Day 3

Straight & Level!!!!

Sounds easier than what it realy is.

Take-off, climb to 6500 Feet, aim for the lolipop, keep your aircraft speed at 80 knots and our flight level @ 6500.

At the lolipop climb to 7000 feet, keep your horizon @ 4 fingers, keep your aircraft steady.

And suddenly the bloody aircraft starts to lose altitude. Why? Because the instructor moved the flaps to 10. Bloody cow.

No problem, more power, and pull back.

Did an assisted landing, next time want to do it on my own.

Flight time: 1,1 Hours
Total time: 5,0 Hours
40 more to go.

Looking forward to Richards Bay and three weeks of flying, flying and more flying.

Day 2

They say that the 2nd time around is easier, and yes it is.

New instructor, new aircraft, calmer enviroment and yes this works for me.

Had to re-do all the ex. done in the 1st lesson but personally I think it went better this time around.

It is a fact the instructor either makes or breaks you.

Time: 1,2 Hours
Total: 3,9 Hours

A hell of a long way still to go.

Day 1

What a day... My original booking was for 14:00 this afternoon.

So this morning I fetched people that got lost to the different training venues in Kempton Park. Checked that all my facilitators was at the different venues, on the way home at 09:15 got a call from the booking desk at AFOS that we need to bring my booking forward to 10:30.

Went home, got dressed, and drove to the airport. My instructor Rene was not available - he had to do a charter, so already the ground started shaking. The standby instructor Hussain (now you understand the ground shaking) was actually a very friendly and nice guy. The two hour briefing which started at 10:40 consist of terminology, procedures, flight planning, emergency calls – from pop to snow drop, etc. At one point it all sounded the same.

We finally got to the aircraft at around 13:20. Now for more instructions, terminology, fuel sniffing etc, I was ready to get into this thing and fly.

Getting taxi clearance, finding runway directions, finding holding positions, etc was already overwhelming.

Once airborne, it become a total sensory overload, sight, smell, hearing, feeling and even taste, all your scenes go into over drive.

• Keep direction
• Look over there
• Keep your altitude
• Keep your speed
• Careful too fast
• Careful you’re too high
• Forced control spin
• Check your fuel
• What does the aileron do?
• What does the flap do?
• Don't you think you should trim the a/c
• etc.

And all you can think of is, shit I want out!!! What the hell made me do this??? And once back on the ground you think, that was not that bad, let's do it again!!!!!!!

Time is now 20:10 (lt), 4 hours after landing and I still can not find words to describe the emotions going through my mind.

One word comes to mind - SHIT!!!!!

My brain hurts... but I can't wait for next week.