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www.unclejamesnixon.com	Kate's Birthday Pics Double-Click each picture to see them full size.
NOTE WELL These images have been made on a 2megPixel Point and Shoot camera, the ones taken from aeroplanes have also been taken through three inch thick, dirty glass. They have not been chosen for their technical merit, rather to add colour to the story that you recently received. SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THEM
	ALBANIA: You pass Albania most days on the way back from the Greek Islands. It has some of the most spectacular rally roads in the world. With SERIOUS cliffs (on the navigator’s side). Bushfire smoke is the same all over the world.

	EI-DBD. Taken by an aviation photographer from a house, on approach to Skiathos. She was born in France in February, flew for the first time in March, was sold to the Irish, works under a Maltese Licence for the Italians and is flown by Australians, some Danes and an Irishman. Her name is Paris. As well as doing two trips from the UK to and from Europe each day, she works hard on weekends, starting on Friday at 0915 and finishing at 0100 on Mondays with only one hour between flights. She’s the most reliable girlfriend you could wish for.

	Skiathos. That photographer lives in one of these houses… This place has an uphill runway that is only 30 metres wide and very short. With a full aircraft, you can only take enough fuel to get you to another airport about 70 kms away. There you can put on enough fuel to get back England. Only Captains are allowed to land here. Taking-off is great fun, you have to stand on the brakes and apply full power. She takes off like the Space Shuttle … straight up! (Or that’s what it feels like!)

	Bristol Airport, looking south. The city is underneath us. On the right is the forest down the face of the huge hill. Landing in from the right hand side (on Runway 09) you land downhill. Terrain considerations? There’s only one hill in Bristol ... and it has a runway on it! (Thanks to Captain Phil for the great line..)

	L O N D O N Looking Up The Thames towards the sea in the east. Bottom left are the Bridges, in the middle, The Millenium Dome, London City Airport above it, to its right the six silver flood gates.

	‘Paris’s Nose’ has Azzurra’s Logo on it. Beyond that, 22,000 feet below, is HEATHROW AIRPORT (LHR). It’s so busy that we never even think of using it in an emergency. We are right on top of Windsor Castle, the runway on the left, 09L eft, then a connecting runway at the top, used as a taxiway mostly, and to its right 09 Right. It’s the takeoff runway. Named Zero Nine because when you are just about to launch, your compass should be reading Zero Nine Zero. At the far end of 09 Right – to the right is Terminal Four, used by Qantas and BA, and Air Malta. I have used it twice, parking on Stand Two, normally used by Concorde. Pilots think it is the most exciting airport in the world besides JFK, in New York,USA.

	THE REASON PILOTS keep Piloting is because no photograph can ever match the reality of the view. We’re above Switzerland. Imagine living on the side of this lake and looking at these mountains all day. They are covered by snow most of the year.

	The Airport called Kerkira, on Corfu. The second smallest runway we go to. When you take off into the South, the traffic Police have to stop the traffic because the aircraft wing goes over the road as we line up, and using full power for takeoff, we’d blow any cars over! Get this approach wrong and the Albanian Fighter jets ‘escort you’ out of their airspace, about ten kms away.

	There’s about 35 Balloons in this photo. Looking into the west (setting sun) from my balcony at the Balloon Festa’s Massed Balloons in flight. Unfortunately, the breeze was in the wrong direction and they didn’t come right over the city as planned. In fact, the following day they had to cancel because the first test flight took them right over the airport. One year conditions will be perfect.

	The Balloon Glow. Who would think you could attract over 100,000 people to jam into a tiny park on one of the hottest nights of the year to watch a group of blokes set fire to some gas? Well, it’s one of the most stunning things you’ll ever see. About twenty hot air balloons and another ten baskets and burners without the balloons attached. The music starts up and they ‘play’ their burners in time to the music. If you ever get a chance... don’t miss it! It finishes with a huge fireworks display.

	ALAN (seated) plans his mission whilst waiting for the passengers to get off an inbound plane. SCOTT (standing) is a Bristol boy, lives with his Mum and Dad, EMMA (behind Allan) wears red shoes whenever she can, so I knick named her Dorothy (there’s NO PLACE like home). SONJA ( right), is Spanish and loves bull fights: ”You should see the Matadors!” Later that night we were raided.

	My great great Uncle’s great Grandfather used to make much more money from smuggling than fishing, all along the Cornwall coast including places like this: *Polperro*. Until the great Excise raid of 1785…

	YOU PAY TO GET IN to Cardiff castle, although all around the boundary fences there are animals from all over the world trying to get out. Their eyes are ‘real glass’ and reflect the light from passing cars at night. Scary!
		Peacocks stride around the grounds of Cardiff Castle, which is more like a Palace and is actually behind the photographer. It’s exciting to walk down the same spiral staircase used by Richard the Third – and everyone else… The Keep with it’s surrounding moat is much more spectacular. One man spent 27 years in here, watching his relations spending his inheritance.






	Bristol. The yellow road is Park Street, the Triangle and Whiteladies Road (where The BBC Natural History Unit makes all those David Attenborough documentaries). The Blue Building is the Cathedral, whose Bells wake me on Sunday mornings. The Red circle is my place!

	Brad and I spend hours on the internet tele-conferencing. We both have the technology but neither of our families can get with it. So we chat, him in Glasgow and me in Bristol. He sprung me in Corfu one night, burst-in as we were just about to start up, and demanded a photo! Aussie Pilots at Airports are like dogs in the park. ‘Cept we don’t sniff…

	I THINK the reason we are sent over The Matterhorn (4478m) everyday is that we can hear if any emergency beacons have been set off by climbers. Otherwise, you’d send the planes either side so the passengers could get a look. This way it’s a treat for Pilots only. There is an industry in climbing it. You need a guide, and some days have to ‘take a number’. Bookings and information: Mountainguide office in Zermatt, tel: +28 67 34 56

	What is with Greek Airports and Churches? Most seem to have one within a few metres of the runway, maybe it saves having to listen to boring sermons. This one at Cos has a red clearance light on top of the cross! And they are always surrounded by razorwire. To keep us out, or keep them in?

	A Dissipating Italian Thunderstorm Cloud dwarfs the highest mountain in the European Alps, Mont Blanc. The French claim it, calling it "La Dame Blanche", (The White Lady). Its summit lies at 4807 metres (or about 15800 feet) above sea level. You can’t see any borders from the air, so it’s hard to understand why there are wars. One side of Mont Blanc is French, another side Italian … and another Swiss. The Italians have a Gondola up one side, the French, naturally, have a restaurant on the other, called 3942 (its altitude in metres). Huge Glaciers are working their way down the valleys and have been melting at an alarming rate over this hot summer. But this incredible mountain range wasn’t carved-out by Glaciers in the ice ages. It was instead created by two huge continents squeezing together. One day: nothing ... next day: “Whoa! THAT wasn’t here yesterday! Get your Skis on!” Five minutes later we go over The Matterhorn and just as we’re taking photos, the Swiss Controllers ask us to call the Italian Controllers at Pardua. They always sound so happy to hear us: *“Bongiorno Azzurra!”*