This is a message from a dear whom i have not really seen for maybe a 18 months. It is a brilliant example of the support i am getting. How wonderrful is it to get love from family and friends. It can only help to think.mmmm perhaps i could call NASA and see if they could send me to space – you don’t know unless you ask of try.
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Dr Goat, many many congratulations man! I miss you, am off to Bestival, wish you were coming (are you perhaps). Can’t wait till we can fly around glasto. Really happy that you sound so well. Let’s hook up soon lad. Russ x
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Russell Churcher
Pivotal PR

I get woken up each morning here in norfolk by the friendly cock at about 06:30 BST

Since yesterday I have flown 3 hrs and 15mins. today i flew 2 sorties and tomorrow and thursday i am booked to fly 3 sorties. Jack Mills, CFI at Anglian flight Centre is a terrific guy. I am very glad to be flying with him. he is so calm and very skilled. he reminds me of Paul who i think is awesome, in fact i know that both Paul and Jack would get on like a house on fire.

yesteraday we revised alot of excercises and once Jack was satified that i have mastered the previous tasks he was happy to progress me towards my solo. I am staying at a wonderful place in Norfolk. I have some great friends. I have been to norfolk many many times before with my friend rusty. Only during my drive to the RTF, i have appreciated how wonderful this county is. It especially looks great on a sunny day. My home for the week is very  conducive to studying and i have many many fond memories from my school days when we would spend weekends and holidays here.

these pics i hope show just why i love being here.

I love aeroplanes and i am loving being at this airport where i get to look at planes all day and study about aviation. a huge difference from sitting in home study and doing ground school. it is great to be at a flying school where there a people i can chat with and talks to mechanics, other pilots and students.

This morning, my first flight focused on circuits and we did 6 of them. i landed using the ILS – and tried a glide approach landing with the engine on idle, thus with no power – that landing was not bad actually. Jack was pleased with my progress and did not have much to comment on the de biref which is good. During lunch, i watched other students and private hire people leave and read the final chapter of section 2 of my aeroplane technical and principles of flight book. Just have the whole of section one to read, which is principles of flight – ahhhh.

Jack has been great at having confidence in me to use the radio. he lets me do most if the radio until we depart the circuit and change from Norwich Tower to Norwich Radar.

Second flight of the day consisted of learing how to recover from both the incipient spin and the full spin. I liked this excercise. Inbound back to Norwich we flew just above a Bell helicopter which was bringing people back from the north sea. I remembered that the vortices created by rotor wings are worse then jets – i kept my distance. 10 miles out of runway 27, ATC changed the direction and we were instructed to hold our position until the helicopter landed and we were given instruction to follow straight in on runway 09.

Flying Over Norfolk Broads – they were man made! 

This PA28 has flown to Malta and is flying to Swiss tomorrow. I have made friends with John the owner.

Tomorrow, i have an interview with East Anglia Daily news and a photoshoot re my pilot training. Jack is away tomorrow and I will be flying with Julian who is a cool person also. I will miss these guys when i leave, i mean it everyone from Allen who is on the front desk to the work experience people to the accountant to the owners, i have made friends with all at this school.

This is Allan pushing me back into Hanger 12 – you can just see his face.

Hours flown from EGSH 3hrs 10mins – Before i can be cleared to solo, i have to have a medical flight test, hopefully this can happen whilst i am in Norfolk.

King Air is used for medical flight emergencies, especially for human transplants..she was getting ready to fly pick up doctors and take them to scotland to do an emergency operation.

Keep it in the Greens!!

I did slow flying, steep climbs, best glide endurance, stalling part 2, this was in the morning. Session 2 in the afternoon was doing circuits and touch and go’s. My instructor told me that i had done well and that he did not feel nervous whilst i got the grips of landing during a slight cross wind. It makes SUCH A BIG DIFFERENCE to have highly experienced pilots teaching you. i do not know how to thank everyone enough. I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to Paul, who has given me the best training that anyone could wish. i have missed flying with him.

I am going to do some flying at a new FTO based on the East Coast. This may the be location where part 2 of my PPL training is conmpleted. Watch this space. I shall do my write up when i get a chance to. May not be for a few days…I have some great friends and a wonderful family. Without them and their kind support, i could not be as happy as i am. Thanks to Rusty and the Bradshaw’s for letting me stay at their place whilst i attend my new flying school.

keep it in the green.

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6. Massive Attack – A Prayer for England
7. Missoddkidd – Can’t stop – won’t stop
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