Time out for two... Hub Hub Hub in California

08/01/22, Airport San Jose. 71 days in California. The excitement is rising... The flight school was already expecting me!

During the first 25 days, I stayed in the small town of Morgan Hill. I moved into an incredibly large and beautiful house through Airbnb, which is located in the midst of the mountainous landscape. The host, named Norm, was extremely friendly and helpful. Whenever I needed anything, Norm took care of it immediately. The furnishings were super clean, glamorous-chic, and left nothing to be desired. Most of the time, I was alone in the house and could freely unfold myself. I spent every morning on the huge terrace. On the sun lounger, you could relax perfectly and enjoy the peace and the view of the mountains. The house was surrounded by nature and deer, gray foxes, and squirrels would occasionally drop by. I really felt comfortable, even though it was sometimes very lonely without Nico...

After I had the interview with the aviation authority and received the recognition of my license, the flight school could finally start. I drove 40 minutes to Watsonville Airport with my rental car. There is the specialized aviation flight school. Through another pilot from Germany, I learned about the flight school. I am very grateful for this recommendation: Because Paul, you are the best! Paul was my flight instructor in Watsonville. He is originally from Berlin and has been working at the California flight school for almost 1 year. Thanks to Paul, I learned a lot, greatly improved my skills, and was well prepared for the upcoming exams that await me. Paul took care of everything to make sure I was well taken care of and prepared. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

On my first day at the flight school, I sat in a Robinson 22 for the first time and it felt like many things were new or let's say, different. In Germany, I flew the larger helicopter, a Robinson 44. As Paul put it aptly: The R-22 is like a car without power steering. That means there is no hydraulic system like in the R-44, so you could feel all the feedback forces from the main rotor and the controls are heavier. My right shoulder had to get used to the counter-pressure of the little Robbie first😊
But the first flight over Santa Cruz and the Pacific coast was amazing! And the mountains on the other side... It's a thousand times more beautiful to fly here than over the flatlands of Brandenburg.

At the end of August, I moved to Paul's place. He lives together with Mike (also a pilot) in a small, cute house just 10 bike minutes away from the flight school. Mike is the owner of the house and offered me a room for the rest of the time. I was also very grateful for this because I paid much less for accommodation, was just around the corner from the flight school, and I could even use one of Mike's two cars for free when they were available. I was also given a bicycle for my stay. Pretty cool! The first 1.5 months in the USA swallowed up a lot of money. The cost of living in California and Washington is just damn high! I have to admit, I missed the great terrace, the view, and the peace and quiet in Morgan Hill, but it would have been too expensive to continue living there. The new, predominantly Mexican neighborhood was very special and not particularly trust-inspiring, but as long as cars weren't being shot at here (that apparently happens here from time to time), it was quite nice to live here :-D I just had to get used to being woken up every early morning by revving engines and car alarms...

The 71 days suddenly passed in a flash. Literally :-D
I had an incredibly great time! I experienced soooo many beautiful things, met great people, and made friendships that I will never forget this time. The helicopter hours were amazing! Even though they were associated with stress and studying, I wouldn't want to miss these days! Flying around with Paul... California offers so much in terms of landscapes, mountains, big cities, and coastal vibes! In addition, we flew all the way to Portland in Oregon and spent 4 days there. The trip was awesome! My left leg and left cheek hurt so much after the long flight time because I had to get used to the permanent flying position, but the trip offered really beautiful experiences :-D

Since you are not allowed to make off-airport landings in California (all the land is private property) and you can land everywhere in Oregon, we took advantage of this and landed the heli multiple times in the mountains and by rivers. It was simply brilliant and my dronie naturally came into use 😉

One thing I will never forget is the helicopter flight with the San Jose Police! Thanks to a really good connection, I was allowed to fly along in the evening and witness some pursuit flights after a few robberies. Sightseeing of San Jose at night was also included and the most awesome thing was the question from the pilots: if I am capable of taking over the controls...! Seriously?! We headed back to San Jose International Airport and then I was allowed to move forward to the pilot's seat. How cool is that?!!! The helicopter was an Eurocopter A-Star. Simply much bigger than the Robbies and damn more powerful! When we were in the air, I had complete control of the helicopter and flew a circuit at the international airport. Wow, I was excited and happy at the same time! Unfortunately, the circuit was over quickly and we returned for the landing approach. At the hangar, I even had the opportunity to hover the heli, of course with the support of the pilot. The handling is completely unfamiliar and incomparable, but I will never get rid of the incredible feeling of having flown a large turbine helicopter!!! 😊

I thoroughly enjoyed my time off! I feel alive and free! Not only flying gives me a feeling of freedom. I love, live, and fulfill my dreams!

I didn't just spend my time in California in the helicopter, but also treated myself to a lot of fun on the ground and in the water. From whale watching to surfing in Santa Cruz with dolphin, seal, and otter encounters, to great climbing, bouldering, and hiking trips, I took away a lot and captured some great pictures.

I would say, pictures speak louder than a thousand words...

But a few words about my trips to Pinnacle National Park, Yosemite National Park, and San Francisco must not be missing. More about that in the next reports...