The Innards

An orgy of buttons. Haven't the faintest what half of them do yet but it worries me how many red ones there are. The two big screens have all the flying and engine instruments as well as a moving map and GPS information. It has a full autopilot and a storm scope as well for pointing out thunderstorms. The red button on the side of the control stick is for the missiles.

 

My First Multi

Alright I know there's already a picture of this on here, but its so pretty! Had my first simulator session and actual flight today, just getting to know the plane and get some idea of how it handles. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be flying it again and we should get our type ratings by the end of next week. After that we stop visual flying and start learning to fly solely on instruments. For anybody interested the engines are a pair of Mercedes A class 1.7 turbo diesel engines which is a first for a light twin like this.

 

Me and the Twins

At some point during our stay at Bristol we were bundled off into a dark room and had our brains connected to some sort of marvellous machine which filled my brain with stuff I didn't even know I knew. Passed exams with 94% average, although I'm sure its some kind of mix up, I'm just going to keep my mouth shut. Now I just have to go and do it all again in January. Back in NZ again as of the 12th October and supposed to be here for 12 weeks although it should be quicker than that as there are currently only 4 of us on CP34. 

More from the Manor

In addition to the architecturally stunning stained glass window, a stuffed crocodile's head. We were all a bit shocked when we rocked up but we were made very welcome and I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I discovered we got a fry up every morning for breakfast! Now although I am prone to some exaggeration, we actually did work from 8am to midnight pretty much every night for 2 weeks (except when Jo came down and we all went out and got hammered) and it was actually a relief to get the exams done. We should get the results later on this week and we are all, understandably, pretty nervous!

The Manor!

Its been a little while since I last updated as, in contrast to the last photo, I have been disgustingly busy (again Murphy's Law applies). That snooze in the crew room was the last one I managed for about 2 weeks as I flew as much as possible to get my end of Single Engine Phase Check done before heading back to blighty on the 31st August. Passed the flight test with one little hiccup but generally went very well and I was thankful to get on that 747 at Singapore with Damo, Shaun and Steeno. After a very nice 2 weeks at home we all toddled off to Bristol Ground School to be reunited with the gang and spend 2 weeks working harder than I ever have before, cramming to get through the first phase of out ATPL exams. The picture above is where we stayed with Jan and John Murray just outside Cheddar (so not Bristol at all really).