The road to my wings
Please do not press the "Sign Guestbook" button as this will put an entry into the blog.
Sign Guestbook Back to Jetfighters.dk
| Date | 02-02-2008 |
| Location |  |
| Message | (Saturday 1455) Almost done with the Bachelor task...but not quite! It's taking much longer than I had expected. At the same time I must admit that it's getting more and more fun to write it as I go along - probably because I'm getting closer and closer to the end! Anyway, the T38 model that I ordered a while ago has arrived and I have to pick it up soon but I won't do that before I've delivered the assignment. I also ordered another model. This time it's an A4 Skyhawk which is one of my favorite jets (aren't they all?!?). You might be thinking that I'm going to be using alot of time on models - which is true! Now that the bachelor assignment will be delivered, the big hurtles at the Officer Academy will be over. Only a few oral exams would remain, including the oral presentation and defending of the bachelor task. So a few of the other guys at school and myself have decided to fly models until we have to leave to Canada and the USA, depending on what we're flying. February is going to be a good month I think. In week 8 we have a study trip to Sweden where we'll be visiting the Saab Gripen production line among other things. Then in week 9 we'll be going to the Netherlands for the centrifuge training/test. Let me put it this way: Week 9 can turn out to be a very good week but also a very bad week. If the centrifuge test is failed there will be a good chance that I'll lose my fighter slot - but I'll make sure that it doesn't happen! /GEA |
| Date | 23-01-2008 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Wednesday 0920) It's been a while since I last wrote something here, so I guess it's about time. Not much has happened since last time... I got my T33 model aircraft back in the air after about 5 years on the shelf. It has a new power setup now with more thrust, longer flying time and less weight! It sounds too good to be true but it's true. Isn't technology wonderful? The bachelor assignment is slowly moving ahead. It's a big task and I'm only about a third finished so there's still alot of hard work ahead, which will probably (and hopefully!) be all done during next week. The dead-line is approaching fast so there's no time to waste. Otherwise we've been having ALOT of Air Operations lessons and State-knowledge. Air Operations is quite interesting and exciting and actually very relevant, especially for the pilots. At the moment we're getting the apartement painted in cennection with getting it sold before we move to Canada. So everything is a chaos at home at the moment. All the furnitures are in the middle of the rooms and covered with plastic. So yesterday, after dinner, there wasn't much to do at home. So I went to bed at the same time as the little one did...at about 1830 and slept about 11 hours straight. It was great and I really needed it as I'm always behind with sleeping. That's it for now. Catch you later. /GEA |
| Date | 11-01-2008 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Friday 1435) Another week almost over and it's time for the weekend. Last weekend we had real winter weather. Although the temperature wasn't colder than -4C, it felt like -20C on the skin because of the high wind speeds which made a chill factor. It also snowed quite a bit, so much so that Sara made a snow man in the balcony. This week we basically had Air operations all week and to be honest it wasn't all that exciting. Sometimes it gets to be a bit too much of the stuff. We got the centrifuge date confirmed. I'll be going to Holland on the 26th of February. However nervous wrecking, the centrifuge isn't what's filling most of my mind at the moment. As you know, we're doing the bachelor task and it has to be delivered on the 11th of February which is in exactly 1 month from today. I am sitting and working on it right now and so far I'm pretty happy with the what I've produced. Well, the bloody thing won't write itself, so I better get back to it. Take care! PS. I have made a new guestbook as the old one was out of order. I'll add the old entries when I get some time. /GEA |
| Date | 04-01-2008 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Friday 1045) First of all, happy new year! Here I am at school where everyone else is at home. This week we had self-study in order to use the time on our bachelor task. As you probably know, I don't get much done at home with a little guy wanting to play with his dada all the time...so when I need to work I go to school and use one of the group-work rooms as there's always a few available and that gives me the opportunity to work in peace and thereby allows me to concentrate. Anyway, the little guy that I mentioned has his first birthday today! He's 1 year old. It's amazing how fast time has flown since he was born. My 10 year old borther was visiting in Christmas and New Year and we had a great time together. On the way back home, there was no direct flight, so I flew with him to Amsterdam on New Year's day to put him on the next flight and then I flew back home the next morning. Starting the new year with flying is perhaps (and hopefully!) an indicator that I will have alot of flying this year. Last year my pilot training didn't involve any flying at all but this year, if all goes as planned, I'm off to Canada for the actual flying training. However, last year I flew as a passenger more than I ever have before, I think. I flew to Greece, twice to the Netherlands, twice to Malta and also a few domestic flights in Denmark. Well, I better get back to my task as it won't write itself... /GEA |
| Date | 21-12-2007 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Friday 2220) We got the results from the Military Science exam and I got a 10 which I'm satisfied with. 10 is the second best grade on the new 12-scale. Unfortunately EADS, the producer of the Eurofighter Typhoon have decided to pull out of the competition in trying to sell the jet to the RDAF as the replacement for the F16. It doesn't come as a surprise to me but it was still sad to hear the news. Anyway, the decision on what to buy has to be taken in 2009 by the government and the replacement aircraft is expected around 2017. Tomorrow my brother will be coming over from Malta to spend Christmas here and I really look forward to having him here. It's the first time he'll be travelling alone as he's only 10 years old so we're all excited to see how it goes. That's it for now. Best Christmas wishes. GEA |
