Kate

Arriving at the Hanger, I am met by Kate and her Boy Friend, Kate is a Enthusiastic and rather engaging Vulcanologist researching at Oxford University, her 3rd Uni! Katie is looking to fly the South Coast, before her Army boy friend takes her to the mess BBQ and Social later in the day. We fly the South Coast for 25 minutes, Kate is enthusiastic and excited, "I can see why you do this its fantastic I love it" As we slide along side Cliff at 2000ft and break for a descending circle left there are whoops and joy from the back seat.

So we chat about the weekend ahead and Kate asks me the question all people ask when you fly them in a microlight "how long have you been doing this?" its a question that always amuses me, its a question I would have asked 2000feet ago while my feet were glued by gravity to the tarmac, nearly all passengers asks the question when there buts are planted in the plastic at half a mile up....what if the answer was........

We chat on and about Volcanic Ash and I tell Kate that last time we flew in the ash cloud we could see the red haze in then inversion at 3500 ft and that the Microlight was covered in a light pepper of dust when  we returned, and Kate tells me why this ask is bad stuff...

Kate tells me that under a microscope the dust particles are razor sharp particles and will wreck your lungs, as well as a Rolls Royce aircraft Engine....Woo ha! Is that's why I have been spitting blood particles for 3 weeks....how lung have I been doing this?