Paul commenced his flying career in the SAAF (44 Squadron) and is rated on Harvards, Impalas and Dakotas. He served as the Flight Safety Officer of that unit. After giving aviation a break for a while Paul joined the Cape Aero Club in Cape Town in 1995 to regain his CPL and IF ratings. Paul immediately involved himself in Club activities, and has played a valuable role in guiding the Cape Aero Club with his extensive knowledge of the practical and legal aspects of aviation. During all of his involvement in aviation he has been making a contribution for the benefit of others.
Paul served for an extended time at the Club involved in Safety activities, coordinating with the other Cape Clubs, and also chaired the Safety Committee and dealt very efficiently with a number of delicate safety incidents.
Paul contributes to aviation in many ways, contributing both financially and of his time, to the organizations he is involved with, often without other members of the organisation being aware of it. In 2001, Paul was deeply involved with the Action Group against the Peak Approach Charges promulgated for Cape Town, then threatening the viability of GA. Through his efforts an innovative solution was found to address those issues.
With the introduction of the new ATNS tariff structure in April, Paul has once again, without hesitation, taken the lead in doing something really constructive in neutralizing the threat to General Aviation. It is hard to comprehend the amount of time, personal money and energy Paul has invested in dealing with this matter by arriving at a solution that is acceptable to all parties. He is willing to contribute substantially despite the risk of neglecting his own business that needs his attention.
Without Paul, General Aviation would be a more divided body at the mercy of practices and costs more appropriate to the airline industry which would be to the detriment of GA. Paul does this without seeking any personal glory, power or compensation.