Florida, the sunshine State

Hello readers!

I think this has been the longest time you had to wait between two of my stories. I mean, it’s been like six weeks since I last wrote something. About time to write you a nice story

In my previous post I told you I was about to have my first set of exams. It was a tough week, that’s for sure. Because Europe had changed their authority from JAA to EASA, we were the first class to participate in the new exams. Well, it sucked to be guinea pig. We had a complete new set of exams, it most of them looked completely different from what we were used to. Even the easiest subject was difficult, most of us didn’t expect to pass it. Anyway, we got through the week somehow and then we had to wait almost 3 weeks for the results to come in. When they finally did, the results were not that great as the school was used to receive. Frankly, we were told that we are the worst class so far, based on our results. Well, what do you expect with a complete new set of exams. My scores weren’t superb as well, but I managed to pass all but one. Planning on doing a resit in the first week of June. Should be good this time, know what to expect and how to study for it.

The weeks after that we started with phase 2 at school, which means 7 new courses to follow and master. These will be ‘Air Law, Human Performance & Limitations, Radio Navigation, Meteorology, Flight Planning, Operations and Performance’. Difference with the first period is that we now only have 4 months to get it all in our head instead of the 7 we had for the previous phase. Beside that, we also have to finish the flying part of school, take a few exams for that as well. Busy times ahead

Right after the exams I was king of my castle, as René went home for 10 days to spent time with his girlfriend and family. Nice for a few days, but after that it gets pretty boring to be all ‘alone’ in a big house, which happens to be in one of America’s most boring cities. But I was strong enough and managed to survive this horrible time :p

The past few weeks haven’t been very special, as in not much has happened other then school and flying. Although, that’s not completely true. For the flying part, a big change did take place. As you might already have seen on the web, I posted a new movie. It also happens to be my last flight with James. He recently moved to Australia to start with his new job, flying the Chinook in Papua New Guinea. Yes, it’s a civilian version of the helicopter I’m building and it’s the only one beside the ones used by the army. Pretty cool if I may say so. And James, if you’re reading this, keep the pictures coming, they’re great!!!

But him leaving meant that I needed a new flight instructor. So the next week I started flying with Christian Andersen, a new instructor on the EASA side from Denmark. A very nice guy with a good knowledge of things. As James promised me when he left, I’ll be in good hands And I’m pretty sure Christian can keep me at the high standards as James taught me.

While we’re at it (the flying part) anyway, yesterday I did my PT2, which is the second progress test you do when you have about 90 hours. With Bruce (the instructor who did my first PT and solo check) working offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, it was time to meet another new instructor, Adam. A nice, relaxed guy and a good person to fly with during a test. He is able to keep you calm and doesn’t stress you out as some people manage to do. The flight resulted in being one the best PT2′s he’d seen in quit a while. Sure, a few things to keep working on for perfection, but overall a very good flight. So it probably won’t be a big surprise to you that I was pretty stoked with the results. All that remains to do is to work on these points and get myself ready for the LST, or practical exam to become a Commercial Pilot. Almost there….

This week Marjolein has been here as well. The first weekend she was here we spent in Tampa in a Spa Resort. A great and relaxing weekend with sauna’s, a jacuzzi and pool. I could really use that Unfortunately I didn’t have a holiday and still had to go to school. Although the weather didn’t allow us earlier this week, I took her up for a flight today. A special flight, as it was my first passenger and her first helicopter flight. We flew along the coast and try to find some sharks between all the swimming people, but they were hiding somewhere we couldn’t see them. Probably underneath some ‘big’ beach guests, which is very common in the USA ;) We also saw the Disney Cruise ship and another cruise ship prepare for her departure to a Caribbean destination. All in all we flew for just over an hour, and she really enjoyed it! We had lunch a Quiznos and are now enjoying the Florida sun while sitting in the garden.

Well, I think the story is long enough for today, hope you all enjoyed reading it and watching the movie for those who haven’t seen it before.

