The road to my wings
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| Date | 09-07-2008 |
| Location |  |
| Message | (Wednesday) Yesterday was a pure theory day and it was hard to sit there for so many hours trying to learn alot of new, and at times, rather complicated techniques and procedures. Then afterwards we had to do a flight in the flight-sim room which was actually good fun. The reason for cancelling flying was today's theory test in Instrument flying. That's basically why we had to get up to speed in the subject. The test went fine for all of us I think and myself I only had a couple of mistakes so I feel that I learned quite alot in the past 1½ weeks. I only have three flights left on my programme. Tomorrow I'll be flying yet another instrument flight where I depart from Karup, fly and perform instrument approaches to Billund airport, then on to Stauning airfield and back to Karup. It's going to be a demanding flight. Alot of things to manage and good chances for helmet fire. That's what fighter pilots call it when they're over loaded with information and feel like their head is burning inside the helmet. That's it for now. I want to be as prepared as possible for tomorrow's flight so I better start looking at the different approach plates and start taking notes. I'll also practise the flight on the flight simulator later on this evening, which is probably the best way to prepare. Stay tuned! /GEA |
| Date | 07-07-2008 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Monday 1650) We started the day with some MS Flight simulator where we practised flying on radials inbound and outbound VOR's among other things. We also practised Arcing the VOR and performed an instrument approach. Then after that it was time to brief and go fly the real deal. Flight simming is fun but cannot quite be compared to the real thing. The experience you get when you're up there is completely different. The weather was a bit crappy so it was ideal for practising IFR procedures and techniques. The flight ended with yet another ILS approach to Karup AB. Tomorrow we'll be expading a bit and getting better at what we learned. Now it's time for some studying and later on I hope to play (and win) a game of pool or two. Later... /GEA |
| Date | 06-07-2008 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Sunday 2300) Another week almost over and a new one ahead. The weather seems to be deteriorating. However it won't be too much of a problem - on the controrary! This week we'll be doing instrument flying so bad weather is actually good, unless of course it's completely hopeless. Tomorrow we have instrument theory and a flight sim practise on the programme, and if we're lucky we might even get a flight but let's wait and see how things develope. Now it's bed time. I'll let you know how it went. /GEA |
| Date | 02-07-2008 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Wednesday 1630) I had my first flight today. It was great to get in the air again. I could feel that I was out of routine but the instructor said that there was very little "rust" which is great. I must admit that I did feel a bit loaded when I had to fly my approach which was my first ILS approach ever. The weather was fantastic yet the ride was bumpy as there were quite alot of thermals. Otherwise I did some stalls, practised a couple of landings to the grass runway and then practised a few more on the main runway, which seems enormous after you've just used the grass runway. I'm on tomorrow's flying programme aswell. This time I'll be flying some aerobatics including spins, loops, rolls and I'll be doing my first split-s which I look forward to. Other than that I'll practise another ILS approach and some more landings to the main runway. We also have theory lessons in Instrument flying every day and on Wednesday we'll be having a test in the subject. Hopefully I'll do well. This course that we're doing cannot be passed or failed as it's just preparation for Canada - but it would be nice to learn as much as possible in order to be on the leading edge when we get to Canada. With all this preparation it's no wonder that the Danish students always finish as the top of the class. That's it for now. /GEA |
| Date | 30-06-2008 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Monday 1800) Back at flying school at Karup AB. We have a lot of stuff to (re)learn and a lot of new stuff to learn on this three week course. Most of the theory and most of the flights will be in Instrument flying in preparation for the course in Canada. All the T17 checks (and there are quite alot of them!) that we had learned during the five month course at Flying school have to be relearned within the next couple of days and the plan is that we get airborne this Wednesday. The weather forecast looks promising indeed so I'll do my best to be as prepared as possible - just like the in old days. On the first three flights we'll basically be repeating, including landing on the grass runway, but then we move on to new stuff and only use the main runway here at Karup. We'll also be flying to some of the other bases in order to practise different instrument procedures, including approaches and departures. One new thing that we got is the T-6A Harvard II Dash-1 manual in order to start learning in advance. We'll also be having a test in it at the end of these three weeks, so there's quite alot of work ahead. That's it for now. Now I plan to eat some dinner and hit the books afterwards. Stay tuned! /GEA |
| Date | 26-06-2008 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Thursday 2210) Finally we graduated today. It felt great to get the stripe on the shoulder, knowing that another milestone has been reached. The graduation ceremony itself went great. My parents were present and it meant alot to me. Afterwards it was rather hard to say farewell to all my mates. Some of them I won't see for the next 3 years. It's strange that we spent so many hours every day for the past 2-4 years and now suddenly we all go our seperate ways. Tomorrow we have a small party with a dinner in Copenhagen so we'll have a last chance to spend some time together. All the pilots will start on Flying school this Monday of course, so we have at least 3 more weeks together. Then after that we also go our seperate ways. Otherwise I got the flight ticket ordered today. A mate of mine and myself will be going to LA on the 22nd of August and the rest of the "Canada boys" will follow on the 24th. Then we plan on driving through Las Vegas, see the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park and drive through the Rocky Mountains - we look forward to it! Now it's time to get a cold beer and watch some football. In the mean time: Just call me Second Lieutenant. /GEA |
