The 4th of July is the big date. Thats when I finally travel half way around the globe to NAIA(North American Institute of Aviation) to go through what I've been dreaming about for the last 10 years... to become a pilot! The education is originally through NEAR (North European Aviation Rescources) in Aalesund, Norway. The first thing they do is to send me 2 years to the United States. Here I'll go through the European curriculum simultaneous with the American. This way I'll end up with European certificates when I get back to Norway and complete the last exams. I'm expecting to spend alot of time reading the next few years!! During the first 6-9 months at NAIA I'll learn how to fly as well as become a certified flight instructor. After this I'll work in the States for the remaining period of my 2-year visa as an instructor. Then all I have to do is to go back home, complete the last exams, before I become the vicitim of a tough and hard workmarket.

The ones that know me know that I've been talking about this for a few years now. Alot of people might think I've dedicated too much of my life to planning and preparing for flightschool. Some will claim I've been a bit too careful with my money, others will just call me cheao, while I like to call it economically concious. Cause as most of you know this thing will cost me more than a Snickers at Wal-mart, and the way the market is today, it is way too risky to start this education with borrowed money. It isn't possible to get a scholarship from the government, and they're even too cheap to give me a small loan, so this thing will be self-financed (with some help).

The last two years I've been in the Royal Norwegian Air Force. First at recruitschool at Værnes, then at a short version of officers school (or whatever you'd like to call it) before I ended up at Gardermoen. I was first stationed at the 335 sqd
(C-130 Hercules) in the administration. Incredible interesting to work at a squadron, even though the job was boring as hell. After the compulsary year I chose to apply for another year in order to save up as much money as possible. I saw the possibility of cheap food/room, good salary and an extra job at the civil side of the airport and figured out that this had to be the best way to achieve my goal. I got a job in NDLO/Movement (Norwegian Defence Logistics Organisation) at the terminal. Here I've had a fantastic year as a sergeant doing a 1st lieutenants job and a 1st lieutenants salary, and I've been able to save up more money than expected. At Gardermoen is also where I met Kapur (mechanic on the C-130) who is coming to the US with me to start at NAIA. Together we've looked up information, planned and cooridnated, and I don't doubt we'll be a great team in the US.

The last year has included alot of planning and preparing. I've been out a couple of times flying with Jon-Arne Lillerud, a formed student at NAIA. I've also borrowed some of the many books and tried to get some sort of overview of what the curriculum really is about. Other than that I've been in contact with Morten Husby (www.home.no/mortenhusby) and Christan Langvatn (www.oppvask.com), who both have been at NAIA 2002/03. They have been most helpful in my indefinite search for information.

This is the first plane I've flown with my hands on the yoke (with Jon-Arne safely placed next to me). The plane is a Piper 28 (LN-PAL). It was unfortunately totally destroyed when the hangar at OFK collapsed winter 02.

My first flight went from Kjeller (ENKJ) to Asker where I took a couple of rounds around my house before I headed towards Oslo where I took a couple of rounds as well. The picture is shot over Oslo in direction of Asker where I live.