Sunny greetings from a very, very warm Florida!!! (32 degrees)

Hey everyone,

It’s been a while since my previous post and I could find some time to write a short post. The reason I haven’t written anything in a while is pretty simple. My first exams are coming up….

But first something completely different. Two weeks ago the airport was host of the yearly “Tico Warbird Airshow”. A great show and a great weekend as well. I went there on Sunday, allthough it started the Friday before. The weather had been good for the days before, but on Sunday it was raining and grey skies. I didn’t care and I drove to the airport to enjoy my day between World War II airplanes, Vietnam era helicopters and modern aircraft. With my camera in my hand I shot over a 1000 photos that day (and I’ll put them on my photopage this weekend). And the best part of all, I made a ride in a Bell UH-1 that flew in Vietnam. Now I can understand you thinking Bell UH-1…. What’s that???!! Well, it’s the famous Huey! I made a film during the flight, so you could fly with me:

Next week I’ll be doing my mock exams (like a school exam) and the first week of April it will be the ‘Real deal”. So the previous weeks have gone up in studying for this. I spent this week in Groundschool to finish the subjects and prepare for the mock exames. Still have two days of school left next week and then it’s time for me to prove myself. On Wednesday I’ll be doing “Principles of Flight”, “Airframes & Systems” and “Mass & Balance”. Thursday will be filled with “Instrumentation”, “General Navigation”, “VFR Communication” and “IFR Communication”. Friday will be a “debrief” day and I’ll go through all the exams with my instructors to see what I did wrong, in case I don’t get the 100%.

I will probably also fly to Miami that Friday, just to keep up with the flying and also because James will be moving to Australia for his new job. Pretty sure I’m going to miss him, he was a GREAT instructor Another weekend of hard study will follow and then it’s time for René and me to check in the hotel in Orlando. For those who want to cross their fingers, light a candle or are just interested, here’s the schedule:

Monday, April 2nd 2012
09:30 – 10:30 Principles of Flight
10:45 - 12:45  Airframes
13:45 – 14:45  Mass & Balance

Tuesday, April 3rd 2012
09:00 – 10:30  Instruments

Wednesday, April 4th 2012
09:00 – 11:00  General Navigation

Thursday, April 5th 2012
12:15 – 12:45  VFR Communications
13:00 – 13:30 IFR Communications

Friday will be a day off for us, so we can enjoy a long weekend.

Well, it’s time for me to get back to study some more. Hope you liked the movie and please leave a message for me

CIAO!!!

Hey hello everyone,

It has been almost 4 weeks since my last post and I know some of you are questioning my existence. But don’t be afraid, I’m still alive

The past weeks haven’t been very special. Not much going on at school that’s interesting to tell you and not much things happening after school as well.

Anyway, as most of you already noticed on my Facebook, I have some very special news! The time has come for you to start booking your flights with me! Last Saturday (Feb. 25th), I passed my private oral exam (which took over 2 hours) and checkride, which means I’m a Private pilot now! And this means I can fly passengers. But please make an appointment first, because there is only one extra seat available in the helicopter

After receiving my temporary licence, the official one will be send by the mail within 120 days, I had to go home and clean my room. I mean, I can’t leave a bad impression when my girlfriend sees the house for the first time. So after spending most of the afternoon with a vacuum cleaner in my hands, I drove to the airport. And this is where my perfect timing skills come in handy. The moment I walked in, Marjolein was coming in from the other side. Unfortunately, US Airways isn’t this good, and we had to wait almost 20 minutes for her hand luggage, which didn’t fit in the cabin due to not enough room in the plane….. Good service guys, well done. But after a while, we were able to head home. I was really happy to have her here with me! A short tour around the house and a nice movie after that. All in all a great night. The following day we went to Orlando and spent most of our time in shopping malls. A great weekend I would say

The past week hasn’t been very special, accept from Lein being here We started a new subject at school (Electronics) and did some more cross-country flying to build hours. Not much news on that other than the fact that I’ll be flying to Miami next week with my instructor. And I’m really excited about that! When I get back I’ll post a new movie!