| Date | 23-06-2008 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Monday 2310) Last school day at the Academy tomorrow! Then we're off on Wednesday and we have graduation on Thursday. I can't wait to stand there in front of the General and get my stripe - not for the stripe's sake, but what it symbolises. The most difficult part of my training has probably been these two years at the academy. Not because it was difficult as such, but because it was two whole years without flying. And now it's over! In less than a week I'll be back at flying school for some brushing up before I leave towards the West. Tomorrow is also in important day for me, as my parents come to Denmark in order to attend the graduation. They'll be here for ten days and I look forward to having them here. So if I'm not very active on the net the next few days, well, you know why! I better get some sleep soon. I'm still behind with sleeping and I think I'll fall even more behind once my parents get here. Later! /GEA |
| Date | 22-06-2008 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Sunday 2300) Just got back from my trip to the Norwegian Air Force Academy. Last weekend was a hard one to beat but I must admit that this one was even better. It was top notch entertainment to be a guest at the graduation party of class 56. The Norwegians are great hosts and they really know how to enjoy themselves and making their guests feel at home - they are wild party animals! As a foreign guest visiting their country they get you a local date for the whole arrangement. The other foreign guests were from the usual Euro-NATO countries, this time from the Netherlands and Finland, although Finland as you know, isn't a NATO member. They were all great people and I'm sure that I'll meet many of them again in the future, especially some of the Norwegian dudes who are going to Texas for their fighter pilot training at the same time that I'll be going to Canada. Now it's really starting to smell of flying again. I can just imagine when I arrive at the airport in Canada and guy asks me: "Are you here for business or pleasure?" Well, my business is pleasure! Among others at the party there was a retired Norwgian Air Force General who was a fighter ace in WW2, having flown Spitfires for the RAF in the Battle Of Britain. He has several confirmed kills and it was an honour to speak to him. At the age of 92, he is surprizingly fresh. His speech was good too: Like a lady's skirt, long enough to cover all the essentials, yet short enogh to keep it interesting. /GEA |
| Date | 17-06-2008 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Tuesday 1955) I had a great weekend in the Netherlands with my friends and cousins. It really was a great weekend and the 10 hour drive per way went much faster than expected. Last Friday I had a good run at the exam. I scored a 10, which is the second best grade so I'm really satisfied with that, mostly because it was our last exam. You couldn't wipe the smiles off the "children's" faces when they made it through the goal. This Thursday I'll be going to Norway on a study trip to their Air Force Academy in Trodheim. I look forward to it! Yesterday, the "Canada guys" and myself had a meeting where we started planning when to leave and how to move over among other things. It's a great logistic challenge to move across the pond for two years! The plan is that we all fly to Los Angeles around the 23rd August, buy a sports car and drive up through the rockies to Canada. It's going to be a great adventure. I plan on using around $20K - the others plan on using double as much! My plan is to go for a Ford Mustang...the others are more into Corvettes. Some might even get a Porsche. Let's wait and see... It's alot of money but it's probably the only chance in our life to own a sports car of that kind. Now it's time to watch a big and decisive football game between the Italians and the French. It's going to be great entertainment, hopefully anyway! That's it for now. Stay tuned! /GEA |
| Date | 12-06-2008 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Thursday 2025) We finished the physiological course today. The last thing on the programme was of course the Decompression chamber. It was a great experience and the whole 3-day course as such was really good. We learned alot about Hypoxia (lack of oxygen in the body) and night vision. In the decompression chamber we "climbed" to 25,000 feet and took the oxygen masks off to see what symptoms we get. I only got some vision symptoms and of course feeling like I was drunk. I will upload the video and some pictures as soon as I get them, probably in a week or so. During the exercise you have to solve some simple tasks in order for the instructors to monitor you all the time. It's funny how after a few minutes you cannot even figure out how to write your name! I was the one who kept the mask off for longest time, about 6 minutes and 30 seconds. I could have kept it off longer but it's the instructors who decide when you have to put it back on. In the end we had to experience a rapid decompression where you go from 20,000 to 10,000 feet in a split second. It was actually almost a shocking experience when it happened. The ears pop very violently and since the pressure falls so rapidley the air in your lungs expands rapidly and it simply gets sucked out of you. Funny feeling! Tomorrow we have the very last exam at school. It's a physical exam which I'm quite confident in. Last Tuesday's shooting exam didn't go too well by the way, so I'll make up for it tomorrow... /GEA |
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