A New Year

If 2009 felt like a wasted year, stolen from me, 2010 was exactly the opposite and I have trouble believing so much could have happened in 12 months.

I started the year doing an after-landing checklist in Kota Kinabalu, worked like a mad man for 4 months, got stranded by a volcano 6000 miles away, got homesick, worked more, went home, worked again, visited Hong Kong on the first proper family vacation in longer than I can remember, worked some more, went home, got a new job, sat around doing very little missing my old job, got a shock, got a surprise and caught a cold.

Put like that it doesn't seem like much but there is more to it, friends, happy memories, special moments, unpleasant moments, hardship... 2010 wasn't an easy year - far from it - but it doesn't feel wasted. It's not exactly ending on a high note but my new year resolution is to always stay positive and look at the bright side of life... and it can't hurt to start early.

Here's to 2011 - I hope it brings happiness and good fortune and you have a great night tonight with loved ones. I have to fly to Male in the morning, and my loved ones are all far away, so it will be a normal quiet early night for me.

S.

Happy Holidays

Haven't posted much because I haven't flown much this month. I passed the check, then flew to Delhi and back, then flew to Abu Dhabi and back, caught a cold, flew home to London (in the jumpseat), started suffering from the cold ... and I'm still suffering. I should have been back in work last week but the drugs I'm on aren't compatible with flying so I'm stuck at home for Christmas this year, which is a pleasant surprise despite the agonising headaches.

Here is my Christmas card for the year, once again appropriate to my position and mood. Happy Christmas wherever you are and whatever you're doing.

S.

That glow

Sometimes I forget why I love flying ... then suddenly I'm reminded again.

Flew to Karachi yesterday, up along the west coast of India. The view of the Indus river delta approaching the city was quite spectacular - I had no idea it was so huge, and brown. Gradually the sand banks turn into islands and some houses and roads start appearing, then some more roads and traffic and finally it's a city. As I landed on runway 25L I really could feel that I was somewhere different.

The flight back was really spectacular though, the sun was just setting as we took off and I was the privileged witness of one of the most glorious sunsets in recent memory. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, just blue above and grey below and this stunningly bright band of orange in the middle gradually getting smaller and darker until eventually it was all black and we were alone in the universe. Unfortunately the camera I brought couldn't cope with the colours so I can't share the palette that unfolded infront of me.

I was also cleared for the final check which will take place in about 10 hours on the athletic 30 minute sector to Trivandrum. After that I will be, once again, an anonymous qualified pilot... Looking forwards to seeing the end of training now.

S.