So alarm went off at 7AM, I let myself and the dogs out for a pee. I had breakfast and a coffee. I was about to get ready and I got a text from captain James saying the airfield was fogged over. He said he could probably do later this afternoon or early evening or any time tomorrow. I checked the weather and plumped for tomorrow. I went back to sleep.

Got up and fed the dogs then cracked on with work. Making reasonable progress on that, although iteration times on the stuff I’m working on our horrendous. I’m got a tricky memory problem to track down and it’s taking ages. I made a sandwich and then went for a decent run. It looked like it was going to piss down, about half hour in though the sky had cleared and the sun had come out. I texted James but he was in Birmingham. So I had a brew and did a bit more work. Then James phoned to say he could get to Staverton by about half five, so I made a quick get away and arrived five minutes before I did.

We found a helicopter with some fuel in and got it out the hanger. I cranked it up (okay I went through the check list and did it all properly). James taxied out, we got clearance and up we went. I took over when we levelled out. Today we were doing ascents and descents, which is actually more complex than it sounds. To ascend to set the attitude first with the cyclic, and go for an airspeed of about 60, then lift the collective to increase the power to about 24 inches of manifold pressure, while applying left peddle to counter the torque. Then to level off, about 50ft before, set the attitude to an air speed of about 75 knots and then reduce the power to about 21.5 inches, trim to get back to level flight. Descents are more fun. Drop the power first with the collective add right pedal to keep it straight, go down to about 15 inches of manifold pressure. Then adjust attitude to reduce airspeed for a descent of about 500ft a minute, which is again about 60 knots. At this point the whole thing is vibrating like an old washing machine as the rotor is going so slowly. So I did a few ascents and descents, plus some cruises. I then flew it back to the airport and transitioned into a hover. Then spent the next half hour doing hovering practice. It was going okay, we were pretty lucky with the lack of wind, all too soon it was over again, so I flew back to the hanger. My hover taxing is actually pretty good. We did have some lovely views, the sun was setting just over the horizon, it was a good time to be above the clouds.

Drove home and then hunted for my memory problem again with no luck. Still, good fun day.

Work was all about input today, input from keyboards, input from mice and input from game pads. All oddly went according to plan.

Popped out and picked up my happy pill prescription, it was going to take fifteen minutes so I popped across the road and got a haircut, was back just as it was ready.

Had a sandwich and walked the dogs, actually other way round. Finished up work early evening, was about to go for a run but it was pissing down. So did a bit more work, then went for a run. Came back, had a shower, did a bit more work (I was enjoying it). I then fired up the sim and did some hovering. After that I completed a circuit, took off, flew east, then north, then west, then south and finally east again back to where I started. I landed it, all good. Hopefully all this sim work will pay off.

Jamie is cooking tonight. Spag bog.

Woke up at the crack of dawn, well it was just before 7:30. Let the dogs out, got breakfast and a coffee. Cruised porn (okay, email, FB, weather). Got up and then trundled up the M5. I was at Staverton airport by 9AM. Popped in the Transair shop, very small. Met up with Captain James, we had a small chat about power levels, inches of mercury (manifold pressure) and attitude (that’s where it’s pointing, not that I’m a cunt). We jumped in the R22 (after I got my cushion). I ran through the check-list and fired her up (is it a she?). James taxied to the heli-pad and then started off on a shallow ascent. At 1000ft I took the cyclic and the pedals. We then did a short circuit around at different airspeeds. I was on top of the flap-back this time and had no problems changing attitudes and airspeeds. I then turned back to the airport and entered a shallow descent. James took over the last 500ft. We then stopped in the circle at the end of the runway. It was hover time! I took the cyclic and the pedals, a couple of wobbles and then I just stayed there. Started playing around a bit, moved around the circle and then got back to the centre of it. I then took over the collective and started varying the heights as well. So that was it, I was in control of everything, I didn’t flip it over, I didn’t whack the tail in the ground and didn’t whack the rotor into the tail boom. Oddly when I turned up there, all thoughts of mast bumping, vortex rings and low rpm stalls vanished. I never felt nervous of frightened at any point. Even when I was solely in control of the whole thing I felt entirely comfortable. It’s no different really to driving a car, except it’s in three dimensions. I spent about half hour practising hovering and landing. I then headed down the runway and James parked it back at the hanger. I was very pleased with my progress. I talked to James about using the simulator, he said, “Whatever you’re doing keep it up it’s working. Even if it chops off a couple of hours that’s going to save you six hundred quid.” So the X-Plane practice has certainly paid off. I’ll try and continue an hour a day on that. If anything actually, the real thing is slightly easier to hover than the simulator, probably because you get a sense of perspective. Next time we are doing ascents and descents at different power levels. It’s going to be about three weeks though as we are off on holiday, still I have to read up on air law as in about 17 hours I need to fly solo. Captain James was pleased at my progress and certainly so was I.

