No pictures...just good news. You'd better get used to calling Stef and I Captain....coz thats what they'll be calling us now.

Passed PPL and already on my way to CPL...watch this space.

Stef and I are REALLY pleased.

Share our flying joys on youtube using the links here.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2HF2LGzSBMo me doing engine off landings

Steff landing poorly (but it was gusting 18 kts) but look at the amount of crab he was pulling!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qdaiLaq9mYI

Me and Stef with me stuck in 1053 - bugger wouldn't start...
http://http://youtube.com/watch?v=_wsh3WaiDjc

Me returning from first ever solo x-county - too low and fast over the wires, aircraft wouldnt sit down....

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5dMxV-3fUmw

enjoy

TCR Total Control Racing was a slotless track system that gave you more control over your racing cars than ever before. Because there were no slots for the cars to fit into like Scalextric, the TCR cars could change lanes. This was done by flipping a switch on the Hand Controller. However when the cars came to a bend they would always default to the outside of the bend due to gravity and centrifugal force. This meant that you could not overtake on the inside of a bend, something that was perfected by Matchbox's Lanechanger racing system.
Most TCR sets that were sold came with the added bonus of a third vehicle, a Jam Car which travelled at a slightly slower speed than the two "racing" cars. This meant that in order to win a race you would have to negotiate this vehicle as well as your opponent. One set (the Zig Zag jam raceway) came with a nice Corvette Stingray that could be set to veer between both lanes at random moments, thus fouling up your perfect opportunity to slip past it.

The set I had as a kid was Crossfire. This was brand new at the time and came complete with the all new racing jeeps and the Pick Up Jam truck which actually came at you in the opposite direction. The set also had all the optional extras which were available separately on all but the most expensive sets. Unfortunatly this set was never used in anger as Joep destrpyed it (and his eye) on Christmas morning.

This disaster I blame on Kane who has a catalogue of Christmas present woes...I vowed never to share a present with him again.

Other gift woes fom kane's Xmas collection include the blue Raleigh Bomber and the toy garage I stamped on coz I was jealous.

Anyway, your blog spawned this trip down memory lane. Anyone else got some favourite toys the remember...sure Aldo has many...

Anyway. Flying aside I do have to work for a living. Got back from Beijing early yesterday morning with my students.

Here we are in Tianamin Square with the Forbidden City in the background....This trip was almost identical to the one I did 2 years ago so was boring as hell.

The only thing I will never get tired of is the wall. It is a fantastic thing and the highlight of any trip to China.

Last time i was here it was winter and beautiful. Snow and ice everywhere but clear enough to see the mountains of Mongolia. This time was too hot and we had bugger all visibility.

Anyway. A good trip on the whole. See ya

Failing PPL....Dooh

So all the flight training is over...23.5 hours PIC time logged.

Down to Manila with Stef...3 Exams to sit. 2 easy one hard...failed the easy one...dooh

radio exam was a piece of piss...if i don't get 100 percent i'll be unhappy...

powerplant....the one I was dreading.....96 percent! ( 70 percent pass )

PPL - FAIL - 56 percent - how can this be????


This was the one I was looking forward to....

Damm Indians....really.

the schools are pumping out hundreds of indian pilots per month....not trained properly...

So the ATo in Philippines changes PPL exam last month....but they rushed it...questions all wrongly worded, weight and balance charts not there in full...what crap

Anyway, not going to study actual PPL stuff for resit....do what everyone does and use the cheat sheet...even though some of the answers will be technically wrong....i need to fill in the wrong answers to pass....sigh....bless the Philippines!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, another day off work next month to resit...shite

Do you need a photo of me sitting the exams....nah didnt think so...hehe

cheers,

Mark