Flying the 44

I got to have my first flight in the R44, it is a bigger more powerful 4 seater. It feels like a real helicopter compared to the tiny little R22 (which is way smaller than my mini 1275 gt). I love the R44, we got to go and play in the low flying area, flying 50ft off the ground at 120knots, thats like 200kmph, ahhhhhh, it was soooooo cool. It was one powerful wicked machine. I have another flight in it on monday morning, for advanced mountain training. I wish I could afford to do the rest of my training in the R44, but it is too expensive for that. Flying it was so much fun that I think I enjoyed flying the 44 as much as I love sliding the Lake Placid track.

My blog works!!!!!

after months of contacting blogger, searching their help pages, and scratching my head as to why my blog would not work, I deleted the longest html link on my side board, and it looks like it worked!!!!!

it's snowing

Winter arrived, we had 15cm of snow in the garden yesterday, the pass to Christchurch is still closed, there is crazy heavy snow fall in the south, a tornado hit Invercargill and the supermarket has run out of bread!!! I’m keeping warm by the fire, and keeping the mini off the road tucked up safely in the garage, luckily the gym is walking (or slipping and skidding) distance from home.

P.S. for all you Europeans and North Americans: Kiwi towns are not equipped for dealing with a bit of snow, schools close, roads close, supermarkets run out of bread, the news paper does not get through and the post is not delivered if the foot path is slippery, oh and planes don’t fly either! Snow is meant to fall in the mountains not the towns.

Well I have had a very busy week, I have been flying lots; 2 flights a day when weather allows, and weights and sprints in between. Working on sponsorship and fundraising, and planning for the race season, studying for my Basic Gas Turbine exam and trying to avoid the cold out side (which is impossible when your at 2000ft agl, it is -3 degrees, flying with the doors off and you need to stick you head outside to check the load your carrying) brrrr.

trainings good, flyings good and exam passed.

Training is going great, and I have found a new sponsor, Getstrength.com the makers of the front squat harness, well they also make a back squat bar that I can use with out stressing out my shoulders, it is brilliant and they have given me one, THANK YOU. Flying is just awesome. I passed my Nav exam, that's all my compulsory exams done. I'm now starting my sling training and soon I'll be flying the Robinson 44.

Training, exams and my new wee Niece.

I’m back up in Christchurch to sit my navigation exam, it went well, I am confident that I passed but I used every minute of time to get through it, which worries me as I was told that by others who sat it recently that there was heaps of time left at the end, I have to wait 10 days for the results. I also came up here to catch up with my trainer Ashley, I’ve been following his program for 5 weeks now and I’ve been getting stronger and stronger and the front squat harness is just brilliant. I have found a few things that my new shoulders don’t like, dead lifts, and incline bench press, but I don’t have to do them to become strong and powerful, they are certainly not a prerequisite for skeleton so they are off the program.

I caught up with Ashley in the gym at Rugby Park in Christchurch, the sacred home of the Canterbury Crusaders, my 16yr old brother and my 5 year old sister (who knows the names and faces of more crusaders and All Blacks than I do) are jealous that I (I don’t even understand the rules of rugby) get to be in the gym while these international rugby legends are training. My dad and brother are both Crusaders fans and were very keen to know who I saw and met, and they find my ‘I don’t know’s very entertaining and frustrating. some rather good looking, fit athletes is not what they wanted to hear…at least my step Mum could appreciate what I had to say ;)

I also got to meet my new little niece Breanna Louise Corcoran. She was just gorgeous, a placid chilled out baby. Guy and Dani are handling the task of being Mum and Dad just fine.