And yet another check ride....

Yet another check ride complete and signed off.  I made a few bone head moves but overall it went well.  I scored a solid pass and learnt a few things, what more could one ask for?  As I'm already endorsed on Super Pumas, the L2 is only considered a variant and required nothing more than the standard recurrent paperwork, and I'm good to go!  But....the L2 contract I was destined for has changed, as they always do in this industry, sometimes on extremely short notice, so now I have to head down to Newark for an AW139 check ride, as that's what I'll be flying at the end of next month in the jungles of Suriname.   Two check rides on two complex types in one week!  Woo hoo!  I've booked myself into a historic old hotel in Manhattan and will be extending a few extra days out of my own pocket, to hopefully get some New York mojo; cafes, cool bistros, some jazz clubs, some off Broadway plays, maybe find some diners worthy of Tom Waits.  Being a country kid I was never interested in visiting any big city and New York was pretty far down on my wish list, but having hung out there more than a few times now,  I'm a fan of the Big Apple.

My favourite New York memory is catching some very cool jazz in the Zebra Room in Harlem (the historic Lenox Lounge, opened in 1939, it's famed zebra patterned walls reverberated with the jazz of Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, etc. and also interviews with Malcolm X, it had one very hip vibe), but sinfully, it's been closed as of January 2013.  There's some hot Cuban bands scheduled for Birdland and it's quite near to the hotel, so I'm sure to get my New York jazz fix.  Other fond memories are scoring scalped tickets to the season opener at Yankee Stadium, with the Yankees vs. the Red Sox, on a hot sunny spring day with my buddy from South Africa and some drunk off-duty New York cops, and just hanging out in Greenwich Village, or that afternoon at the Met......

I have yet to see New York in winter, so I'm looking forward to getting a tad more cultured.

Haudagain Roundabout

We're still here in Scotland, flying around a pixelated Aberdeen, happily labouring away with emergency checklists and category "A" profiles.   The full motion sim is quite realistic, but don't pass gas, as you can't open a window and clear the air as you would in the real thing.  My co-pilot just about killed me last flight.  Despite gagging, we were laughing but it really wasn't pleasant.   So it's sun up to sundown in the training centre, with full days strapped into the "box" and it's dubious air quality, sandwiched between long commutes to and from the hotel.

I don't know how big city dwellers deal with traffic day in and day out, I'd go mad.  The drive from the hotel varies from twenty minutes to an hour forty-five, as UK's worst roundabout, named Haudagain roundabout (google it) somehow pathetically manages to handle the rush hour crossing of two major thoroughfares.  I wonder if there's an overpass in the plans somewhere as I think it's presently untenable.  I thought Dar es Salaam  traffic was bad.  We're the blue dot headed into town, not moving for over thirty minutes.



But there's still the weekends to get out and explore the Scottish countryside, and we've been doing plenty of that; castles, cathedrals, highlands and scotch distilleries.  Being the UK,  you are driving on the left side of the road, while driving from the right hand side of the vehicle, the reverse of what I'm used to.  Of course I've driven on the left plenty in Tanzania and Kenya, but I've never noticed certain things as I do here.  I'm managing well enough but I've got my left and right completely messed up.  For most of my driving life, turning left meant crossing against oncoming traffic, and turning right was a simple exit off the road, but now it's reversed, and the guys are constantly after me for messing up my "turn right" or "turn left".  My brain has adapted in strange ways.  Plus you have to look up and to the left to see the rear view mirror.  Sounds stupidly simple but after thirty plus years of looking up and right for it, you just forget about it and use the side mirrors.  The roads are extremely narrow, with no shoulder, and you find yourself squeezing your shoulders together passing cars as I'm sure there's very little clearance between our mirrors.  About as effective as leaning forward to see something clearer way off in the distance but we still do it.  Now take these narrow winding roads careening around the highlands and throw yourself down them at sixty miles an hour just to keep up with the traffic flow.  I'm white knuckling with both hands on the wheel but I'm smiling too.  I see how Scotland breeds such capable rally drivers.

Obviously I'm becoming more acquainted with the finer points of single malt whiskey, and my particular predilections has narrowed my favourite down to Ardbeg's Corryvreckan, with their Uigeadail a close second, pushing out Lagavulin for top spot.  It's too bad the Islay distilleries are too far for a day trip.  I've scored some fine Scottish wool scarves, much needed here, and even one of their "Andy Cap" hats, to fit in with the friendly locals, but I think it adds ten years and does nothing to keep my ears warm.

Another week with yet another check ride looming, then hopefully I'm home for a spell of some relaxing in Nova Scotia.  Sounds like my next posting will be in the jungles of Suriname.

Slight Edit for Single Malt Scotch fans;

Found thee scotch bar in Aberdeen tonight in a wee bit of a blizzard, and while Ardbeg's Corryvreckan is still my favourite, I tried, according to the bartender, thee smokiest peatiest Scotch in all of Scotland, well out of my price range but I did try a dram of each......

Back on Course

I'm back in Aberdeen and hard at it, except instead of sitting in the back as instructor and creating mayhem for others, I'm up front dealing with all sorts of things going all sorts of wrong.  There's nothing like a level D simulator for testing one's mettle!  Needless to mention, we can't get enough and are having way too much fun!  There have been plenty of changes over the holidays, the biggest being I won't actually be flying the AS332L2 on my next gig, as they've swapped to AW139s for reasons above my pay grade.  I think I'm the only original guy still on this upcoming job as I just came off AW139s, but they wanted me to complete the AS332L2 conversion for future opportunities, and I certainly am not going to complain.  The recent nose dive of oil prices has the more expensive exploration jobs being set aside, and it's hurting.  Jobs are being cancelled all over, and it's nice to bring some flexibility to the table.

It's somehow comforting to return to a place one knows,  and everyone is glad to be back in Aberdeen.  Driving into the training centre each morning, there's a steady stream of Pumas and S92s launching off into the cold North Sea, the sound of helicopters idling, hovering, taking off and landing, never ceases, and the energy of the place is infectious.  It's all sense of purpose and working class, vibrant and dynamic despite the unrelenting grey, the permeating cold damp and drizzly weather.  Apart from the climate, it reminds me of forest fire bush camps in the Canadian North when I was starting out, but those skies were full of water bombers, Cansos and CL215s, 204s and 205s, Jetrangers and Longrangers and AStars, and the nearest entertainment was whatever stream one could find to cast a line.  But the energy and sounds of multiple helos doing their thing rekindles fond memories.

Fine single malt Scotches and old castles, and we've found some very good grub.  One just has to explore a little.  I've hit a few more Celtic castles, a few more ancient pubs, and with a couple of weeks to go, I'm sure to hit a few more....