Formation flying

Me and the head of training at SAS flying club did some formation flying with our students the other day.

Video coming up!

747 - thrust reverse

This is the amphibian version of the 747 with floats.

First Customer ViperJet Takes Off!

The want factor on this beast is at maximum level!

Sunset approach

I'm back from a nice vacation in Croatia. On the way back I put the GoPro in the window overlooking the wing.
I love approaching an airport in sunset. Make sure to watch in HD.

Junk in the trunk

This is what goes on in the back of the plane when I drop off the skydivers.

As we approach the drop zone I give the signal to the jumpers. The spotter opens the rear door and looks out to make sure we are in position to jump.
When we are in position the spotter signals me to reduce the power so the skydivers can exit the plane easier.
The skydivers exit the plane in whatever manner they choose, in this video there were only tandem jumpers.
After the last skydiver is out of the plane I put the plane in a steep dive heading north of the drop zone.
You can see me turn and hear the air rushing faster when the last jumper has exited.

Flying the AN2

I have started the path to becoming checked out on the An-2. This brute has had me intrigued for quite some time so I'm really excited that I get to fly it.
The An-2 isn't like other airplanes, you refill the oil and check the fuel level. It might seem like the An-2 is constantly leaking oil but what it is really doing is marking it's territory since the pilots have to wipe the thick black oil from the cowlings and the wings.

The beast handles beautifully in the air although you have to be pretty darn strong to handle it and specially to land it.
The layout of the cockpit feels very Russian as nothing besides the artificial horizon is where you would expect it to be. The picture is taken from where I would have my head while flying, as you can see there is a lot of gauges to keep track of. A couple of them are strategically placed so you have to move to be able to see them.

FINALLY!

I finally got my instructor rating! I can finally sleep again and go back to being a regular person who is not constantly stressed and not on the verge of a mental meltdown.

I can't even begin to describe how good it feels to be done with this check ride.

The day consisted of two parts that I had to prove I could handle.

First I had to hold a theory lesson about warm fronts and cold fronts and meteorological codes (METAR, TAF and SWC). The lesson went great except for that I ran 15min to long. I didn't anticipate the check pilot to as talkative and active during the lesson.

Second I had to instruct a lesson in the airplane with the check pilot as my student. I got level turns and the traffic pattern.
The whole lesson went very well, the mistakes he made were very easy to detect and correct. He was a much sharper student than my instructor ;).

Anyway, I have my flight instructor rating finally and it seems that I might be getting my first student pretty soon.
What is also awesome is that I'm currently going through the technical course on the An-2 which I will soon start flying skydivers in!

Exciting times lie ahead my friends!