Thank you.

[v6g]

A log book is a wonderful thing. Five years ago I entered the world of aviation and went for a trial lesson, five days ago I passed my commercial flight test. Although I still have a long and turbulent road ahead, as I copy the entries from my basic-cheapo logbook into a leather-bound "Professional Pilots Logbook", it's time to look back and say some thank you's.

Thank you MORGAN for that first flight on 26th March 2000 in G-BIOM. From EGMD to EGMH. Sunny day with white fluffy clouds, I could get hooked on this, I thought.

Thank you SULLIVAN, BUTCHER, COLE & G-BIJX for those early days in the Spring of 2001, for sharing the beauty of the tranquil skies above Kent early on a Saturday morning. I wonder where you guys are now.

Thank you SCOTT for introducing me to Microlites at Byron Bay in Australia.

Thank you TINDALL for more than just flying training, for advice on life in general, and for doing that sudden dive over my parents house in Sussex.

Thank you MAYER for hopping out of the right seat of C-GZYZ on 1st March 2003 and saying "Go do a couple of circuits on your own this time". And telling me to "just relax and enjoy it", before waving goodbye.

Thank you to whoever designed the landing gear of the Cessna 152.

Thank you to the unknown pilot of an unknown aircraft on an unknown day who took-off just as I was doing a late go-around off Runway 12 at CZBB. Thank you for keeping it low and taking an early left turn. I heard your engines above my own, I'll never know how close we came.

Thank you to the controller at CYNJ who provided a calming voice in my ear that day I flew through a snow shower and came out coated in ice.

Thank you STEWART for coming to get me when a blocked pitot stranded me on an island.

Thank you HUNTER for the hangar flying.

Thank you NASSEY, RHANDHAWA, HAERING, HUGDAHL & COX for filling in when nobody else was able.

Thank you to the left-mag on C-GFVB for getting us home from CYPS when the right had failed.

Thank you, especially thank you BRACHT for sending me for my Private flight test, for my night and my commercial, for the introduction to mountain flying, for that night time approach into CAM3, for that day we flew by the summit of Mt Baker and smelt the volcanic gases in the cockpit, and for the flight to KBFI on 17th April 2005. You will forever be that kind smily face that took off from CYVR on 28th July 2005 and never made it home. All of us think of you every day.

Thank you BAILEY for taking-on and finishing the work of a dear friend to us both.

Thank you C-GSMM for getting me across the Rockies to Calgary on 28th May 2005 and back home again safely.

Thank you to the alert controller working a quiet evening shift who said 'stop' to the pilot who was starting a take-off on the wrong runway, as I taxied across at the other end.

Thank you DUIMEL & HARRIS for awarding me a pass.

Thank you fate and the mountains of British COlumbia for sparing me this far.

Thank you to everyone whom I have yet to meet or to work alongside at a time and place far away in our future.

Thank you.

[kookabat]

Great post.

Thank you, v6g.