| Date | 16-12-2007 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Sunday 1635) We had a great Christmas party last Thursday and we drank and danced for many hours. Then Friday morning, as te tradition calls, we had to run the 6.5km to the swimming hall and then swim for an hour or so. It's not fun to run, or swim for that matter, when you're drunk and tired...but it always feels really good afterwards. I actually ran quite fast compared to what I usually do. I think it's because my brain was "switched off" due to its state after the evening before. Now we have our well deserved Christmas holidays. So if I don't write again before Christmas, you know why. In that case, have a very happy Christmas and some great holidays. Remember how privelaged you are to be where you are today; I certainly will! Best Christmas wishes. GEA |
| Date | 11-12-2007 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Tuesday 1300) We had the exam in Military Science today. I thought it went really well, but after having talked to some of the other guys after the exam, I found out that I had done some silly mistakes which really pi$$ me off. It's good that we're done with that subject, so I'm a bit happy too even though I know that I could have done better. This Thursday we have the Christmas dinner here at school and as you probably remember from last year, we have to go running Friday morning at 0700 (school tradition). The run is our transport to the swimming hall which would be the last activity before we head back to school for a brunch and then it's off for Christmas holidays! It's always funny to see people run the day after the night before... But it's not fun at all to run! It seems as if the An225 which I went to see at Skrydstrup last time, will be visiting Denmark again shortly. The plan is that it arrives here agan this Thursday and will be here again 4 times this coming January! That's it for now. /GEA |
| Date | 28-11-2007 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Wednesday 2130) Today was a rather special day at school. The boss at school, the Colonel, is going on pension so a new 'boss' has been appointed. So we had a parade where the Air Force General and all the high ranking officers were present. It was nice to be part of the whole thing. After all, it's not something that you experience every day. The old boss made a speech of course and one of the things that he said will stay probably strong in my memory. He said: "I tell you students one thing; remember to have fun but remember that what you do is not for fun. It's serious business, which can get very serious, very suddenly." Anyway, at the moment, some of the students at school have started flying electric powered model aircraft at the school football pitch, and as you know, as soon as one starts a hobby like that, everyone wants to join in, so there's a model boom coming up at school. I don't want to fall for the temptation but on the other hand I don't intend to be unsocial, so I'm already making plans on how to refurbish one of my old models back to flying condition with a new engine and batteries. Technology has advanced alot since I stopped flying models, so the opportunities are great, and things are actually both cheaper and better nowadays than when I last flew models. So if you see a T33 coming your way, low and out of control, just duck and cover! /GEA |
| Date | 26-11-2007 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Monday 2205) Another week on and Christmas holidays are approaching fast, which is nothing to complain about, really! Yesterday morning I went to Skrydstrup with a mate of mine to see the An225 taking off. It was a great sight to see the beast lifting off the runway. My mate picked me up at 0400 (yes, 4 am!) as the jet had ETD0700 (ETD = Estimated time of departure). Fortunately it was delayed by over an hour which meant that it took off in better photographic conditions, as it's complete darkness at 0700 in this area at this time of the year. I took a few pictures and have uploaded 3 of them in the 'Military transports' section of the gallery. I also uploaded some more pictures from my trip to Amstedam airport in May and a couple more from TLP in Karup, also in May 2007. Otherwise nothing new really. Today, the only subject at school was Air Operations where we learned a whole bunch about EW (Electronic Warfare). It was actually quite interseting and Denmark is on the very forefront of EW technology which is great! Stay tuned... /GEA |
| Date | 22-11-2007 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Thursday 1450) Back home from the course. It's great to back home after almost 2 weeks away from home. We got the 'Q' which means that we're qualified to run a military shooting range now. Most of us will probably never get to do it, but anyway it's one of the demands to become an officer, that you have to be a shooting range leader. It was actually good fun to be at Borris shooting range yesterday night. During one of the exercises I got to think that we actually get paid to do alot of fun stuff. Next to our range there were some guys from the Army also on a shooting exercise. They were shooting with heavy machine guns among other things and it looked really great to see the red tracers flying through the terrain at night while you could hear the heavy guns going. A few km away there was an artillery unit firing 90mm shells and the earth shook everytime the fired and every time they hit their targets, even though they were quite a few km away. I got the opportunity to lead a shooting session with a group of 8 from the Army who will be stationed in Afghanistan in February. It was great to work with them and lead them and they seemed to enjoy it as much as I did. This weekend, the world's largest aircraft, the 6-engined Antonov 225 will be coming to Denmark for the first time ever. I am considering on going to Skrydstrup to see it, but it's probably coming at night, so I haven't decided yet... Tomorrow it's back to school. /GEA |
Page 58 of 98 << First < 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 > Last >>