Back in the Falklands after 19 years. We arrived on Thursday after an uneventful 18-hour flight.
Our three helicopters were waiting for us after their slightly longer voyage in the hold of a supply ship.
Their journey was not uneventful and our 2 helicopter engineers have been working miracles to rectify some unscheduled problems caused by the salt of the sea and the heat of the sun.
19 years ago I was flying Sea King and Chinook helicopters over the wilds of these South Atlantic Islands. Now I'm buzzing around the same countryside in a 40 year old ex air ambulance.
We just need to get the other two choppers up and running and flown onto the research vessel 'Ernest Shackleton' and we will be on our way to South Georgia.
The 60 mph winds forecast for tomorrow (Mon 4th Feb) may curtail our preparations a bit!
On Friday I celebrated my 61st birthday (sadly 8000 miles from my family) and about to spend 4 months in a camp on the remote and beautiful island of South Georgia.
Considering 40% of the human race never reach one year old, at 61 I feel very privileged to be alive.
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