I dont even know what to call this...

Once again, it has been about 2 months since my last post and it wasn't really a real post. Really. The past few days have really got me thinking. For quite a while now, I have been pretty ignorant. To politics, towards my education, and everything else you could possibly think of. Why? Because the world is ugly, nay, disgusting. The things people are capable of. Things like Rape, homicide, death by starvation or curable diseases, and muggings can be counted by the second. Looks like there is no hope for the human race... That we are going to destroy ourselves and every other organism unfortunate enough to be stuck on this balloon that by the looks of it, could pop at any time ,with us. Not to mention the hurt we cause to people who care about us. We lie, cheat, get divorced, find new loved ones (and if my inverted comma button was not broken, that would be in inverted commas) who are heartless to our kids and are only interested in our money, sex or both.

All this taken into account, we can not discount the more beautiful side of life. Love, the things you would do for that special someone, how you feel like you could do anything you wanted, and that all dreams come true ( As long as he/she loves you back that is, otherwise its like walking around with an ever growing hole in your chest.. ). Art, something I have a very limited understanding of. Music, performing arts, emotion, passion,humor, the list just goes on and on.

Does anyone else think it was an accident that we got this intelligent? Because if you look at every other life form known to man, their sole purpose is to reproduce. But human beings, contrary to what you people think, are not satisfied by just sex. We need a higher purpose, and refuse to believe that the only reason we are here is to make more of us and then die. Yeah, I feel extremely useful now. Which then brings me to the conclusion that we are simply here to enjoy ourselves. That our life is a gift and that we are meant to enjoy it. But wait, if that is true, what about those malnourished children in Africa slowly dying of starvation or AIDS? Is their life a gift too? How are they supposed to enjoy it? To them life is merely a sentence to be trapped in a prison of flesh to suffer immeasurable amounts of pain until, mercifully, they die. WHY ARE WE HERE!?

Sometimes I think about how easy it would be to have an instruction manual for life. It would make things a lot easier... Oh wait, hold on, there are instruction manuals for life. I will reserve my views of religion because I will probably end up insulting many.

What exactly are we looking for? Is it happiness? Enlightenment?

I am so confused right now.

To my previous post.

NOTE:
1. Pilots must insure that all surly bonds have been slipped entirely before aircraft taxi or flight is attempted.

2. During periods of severe sky dancing, crew and passengers must keep seatbelts fastened. Crew should wear shoulderbelts as provided.

3. Sunward climbs must not exceed the maximum permitted aircraft ceiling.

4. Passenger aircraft are prohibited from joining the tumbling mirth.

5. Pilots flying through sun-split clouds under VFR conditions must comply with all applicable minimum clearances.

6. Do not perform these hundred things in front of Federal Aviation Administration inspectors.

7. Wheeling, soaring, and swinging will not be attempted except in aircraft rated for such activities and within utility class weight limits.

8. Be advised that sunlit silence will occur only when a major engine malfunction has occurred.

9. "Hov'ring there" will constitute a highly reliable signal that a flight emergency is imminent.

10. Forecasts of shouting winds are available from the local FSS. Encounters with unexpected shouting winds should be reported by pilots.

11. Pilots flinging eager craft through footless halls of air are reminded that they alone are responsible for maintaining separation from other eager craft.

12. Should any crewmember or passenger experience delirium while in the burning blue, submit an irregularity report upon flight termination.

13. Windswept heights will be topped by a minimum of 1,000 feet to maintain VFR minimum separations.

14. Aircraft engine ingestion of, or impact with, larks or eagles should be reported to the FAA and the appropriate aircraft maintenance facility.

15. Aircraft operating in the high untresspassed sanctity of space must remain in IFR flight regardless of meteorological conditions and visibility.16. Pilots and passengers are reminded that opening doors or windows in order to touch the face of God may result in loss of cabin pressure.

HIGH FLIGHT

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred thingsYou have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,I've chased the shouting wind along, and flungMy eager craft through footless halls of air. . . .
Up, up the long, delirious burning blue I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or ever eagle flew —And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space,Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
— John Gillespie Magee, Jr

FRIDAY NIGHT

Friday night was, I can quite safely say, one of THE MOST INSANE NIGHTS OF MY LIFE! Now Im not bragging or anything but I have seen my share of insane nights. Started out as a crap day. Friday the 13th, need I say more? I was due for my solo and all I needed to do was nail my landings. Not flying for 2 weeks because CASA were taking their time with my license didnt help at all. Needless to say, I screwed up. Everything was perfect except my flair( keeping the nose wheel off the ground for a while when you land). After an hour of crap landings, we decided to call it a session. I stormed back into the building in a really REALLY bad mood. My instructor Charles heard about what happened and walked up to me. preflight the plane he says, We;re going up to fix your landings. I nodded stormed off to get my stuff. 5 minutes later, I was preflighting my plane with a snickers bar sticking out of my face. I was going to fix my landings and nothing was going to stand in my way.

