One of the big plusses of the Motorfalke is the side-by-side seating, which makes sharing flights that much more rewarding. I always enjoy watching the grins on my passengers' faces.
Micky and Nina before their flights
Roberto, my Spanish paragliding compañero
My nieces Julia and Franciska
Nick on a visit from London
My big brother Erik playing the fool
My son Dylan
Jakkie, my oldest friend and by nature a reluctant aviator, surprised me by asking for a flip. Despite his expression, he assures me he enjoyed the experience.
Jakkie's kids: Nina the budding photographer...
... and Micky. Always happy!
My "almost-a-teenager" niece Gali and I went for a quick sunset flight. Afterwards, she told her mum she had decided to become a pilot! It was not to be. RIP.
My sister Ursula looking glamorous while on a rare visit between her yachting gigs. It was to be the last time I saw her.
She and her daughter died in a car accident a year later. RIP.
In early January 2013, my old and dear friends the Van Wyk family came for a brief visit. We managed to catch a beautiful winter evening and I took all 4 of them flying:
Guille is the son of some friends of mine. This flight was his 6th birthday present.
The view from above
A quick winter sunset flip with my neighbour and good friend Pedro, on a brief home visit from his Norway job:
This little charmer is my son Nicolas, currently aged 3. He had been expressing a keen interest on flying in Daddy's plane, but I had been putting him off - until the day a few months ago when we went out to the airfield on a day trip with friends and I took their (older) kids for flights. That was it - Nicolas, age 2½, was having no more delays. It was either fly right here, right now, or completely dissolve in a puddle of angry tears on the hangar floor. So I relented, strapped him in on top of some extra cushions and flew a quick circuit, nervously observing his reactions. I needn't have worried. Halfway through the downwind leg he stuck his hand out the little sliding window, felt the air for a while, and then calmly turned to me and said: "It's cold outside, hey Daddy?" Since then we have been on several little flights. This last time the blue balloon absolutely had to come along for the ride...
And finally, my ever gorgeous co-pilot Gail.
