Lanterns and No Surprises in Korea

Kate-Lynn remembers one of my favourite songs - No Surprises - by Radiohead as she comes across a street busker in Seoul, South Korea on her visit there this weekend for the Lantern Festival before returning today to Busan. Here is the YouTube video clip of the song she recorded for me with her message. I love and miss you so much too my precious. xx Dad. And here is the original recording of the song by the artists that I enjoy so much. 

Visiting California

We are having an great adventure in the States where I have come to tick things off my bucket list - getting my American pilot's licence and flying a seaplane. It was also a chance to see where Llew's dad has settled in Cypress California with Karen, who have a beautiful home in Avenida Carmel, close to Long Beach and Los Angeles where we landed.

A South African welcome on our arrival and Karen and Llew's dad's house in Avenida Carmel, Cypress, near Long Beach, California

Here's a link to the Facebook video clip I took of the street showing the neat verges, proudly flying American flags and the lifestyle.

Karen, Dad, Llew on a sightseeing tour around Long Beach

The Queen Mary is docked in Long Beach harbour

Personalised Californian number plate

We visited The Airplane Factory USA meeting Matt and Ryan, incredible guys who have set up an assembly plant and MGL Avionics distributorship of these fine South African aviation products in the States

Matt took me up in his Eagle bi-plane, a 200hp aerobatic mean machine and we did some loops, rolls and hammerhead manouvres in the sky over Long Beach

Here's the link to a Facebook video clip I took of my flight in the bi-plane as we came up alongside The Airplane Factory USA's Sling then rolled around them in a scary manouvre. And here's the link to more photos in the set of my visit to their factory.

That's me enjoying my first ever airplane tail-dragger, bi-plane and aerobatic experience

Long Beach harbour through the wires of the bi-plane wings while I was strapped in tight with a parachute in the front seat.

Going for a cycle along the dykes of Long Beach

You've seen these canals/dykes in the movies

Mad Easter week

It's been a mad week over Easter with our Flight School opening and our first flights over the long weekend. My kids are scattered and each seemed to have had an amazing Easter period in their different parts of the world. Kate has just published her update to her blog on her adventures in Korea.. see the side blog to the right which links to hers, and Mark has been spending time with Lisa's family in Cape Town.

Work is also pressing as I am off to the States on Wednesday so only have one and a half days to tie things up there before I go to California for my seaplane rating. Woo Hoo!! Excitement.

Mark (right) with Lisa and her dad Dave and sister Shelley

Mark being the tour guide doing the Hout Bay thing

Kate with one of her 22 classes in Busan, Korea

The beautiful city of Busan, South Korea's "Cape Town"

Busan, second largest city in South Korea

Incredible pics from aviation photographer Brian Spurr who helped us get some great publicity for our opening weekend this Easter at Virginia Airport.. http://DurbanSkyye.co.za 

Our Skyye microlight over the Umhlanga beachfront and the Lighthouse

Durban's Moses Mabhida World Cup Football Stadium was the backdrop to this rad photo of our plane with Instructor Kyle taking Llewellyn's son Calvin for the ride of his life.

No Skyye fall...

With my new awning up at my office to shade my new "Skyye" car, I was worried that the Skyye might fall, hence the caution warning signs.. ha ha. No really, the shadeport juts out into our building driveway and we need to caution drivers to look out for the reduced height if they are in delivery vans and also mind my car as they come around the bend. My car registration promotes our new Flight School which opened at Virginia Airport last week - Durban Skyye Flight School.

Durban Sky

Waking up this morning at 5.50am presented a beautiful Durban sky with night lights which gradually changed as the sun peeped further up. Each few minutes presented a different vista. And now its time to get up and ready for work...

Our Durban Stadium at 5.50am

Durban sky at 6.05 am

The morning sun at 6.30am this morning

Microlight Flight with Durban Skyye Flight School

I launched our Durban Skyye Flight School this weekend having received our Civil Aviation Aviation Training Organisation approval certificate on Friday (CAA ATO 0253). Llewellyn and I were among the first to go up into the Durban Skyye in our microlight Aquilla trike ZU-CCL with the rushing wind in our faces and breathtaking close-up views of the beachfront as our Chief Flying Instructor Brad expertly guided the aircraft returning to Virginia Airport, our home base. Join our Facebook Group.

Llewellyn (rear) and Pilot-in-Command Brad, our Chief Flying Instructor 

Durban Skyye appears prominently on our microlight wings

A spectacular view of Durban Stadium from the plane

The Umhlanga Lighthouse from ZU-CCL

Kate in Korea

Lovely photo of my beautiful daughter Kate-Lynn in Busan, Korea.

Cherry Festival

I am loving the pics of Kate coming out of Busan, Korea, where they are enjoying the cherry blossom festival.  I have uploaded a short video clip to YouTube and you will see the falling blossoms look like snow falling. In other places there is a thick carpet of blossoms on the floor as they only last for a week and are gone again till next spring.

More photos are on Kate's Facebook album here.

Kate trying her pancake flipping skills on a Korean omelette?

In the swim

Nice pics of my son Mark and Lisa, as well as Kate and their friends in the pool.

Korean delights

The food in Korea looks pretty amazing with a variety that bedazzles... although Kate says she often has no idea what she is eating..

Kate's school canteen lunch, eaten with chopsticks and spoon

Cherry blossoms in Korea

Just an update on my daughter Kate-Lynn's adventure in Busan, South Korea... apparently the cherry blossoms only appear for a week and she made a mission to capture some of the incredible sights..

Kate (right) and colleague teacher at Dalmagi Hill

Reaching for the Skyye

I took delivery of my new car on the 5th March - a Volvo V40 cross-country and have just received my personalised registration SKYYE - ZN, in keeping with our new Durban Skyye Flight School office we are opening at Virginia Airport.

My new Volvo outside Virginia Airport

Our Durban Skyye Flight School Kiosk in the main Concourse at Virginia Airport