After the last few long days, a lie in was great! I automatically woke at 06:00 but quickly rolled over and was asleep again. The lovely thing about being in the Barracks block is that the heliport is right outside, so at around 07:00 on the dot each morning everyone is jolted awake by the sound of the turbine engines. I persisted until around 09:30.

Missing breakfast isn't as bad as it sounds. As I went outside I found Neale, and a really hot day. Weather seemed absolutely perfect this morning, shame I wasn't flying like he was! Anyway we toddled off to the canteen with Paul and had a few munchies. We noticed a gorgeous Yak aerobatic aircraft outside near the fuelling point, managed to snap it with camera phone. The Yak was soon off and airborne.

After watching the day go by, lunch rolled around. After lunch Neale got his laptop and test CD in the bar and we all practiced tests on PoF. I managed to ring home too, after some difficulty. Simple things like speaking to relatives not only break the day up but also help morale.

I heard an engine tone/noise different from the familiar aircraft coming from the flight line, and asked the guys what it was. Apparently a DC-3 had landed on base. Soon enough, the beast was thundering down the runway. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera, but I did manage to grab Steve's shots, edit and upload them.

After watching the distinctive shape climb into the air, it then banked left and came back down a perpendicular runway. The pilot then swooped the aircraft very low over the base and sped right past the bar, before pulling up into a turning climb out of visibility.

It's worth noting that this legendary aircraft; still cost-effective and profitable, still in use by several air forces, airlines and air carriers worldwide, is due to be banned from flying passengers in the EU, because of stupidly uneconomical upgrades like safety slides, a lockable cockpit and a Wx RADAR. Aviation always suffers when idiots get involved.
After dinner we had planned to use the laptop again and practice tests, but Neale was rightfully more concerned with revising for his PoF exam tomorrow. Instead me, Paul and Ben played some cards over a few beers before hitting the hay.