Well, that’s most of what I can remember. I’m sorry if I missed something, but I’ll try to post it as so as possible.

Speak to you soon!!

A few weeks have past and to be honest, not much has happened…

Just kidding! A lot has happened! I´ve started my cross-country flights (also known as XC) with James and solo flying as well. That’s where the real flying starts! There’s nothing greater than flying alone to a different airport and having to do all the things yourself. It sounds a little scary in the beginning, but after a while you start to ‘relax’ and actually enjoy the flight. My first XC was with James to Melbourne (approx. 25 min south of Space Coast) and we flew back along the coastline with the sun setting just behind us. After that it was time for me to do the same flight alone, so I planned the flight (wind calculations, routes, time, turnpoints, fuel, etc.) the night before. Although the flight was pretty easy, simply following the I95 south and back home again, but still I was excited to go somewhere on my own. The following step was to fly a longer XC which also included Kissimmee (due south of Orlando) which took me just over 2 hours to complete.

“Flight at sunset to Melbourne”

After doing most of my XC flights, it was time to continue with the exercises again to prepare myself for the Progress Test. Although most of my class have already done this test, I’m about 10 hours behind. That means I’ll be doing the test in about 4 hours. After that I have to prepare myself for the PPL exams. And you know what a PPL means, right? Indeed, it means that I’m allowed to fly passengers. But please, call me before booking a flight with me, as I can only take one at a time

“Solo XC flight to Kissimmee and Melbourne”

Ground school is progressing as well. Still a lot of studying to do but that’s something we can handle. Had the PT2 for GNAV past week. Although I knew how to solve the questions, time was a pain in the butt, which made me have to guess the last few questions. Apparently I wasn’t the only one with this problem. Many of my classmates had an average score like I did, somewhere in the middle 70’s. I’m not happy with my score, but at least I passed the test. Now we can study and focus on our next test, Meteorology.

Anyway, that’s enough about school. I’ve been working on my Chinook project as well. And I’ve made a lot of progress. But as you already know, photos can be found on my Facebook, or via the link in the Photo section. For those who prefer reading; I’ve painted the inside and build the engines. Most of the interior work is now done, all that’s left is the seating. And a new feature that I’ll ad to the helicopter. I’m going to put a Willy Jeep in the back, like they used to do in Vietnam when they had to transport vehicles. The kit should arrive somewhere next week, as will my order of paints. I’ll keep you updated in my next post.

“Cockpit with an actual map of Vietnam on the copilot’s leg”

“Look through the backdoor”

What else can I think of that I would like to share with you… Well, like I said in the beginning, not much has happened beside the things I wrote above. So I’m afraid that my post will end here.

I hope you will survive the cold times back home, as I will try to survive the hot days of 25C over here. See you soon!!

Hello everyone,

Yes, I know what you’re thinking, that’s about time he’s writing again. Well, I fully agree. Let’s begin. But first of all, I would like to wish everyone a very happy new year!

After my last post it was almost time for a holiday. Man, I could really use it! So I packed my stuff and headed for the airport. Parking the car…. is expensive for 10 days. But it was still cheaper than a shuttle bus. So far for a cheap choice. The flight home wasn’t too bad. Philidelphia was once again very boring and I had a crappy McDonald’s meal just because there’s nothing else…. The second flight was much better, because for the first time I managed to actually get some sleep. By the time I woke up, the pilots initiated the descent to Schiphol Airport. Wow, I just slept for almost 7 hours! Arriving at Schiphol, I was the first to go through customs. Wish I didn’t….

“Good morning Sir, do you have anything to declare?”
“No, I do not.”
“ Where are you coming from?”
“ From the USA.”
“That’s great, then we would like to scan your bag.”
“Great….”
A few minutes pass.
“Okay Sir, you’re clear. Thank you very much for your cooperation. “
“You’re welcome, bye”.

