Oh right, I have a blog.
As you can tell, I don't update it much in the summer. Not much really "newsworthy" happens around here. Life at the airport is pretty mellow. That's one of it's draws.
But now were getting into Fall, which means that it's getting close to time to go. It's odd, I used to hate the Fall. Fall meant Winter. And Winter in Buffalo isn't a happy thing... I'm not a fan of the cold. But now that Fall means Spring... well that's just a whole other ballgame :)
Still, it's that sad happy again.
I'm leaving my friends again... the party of Summer is over.
But I'm also returning to my friends as well.
It's an odd life I lead.
Jim
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
sushi
We don't get out much.
We all live at the airport and typically stay here most of the time.
However, every now and then... we go out for sushi.
It's one thing we all like and just can't get here.
Normally we go to Dover. It's 40 minutes away. Zach's been bugging us to go to this new place he found up in Northern Delaware. So we did.
It's just about as far to get to the new place... maybe 10 minutes longer. But the sushi's way better. The old place was good.. but the new place is unreal.
Now the odd thing about the place to the North is how you get there. Mind you, I rarely leave the airport and it's almost unheard of that I go North. This is important in that I used to come down from the North. The road up to sushi is the exact same route I would take every weekend... for three and one half hours... well, the last hour of that trip anyway.
This is the road where I spent a lot of time contemplating a very radical change in my life. It was also the path between the 9-5 "normal" world and the world of hang gliding. Alice's rabbit hole if you will.
People like to listen to the music of their youth because it "takes them back". There's a lot of emotional baggage wrapped up in that. Well I was having a lot of similar flashbacks. You not only get to remember things you've forgotten, you remember how things felt... how the world looked at the time. It's a bit freaky.
So, getting to relive those days in a way, the question naturally surfaces... if I knew then what I know now... would I make the same decision?
You don't often get to answer that one... not really. Maybe intellectually you can make a bit of a guess. Now I had a bit more insight.
As I often phrased the question... "Red pill or Blue?"
Yeah... still most definitely Red.
Driving home felt great... content. The further I got to my life and away from my past, the better I felt. Not that I didn't enjoy the past, but I had this very weird understanding that I'm walking the right path.
I love my life, my friends, the places I've been, the things I've seen.
I am a very happy person.
We all live at the airport and typically stay here most of the time.
However, every now and then... we go out for sushi.
It's one thing we all like and just can't get here.
Normally we go to Dover. It's 40 minutes away. Zach's been bugging us to go to this new place he found up in Northern Delaware. So we did.
It's just about as far to get to the new place... maybe 10 minutes longer. But the sushi's way better. The old place was good.. but the new place is unreal.
Now the odd thing about the place to the North is how you get there. Mind you, I rarely leave the airport and it's almost unheard of that I go North. This is important in that I used to come down from the North. The road up to sushi is the exact same route I would take every weekend... for three and one half hours... well, the last hour of that trip anyway.
This is the road where I spent a lot of time contemplating a very radical change in my life. It was also the path between the 9-5 "normal" world and the world of hang gliding. Alice's rabbit hole if you will.
People like to listen to the music of their youth because it "takes them back". There's a lot of emotional baggage wrapped up in that. Well I was having a lot of similar flashbacks. You not only get to remember things you've forgotten, you remember how things felt... how the world looked at the time. It's a bit freaky.
So, getting to relive those days in a way, the question naturally surfaces... if I knew then what I know now... would I make the same decision?
You don't often get to answer that one... not really. Maybe intellectually you can make a bit of a guess. Now I had a bit more insight.
As I often phrased the question... "Red pill or Blue?"
Yeah... still most definitely Red.
Driving home felt great... content. The further I got to my life and away from my past, the better I felt. Not that I didn't enjoy the past, but I had this very weird understanding that I'm walking the right path.
I love my life, my friends, the places I've been, the things I've seen.
I am a very happy person.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Cowboy-Land!
Hahaha... I think that's my new name for the States!
Part of it I'm sure is flying into Phoenix, but I was thinking that even in LA. After living in proper English-Britto-Land for six months... damn if everyone doesn't sound like they're from Texas! I'm sure it'll wear off after a few days.
And man it's nice returning to a country that ISN'T run by BUSH!!!! I distinctly remember arriving before and getting instantly inundated with big American flags, cops wearing all black and assault rifles (I'm not kidding) and huge portraits of Bush... felt like China. Now, there's modest pics of Obama over in official places. Security still has an air of "What are you doing Mr. Criminal?" to it, but whatever. Far less totalitarian than it's been in years past.
Immigration was as it's always been... nice an pleasant. Hahaha, had a chuckle with some Canadians about that over Summer... seems that the US/Canada border nuts over at Niagara Falls are indeed kinda jerks... it's not just me. Growing up there seems to spoil your view of immigration.
