I've said this before as my opening line I'm sure, but it really has been difficult to know where to start with this one. Ninety minutes in the company of Brendan O'Brien can do that to you, in a wholly good way, I hasten to add, and we covered so many subjects in so much detail that I probably came away with two or three chapters-worth for his, as yet unpublished, memoirs!
You might think you know Brendan. You may have seen him perform with his Flying Circus since he returned as a participant in 2010, listened to him as a guest of an airshow commentary team, heard him commentating himself or perhaps seen him as presenter or consultant on one of a host of TV programmes. I'm tempted to say that much of that isn't the real Brendan, however, for this is a man who, in an airshow sense at least, knows when to switch it on and enter in to his public persona. A word that crops up a lot during our interview is entertainment - and for Brendan, that is the key to all that he does.
Firstly though, why did he choose to come back?
"I suppose it was a little unusual, people don't normally reinvent themselves at my age! It's certainly unusual once you're in the death zone as I call it, which is anything over 60 in my book, and when you start seeing your friends going...
"I've greatly enjoyed playing a part in airshows over the years but then I dropped out of it for a long time and went off to indulge in my many other interests and then did a bit of commentating, which is actually where it all started for me really, back in the '70s with the Rothmans Aerobatic Team.
"I enjoy the scene though, I know so many people and I love the flying which I've been doing for more than 40 years, so I thought, 'what the hell! it will be fun to do it!' Also, I'll be honest with you, I was getting a bit bored with talking about it - I'd much rather be out there doing for it myself."
That's all well and good but I can't help but wonder whether to some extent Brendan felt that the UK airshow circuit 'needed' the Flying Circus back again? Let's face it, we do pretty well for warbirds, military participation and display teams, but we aren't exactly blessed with much of the pure entertainment that tips a wink to what airshows were originally all about - wingwalkers aside of course.
"I've always been orientated to the Flying Circus. Airshows have always been about entertainment, that's it. Whether It's been barnstorming, people looping off the deck, those magnificent men in their flying machines etc - the general public have always looked upon pilots as daring stuntmen, that kind of thing.
"I find that a little bit bizarre because most of us, every day, zoom along roads and motorways at relatively high speeds often very close to the cars in front of or behind us and it really isn't any less dangerous than flying! I suppose there is the three-dimensional aspect of flying and also the fact that many people dream about flying or falling, so there is definitely something deep in people's psyche about flying, and that is why pilots are held in such esteem, especially at airshows.
"99.9% of people go to airshows to be entertained and the Flying Circus is an elemental part of that. I've been to well over 1000 airshows and in many different capacities - punter, commentator, participant...and It's always very interesting to go and stand in the crowd. Sometimes I'll be a bit naughty and go and do that! You can have someone doing world class aerobatics but Johnny is just eating his burger, Dad's looking the other way with his beer and Mum is trying to keep the kids in order.
"But, if you announce that some turkey is about to go and land a plane on the back of a truck - that gets everyone's attention! Anyone can understand that this is something a little out of the ordinary."
So why don't we have more of it in the UK then?
"Indeed - and if you look at the USA then there is a lot more of it. It's a good question and in some ways we Brits, we can be a little bit reserved. I'm interested in the whole business of entertainment and at my heart I'm a showman first and a pilot second, but perhaps we are a little bit conservative in this country."
Now you wouldn't call O'Brien's Flying Circus conservative, It's probably the last word you would consider using to describe it as you see Brendan's Piper Cub painting impossible pictures as he performs like a novice pilot with his 'Crazy Flying' or of course landing on the back of a truck being towed along the runway.
The truck top landing started in the USA and there are still less than half a dozen people who are qualified to perform it. Indeed, Brendan essentially brought the act to the UK for the first time in the 1980s.
"Don't say it too loudly but what I do isn't particularly difficult and landing on top of a trailer, although you have to be very careful, doesn't require an enormous amount of skill if you have good general handling ability and can land an aircraft on two wheels and in a straight line for 30 yards.
"You either believe you can do it and are comfortable with it, or don't be there - It's as simple as that. The crazy flying is very much the same and, while you do have to keep an eye on things, the bottom line is that it is a whole lot of fun and not at all stressful - I don't do stress!"
This itself is an interesting point and Brendan is keen to emphasise that he is beyond subjecting himself to the kinds of stresses and strains that a high G display flying would bring with it. The same goes for the admin and paperwork that being an airshow participant generates, which is why former wingwalker Helen Tempest is now managing his act and his schedule.
Don't for one minute misinterpret this relaxed demeanour, however, for Brendan is a man who takes his flying very seriously and likes to fly well, confessing that if he forgets anything, however minor, it leaves him irritated and annoyed with himself. It's just all the extraneous bits and pieces that he would rather not be bothered by.
"I'll give myself just 30 minutes or so to pump-up for my display and before that I could be...(he leans back in his seat at this point as if sunbathing!), because I've already prepared my aircraft and all I have to do is walk.
"I'll go and get in, put my helmet on and call up to ask if we're running on time. There are so many little things, added aggravations, that can affect a display programme, and you need to be ready to go on early if necessary or react as circumstances dictate.
"As far as I'm concerned, I know, fundamentally, exactly what I am going to do and, there's a broader point here, I don't think anyone should be displaying at more than 50% of their ability anyway.
"One man's floor is another man's ceiling, I'm well aware of that, but I do think if you feel you are really stretching yourself to the limit with display flying, any flying for that matter, you need to ask yourself why. It is a valid point because I truly believe you can entertain the public and not short change them without pushing yourself. You have to have plenty of spare capacity."
