So yesterday I started as I like to start weekends, coffee and the paper. Finally got up and walked Sasha. Then I dived off to Tesco and had a look at the iPad Mini and finally to Tesco’s to look at a couple of TV’s. Got back and Mark soon arrived. We shot the breeze and I ate salad. Shaun and Connor turned up and we headed to Staverton. I did all the paper work and we headed down to G-JKAY. Startup was fine, but the pickup was fairly awful, by God was that aircraft heavy, it felt very out of balance. I got it into the hover though and taxied to x-ray. I had to drop down to an in-ground hover as I was over the power limit. We got clearance and I chucked it out of heli-north. Now thankfully we were well within limits and it was handling fine. I flew down to Tewkesbury and then around the back of it back to the airport. Good landing to the hover and taxied back to the fuel bay. I think if I managed that on near enough the absolute limits I could manage anything. Went to pub that evening, drank much beer.

Sunday I decided to catch up on my sleep, so didn’t get up too early. Walked Sasha and then descended into town. I’ve got less than 100Km to walk now to reach my 1000Km goal on Pokemon Go. Did a home check for a dog. Came home and had an existential crises about exceeding power limits. Text Ben. Ben replies I was fine. Text Ben back. Ben phones. Crises averted. Had bath. Making food. Good weekend.

I learned a lot about myself this weekend. When faced with the possibility of ‘the end’, it was well within my limits to control it and get on top of it. When the calculations were done again, we were actually just inside the limits, but just close enough to the edge for it to become ‘challenging’. Next time I take that aircraft up, it will only contain Japanese school girls who are bulimic.

Work was hyper dull, but at least the task I’d spent the last seventy odd hours on is finished now. Walked Sasha. Now at the traffic lights on the A38, pushed the button, the green man lit up, I walked across two lanes of traffic which had correctly stopped. Now I’m always wary of wankers…..about to cross lane three and an estate car ploughs clean through the red light at 40MPH. Misses Sasha (who was on a very short lead as I don’t trust anyone) by about a foot. The sound of car horns was obscene, everyone saw this guy charging up the inside lane and knew he wasn’t going to stop. If I hadn’t had the dog with me I would have chased after him at the roundabout lights and beat the living shit out of him, mainly for my own amusement. Walked to the gym, did Pump, walked home, crossing the main road by the little Tesco up here. Zebra crossing. Started to walk across, a woman then decided that she wasn’t going to stop and went so far to the left that she actually mounted the kerb to get round me. I’m sure drivers are getting worse. I’d much rather fly that drive, at least to get a pilots license you need some common sense and a bit of skill, it seems anyone with forty quid can get a driving license these days, although I suspect that there is a good percentage of people who drive and don’t even have that.

Basically I worked a lot today. Wore up and worked. Walked Sasha, came back home and worked. Went for a run and then worked. I’m now sat down, currently on HipChat and technically still working. I’ll probably fall asleep and dream about work. Tomorrow I have more work. But at least I hatched yet another Snorlax.

I won’t drone on about work. It was as tedious today as it was yesterday. Put in a good eleven hours of it though. Walked Sasha. Weather was ‘comfortable’, as in, it was spitting on start, but the temperature was fine for the worn clothing. Went for a run this evening. Not too far, only seven miles. Building strength back up now. I think I’m going to start back up with Laverne again in January. That would given my back almost a full year to heal. Basically I worked and ran, that sums the day up. This time last year I was panicking over a route map….

Work was just as tedious as it was yesterday. At least I didn’t have to engage much brain power. Nice day, a bit chilly though. Walked Sasha. Went for a run early evening and then worked far too late. Booked the R44 for Saturday, will take it round the block….at 135MPH. Watched the one off special of ‘The Crystal Maze’ which was made to support ‘Stand up to cancer’. That brought back some memories. Interesting to see that Chatsworth Television wasn’t mentioned anywhere at all. It now exists though up in London, would love to get Carl up there one day.

