Almost there?

It seems I did jinx myself. My flight on Tuesday was awful.

170A yesterday and it was another 'Passed with a Bollocking'.

Head down for IR test on Saturday.

Bit of a mini round up

View of Sierra Nervada from Granada.











I should update this diary more often. So ..... chronologically. The flying is going really well and have been getting some really good feedback from my instructor. I am feeling confident for the test at the end of the week but having said that I don't want to jinx myself. I have one more flight tomorrow before the 170A(mock test) on Thursday and the IR test on Saturday.

---------------------

I haven't however been having as much luck with the wind. It is ages since I have been on the water, though unfortunately, I have been to the beach on several occasions that I thought were going to be windy. Not the worst place to be really, but still a little bit annoying.

---------------------

Becky came out for a whirlwind visit on Thursday. It involved another visit to the beach(no wind obviously) and then a tequilla or two in a bar in Jerez. Great to catch up.

---------------------

After the IR, the next thing to do is a MCC(Multi Crew Cooperation) course. It is all about synergy in the cockpit and is a 3-4 week course that needs to be completed and as such has no pass/fail. However, as we are modular students at a mainly integrated school, it does give them more of an opportunity to evaluate us and potentially increase our chances of the school recommending us to prospective employers.

---------------------

It was the Moto GP at the weekend, which Jerez becomes the home to the definition on insanity on 2 wheels. Performance bikes, doing wheelies, stoppies, butnouts and revouts all over the shop. About 200-250,000 descend on Jerez for the weekend, many of them on motorbikes. We made it the night to watch some of the craziness and went to the track on the Sunday to see seasoned Italian Capriossi win from Spaniard Dan Pedrosa on his debut in Moto GP. The legend that is Valentino Rossi, was knocked from his bike from the start, loosing 40 seconds which he never back.

Jerez race track from the air, we were on top the hill that is at 12 o'clock as you look at it.

View from the end of the back straight.

Catgut

Still wondering, I looked up what the strings of tennis rackets used to be made out of. It turns out that they were traditionally catgut, the intestines of various animals other than cats. More here in this Wipikedia entry.

Real aircraft tomorrow

The stimulator sessions went well during the last week. I am back in the Seneca tomorrow. It seems that again I haven't been in a real aircraft for ages, so it should be good. In theory, there isn't much difference between the Sims and actual flying and in practise that is pretty much the case. When we're in the aircraft, screens are put up at take off which aren't removed until near the end of the approack to land, these simulate instrument conditions and mean that it is startingly similar to the simulator. The main difference is the ATC, the controllers out here can be pretty dire, and do come out with many non-standard phrases. I am figuring that the more times they can suprise me now with something new the less chance of it happening in the test.

Our course is geared so that as we near the end, we will be in the aircraft more.

-----------------

I was having a knock about at tennis today and reminding myself how shockingly bad I am. Good fun though.
I was also wondering how they discovered that cat's guts made good string for tennis rackets? Must have taken a bit of a leap of the imagination that one.

"The Boot" - 9 seconds

One for the grandkids?

On Friday we had a presentation of our first 'stripe' as a result of passing the Commercial Licence. As is the way with these things the presentation was in the bar and there was the compulsory celebration of drinking 'The Boot'. A 2.5 pinter in the shape of a boot, funnily enough. Well although I didn't break the record for this, I did equal it. 9 seconds. My mother would be so proud.

Friday night was also a 'Bad Taste' party with a 5 Euro, drink as much as you like bar. Neurofen requirement in the morning. I seem to be unable to load pictures of the night onto this diary at the moment which means that you are saved from a picture of me in a hairband, Erica's top and shorts, however you do miss out on a great 'Lou and Andy' from Little Britain. Where did they get the wheelchair from?

Saturday, Erica and I recovered and went down to the beach for some food and I tried to get a kite in, but was dangerously overpowered. It was also quite a miserable day.

Sunday however was perfect 12m wind and I managed to sneak in a quick 30-40 minutes on the water. Nice weather and beautiful sunset for a backdrop. Lovely. Also the first proper time on the water since gashing my ankle, which is healing nicely.

As for the flying side of things. At the moment, I am finding the Instrument Rating a bit easier than the Commercial Licence. The main danger seems to be the completely non-standard ATC out here. Fingers crossed that this progression continues.