Not sure if traveling's just getting easier or if it's the lack of layovers this time (I think both), but I can't believe how easy it was getting to Phoenix. One little hop to BWI and I'm home. Crazy.
Hahahaha... and yes, already missing New Zealand.
Jim
Part of it I'm sure is flying into Phoenix, but I was thinking that even in LA. After living in proper English-Britto-Land for six months... damn if everyone doesn't sound like they're from Texas! I'm sure it'll wear off after a few days.
And man it's nice returning to a country that ISN'T run by BUSH!!!! I distinctly remember arriving before and getting instantly inundated with big American flags, cops wearing all black and assault rifles (I'm not kidding) and huge portraits of Bush... felt like China. Now, there's modest pics of Obama over in official places. Security still has an air of "What are you doing Mr. Criminal?" to it, but whatever. Far less totalitarian than it's been in years past.
Immigration was as it's always been... nice an pleasant. Hahaha, had a chuckle with some Canadians about that over Summer... seems that the US/Canada border nuts over at Niagara Falls are indeed kinda jerks... it's not just me. Growing up there seems to spoil your view of immigration.
Not sure if traveling's just getting easier or if it's the lack of layovers this time (I think both), but I can't believe how easy it was getting to Phoenix. One little hop to BWI and I'm home. Crazy.
Hahahaha... and yes, already missing New Zealand.
Jim
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The hard bit
Awe crap. It's leaving time again. :(
I always hate this bit.
I have to say goodbye to so many wonderful people. I'm always torn with thoughts of things I didn't get to. I would have loved so much to teach Julianne hang gliding... to take Royden for a tandem... to finish Zdenick's PG training... to... well, you get the idea. "C'mon MA... just one more D-bag?!"
It's been such a bloody fun Summer. Living in the middle of Queenstown, playing Rock Band with my flatmates... flying with Sean and Nail all the time... working on occasion... practically living at the airport. Life just doesn't get better.
But Winter comes, and thus I go.
I've even been living on borrowed time as well... I delayed my departure and I'm so very happy I did. I needed a little extra time to finish my Private Pilot License (PPL) and it's actually worked out extremely well. Instead of returning with a Restricted PPL, I've got a full PPL, Cessna type rating, Technam type rating, and (my favorite) a Citabria type rating :)
Of course it's always a mixed bag of emotions.
As much as I truly hate leaving, I get to go home now and see all my friends back there.
I'll just miss this place.
Jim
I always hate this bit.
I have to say goodbye to so many wonderful people. I'm always torn with thoughts of things I didn't get to. I would have loved so much to teach Julianne hang gliding... to take Royden for a tandem... to finish Zdenick's PG training... to... well, you get the idea. "C'mon MA... just one more D-bag?!"
It's been such a bloody fun Summer. Living in the middle of Queenstown, playing Rock Band with my flatmates... flying with Sean and Nail all the time... working on occasion... practically living at the airport. Life just doesn't get better.
But Winter comes, and thus I go.
I've even been living on borrowed time as well... I delayed my departure and I'm so very happy I did. I needed a little extra time to finish my Private Pilot License (PPL) and it's actually worked out extremely well. Instead of returning with a Restricted PPL, I've got a full PPL, Cessna type rating, Technam type rating, and (my favorite) a Citabria type rating :)
Of course it's always a mixed bag of emotions.
As much as I truly hate leaving, I get to go home now and see all my friends back there.
I'll just miss this place.
Jim
Monday, April 20, 2009
One last hura
Well, it looks like the weather's lined up for one last nice stretch (while I'm here anyway). Should be nice and sunny for the next few days... and oh darn, I've nothing to do but fly :)
It'll likely fall to pieces right around the time I'm due to leave, which will help with the leaving bit ;)
It'll likely fall to pieces right around the time I'm due to leave, which will help with the leaving bit ;)
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Done
It's been a long haul... but now it's over.
Did my last cross country flight today (in regular planes). So now I get a full unrestricted Private Pilot License.
Ahhhhhhhh.
No more flying bloody Cessnas!
Well, that's a bit optimistic. I'm sure I'll have to drive one around for a flight test or something sometime.
Now I can get back to flying dragonflys :)
Did my last cross country flight today (in regular planes). So now I get a full unrestricted Private Pilot License.
Ahhhhhhhh.
No more flying bloody Cessnas!
Well, that's a bit optimistic. I'm sure I'll have to drive one around for a flight test or something sometime.
Now I can get back to flying dragonflys :)
Mellow days
It's nice to be back to semi-mellow days again :)
Almost done with flying regular planes over at the airport... that schedule's toned way down already.
