Merry Xmas

[fran65]

...from sunny and frozen north Italy,
Buon Natale to all of you in this warm and friendly home...and thanks to those who keep the fire burning!
Ciao!

[FlyTexas]

Merry Christmas everyone from my home for the holidays, work.

Brian

[Garry Russell]

merry Christmas one and all

Brian...good shot showing low cost Southwest................lots of strings attached

[DaveB]

Yes.. and he's aged quite a bit too since we last saw a shot of him Nice coat Brian Oh.. that's not you?

ATB

DaveB

[Nigel H-J]

Just back from a weeks' leave in time to add my best wishes to all members for Christmas and have a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Dave, just like the amount of concentration you are showing flying the VC10 simulator, did you ever have time to relax or was it just that look of Oh Sh*t all the way through the circuit??!!!!!!

Kind regards
Nigel.

[DaveB]

NO mate.. it was terror, pure and simple We'd been asked to practice doing 26 lh approach.. takeoff.. right turn onto the VOR flying back over the airfield followed by a graduated lh turn onto finals.. a big figure of 8 in reality but.. we didn't expect to keep the nose up (main gear on the deck) followed by takeoff.. rh turn until parallel with the runway.. rh turn onto finals then land. It should be easier truth to tell and I guess it is but not when you've not done it before and the flightdeck has a full RAF crew (minus the Nav).. Tonks (obviously) DM and the civvies who run the sim! It's also b1oody odd sitting in the RH seat even though all DM had to do was keep it roughly in the right place. There's no red line (shift+Z) running along the top of the screen either which I found most inconvenient
From early in the morning at the AAR flight briefing with Flt Lt Smith and his crew through the entire day ending with the team Tonks had assembled in the sim, DM and I were made welcome and felt (outwardly) at ease. Inside of course was a different story The desire to get it right and not look a complete prat (a prat is acceptable but a complete prat.. no) in front of professional flyers is what you are seeing in that phot

ATB

DaveB

[Nigel H-J]

NO mate.. it was terror, pure and simple

Well at least you had the comfort of knowing when flying the sim that if you effected an arrival as apposed to a landing you could still walk away albeit with dented pride and nothing more!!

When the VC10 finally retires at least you can, along with DM, lay claim to have actually flown it without having left the ground!!! Something that many of us can only dream about!!

Kind regards
Nigel.

[DaveB]

Well.. not having left the ground is a little harsh.. I think of it as being tethered to the ground.. it IS a full motion sim after all

ATB

DaveB

[Nigel H-J]

Sorry Dave.

Regards
Nigel.

[Tonks]

That was a fun day wasn't it! Dave and Dave both did very well!

Anyway, Happy Christmas to you all

Tonks