John started life as an Electronic Engineer with Cisco and then moved on into the IT industry, but he began to realise that this way of working really didn’t suit. Being an enthusiastic biker and driver, he decided to take a risk, do something he really liked, and train as a driving instructor. Having achieved PDI level, he promptly went on to complete training as a fully-qualified ADI. He cut his teeth working with probably the best-known and most respected learner school in the UK, BSM, previously the RAC’s driver training arm. In 2011, he decided to strike out alone, forming an independent driving school in Ayrshire, and ‘On Fire for Driving’ was born; with a fresh style of teaching and cars that were fun to drive for both instructor and pupil. His easygoing, flexible style, coupled with a rigorous attention to detail in his instruction, has provided many happy students with that coveted pass certificate. RnR: Zooming around on a motorbike noisily, turning the sounds up to 11 in the car with the windaes doon, crunching mints noisily. Just. Being. Noisy. Best Quote: (Upon student signalling right after being asked to turn left), “No, your other left.”
With well over a decade of driver training under his belt, David is our most experienced instructor, with a broad range of previous teaching roles. For many years prior, he worked in sales; however, as with many ADIs, he decided to sit back one day and evaluate whether he was actually enjoying what he was doing! He loved interacting with others and sharing what he knew, but in sales, the opportunity to follow a development from start to finish, and therefore the satisfaction factor, was limited. In 2002, he identified driving instruction as the perfect vocation, being a keen driver, and consequently got stuck right in with BSM, quickly adding fleet instruction to his pips, and becoming a champion of the National Driving Improvement Scheme. In 2008, he decided to go solo, started his own driving school in Stevenston, Ayrshire, and rapidly gained a handsome reputation amongst both pupils and peers. After several chance encounters with John at Ayrshire Test Centres, (whilst both were anxiously awaiting the return of their ‘babies’!), David began to realise that he shared the same vision and values as the On Fire crew, and joined forces with us in January 2015. He adds a wealth of knowledge and experience to On Fire, and is taking things forward in coaching both the very nervous, as well as the advanced novice driver in the form of Pass Plus and post-pass instruction. RnR: Gaming on the XBox. Relaxing at home. [In other words, more gaming on the XBox, yeah? Ed.]
Kenny considers himself very much the family man, being the father of no less than five daughters and recently has become a grandfather for the first time! This is very much reflected in his teaching style; a calm, paternal and reassuring manner, coupled with a great sense of humour, eases the nerves of the most twitchy of students. His previous career has been varied, including time spent as both a butcher and a security guard. He decided to become a driving instructor to enhance his broad experience, and because he found a real passion for helping others also achieve and develop new skills. He started as an ADI with Glasgow-based DRM in 2006, going on to join BSM for a number of years. His natural friendliness, and intense interest in all aspects of driving are evident as soon as you’ve known him for five minutes, and he is a most welcome addition to our lively team. RnR: Playing golf, watching footie … and now functioning as a GEU (grandson entertainment unit) Best Quote: Pupil; “Who’s the best examiner to get on your Test?”. Kenny; “The one who says, ‘Congratulations, you have passed.’”
Tony started his working life by following his dad and grandad into the family business of electro-plating. This involves coating metals in a variety of finishes, including chrome, zinc, gold and silver, for the computer and engineering industry. After over twenty years in the industry, he decided he needed a change of direction, and explored the process of becoming a driving instructor, quickly realising it suited his nature and brief perfectly. Having gained over ten years of experience teaching pupils to drive, Tony decided to approach John to see if there was an opening to join Ayrshire's leading driving school. His character and ability made him a great fit for our fresh style and he is now a most welcome addition to our team. R&R: Reading, cinema, and wading through mud at Land Rover shows!
Ross left school at 16 then went off to College to study Health and Fitness for 4 years then on to Uni to study for a Degree in Health and Fitness. After all this studying he achieved a Gym Instructor qualification. He then struggled to get a job doing this because he had no experience and no one would give him a job to get the experience that he needed. When Ross was 17 he got a motorbike and spent 2 years learning the roads and enjoying driving. Ross then started working in a warehouse doing 12 hour shifts but it was only temporary work through the summer. He then found employment in sheet metal work but would need to get a driving license to get to work every day. When he was 24 he contacted John at On Fire For Driving to see about starting lessons, which was great as John is one of the best instructors in Ayrshire and he got him through till he passed his test. A few jobs later he decided that working in dead-end jobs wasn't for him so he contacted John from On Fire For Driving and asked how he can become a driving instructor. Ross became a driving instructor trainee and with help from all the On Fire For Driving instructors he became an Approved Driving Instructor. Ross doesn't have just one quote, he has a few. “It's time to G O lets go!” or “If they start to drive off a cliff, are we going to join them?”
After working in the optical industry for years as a Laboratory Technician and Customer Advisor, Lisa took time away from working at Vision Express to focus on her young family. She thought about what she would like to do once the children grew up a bit and how she could juggle family and work life. John suggested joining him in becoming a driving instructor and with that Lisa started her journey on qualifying as an Approved Driving Instructor and hasn't looked back! Lisa specializes in automatic tuition and has completed courses in Autism Awareness and is additional needs aware and is looking to develop further training in this area to ensure everyone has a chance of getting their licence. Lisa says "as the parent of an autistic child I have a real passion for helping people who maybe need a different approach to learning to drive and need extra patience and time. Something I have learned through my son is that sometimes you just need the right person to help you achieve what seems like an unachievable goal. Everything is possible!" R&R: Family time! Long walks with the dogs and chilling in the garden watching the birds attack the bird feeder.
