TRE

My mistake.  I've ticked all the boxes to be classified as a TRE, or Type Rating Examiner, on the AW139!  And here I thought I was still a TRI.  Got the official letter to prove it!  I still need to be monitored giving a check ride by Transport Canada to have their approval to give check rides in their stead, but I can now add TRE to my title!  Have to have some new business cards made up....

Finally received my Driving Licence for the United Republic of Tanzania!  An International Driver's Licence, available for a small fee from any CAA office, typically suffices anywhere and everywhere, but the local police wanted us to have "their" licence, so we elected to go through the process.  Quite a nice looking licence, with all kinds of silvery holographic security imaging, and it should be considering the trouble and lines we went through.  Every step was in a different building with a different long queue, where invariably the person we were there to see had "just stepped out", so we sat under a tree trying to avoid the heat of the sun with the locals, before eventually giving up and trying again the next time we weren't flying....some guys have been after it for their entire six weeks.

So I've already got one company check ride under my belt, given to a very experienced Captain who was due.  Good fun!  I've given many company rides on the Super Pumas, but I have to admit, the recent check pilot training has been top notch, and I really feel I'm better prepared to instruct and check.  I've got one more to do next week, before I head home.  Running emergencies is significantly more exciting than moving workers back and forth from oil and gas platforms, but any flying is better than being bound to terra firma.  My yearly Transport Canada check ride is due this month as well, and concurrently, my yearly training.  The dates and locales have been changing almost daily as the training department struggles with demand and sim availability.  I was originally looking at a trip to the manufacturer's simulator in Northern Italy, but that changed to New Jersey, then to Vancouver, but the latest is I'll be sipping lattes in view of the Dolomite mountains.  Unfortunately they want me to go immediately after finishing my tour in East Africa.  Packing for Northern Italy was not on my mind when I packed for East Africa.  It's plus 38 Celsius today, and Sesto, Italy is presently -4.  I don't even have a sweater with me.

The ink is still wet on this new driver's licence, but I think a drive around the block is in order.....