[disclaimer: what you are about to read is offensive. it is one pilot's personal account of life in and above some of the craziest places in the world.

long ago i derailed myself from the respectable airline track that most pilots aspire to. instead i chose adventure: different airplanes, jobs, and countries. i wanted to serve some of the poorest downtrodden souls on the forgotten corners of a planet. you will read about refugees who have nothing and live in war zones; victims of rape and senseless rebel violence. people who are basically being kept alive and dependent by western 'aid' while we extract their countries' resources.

i understand that it all may be a tad uncomfortable. hell, i hope it twists your entrails. that's the whole point of writing it down and releasing it into the wild. awareness, the seed of potential change.

a note on literary style: many ex-patriates and aid workers acquire an extra-dry sarcastic sexually-twisted gallows-type humor in the field. it is one of the things that helps you get through the day and cope with the madness of the job. an evolutionary adaptation, if you will. and i will.

i hope you can differentiate the serious from the tongue-in-cheek ironic. i want you to be offended by what is happening in the world, rather than how i paint it.

and if all of that makes you queasy, you are probably not tall enough for this ride.

thanks for reading! -p]

Friday, May 30, 2008

splash

a few people have been emailing asking for some info about how to send stuff for splash or write letters to splash or buy splash posters or call to find out how splash is doing.

our company sends us a big box every month on DHL that actually will get here. they will include anything you have if you send it c/o:

Air Serv International
410 Rosedale Court
Suite 190
Warrenton, VA 20186

if you include a self addressed stamped shoebox with holes poked in it, i can send the little rockstar herself back to you express.

for all you drunk dialers, dial away, i am 6 hours ahead of eastern time, so you probably won't wake me up:
00 243 816 732 509

i have no idea what it costs to call congo. for the cheapskates (my aviator friends) you can catch me on skype as brasilia120.

sometimes hotmail doesn't like to work here too good. if you don't hear from me for awhile, you can always try this one too: brasiliaskipper@gmail.com

i am taking advantage of the internet working relatively good today to throw up some pics for your viewing pleasure:

this is me and Cosmo on our last leg of a 7 hour flight.



this is us flying IFR (i follow rivers)



this is the spectacular lake that my house is on



here's cos on base laughing at a joke with our town volcano mount nyiragongo behind him



ok, that's enough for now. i'm going outside to play.
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Patrick!
Love the blog:) I'm not sure if Kellie has actually left yet, but I already miss her.
Hope you're doing well!

Hilary

May 30, 2008 at 9:59 PM
Anonymous said...

Jambo Brodo,

hey yo, email me back when you get a chance. August is busy safari time in TZ. I miss you and things are crazy here. Get your ass to my blog www.kellieafrica.blogspot.com

kel

June 4, 2008 at 4:30 PM

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