So, went up and D-bagged my glider... then we packed up Naill's speedglider for D-bag as well. We've not d-bagged one of those wee things, and hell, I don't think anyone in New Zealand's done it for that matter. So why not? We figured they'd be well suited to it. And it was. Went off without a hitch. Good fun.
One more cross country flight in regular planes tomorrow. Then that's all done.
Almost done with flying regular planes over at the airport... that schedule's toned way down already.
So, went up and D-bagged my glider... then we packed up Naill's speedglider for D-bag as well. We've not d-bagged one of those wee things, and hell, I don't think anyone in New Zealand's done it for that matter. So why not? We figured they'd be well suited to it. And it was. Went off without a hitch. Good fun.
One more cross country flight in regular planes tomorrow. Then that's all done.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Ferg at the beach
Life's finally slowed down enough for me to post again.
April's been an other month of cramin-slamin-it with my private pilot license stuff.
I passed my flight test (yeay) and moved onto "Cross Country Flying". Basically, you get a license, but can't go more than 25nm till you finish the cross country stuff... then you can do as you please. Well, that all sounds simple enough (and it is), it just takes a LOT of time. I've been living at the airport for the last week or so. I spend nearly as much time there as the staff.
But, todays a break :)
No instructors are available today, so I can't fly (my next flight is dual). Nice weather today, so I'm going HG/PG.
Last night, I took a stroll down into town, swung by Ferg-Burger, picked up a "CockAdoodleOink" (chicken/bacon/burger) and had a Ferg at the beach :)
Happy Times
Jim
April's been an other month of cramin-slamin-it with my private pilot license stuff.
I passed my flight test (yeay) and moved onto "Cross Country Flying". Basically, you get a license, but can't go more than 25nm till you finish the cross country stuff... then you can do as you please. Well, that all sounds simple enough (and it is), it just takes a LOT of time. I've been living at the airport for the last week or so. I spend nearly as much time there as the staff.
But, todays a break :)
No instructors are available today, so I can't fly (my next flight is dual). Nice weather today, so I'm going HG/PG.
Last night, I took a stroll down into town, swung by Ferg-Burger, picked up a "CockAdoodleOink" (chicken/bacon/burger) and had a Ferg at the beach :)
Happy Times
Jim
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Slow down there sonny
The world's finally slowed down a bit :)
It came in the odd form of my plane breaking. It just blew a "mag"... ignition system stuff of which it has two, so everything kept humming along. It just meant that I couldn't take my flight test this week. I was cramming hard to get it done. This just means that I have an extra week or so to get ready. Less stress.
Oh the pic is from our recent helli-mission up the Remarkable mountains. We (36 of us) flew up one in a helicopter (couple trips) for a flight. The takeoff is over twice as high as the highest "normal" takeoff spot in Queenstown.
Good fun.
Jim
Saturday, March 14, 2009
"Fly down"
Massive flydown over Queenstown for Gera last evening. I think nearly every pilot in Queenstown (and we've got a LOT of pilots) flew. Hopefully someone will post some pics (there were plenty)... Takeoff was absolutely packed with gliders. And as someone launched, more filled in the gaps.
We even got special permission from the powers that be to fly hang gliders. So we did.
We even got special permission from the powers that be to fly hang gliders. So we did.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Gera
It's hard, but it comes and it goes. There are loads of good friends here to lean on. I also knew Gera well enough to know that he'd be very upset if we stopped. He didn't sulk and he wouldn't want us to. He'd want us to go fly.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Passed!
Woo Hoo!
I passed my Navigation test!
Thank god... I absolutely did not want to go through that again!
Jim
I passed my Navigation test!
Thank god... I absolutely did not want to go through that again!
Jim
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Back at it
Ok, so the tests are done... hrm... what to do with all this newfound free time?
Yeah. Of course.
Jim
Monday, February 23, 2009
My head hurts
Took the Navigation test this morning.
Hardest bloody test I've ever taken. I should know pretty soon (paid extra for fast grading) whether I failed it or not. At the end, I honestly wasn't sure if I was going finish.... and it's only 20 questions!
Here's hoping I never have to do that again.
Jim
Hardest bloody test I've ever taken. I should know pretty soon (paid extra for fast grading) whether I failed it or not. At the end, I honestly wasn't sure if I was going finish.... and it's only 20 questions!
Here's hoping I never have to do that again.
Jim
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Deep in the books
One test left (assuming I haven't failed any of the others) and it's the kicker... Navigation. We don't do any "navigation" in dragonflys, so it's the topic I am least familiar with. I've done some before for my Sport Pilot license, but that's it.
