It's all about the ride!

I'm no dreamer but if you lived in Eastern Europe with the same flight training fees as in the western part of Europe but with far lower incomes you'd have no illusions. Working your guts out (and I mean working in pretty serious business) just to fly a bit and build some hours - besides having to pay a load of other stuffs and having a family - you'll become hell of a relistic guy. You'll realize that if you want the ride then you have to go where the ride is. If that place is the Antartctica then go there. Or anywhere else. And from this comes that if you want the ride then you need to sacrifice a lot of things. 

 

Yepp, as I previously wrote ol' donkeytown isn't downtown New York, not even downtown Nyíregyháza (badass Hungarian city), but it could be the center of the world for some dedicated guys. I see this like it were Muroc (now Edwards AFB) back in the late 40's. One of the last few places where dedicated starters can hook up seriously into the world of aviation. If you get there it will give you all that you wanted. But you won't get anything without givin (up) something else.

So for me Maun is like light at the end of the tunnel, which I never hoped to really see, but was too fanatic to confess it to myself. And I know that it is the place where I must go and try to find a flyin' job, 'cos if not I'm going to regret it my hole life (there's always going to be that what if). And I can't be pessimistic about it and cannot stop smiling even if I look like a dumbass. Even with the economy down for the moment.

Good luck to you all. 

Take care, and my mom told me to fly low and slow!

And hey, here's my beauty little chick, already 6 months old

Rain, rain, rain

Ugly stuff, 4 degrees and it's raining since almost 24 hours continuously. I hate this weather...

And then there is flying in Namibia too

Yess boy, but more on this topic a little bit later as I'm hard working on the magazines february issue.

Pictures from facebook.com Pilots of Namibia group

Muli bwanji

There is flying in Africa and there is flying in Africa. And there's a lot of opportunities for the low timer.

Muli bwanji? is chichewa for: How are you? (Thanks Mike for the question) Me, better and better.

I managed to exchange some info with a guy in Malawi. And yes there is hiring even at this moment. What they want you to have? 250 TT, CPL license with an IR and preferably an ME rating. What they fly? Piper Cherokee's and Seneca's, Airvan's, Beech Baron's.

So if you really start exploring the possibilities you'll find that fortunately there is flying in Africa for starters. Over beautiful scenery.

Oh Dear God

While I'm planning the possible future I got over Maldivian Air Taxi and Trans Maldivian Airways pilot jobs.

Now that would be something.
Guys and gals go there, get to fly airplanes and get paid for this.

It would be a nice next step after a few years Africa.
Getting to fly a Twin Otter in paradise.

Did some research and found that it is possible to get a rating in Canada. For seaplane too. Then who knows...

What they require? Well Trans Maldivian Airways require this:

ICAO Commercial Pilots License with Instrument Rating
Total Hours: 250 for Junior First Officers
Float Rating
Multi engine rating
Instrument rating
DHC-6 float experience preferred.

No coment on these ones, just enjoy

Hey-hey

125 hours, not bad for a start.

And still keeping wings level...

I just love to fly

Finally today I had some good practice. Winter weather with freezing fog. Waited 5 hours in -4 degrees for better visibility and when things went up to 2500 m horizontal and a cloud base of 500 feet I took off with a Cessna 152 at the ex-military airport at Kalocsa (LHKA). One of the worst runway surfaces with a not too friendly weather, but perfect for practicing 3 hours of touch'n'go like mad. 

Here's a few pictures:

Pretty bumpy surface.

Between layers at 600 feet

That's what I love most in the C152, looking back and seeing the empennage...

Passing low

Taking off 10 minutes prior to sunset

Some good news even if not from Maun

A belgian guy from PPRUNE went to Windhoek, Namibia on the 6th and was allready on a few interviews. This is cool, becouse it means there is still demand and opportunities for lowtimers. 

But the most important thing from his story is that I'm gonna need that C210 rating. I allready found an early 1960 bird. Hope it'll be okay. See picture. Pretty nice machine with retracted gears.

January 13th

Not friday, but crappy weather. No flying since 4th of January.

For Budapest:
2009/01/13 08:00
LHBP 130800Z 11006KT 3000 -SG BR SCT001 OVC008 M07/M08 Q1030 NOSIG

Compared to the weather in Maun:
2009/01/13 08:00
FBMN 130800Z 36008KT CAVOK 30/21 Q1014

Good to see that...

people all over the world are interested in this site. Maybe it is even helpful for some.

Since I've placed the ClustrMap here I can see how wide the range of Maun wannabees is.

Feel free to comment on this blog, or drop me an email, so that I know if it helped or if it's just crap. If you liked it or not.