We were coming in to land and everything seemed alright. Then, Plonk, landed on all 3 wheels again. F***, I mutter. Relax man, goes Charles (while we;re still rolling along). I give her full power and as I do, he very calmly explains my mistake and how I should fix it. Something he said clicked and I nodded. Coming in for the second landing all seemed well, got closer and closer to the ground and then Squeak! the sound of the back wheels hitting the tarmac first. The best feeling ever. After a couple of pretty nice landings, we taxi back to the parking bay. You tired? Charles asks. Nope, why? I reply. we are going to see if we can get you another pre-solo check. By this time all my friends, or as they call them over here, mates are at the pilot bar. It is also about an hour to sunset by now.

I preflight my 3rd plane for the day and anxiously wait at the pilot bar for my class 2 instructor. The sky was already a deep gold and I was pacing a bar filled with tipsy friends like a madman. And then, I get a phone call. Its Charles, the guy was on the ground! I rush onto the tarmac only to see a Mooney taxiing at an excruciatingly slowly. I jump into my plane and and get myself ready. Couple of minutes later the testing instructor jumps in as well. Fixed your landings? He asks. I think so I reply with a nervous smile.

After the fastest run-up I had ever done, we were airborne. Around to crosswind, downwind, base and finally onto final approach, I set the plane up for the landing. 60 knots, check, Carb heat off, check, flaps 3, check, centerline, check. As the ground got closer and closer I thought, this is it, if i screw this up, there wont be any time left to do my solo anyway. Above the ground now, leveling off, I take a deep breath, pull the power and feel the plane sink slowly. I ease back on the controls and Squeak! Touchdown. Nice landing he says. Whew... We soar off into the sky for a second one. And this time, He requests the option on downwind(option to stop, get out and release me for my solo). My heart starts pounding now. I come in on finals and Squeak! Another good landing. He makes me taxi him to the run up bay where he gets out and gives me a thumbs up. JUST FLY THE PLANE!!, he yells over the buzz of the propeller. I give him a thumbs up and he slams the door shut and jogs away.

So there I was, by myself. I will admit, my legs did shake a little bit. CALM DOWN, I told myself. At the moment, Something made me look on the roof of the Aero club building. Perfect I thought as I counted like 12 of my friends watching me, more pressure. But it sure as hell was nice to know that I had my them watching me, cheering me on. As you can tell from the video on my previous post. JULIET BRAVO X RAY CLEARED TO LINEUP, I hear on the radio just as my thoughts begin to wander. I read the clearance back and line up on the runway when I hear, Cleared for takeoff, Juliet bravo X ray. This is it, I thought, no turning back. I gave her full power and she just lunged forward without the excess weight.

When I got up to 1000 feet, I looked around and was simply awestruck. The suns head was poking just over the horizon, quite like a little kid peeping over a wall, splashing a sea of gold onto the land, river and lakes. In complete contrast, the sky was a deep blue, almost black. It was amazing. Okay, I thought, time to land this thing. Final approach. Everything looks good. CLEARED TO LAND, JULIET BRAVO X RAY. Here we go, here we go, here we go, Hold, hold!! Squeak! YESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was ecstatic as I slowly taxied off the runway. Juliet Bravo X ray, congratulations on your first solo, goes ground control, and I acknowledge him. Charles, my instructor, was already waiting for me at the parking bay, I could see that typical Charlie-grin all the way from the runway. I do my checks and shut the plane down. Congratulations!, he says. He looked pretty proud at that moment.

So we walk towards the RACWA( Royal Aero Club of Western Australia) building where the class 2 instructor shakes my had and congratulates me. A photograph of me ringing the traditional bell and a couple of photographs later, we make our way to the pilot bar where I am greeted by a roar of clapping, yays and hugs. It was truly amazing. My friends are amazing. I buy all of us a round and beer never tasted so good. That, was just the beginning of my Friday the 13th.

My sunset solo

Thats me on the radio!

Australia

T'was about a month and a half ago when I landed here and so far it's been pretty good overall. Perth, believe it or not is one of the most expensive cities over here. An the inflation going on in the country at the moment really doesn't help. All that aside, the flying here is BEAUTIFUL. It's a little cold when you go up there. I got to experience what it was like to go upside and spiral towards the ground. You actually float in your seat if you're not strapped in properly. Amazing stuff. The crappy part about Wester Australia is that everything closes so damn early. I mean, This gigantic fucking mall right next to my house (about half the size of mid valley) closes at 5 everyday. And I finish school at 5 so it's a mad dash if i need groceries. Yes, I actually dash for groceries now, laugh it up. Made a few friends here as well. Not really close to most of them but they're pretty okay people. The other night I went to a club and OH MY GOD.. I was really tipsy. So anyway, these 2 girls from med school come along and sit down next to my friends and I We make some small talk and after a bit, they asked us what we do and we said we were student pilots. Naturally, we asked them what they did, and they said they were in med school. Like a moron, I go, "oh, you can examine us then"... hahaha Oh my god... And I make fun of people who come up with lines like that. ARGH! Felt bloody lame.

~fiN~