Drove back down the M5, started work at 11:30. Finally got the assets for something I needed to get on with, so got on with that. Work all the way through to 7. Got a hell of a lot done really. Went out for a run, then came back and did even more work.

So good day all in all. Once again I came back smiling, that’s the important thing. And it was cracking weather, flying just above the haze was amazing. I must stop looking at frighteningly expensive Bose headsets.

Started fairly early this morning, well took Sasha to daycare at 6:30, but started work early. Lots to work on, lots to fix. Did some major changes, may undo them yet. Need to think on them. Captain James phoned and moved my flight time earlier, as the Friday weather is supposed to be bad. Weather looks good tomorrow.

Went to the hygienist and had my teeth scraped and jet washed, that’s it there for another twelve months. Came back and picked Sasha up. Came back home and Dillon had left a little ‘present’.

Finished off work, then went for a run. Came back and did my hours flying, going well. Practised hovering, transitions and changing attitudes. See how well it pays off tomorrow.

So started off fixing alignment on a 64 bit allocator. Then probably spent about the next five errors searching for a GPU hang. Found it in the end using a bit of know how and hand disassembling the render list. That was fun. Many more things like that to come no doubt. Skipped lunch as I wanted to clock up a couple of extra hours.

Went for a run, had a shower, then plugged in my new pedals…I got the Cessna one’s which okay aren’t the same as an R22 but they are as good as I’m going to get. Got them set up on the iMac with XPlane 10. Woohoo, after I stopped the wheelie chair from going backwards they were great. Stops me from cocking up the collective control. I did an hour of hovering and flying, almost beginning to get the hang of it. Read about half the pilot book last night, will do a bit more tonight. Looking forward to the next lesson now, hopefully the simulator time will all pay off.

Work was a bit of a pain as I was waiting around for data to build and then moved on to something else. Mind you the ‘something else’ is pretty good, so no real complaints there.

Walked the dogs, very well behaved. Went to combat, good fun.

Came back, did some more work, then fired up x-plane 10. Still don’t have my peddles yet, but I’m now beginning to hover, and recover from bad situations. I think it’s going to be much easier when I get the peddles as I keep moving the collective at the moment when moving the torque pedals as it’s on the same stick. So the time is slowly paying off, I’ll try and get an hour a day in, split between hovering and normal flight. Got lots of complex books to read as well. May have an early night tonight and do some reading.

This morning started off rather well. Both dogs went out for a pee, we then all had breakfast. I did some research on my model helicopter problems and found that the flybar was set completely wrong. So I adjusted all that and took it outside for another fly. This time, fairly successful. Until I hit the wall and various bits of it flew off. Oh well, big repair bill. But I was getting the hang of it.

Then went and did and hour on the iMac simulator, no I’m still shit. Took the dogs out for a walk. Had lunch, then ventured off to Stapleton to grab a gromit as it’s the last week. Got that one then parked up in Cotham. Walked all the way to Ashton court and got the one there. Decided to hit the one at Arnos Vale. After a bloody long walk I got there, but it was closed. As it was another bloody long walk back to the car I got a bus. Had to sit with common people, mind you it went all the way to Clifton Down for £2.90 so didn’t complain.

Got home. We went out to the local Indian, it was very good. Must do some gardening tomorrow.

Work wise was lost of little things. Various playing with SSE2 intrinsics which was good fun. I’m almost at a stage now where I can start doing what I’m supposed to be doing next week.

Lunchtime I went outside with the model heli. God that’s hard to control. I mean really hard. I don’t thing I got it off the ground for more than a second without it drifting. I’m not sure it’s set up well either as it pulls badly to the left.

Went to pump. Trudie tonight, Laverne must be off somewhere again.

Came back and bought the proper R22 plug-in for x-plane 10. It seems very accurate, if slightly bugged to fuck. Hovering is almost impossible, so very much like the real thing. I think it’s going to be great (but frustrating) for practicing on. So I’ll try and give it a little bit every day. It’s installed on the iMac, so at least it boots in the same hour you power it on.

So work was back on DX11, finally nailed the problem, it wasn’t even anything to do with the renderer. Still, that’s the way it goes sometimes.

Walked the dogs, they pulled, very annoying.

Lots of things turned up today. My helicopter. My study books and DVD and x-plane 10.

I started charging the helicopter batteries, they take fucking ages. I haven’t looked at the books yet, but watched the DVD. Basic stuff, but covers some useful numbers.

I did attempt to get the helicopter to take off, it didn’t. Mind you it was dark and I think I have the pitch set wrong, will try and crash it again tomorrow.

I started installing x-plane 10, it’s 8 DVD’s. I only selected UK and North America scenery and it still took around 3 hours to install. Eventually it finished, then did a whacking great patch over the top. I’ve installed it on the iMac as that has a good screen and plenty of drive space. It’s also an i7 so has plenty of grunt. Had a quick pop with the R22, it isn’t very good, I need to get the plug-in for the decent one. It does work with my fancy joystick though, so should all be set when I have that. It does look pretty good.