Entries from June 2010 ↓

I’ve been working on a book about my newspaper career. A major portion of my time in the business — more than 50 years in total — has been spent in the world of aviation. As I ventured into different aspects of my life in aviation, I tried to recall what airplanes I had flown and when. That’s when I dug out my logbooks, going all the way back to my first lessons at a strip in Wink, Texas (look it up on a chart), where my initial flight instructor was Nancy Brumlow. Back then having a female instructor was really something different.

Going back through my logbooks was a wonderful trip back in time and helped me recall a host of wonderful memories…and a few that made me shudder again. Thank heavens, most of my flying experiences were dull and boring.

If you want to spend a few hours delving into nostalgia, get your logbooks and let yourself drift back in time. One word of caution, however: Don’t expect to spend just a few minutes perusing the records. My planned work session on the book quickly fell by the wayside as I read and recalled the planes, the instructors, the airports visited, and the weather experienced.

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===> Posted on June 30, 2010 by Dave Sclair. No comments. © GAN 2010

Books by pilots about their experiences vary dramatically from very good to, well, being polite, not as good!

When a friend brought me a book written by a friend of his about the friend’s efforts to buy a plane and fulfill a lifelong ambition to fly around the world, I kinda rolled my eyes. And, when I started reading and discovered the airplane he was buying was a Cessna 150 and the lifelong ambition was to fly around the world, well, I almost threw it away without opening the cover.

I decided to read the first paragraph or two and then the first chapter just because my friend had brought it to me. After getting that start I was glad I did because this was a fun-filled, humorous account of an episode that shouldn’t happen to anyone.

The book was very good!

“So you Think You’d Like to Buy an Airplane … and fly off to Adventure” is the rather lengthy title of the book by Gerald F. McMahon Jr., a native of Charleston, S.C. He’s a US Army vet active in real estate and with a business in Irish imports.

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===> Posted on June 30, 2010 by Dave Sclair. No comments. © GAN 2010

So far, The FIFA World Cup far been full of shocking upsets (as far as supporters of Germany and Italy are concerned) that have kept people glued to their TVs, filled arenas and kept pubs in business. Even with some straight-out disappointing performances, such as the expected massacre of the United States by England that ultimately never took place, the enthusiasm for football is just as vibrant as ever.  This rings particularly true in the Netherlands, where few, if any, sporting events drum up as much interest as large-scale football extravaganzas. With the Oranje meeting Brazil in the quarter-finals on Friday, millions of fans are hopeful that things will go a lot more smoothly than their 2006 game against Portugal (a match I found to be tremendously entertaining, if ridiculous).

However, there are people in the Netherlands who have their mind on different matters altogether. Far away from the aformentioned TV screens, final adjustments are being made to the most exciting powerboat race around: BladeRun 2010. Setting off in Rotterdam on July 14, just a few days after the World Cup finals, BladeRun has been described as the Gumball of the seas. The event attracts high net worth individuals who wish to combine their love for the sea with a formidable challenge.

So, what are we looking at? To some, it might seem to be an endurance race more than anything else!

On July 14, the participants are treated to some fine dining before a star-studded party kicks off in Rotterdam, where they’ll mingle and share a few drinks (what a way to start a race) before The Big Day. After a hopefully soothing night’s sleep, the actual race kicks off. The first destination is Antwerp, a goal reached through the many inland waterways the relatively small nation has to offer. Every step, or nautical mile, will be covered by the BladeRun chopper. Once in Antwerp, the racers are quickly taken care of and groomed for the real challenge of the day: another BladeRun party at the Noxx Sky Club.

If you make it out alive, the next day’s challenge is to reach the Belgian coastal city Ostend. Once there, be prepared for some more glamorous binging, as BladeRun is throwing another pulsating all-nighter at the Krush Club, headlined by Daniel Bovie & Roy Rox.

There’s no rest for the wicked. If you’ve kept your alcohol intake to a strategic level, the final July 17 stretch is from Ostend back to Rotterdam, where you’re promised a hero’s welcome (defibrillators included) as well as a final, 1,250 guest party at the Club Vie headlined by DJ Afrojack.

If you’re missing out on taking part of the actual race, there’s still tickets left for the different parties right here. Whether or not the Netherlands makes it out alive in the World Cup, and whether or not you’re a participant yourself, BladeRun is something to watch out for in two weeks and for years to come. We’ll be covering the event after it has taken place, so keep checking with us here at James Spotting.

For instant gratification, BladeRun tweets about the upcoming event right here.