Club gets a twofer....

Two more of our students successfully completed Flight Tests today. Neil was first to go - and he had tucked the Private Pilot's Test under his belt by lunchtime. Wayne, who had waited for some time to get into the air, was next to face scrutiny. He completed his Test for the Recreational license by 2pm and emerged from debriefing with a huge smile on his face. Kudos to both pilots and to their instructors, Matt and Brandon.

The two accomplishments are noteworthy. Neil's because he started training something like 7 years ago. His pilot number commences 80xxxx. The delayed certification is no reflection on the quality of pilot or training; it's just one of those things. Wayne's achievement is something special because he only soloed on January 10th this year. This makes him possibly the quickest pilot between that milestone and passing a Flight Test that Matt has known.

Caribbean trip provides aircraft excitements...

It's always good to combine any travel with some airplane porn, so a forced delayed departure from St Maarten (TNCM) because of the East Coast snow storms was greeted with delight. It provided the opportunity to enjoy the sensational views of the runway activity on the international airfield there. Recognized as the shortest international runway certified to handle 747s, the approach is the one that we've all seen in videos coming in over a seaside beach. Yes, it's really that close and that low that the aircraft arrive...The nature of the Caribbean islands, generally quite rugged, with little flat ground, makes the adoption of the STOL-capable Twin Otter by regional airlines a natural fit. This aircraft was typical of the many Otters seen during the afternoon on the approach path.
And the Twin Otter is pretty much the only commercial aircraft capable of getting into the runway on Saba, where there are only 1,300 feet available. It's billed as the shortest, international, commercial runway in the World. Sadly, didn't get to see an aircraft arrive there, but it must be pretty impressive. This T-Shirt, on sale on the Island says it all...