that led to Mark becoming the major exporter from the FSU of various types of sporting aircraft. Mark returned to Unlimited aerobatics in 2003 winning the national championships again in 2005, 2006 and 2007, also in 2007 Mark flew to 9th place in the World Aerobatic championships, Granada, Spain in the Extra 300s. Mark flies air shows most weekends throughout the summer in a selection of aircraft, Extra 330SC, YAK 11, L-29 jet & YAK 50. Making a comeback to competition flying (again) by invitation in 2024 he won the open freestyle championships, also in 2025 the same. 

Flies Nr 2 – Chris Burkett – Global Stars Team

Chris’ fascination with all aspects of aviation began at an early age. First experiences of flying and aerobatics were in a de Havilland Chipmunk as an RAF cadet. Some years later he was able to complete his PPL on the Chipmunk and own a share in his own machine. This led to his first taste of display and formation flying as part of Captain Neville’s Flying Circus, involving balloon bursting, flour bombing and flying ‘limbo’ underneath bunting! Aerobatics however was always the special focus and Chris progressed to flying the Pitts Special, the iconic aerobatic biplane flown by almost all the great competition and display pilots at some stage in their careers.

In 2006 Chris entered aerobatic competition in the Pitts. He started the season with a maiden win first time out in both of the first two tiers of aerobatic competition, and ended the season as UK National Aerobatic Champion in the Standard category.

Chris’ Pitts Special was a “homebuilt” aeroplane – with scope for some hands-on, “nuts and bolts” engineering. “My Pitts started life with two ailerons, flat-bottom wings and no electric system, and ended its time with me with four ailerons, symmetric wings and full electrics, including a starter motor and an alternator! It was a lovely, responsive aeroplane to fly, though lacking the ultimate performance of the latest monoplanes”.

In recent years Chris has been very busy flying air displays. He is a founding member of the Global Stars team, displaying often in far-flung destinations worldwide. Recent displays have included China, India and the Philippines. Chris has performed at the last four Bahrain shows, which has also featured flying in formation with Boeing jet freighters from the courier company DHL. Last year he flew a display with the Global Stars team in Nigeria for the presidential inauguration. In previous years Chris has performed twilight pyrotechnic shows with former team “Twister Aerobatics”. He is also well known at air shows for performing a unique “Little and Large” display alongside Mike Williams flying a 40% scale radio controlled model version of his plane.

Flies Nr 3 – Peter Wells – Global Stars Team

After flying Models as a kid and realising my element was the air …Started flying aged 15 and soloed on 16^th birthday in gliders 1982.

I came from one of the well known gliding families in UK and was surrounded by national and world champions in my family. My Wife is one of only a few Women to be British National champion flying against all sexes. I was worst glider pilot in family!

I migrated towards powered flying  getting my licence in 1988  started towing gliders and migrated to aerobatics and airshow /display flying.

Pete pioneered the Pyro Display that is now seen worldwide with powered aircraft alongside my No2 pilot and was first person to perform a pyro display in UK in 2009 in a powered aircraft .

At many of these distant shows I got to know Mark Jefferies who was displaying as an unlimited solo act.

I also met  Chris Burkett who later flew as my No 2 for 3 years.

After 10 years of leading and running the SWIP team I retired and stopped display flying by coincidence as Covid 19 occurred.

I then came back and joined Team Raven a 6 ship display team flying in No2 position for 3 seasons  all over Europe .

First year of Team Raven I flew with Chris Heames as No.6

Seeking new challenge I flew with Global Stars in Hyderabad India in winter 2023.And became regular No2 pilot in winter 2024 .

I fit well into team as I have known everyone and flown with them before I have very recent experience in No2 slot and have done more pyro displays than most people. As well as being very experienced formation and display pilot I am a licenced Engineer so am handy with spanners and travelling teams

In gliding All 3 diamonds and 750KM Diploma in UK

Flying hours total solo tail draggers 7500

Toal displays flown approx 700

Flies Nr 4- Chris Heames – Global Stars Team

Chris joined the RAF from school and was employed as an Air Traffic Controller for 7 years. In 1979 he started pilot training on the Jet Provost and later the Hawk. After two years of intense training he was selected to fly the English Electric Lightning and subsequently flew the F4 Phantom. Many tours of duty on the Panavia Tornado were interspersed with a lot of instructional duties. He retired from military service with 9000 hours of fixed wing flying. Chris is married with 3 children 3 step children and 3 grandchildren. For almost 50 years he flew glider and was able to fly them on five continents. He was twice inter-services gliding champion. He has spent many years teaching formation flying in the UK and enjoys playing competitive bridge at the highest levels. His fondest memories of gliding was to have the opportunity to fly with the Condors in the Andes.

Chris is still able to fly and display vintage jets which he devotes a lot of his time to.