This video I found on YouTube is obviously not quite as great as Simone Aaberg Kærn's "Smiling in a War Zone - and the Art of Flying to Kabul" (2005), aired on SvT this week. A must see! Until you get hold of it, a small teaser of the landscape...

1kW at ENTO

Jostein (5) in LN-NAG on our way to ENTO and a NOK1000 waffle (1kW) at the flying club.

And the winner is OCAS!

The life saving innovation by OCAS is the winner of "Årets ingeniørbragd 2006", Teknisk Ukeblad announced today.

Vote for OCAS today!

Obstacle Collision Avoidance System (OCAS) scans the area surrounding an obstacle. If a target is detected, the system immediately tracks the aircraft, calculates its speed, heading and altitude. If a collision hazard exists, the pilot is warned by either flashing lights and/or aural warning transmitted over the VHF band.

This innovation by a Norwegian company is nominated for "Årets ingeniørbragd 2006". Cast your vote before December 1st!

Removing Ice Before Take-Off

My students in Multi Media Production at the Oslo University College had to work for their flights as the aircraft accumulated ice after only a few hours outside. High humidity and temperature close to dew point did also result in rapid changes of fog formations over Oslo. We stayed close to the field...

Over flying the new Opera House

Flying with Anette and Vidar from Kjeller for sight seeing in Tønsberg, we passed the construction of the 1100 rooms new Opera House, which is the largest cultural building to be raised in Norway since Nidarosdomen. The base area of the Opera House is the same as the total area covered by four international standard football fields. I did over fly the Sydney Opera House in 2000, but the proposed restriction area over Oslo might make an over flying less accessible at the time of the inaugural performance in 2008.

Leaving New York, never easy

Just spent a few days in New York with the New Media Network, but did not find time for a flight over Manhattan this time. FAA has issued a flight restriction prohibiting fixed wing land aircraft from flying in the narrow VFR corridor above the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn after the Lidle accident, but the Hudson River corridor is still open.

Leaving New York never easy, I saw the light fading out (onboard KL0644, departing JFK at 10:05 pm Firday).

The Slow Season

The METAR gets longer, the days shorter, and VFR weather more rear. It's that season again. My total flying time the last 30 days are 0:40 (a trip with professor Høyer over Oslo).

Flying Nostalgia

Finally I made it to the world's most visited museum: National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. Among the original treasures are Wright 1903 Flyer, Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis", Hughes H-1 Racer, SpaceShipOne, and a Cessna 150...

A late night visit to the new DC Fly Lounge, 1802 Jefferson Place NW, made an appropriate finale. As glamorous as airliners used to be.

Action at the Air Ambulance

Kristian and Jostein at The Norwegian Air Ambulance base in Lørenskog, relaxing with a Biola after having witnessed one of the two helicopters on the base landing, shortly followed by a take-off of the other. A perfect finale after Open Day on the fire station across the street.

The financial contributions of more than 800,000 members of the Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation (almost 20 per cent of Norway's population) help to enhance emergency response by Norway's air and ground ambulances, provide multidisciplinary emergency medical training, support research and fund courses for the public.

All I want for X-mas is a GPSMAP 496

In Garmin's own words: "This “know-it-all” mini-MFD puts more power and information at your fingertips than any other portable handheld in the history of aviation... The 496 combines satellite datalink weather with a detailed color map and terrain alerting, then takes it up a notch with even more high-end software and features. The 496 is a “must have” for any pilot. "

I have not upgraded since the now discontinued GPS III Pilot. The Atlantic version of 496 is available in October. And I am sending a note to Santa...

Extreme weather in all channels

As I just purchased a very simple weather forecaster from Oregon Scientific, I noted that next week NRK (the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) will launch the Extreme Weather Week in all their channels: more than 60 TV shows, a web site, radio programs and a dedicated DAB channel! And every Norwegian child is invited to measure precipitation in special decorated milk-cartons. I'll sit in the kitchen, watching my own weather station.

MAF Fly-in at Starmoen

BKN in 1900 made it a challenge to fly NAG from Kjeller to Starmoen. I had to follow the river due to high terrain.

It is always very inspiring to see how Mission Aviation Fellowship organize their great work of bringing help and hope to the most needy people. New airplanes are needed. See how you can contribute at maf.no

Classic SAS at CPH

Top: SAS with classic decor, captured at CHP this morning.
Right: Promotion picture of a contemporary SAS Braathens plane. There is something about classics...

Free and friendly 35 min from Kjeller

Tore unpacking SE-FFZ from Arvika Flygklubb at ESKV after a trip to Finland, and transferring to LN-DAX. Westlanda Airport is a great foreign destination for pilots at Kjeller, only 35 minutes flying time and no landing fee.

Waffle and plane fun

I did my chores as weekend host at Oslo flyveklubb on ENKJ today, making waffles to the pilots and passengers flying this beautiful Saturday. And a short trip with LN-NAG between two bookings made a perfect break.

Just missed a great film

Simone Aaberg Kærn's "Smiling in a War Zone - and the Art of Flying to Kabul" (2005) aired on NRK this week, but my media center failed to save me a copy. I am sad and frustrated to have missed this great award winning film by a brave flying Danish artist. Does anyone know if the film is possible to buy on DVD? I am happy to fly to Denmark (but perhaps not to Afghanistan) in my Piper to get a copy!

I am the proud owner of a MM-card!

Tuesday I was the very first pilot to get my AOPA-N MM-card, being able to exercise the rights of airside access given by my pilot's licence with a piece of plastic and a pin code. I found my self wearing it a long time after I parked LN-AGM and had left ENGM...

Norway's youngest pilot got his licence in LN-NAG

Henrik Auråen (17) got national press coverage (Dagbladet, Dagsrevyen, Romerikes Blad) when he got his pilot's licence on his 17th birthday in LN-NAG. On behalf of the owners of the aircraft: Congratulations! Next year he might also legally drive a car...

40 times four

Anette and Anita (co-pilot) posing on the right wing of LN-NAG on their way to Anita's 40th birthday celebration Saturday. Her spouse Knut also joined the flight.

The night before I met my school buddies from Volda, Fred (co-pilot) and Eiliv, at Pål's 40th birthday celebration. We decided to go sight seeing by air.

Myself, I still have close to 40 days to go before I leave the 30's.