I do enjoy instructing, but for the amount of SAR sorties I've been flying this tour, I've been getting very little hands on. I was actually brought in early this tour to prepare one new hire for his check ride, and to prepare him for flying offshore with us, as well as complete two Captain upgrades, a pile of SAR recurrencies, and hopefully complete two SAR Captain upgrades (one done!). Passing along one's experience and knowledge is why most of us take up instructing in the first place, but I'll admit to being more selfish. The main reason I got into the instructing end of things was to get more flying in, and instructing while flying the line full time has certainly increased my time airborne. I love flying! I hope my love of flying is infectious, and I do my best to give everything I can to those receiving my tutelage, but I want to get my hands on the controls too! Luckily I got some hoisting to boat decks in last week, as well as fishing some specialized training "drums" from open water. It's can be quite challenging considering the sea state, what one can get for visual references to check drift, as our SAR birds don't have the optional SAR auto-hover kit, so it's all hands on below 65 knots. SAR flying is so much better than the airport to rig and back again "airline-like" flying of offshore exploration support, and if I could find a way to get into it full time, I'd be all over it. I've done a ton of SAR flying this tour, but the vast majority was from the left seat instructing.....but I'm still having fun!
We are still operating out of Mombasa, Kenya, for little over a week longer then heading South again. Everybody is enamoured with our luxurious accommodations, but frustrated with the tedious commutes and security checks everywhere. Our quiet little Tanzanian backwater base on the Mozambique border, with it's dirt roads and rough hotel, is missed by many. And the internet....
Mtwara it was almost non-existent, so the company put in our own kick-ass system, as Skype calls to home, as well as everything one does with our company is done online, and we all expected decent internet access in a high end resort in Mombasa, or in the large, modern International airport, but it is not to be. I've changed rooms a few time trying to get access, or walk around with laptop under arm from pool to lobby to restaurant to try to find a connection, which may last for twenty minutes or so before you have to go looking again. Ten hours standby at the airport with no internet access is equally frustrating, for I have many online courses to complete, my taxes needed to be done, and I needed to upload photos to friends and family, or even to my blog. My family gave me a GoPro for Christmas, but with the state of connectivity, it's nigh impossible to share anything. Anyone notice the lack of posts?
Shrug one's shoulders and read a book instead.....
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