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100 hours in 8 weeks!

After 8 weeks of flying I am up to my 100th hour in a robinson R 22 helicopter. Time to celebrate! How? - with a tour from Van Nuys airport down to Pacific Palisades transition shoreline soutbound to Santa Monica, LAX, Torrance, Long Beach, L.A. downtown and back over Universal Studios to Van Nuys. Of course not alone. My friend Art Thompson was joining the ride and he took some awesome picures!


Santa Monica pier


Point Vincente


helicopter vs. blimp


down at the harbour...


shooting an aproach

at the harbour docks


Queen Mary


L.A. downtown








Library Tower


Library Tower low level


Griffith Observatory


Hollywood Sign


Universal Studios


back at Van Nuys Airport


me and Art Thompson who took the pictures

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! I am a pilot now!

On December 22nd my dream became true. After doing my oral test and my check ride for 2 hours together with Ex-Vietnam helicopter pilot Tim Tucker - I passed! After showing him all the manouvers we landed at Long Beach airport and he finished the checkride with saying " congratulations, you are a helicopter pilot now!" After coming back to my homebase at Van Nuys airport my friend from Austria Hannes Arch, who is also a pilot, was already waiting for me with a bottle of champaign.
What a great day. Another task in my life is accomplished and I have to head back to good old Austria preparing for my next mission!!!!
Kick back on my blog at the end of january 2007 and see what I am up to!
Stay safe and HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!


Hannes Arch and me celebrating my pilot license right after landing!


Tim Tucker me and Massimo Zancolo after my checkride

My picture in Arnolds "Schatzis on Main"

I was celebrateing my 37th birthday on my last trip to L.A. back in April 2006. Charly Temmel who runs the restaurant "Schatzis on main" is collecting a lot of celebraty pictures in his world famous restaurant. And he thought it might be a good idea to display a picture of my jump from the jesus statue in Rio de Janeiro back in 1999. A couple of weeks later my friend Art Thompson wo was part of the B2 stealth program brought the picture to Charly´s place. I saw it for the first time when I was there for dinner last weekend. All I can say is: "It is a great honour to be right next to the Governour!

Meet my austrian helicopter teacher Blacky

I started to fly helicopters in October 2006. Red Bull chief Pilot Sigi aka "Blacky" Schwarz helped me out with a 10 hours in a Bell 47 turbine owned by the flying bulls in Austria. He is also one of the very rare aerobatic helicopter pilots in the world.
Together with German military pilot Rainer Wilke "Blacky" arrived at the beginning of December for a 2 week training sassion in helicopter aerobatics. And there is no doubt that these guys know how to handele their business!!


Sigi Schwarz aka "Blacky" and me in front of a BO 105


German military pilot Rainer Wilke and Massimo

Written test done - Score 95%

After 3 weeks studying at Twin Air going through all the chapters like navigation, bascic aerodynamics, regulations, enroute flight, weather etc. I had to do my written test at Group 3 in Van Nuys. 2 hours later I passed with 95% score.
Don´t ask me how, it just happend! the next step is to prepare myself for the oral and my "check ride" which is gonna be on the 22nd of December 2006. I am almost there!





classroom with my teacher massimo


2 month in this room, just studying!


doing my laundry


studying get´s you hungry


LEARN TO FLY HERE - oh yeah

Bell 206 Jet Ranger Training

Right now I am up to 65 hours of flying helicopters. But every helicopter is different. So I descided to extend my horizon and taking another 10 hours on a Jet Ranger. Yoyo the owner of Twin Air is teaching me everything that I need to know!

GT 40 is back in town

After 5 weeks travelling from my hometown Salzburg Austria all the way via Panama to Long Beach USA finally my Ford GT 40 arrived. I bought this car last year in January here in L.A. and brought it afterwards to my hometown. The Ford GT 40 won the the world famous 24 hour race in Le Man back in 1967`1968`1969`
This car has a supercharged 5.4 litre V-engine and 556 horsepower. Topspeed 330 km/h


Pictures by Art Thompson


Martin Barerra who was in charge of the Mission

First Solo!

Mission accomplished. After a long period of bad weather a lot of wind here in L.A. waiting finally paid of! I was able to do my first solo. There is not a lot to say but everybody who is a pilot knows what I am talking about. You feel so proud, looking at your left seat and there is nobody there. But soon you recognize that if you do a mistake YOU gotta pay for it! That´s what is!
Anyway, I nailed it and here is the video- CHECK IT OUT!!





After my first solo! Maggie West, Me and my flight teacher Massimo Zancolo

Flying solo at "Piru Wash"


Landing at Compton Airport L.A.

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First solo flight cancelt!

Looking out of my window at 8 am already told me- it ´s not gonna happen today!
Flying solo on these conditions out there at "Piru wash"- NOT a good idea! So what, my friends where already waiting out there!
No big deal! Me and Massiomo where taking the R22 and went out there to see them! On the way I had it already in my mind.
They should experience Massiomos skills by first hand! How?- of course on the co pilot´s seat! And no doubt, they never had more fun! After one hour riding the wave out there at "Piru wash" everybody left the helicoper with a big smile on his face!
Seems like Massimo did a very good job!


Maximum performance take off at by myself at "Piru wash"





From left to right: Claudia, myself, my buddy Art and his wife Roberta


Massimo - They call him Mr. Skills, no wonder why!


Art Thompson! Looks like he can´t wait to get into the helicopter!


My austrian friend Manfred enjoying the ride!

To everyone out there! Don´t try this at home - Go to Twin Air helicopter school at Van nuys!

Flying over downtown L.A.

Last night Massimo and me have been flying to L.A. downtown to improof my flying skills at night. Today we did the same pattern, just at daylight. Massiomo wanted me to do the communication, naviagtion and fly the helicopeter at the same time! What a rush!
I can tell that I was totaly exhausted after that mission. But it´s getting better and better every day!
If I don´t stop progressing, Massimo told me "you gonna do your first solo flight at "Piru Wash" on the upcoming sunday!
Well, I cant wait to fly solo! So if the wind conditions are okay on sunday, you guys gonna find some very interresting pictures here on sunday night!

to be continued...


Flying with the Robinson 22 over L.A. downtown around noon


Trying to land on top of the Library tower, just a joke!