Bored_Z

Yesterday was 31st of August. Merdeka Day for Malaysia. Independence was achieved. Here in Jandakot, a lot of the Malaysian cadets managed to clear their solo on that day or the day after. I can tell you, passing sortie 109 is a great relief for everyone here. You can see the change in the faces of those who have cleared, brightening up, a wide smile etched on to their faces. While those who have yet to clear seem gloomier as more and more of their colleagues are sent up alone.

My roommate just cleared his today and another good friend cleared it on the same day. He was at his final hour (we are given a certain number of hours to clear solo or we'll be sent packing home) due more to bad luck than skill. I see the relief washing over him. So far, my course is the only course where no one has been sent packing home. I hope we'll all be able to sit behind the control column of a commercial jet one day.

Yesterday, I was given my crosswind rating.It will determine in what kind of conditions I can fly. "So what kind of rating do you think you deserve?" "Well I believe I can land at 12 but to be on the safe side, let me start with 10 and you can award me 12 when you feel I really deserve it." He agreed and gave me 10, maximum a cadet can achieve is 12 knots.

I also flew during the evening sunset. There's a calm peacefulness when you're flying alone and the sky is an orange hue with streaks of light shining through breaks in the clouds. I can't really describe the beauty of it. Sunset on the ground is different than sunset while flying. At that moment I had the same feeling I felt when I went sky diving ages ago during a cold autumn sunset. A calmness, and an awe of the beauty that nature can present. I wish I could've taken a photo of it.