The Flying Fish

Sunday, 16 May It was another early start. Normally I’d complain profusely about having to wake up at 0630 on a Sunday (or any other day for that matter), but today was different. See, I don’t mind waking up at the crack of dawn if it means I get to go flying… 3 words: Cessna Citation Mustang. ZS-YES, the new toy on the block, brand spanking new, and the reason for having to wake up early. What do they say about dynamite coming in small packages? Able to carry 4 pax and 2 pilots, she’s not as big as the PC-12, but she’s sleek, sexy and fast! Slipping into the right seat is a breeze; there aren’t any over-head panels for you to scrape your head on, and you don’t have to worry about accidentally kicking the throttle levers because a genius at Cessna left a gap between the seat and the center console so you can just slide your legs in and easily get seated comfortably. All glass and ample leg room Once seated, you feel like you’re in a sports car. This, in my opinion, isn’t that great. Th...

So it’s been over a month since I last flew the Cubby. I could’ve flown at least another 6 hours this last week, upping my total hours to 70 (not that much, but still; every bit counts!) Sadly, it’s still going to be a while until I can fly the yellow beast again. However, on Saturday (1 May), I was offered a flight. Itching to be airborne again, I accepted the offer and before I knew it, I was gingerly lifting myself into a piece of Tupperware. Yup, I was going for a flight in ZU-IOO, a Jabiru. As I settled myself into the seat I found that, while comfortable, it just didn’t feel right; my feet were practically on top of each other, the brakes are operated by hand and situated on the stick which is between the two occupants. But I wasn’t complaining; I’d been wanting to fly in a Jabiru for a while now. I had a quick look around the cockpit to try and familiarize myself with the instruments. Nice and basic; good, that’s what I like. ‘Familiarization’ complete, I hunted for a spot to r...