As a man who first displayed in a Pitts in the mid-'70s, Brendan has seen the airshow circuit for longer than most current performers and I wonder to what extent he's feels the events have changed over the years?
"They haven't really! Fundamentally there is much more razzamatazz and a lot more smoke, but we do seem to have moved away from the barnstorming elements of a show. That's what I'm trying to bring back, I'm not in to doing the world class style aerobatics - if someone gave me a Sukhoi or similar I'd be looking at doing an inverted ribbon cut or something along those lines, not just a solo aerobatic routine."
Brendan does agree, however, that airshows in the UK are properly regulated and he's a big defender of the way this works.
"The DA (Display Authorisation) system works very well I think. I am a DAE (Display Authorisation Evaluator) and obviously I hold a DA as well. I wonder if you can be a DAE without holding a DA? I'm going to ask myself... I don't know, I've never thought about that one before!
"We have a big peer thing in the UK and essentially we are all checking each other out, and this is something that they are trying to do more of in the USA. It does happen over here but in a rather of a whispery sort of way. I always know if I've screwed up. I flew to close to the crowd at Dunsfold last year. I made a mistake, it was dumb, no one needed to say anything. A momentary lapse of concentration and it was hands-up - I know I made a mistake. If people keep doing it however...
"Some people always argue the case and that can be annoying. If saving face means that much to you then I would say that your personality is not right for display flying - at the end of the day you cannot lie to yourself. Flying will always catch you out eventually but, to get back to the point of the question, I don't think display flying is over regulated and the safety stats back that up."
So, having returned to the scene as a performer, and with an experienced eye to cast on the current scene, who, I wonder, stands out for Brendan as the must-see acts on the 2011 airshow circuit?
"I'd name three I think. Firstly, anyone new on the scene. It's as simple as that. They could be flying a Caravan or a microlight but I would want to see them and what they were doing - often because It's good to get ideas from watching other people! Naturally I love watching other circus acts and I always watch the wingwalkers and, finally, despite seeing them so many times, the Red Arrows. The Reds are always entertaining and I love looking out for the minute detail, a twitch here, some yaw there...that kind of thing.
"As I said earlier, a lot of the solo aerobatic displays don't really do it for me. I've been a big fan of glider shows (Guy Westgate's Swift Aerobatic Display Team - now GliderFX), and I think gliding is great and there is definitely room for more at airshows. I have of course, because of my past involvement, a big soft spot for the Fourniers. I don't really watch the military, although I love the helicopters as I'm a keen chopper pilot, especially the Chinook display which I have referred to as like an elephant ballet dancing!"
And so we reach Brendan's act for the 2011 season and, having admitted that he reinvented himself for a return in 2010, he certainly hasn't sat back since, redesigning the back-story to his performance and even adding a whole new character to the mix.
A recap for those of who you didn't see O'Brien's Flying Circus last year and the story was that his Piper Cub was 'accidentally' being flown by an engineer, not a pilot, who had simply been asked to move the aircraft. The result was of course chaotic and provided the perfect backdrop for first the crazy flying and then the subsequent truck top landing. 2011, however, sees audiences introduced to Captain Boogaloo, the world's oldest pilot, Brendan's mentor and the man flying the display as Brendan himself inadvertently double booked a much needed makeover!
"My friend Bernie and I came up with this idea of having a character, a 101 year old aviator and we got a mask to match, although It's not that difficult for me to pretend, to be honest! I can ham it up a bit and it's truly in the spirit of the flying circus - pure entertainment.
"It's a bit like the Stig on Top Gear; in some ways my name doesn't need to be mentioned at all. Some people will know it's me but many of the public won't of course, and that's the fun part of it.
"Sadly you are not allowed, due to CAA regulations, to commentate on your own display, so we are working on having a generic commentary, running off an iPad, which we will have pre-loaded audio to make It'seem as if it is broadcast live from the aircraft. I'm inclined to think that display pilots should really have enough available capacity to talk and fly at the same time but I'm not one for causing any aggravation with the authorities!"
With the potential addition of fireworks, pyros and extra lighting on the aircraft, night time shows are a real possibility for Brendan and would undoubtedly be a real spectacle. Again, he's always looking to progress; this is a man who if he's standing still, clearly feels that he's moving backwards.
Can he, I ask, ever imagine waking up and not wanting to go flying?
"That's a very fair question and I suppose yes in the sense that everything has to come to an end, probably sooner rather than later in my case! Charlie Kulp, the famous American 'Flying Farmer' flew his last display age 82 and I thought well, if that old bugger can keep going then why can't I?
"I suppose it comes down to genetics and the cards you are dealt with but I think I'll adjust to it when it comes and I have a lot of other interests such as natural history and I do read a lot! What I will say is that I will know first when the edge has gone, no one else will need to tell me."
And is there anything else he wants to achieve?
"I would like to expand the circus and possibly get some new people involved so that the mantle is passed on. It's such an open-ended act that you can add things to it and take other things away. It would be great to hand the whole thing on to someone else who can carry on doing it and maybe I'll get to do something new before I call it a day. Watch this space."
And finally....
Quick as a flash... "I wasn't there and I didn't do it!"
That seems like a good place to end, and, as the laughter around the table subsides, I realise that I can't even remember the question. It's been that kind of interview but one which I found myself realising could have continued for much longer in truth, such is the depth of knowledge and humour of the man. It was an honour to get so much of his time and, if you haven't yet seen his act this season, I know how much you'll enjoy it - a true breath of fresh air and one which we are very lucky to have.
