Some good news, and some not so good...

**Penfold101** · 19th August 2008, 00:34

Alright guys...

Well, come wednesday I'm heading off back to the Gulf (for the 5th time...) to enjoy the heat and humidity of Oman. To be honest even though it's still the desert, it's a holiday camp compared to places Like Basra (have been there for a while too though...) and we only do a couple of months at a time so it's not that bad, and am happy to hold my hands up to all of the army guys who go to horrendous places for horrendous amounts of time, doing something a lot harder than fixing planes. I'll even be able to get on here fairly regularly...

So now for the good news bit:

I managed to fly a plane by myself! As I've been learning to fly this year, I got to the stage of flying my first solo circuit last week, and in anticipation of it I took along my camera to attach to the ceiling and video it for posterity...

Unfortunately it dislodgted slightly not long into the 15 minutes of the entire trip, and stopped recording after 10 - half way through the 5 minute flight...

Still, click here for what I did get to record in the very bright sunlight...

**Deadman** · 19th August 2008, 00:47

All the best. 4 months is it?

**Penfold101** · 19th August 2008, 00:49

Just the 2 mate - squadron deployment and not a DWR thankfully...

**Deadman** · 19th August 2008, 00:52

Cool,that'll fly. I've just done 3 months at RAF Marham in Norfolk and would have swapped you.

What're you working on?

**Penfold101** · 19th August 2008, 00:53

Nimrods, for my sins...

**mark1319** · 19th August 2008, 00:54

2 months

Easy street

No seriously all the best mate and enjoy the holiday and make sure you get a nice tan

A little bit of extra cash in the pocket too, at least if you done the 6months you'd get the tax free lump

Good luck mate

**Penfold101** · 19th August 2008, 00:56

RAF don't do 6 month ones thankfully - and we don't get the lump sum or any fraction of it as we're not in a war zone...

Mind you, I've got my Telic medal for the time I DID do in Basra...

**Deadman** · 19th August 2008, 00:57

Ah, another RAF lad. Nimrod is the only one of our lot I haven't touched. There was one in our hangar the other week though. They're quite small close-up.

Take care mate.