This morning started off as normal, breakfast for three and coffee for one. Sasha needs to stop on the coffee, it makes her very irritable. Then got straight on with clearing out the garage, need to get a bathroom suite in there. Made a pretty good job of it. Soon the time came to drive up to Staverton. Dropped Jamie off at Tesco’s, then off I went.

We had a short briefing, tested on R22 emergency procedures. Then I fixed up the cameras, went through the checklist and James put his hi-viz on. We did about four circuits, first was a bit quick, second was better, third was pretty much bang on. We then did a short circuit with an autorotation and then finally a fourth normal circuit. James then got out. I then got into the hover. It did feel somewhat different without the extra weight in it. So did a few spots turns and things, then landed again. James checked if I was good to go, then it was into the hover again and finally that was it, speeding down at 40kts to the transitional lift kicked in. Up over the golf course. It was easily the most scariest thing I’d ever done in my life. But by the time I was over the golf course it was all pretty much business as normal and flying by the numbers. It was my favourite circuit, up over the M5. Approach and landing was pretty much perfect, if a bit long. Afterwards James came over, shook my hand and then said I needed to be in a high hover so he could take a load of photos. So I posed for a couple minutes, about 20ft in the air. Then it was all over. Well, if nothing else, it will make me grin for the next week.

Now the next probability of death, Jamie is making a curry.