So I'm buried deep under a pile of books at the moment... with my trusty circular slide ruler in hand (not kidding). It's hell, but I'm getting there. As luck would have it, the weather's absolute crap which really helps because it means that I've got NOTHING ELSE TO DO!
A bunch of my friends from the States are visiting, which should be fun since the weather is meant to clear later this week and I'll be done with my tests.
Jim
So I'm buried deep under a pile of books at the moment... with my trusty circular slide ruler in hand (not kidding). It's hell, but I'm getting there. As luck would have it, the weather's absolute crap which really helps because it means that I've got NOTHING ELSE TO DO!
A bunch of my friends from the States are visiting, which should be fun since the weather is meant to clear later this week and I'll be done with my tests.
Jim
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
It pays to follow up...
Oh the difference a phone call can make.
For my Pilot License, I have to get a criminal background check. Being in New Zealand, I needed one from both NZ and the FBI. Thanks to Robert's help, the FBI one went super easily.
The New Zealand one for some reason was taking a bit longer. Oh yeah... trying to have it processed on the 26th of December *might* have something to do with it ;)
So after a month (usual waiting period), I gave a call to the Ministry of Justice, and as expected, they were a bit behind due to the holiday (they were closed for a week, tends to back things up)... they were just getting to Dec 24th records. Fair enough.
Well, it being late Feb now... and still no word. I figured it might be a good time to call back. I got a very nice lady on the phone and explained what I was doing and that I'd submitted back during the holiday. Since it'd been a while, instead of getting the "these things take time" speech, she had a dig on the computer and... yup... they'd processed my application on Feb 10th and it was being mailed to my address in the States.... wait... what?!
Hahahaha, so she just posted an other one to me here.
Whew.
Jim
For my Pilot License, I have to get a criminal background check. Being in New Zealand, I needed one from both NZ and the FBI. Thanks to Robert's help, the FBI one went super easily.
The New Zealand one for some reason was taking a bit longer. Oh yeah... trying to have it processed on the 26th of December *might* have something to do with it ;)
So after a month (usual waiting period), I gave a call to the Ministry of Justice, and as expected, they were a bit behind due to the holiday (they were closed for a week, tends to back things up)... they were just getting to Dec 24th records. Fair enough.
Well, it being late Feb now... and still no word. I figured it might be a good time to call back. I got a very nice lady on the phone and explained what I was doing and that I'd submitted back during the holiday. Since it'd been a while, instead of getting the "these things take time" speech, she had a dig on the computer and... yup... they'd processed my application on Feb 10th and it was being mailed to my address in the States.... wait... what?!
Hahahaha, so she just posted an other one to me here.
Whew.
Jim
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Slacker
We'll I've been a bit of a slacker lately eh?
Last post was... ages ago.
I've been hip deep in two things... one good excuse, the other not so good. Good excuse: studying for my private pilot license. No so good excuse: Guitar Hero 2.
Well, the studying's hopefully almost over. I have my last test Tuesday... there's six total. Last of course assuming I haven't failed any! They take a week and a half to grade. Failing's easier than you might imagine as there are only 20-30 questions. So every wrong answer hurts a lot.
Aside from that... Guitar Hero 2's here!
Thanks to Zach and Sunny who mailed it out to me!
As expected, it kicks much ass. Me and some of the other flatmates are completely addicted, so much time is lost to it. It's been crap weather lately as well, so that helps.
The weather's turned nice though and looks to be nice for the rest of the week. Should be plenty oh fun. Actually had a busy day at work yesterday! A rarity this year (which is ok cuz I have to study so damn much). I should also get to D-bag my paraglider again now as well. Youtube it if you're curious and have a strong stomach... it's pretty radical stuff. It's hard to describe.
Jim
Last post was... ages ago.
I've been hip deep in two things... one good excuse, the other not so good. Good excuse: studying for my private pilot license. No so good excuse: Guitar Hero 2.
Well, the studying's hopefully almost over. I have my last test Tuesday... there's six total. Last of course assuming I haven't failed any! They take a week and a half to grade. Failing's easier than you might imagine as there are only 20-30 questions. So every wrong answer hurts a lot.
Aside from that... Guitar Hero 2's here!
Thanks to Zach and Sunny who mailed it out to me!
As expected, it kicks much ass. Me and some of the other flatmates are completely addicted, so much time is lost to it. It's been crap weather lately as well, so that helps.
The weather's turned nice though and looks to be nice for the rest of the week. Should be plenty oh fun. Actually had a busy day at work yesterday! A rarity this year (which is ok cuz I have to study so damn much). I should also get to D-bag my paraglider again now as well. Youtube it if you're curious and have a strong stomach... it's pretty radical stuff. It's hard to describe.
Jim
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