Da42 start

25 April 09 : Final DA40 check completed. Yeeha!!!!!!
The waking up
26 april 09 : It’s only 03h30 in the morning but my alarm clock screams at me and shouts that I have to get up immediately. One would think that somebody who has to wake up at 03h30 on a Sunday morning to go to school, would be pissed off and would have a morning mood so bad that you better avoid the person for the first couple of hours. You can’t be more wrong. I gave my alarm clock a soft tap that made him shut up, I kicked my blanket out of the way and with a lil’ jump I was out of bed. Opening the window made that the wind came in to greet my sleepy head and the smell of the I-don’t-know-which-flowers-but-they-smell-very-good prickled my noses. A quick shower and an even quicker breakfast followed. At 04h25 I closed the door behind me and once downstairs on the path I held still for a couple of seconds to listen. The moon was standing right above me, floating silently between all the stars. It was almost quiet. Almost. The wind played gently with some leaves on the ground, the crickets were singing their song and a dog was barking in the distance. Peaceful. I took a deep breath to capture the moment and continued my walk to ‘the gate’ where ‘the van’ from school picks up the students. My feet knew the way, as they walked the same route as every other day. A cat looked at me with his yellow eyes when I passed him and my shadow followed me like it always does at night. When passing the houses I saw that not everybody was asleep. I had to wake up already, but some didn't even went to bed. Most of them were on the computer, probably chatting with the home front, telling them the latest news. I was the first to arrive at the gate and when the time ticked further more students who had the first flight arrived, all of them nodded or smiled a “good morning” and slept a bit further on the path. It's still early for everybody.
The drive to school
At 04h35 the van pulled in on the driveway and Bill, the driver, greeted everybody with his never ending optimism. “Guuuuuudmorrrning everrrrybodyyyyyy.” Like always I took the passenger seat next to the driver, I said “G’morning Bill” , and I listened to the voices of the others who greeted him. “Morning Bill”, “Hi Bill”, “G’day Bill”, “How r ya Bill”. Once the doors were closed and secured the van started to roll the same way it rolls every hour, 17/24, 7/7, 31/31, 365/365. I left the van with hearing the same sentence that I hear every day. “ Well guys, have a grrrrrrrrrrrrreat day and a guuuuuuud flight” and then one for one all students thanked him, . “Thx Bill”, “Cya Bill”, “yup Bill”, “have a nice day Bill”, “ciao Bill”. This routine, even how small it looks, it happens every day, every time. In a routine like this, One knows what will come, because it was never different. In a little routine like this, One knows what will come, and when it doesn’t come, One feels bad.
The Bigger Routine
Once in Dispatch, you log in, sign in, print your flight report, make your weather briefing, make your mass and balance and check the squawk book. Samey, samey, everyday.
Twinstarrrrrrrrrrrr
First flight on the Twin
N4130M
Instructor KNG
Level of AWESOMENESS: 100%
A short briefing, the walk around we did together for the first time, the flows and checklist, propSSSS clear, no run up, holding short, position and hold, brakes and full power, power checked, brakes release and freaking right rudder!
Flying a Twin
It was great! After flying a long time with the DA40 I was happy to fly again with a ‘heavier’ plane and a more stable plane. Damn, it felt good! I love the DA42. The mission was over way to soon and today I had mission 107 and 108. We did some patterns, maneuvers, stalls, steepturns, slow flight, and a VFR navigation. The last time I had to prepare a VFR navigation, I still flew the Archer. But I love VFR navigations and I was very happy to do it. Also, it was a long time ago that I flew VFR, so my mood was much better than it is when I fly IFR, so when I’m under ‘the hood’. I hate that stupid thing! I don’t know but it makes me nervous flying with a hood and not being able to see anything.
Updates
I arrived 26 Oct, which makes that I’m already here for 182 days. (6 months)
I flew in total 215hrs 54 min, which is already much more then I drove by car.
I’m at Mission 108 and I have to go to Mission 123, almost done!
I flew an average of 5 mission a week.
It’s getting hot here in AZ.


ALL PICTURES ARE FROM Akaljot Grewal, BEST PHOTOGRAPHER AT SABENA!!