Just the first few days:

Hungary (HU) 13

Spain (ES) 6

France (FR) 4

United States (US) 4

Poland (PL) 4

Austria (AT) 2

Croatia (HR) 2

Netherlands (NL) 1

Norway (NO) 1

Canada (CA) 1

United Kingdom (GB) 1

Botswana (BW) 1

Japan (JP) 1

Lebanon (LB) 1

India (IN) 1

South Africa (ZA)1

First flight 2009

Awfull winter, low visibility, low cloud base, cold, but hey flying we must... And fun-fun-fun!

See it for yourself...

Had some more iron flying

Weather was also near minimums, needed to brutally photoshop the picture taken with iPhone, but now it really has some '70 print feeling. And seems like it is summer... 

I just can't wait to hop into the 210 or 206, but still have to accumulate some more Cessna time to get more used to that yoke feeling.

Not much nowadays

Present situation doesn't really work for us wannabies, presently there are a couple of guys out there, but with this economical situation there's not much hireing in Maun. They say it won't be until February or so. Maybe we who are preparing to head there at the end of this year and still have to complete our homework are in a lucky situation, becouse probably by then the situation will improve and we can see more clearly. And maybe there will be more oportunities and possibilities.
And for my luck I've found a Hungarian guy flying some humanitarian flights in Congo and stuff.

Maun airport sat view

So this is christmas...

Merry Christmas to You All!
'Pilots don't need much school. They just have to learn to read numbers so they can read their instruments.'

My first iron...

So, this has come too, after flying a lot with "stick'n'rudder plastics" I ended up flying irons too. This is a step towards bigger more powerful "yoke'n'rudder" Cessnas.

HA-ERJ is a really nice 1979 Cessna 152. But the weather was really bad, with mist and rain, and very-very poor visibility.

HA-ERJ at LHOY

A letter from Maun

To all those Dudes out there, ladies as well for that matter - Being one of those people that you have asked for an ACTUAL tell of the situation at present - ill try and give a little bit of insight into the going on's of a pilots life in Maun. At this time of the year, the best things that you could do for yourself, is make sure that you turn up to EVERY Christmas party!Meet everybody thats here, leaving here, and looking here. The best way to get a job - make a good impression the people within the company - they do the hiring. We dont care on your hours, what you have flown, whether you have an Instrument rating or not( whats instrument flying anyway?? ) just get along. There are a lot of people leaving here in the next few months, even weeks, so chances are good. Cant put a number on who's going, staying - but a fair amount are. To Live here...dont expect much, this really is one of the slum's of the earth! BUt for those of us that live here, Its like a great night out in a Major Town with girls everywhere, except there really aren't... sorry fellas, think i spotted one the other day although! You have an absolute blast with the people that you work with, the community is small, being segregated partly into PILOTS, hunters, guides, and locals. We all get on though if you make an effort. I know the looking time is hard, we have all had to do it, see the good side of it though and make the most of being here, if you dont get a job at first, go see africa, Maun is not the only place that has planes! Look foward to meeting those of you that arrive next year!! ALL THE BEST

Thoughts on flying for today (from Dave Gahan)

I'm taking a ride

With my best friend

I hope he never lets me down again

She knows where she's taking me

Taking me where I want to be

I'm taking a ride

With my best friend

We're flying high

We're watching the world pass us by

Never want to come down

Never want to put my feet back down

On the ground

I'm taking a ride

With my best friend

I hope she never lets me down again

Promises me I'm as safe as houses

As long as I remember who's wearing the trousers

I hope he never lets me down again

Some clouds

If you followed the situation on PPRUNE you saw that there is a great number of wannabe pilots heading down this season to Maun. All prepared to live in uncomfortable conditions for love of flying and career.

But there is the big cloud of recession above our head. The problem is that there is no actual reliable info on present tourism situation.

I'd stress that anyone heading to Maun try to call, email or whatever before getting his or her ticket.

Some flying in Hungary

Finally on Monday we had some wonderful CAVOK after a long poor visibility and low cloud base period. So some flying came. And hey it was 2 hours and 50 minutes (and so reached 110+ TT wich takes me closer and closer to Maun).

I took my photographer colleague for a ride. Yepp it's the guy you can see on that earlier picture in my first post. We climbed a DA20 and made it round Lake Balaton. Here's a few pictures for you (although I stole almost every other picture on this blog these photos are copyrighted).

Pilotage (useful stuffs)

Sundial I. (temple ruins)

Sundial II. (temple ruins)

Sundial III. (castle ruins)

Earth wound (small lake on a hilltop)

111 TT and runnin'

With the monday flying round the Lake Balaton I passed the 110 TT.

C150/152 rating coming up this weekend, C210 and C206 in sight as well as NVFR and IR. Maybe even some ME rating on L200 Morava.

Funny little Czech twin...

... with a nice shape!