Now I could finally go through the door to ‘enter’ The Netherlands. Holy crap, apparently I’m not the only one arriving here today, there’s a large number of people waiting for someone. Took me a moment to find Marjolein and my mom. After I did we had a brunch at the airport next to two strange looking lady’s dressed as angels dancing to some piano music…. Christmas idea from the Schiphol management? Before going to my brother’s new home, we had to pay a visit to the ABN AMRO Flight Desk to get some things sorted out.

By the time we arrived in Hoofddorp, my bro was just back from school, all dressed up. Looked great if you ask me, suits him well. While he was packing his stuff for the holiday, I showed some movies on his new iPad. After that we quickly placed his new fridge and we could drive home. I must say, I have to get used to the traffic every time I get home… It’s so crowded and small and you’re not allowed to pass on the right side.

Once we arrived home, I packed some more stuff (like a snowboard and some winter clothing, which I obviously don’t need in Florida) and we had a great dinner…. Fries with a kroket! Damm, I missed those! As soon as we got the tabled cleaned and all the luggage packed in the car, we were ready to go! Before driving all the way to Italy, we paid a short visit to my grandmother (and also to my cousin, who was there as well). After a nice cup of tea and a nice cake, we drove into the night towards our final holiday destination.

When we arrived there the next morning, I woke up (yes, I slept again in the car) with a beautiful sunrise over the Sella mountains. It’s been a long time since I woke up with such a nice morning. That same day we unpacked our luggage, bought the ski passes and rented skis.

The next day (Sunday for those who lost count) we were ready to hit the mountains! Whoho! What a great feeling, racing down the hill on my snowboard! Unfortunately, my dad fell at the end of the first day, which prevented him from doing anything for the rest of the week. The following days we enjoyed the snow and nice weather as much as we could before we had to go home again.

We came back on Saturday December 31st, which meant we had to shoot some fireworks in the air that night! Before we did that, we unpacked the car and headed to the party location in Usselo. There we would spent the night with some people from the karting team and a lot of fireworks. All in all, a perfect recipe for a great night! Although a lot of fireworks were still waiting to be launched or thrown away, I had to go back home and get some sleep. I would head back to the USA in the morning the following day.

So the time came for me to fly back home… After some problems at the airport with my luggage (I brought my snowboard with me) I was finally ready to go. Had a quick ‘lunch’ with Lein, Coen and my mom before I went through customs and boarded the plane. The route the pilots took was really beautiful, as we passed over Greenland and the eastern part of Canada. Frozen oceans, mountains and a lot of snow. But somewhere over this great piece of the world, a passenger got unwell, and the cabin asked if there was a doctor onboard. Luckily for this person, there was. Once we arrived in Philadelphia, we not only had a 20 minute delay, but also had to wait for the ambulance personnel to get the passenger of the plane. All this resulted in a small problem for me. I now only had 2 hours to clear customs and get to my next flight. Well, it was extremely stressful for me, but I managed to get to the gate with my shoes still loose on my feet and my personal belongings in my hands. I was the last person boarding the aircraft, because while I was still at customs, they made the final boarding call for my flight. Anyway, I got back in Orlando with the flight I was supposed to take and it all went well after that. Drove home and fell asleep as soon as I got home.

Since then a few weeks have passed in which I had to fly with a different instructor, because James is still in the UK on a holiday. So I was Bruce (the same person who did my stage check for my solo) who would fly with me on my first night flight to Daytona Beach. The flight was great, a whole new experience flying in the dark! Navigation is pretty difficult though, because you can’t see that much and the radio calls are far more sophisticated as what I’m used to.

I’m almost finished with this blog entry, but I still have some great news to tell you. Maybe you’ve heard, but I moved to a new address. The reason being is that one of my classmates has quit the course. He was living together with another classmate, who is now my new roommate. Or housemate, as we live in a house. I’ll post some pictures on Facebook, so just follow the link in the Photo section to get there. For those who don’t have it already, here’s my new address:

A.N. Nijsen
3720 Sawgrass Drive
Titusville, FL32780
United States of America

See you next time!