Work started on time, no problems. But by god has it been dull. Never mind, required no brain power. Walked Sasha in changeable weather, very windy. Walked to the gym, did Combat, walked home, caught a wild Lapras. Did a lot more work. Looks like I may have a cockpit full on Saturday, now need to see if I can get an aircraft.

Started this morning with much coffee and papers. Finally we got up and took the dogs out to the field. Dillon was a pain in the ass pulling but they both really enjoyed themselves when they got there. Dillon actually won the ball catch competition. Came back and then headed to Cribb’s. I wanted to look at some televisions, Jamie wanted to go to the toy shop. Then we headed to his mothers. Jamie said that he’d only notified her that I wouldn’t eat gammon a matter of hours before, she said that this was already in hand and I was having fish. I joked that it would hardly be sea-bass and expected something like cod in butter sauce as you could just bung it on the hob (I like cod in butter sauce by the way, often have it). We arrived, I was having sea-bass, I was very pleasantly surprised. I helped with the veg, well I shook it around somewhat. Dinner really was lovely, sea-bass and a couple of rather exotic veg and potatoes. The sea-bass was actually stuffed with what I think was basically a tomato based nut-roast. Oh and there was a plate of sausage rolls that we polished off. Alison is now in her ‘pink’ phase. I remembered your request for crimbo and it’s now in hand…..Drove home. Had a bath. Phoned mother. She was moaning about her TV again, I said I would speak to my sister and see if we could get her a modern flat screen TV for Christmas, she said instantly that she ‘Doesn’t want one with a silver bezel as it won’t go with the lounge’, this is why she will get a one-way ticket to a Swiss clinic for Christmas.

Okay so this morning was a bit lazy. I woke up at just gone 9AM. Made breakfast and coffee. Read the paper. Had a hand job. Read the paper some more. Cruised some youtube videos. Finally got up and popped to Tesco’s. Booked my flu injection. Bought some straws. Had a quick lunch and then we headed into town. Went to the Apple store to look at the watches. I can get a good discount through my health insurance. Did an evolve session. Now hand 140 in the dex out of a possible 142, a bit disappointed in my Muk, but everything else went according to plan. Still got a lot more sorting out to do.

So started this morning early as I wanted to get about four hours in before we set off. We headed off to Staverton and arrived at about half twelve. Ben had already fuelled the aircraft and we were pretty much only one gallon away from busting the max weight limit. Jamie was very surprised at just how damn small the thing was. He was more surprised when he had to cram himself in it. To say you get intimate with your passenger is an understatement. Went through all the startup checks, did the radio call and we picked up. He wasn’t overly keen on that bit, its a very strange phenomenon if you hadn’t experienced it hundreds of times before. We went down the taxi way and took off directly to the south. He then said, ‘This is really cool’. So I think I won him over. The journey to Lucknam Park was pleasant and uneventful. Visibility was a bit crap to be honest, a bit hazy and some low cloud. But on approach to Colerne the sun was out and it was a very straightforward straight in landing. I stopped on the helipad and a golf buggy came to pick us up. We had a lovely poncy lunch at the brasserie. Crab starter to share and then I had the fish of the day (Hake). I mentioned it was Jamie’s birthday and a lovely platter of toasted marshmallows arrived. We got a buggy back to the chopper and took off directly to the south. Due to a NOTAM we were restricted on our route back, so I headed over to the estuary and tracked back up the M5. Landed back at Gloucester and drove back to Bristol. I think it was a successful day.

Walked to the gym, did Pump, walked home, picked up a paper. Met Phil down at the Holly Trinity Church and took out a mystic gym. Now I have an appointment with Alan Sugar.

Work continued to be very dull. Just cracked on with it. I have tomorrow afternoon booked off, but at the end of today I’ve already done over a full weeks hours. Walked Sasha, weather was okay I guess. Went for a run this evening. Did some more work. Printed out some approach charts for Lucknam Park, even printed out the radio frequencies. Just need to wait for winds now. Could be an interesting flight, were going to be right on the fuel limits. Still the weather looks good to crash into a mountain.