TIM COUSINS - ENGLAND

Victoria and I now have two lovely children (Finley age 3 and Freya age 20 months).
I have just moved to Scotland to start and run a new executive VIP helicopter charter company - one 206L long ranger with floats and plans to start operating a twin within approx 12 ~ 18 months.
Left Beckers in approx. Aug 2001, worked with Shane Flak at Coleambally for approx. 2 months before heading home to UK.
Spent 4 years working at FAST Helicopters, Hampshire, UK as Operations Manager followed by Commercial Manager before moving to Scotland last month.
Currently approx. 250hrs but converted my licence to JAR CPL(H) with ATPL(H) theory (passed JAR CPL(H) in March 2006) and plan to start racking the hours up in the next year !
Have been in contact with / bumped into: Alan Bell; Rupert "Reg" Mellerup and another chap with a french sounding name who now works at Stirling Helicopters in Norwich, UK.
Best Experience: 2500' hover over Brands Hatch, Kent, UK with a microwave uplink on board for the on-bike cameras during the British round of the World Superbikes on a lovely sunny day - the "access all areas" pass to the Ducati Corse pit-lane garage was the icing on the cake - all my passions in a single weekend !
Worst experience: being a pax on an R44 in IMC 200' over a city bypass with the road only appearing momentarily before being hidden by cloud again, and high voltage power lines at the same altitude 100' off the port side. Having told the pilot that I was not comfortable with our situation, best CRM tactic was head in the map and glued to GPS giving constant position reports until clear of cloud. Once on ground (after kissing the earth) informed pilot that under no circumstances would he and I be in the same cockpit with him flying ever again.
Advice: Don't think any more about it - Nike !! "Just do it" ! It may be a long slow road but it sure is worth it ! Kicks the arse out of a career in IT !! Just watch out for German Film Crews convinced you want to be a mustering pilot !
Safe and happy flying to all at Beckers and best wishes to the "ground crew".
Miss the sun and the fun of the coast, but settled in a decent job at last.
Capt Capt Tim Cousins (2 x capt: CASA and JAA ! 8-} )