please empty your brain below

Right, who had "Helicopter flight", when you asked for suggestions a few weeks back! Do they win a prize?

awesome stuff....
And i so knew you were going to post at 00:50 - no really, i did! :p
"barely half an hour" vs. "Flight time: 45 minutes" promised on the tour website?
being a pilot, i suggested it!

it's a great way to see london.
Fantastic!

But did the pilot know that he was carrying a gem?
What a great day - even if postponed!
I've been in a helicopter several times for the flights to Lundy and Scilly (the latter now no longer possible), but hanging low over London must be fascinating.

The incident at Vauxhall was actually two years ago - I was passing through on a train when it happened.
Glad you enjoyed it! Looks like you were very lucky with the weather the second time around.
Amazing! You'll remember it for a long time to come.
Not entirely unrelated, you might like a podcast I was listening to the other day, a talk at the LSE last year by someone from the Crown Estate, focussing on Stratford and Regent Street. http://www.lse.ac.uk/publicEvents/events/2014/03/20140311t1830vHKT.aspx

They also have a lot on the impact of the Olympics on their blogs.

There is lots of interesting content available online from the likes of the LSE and Gresham College.
Happy Birthday for two days ago DG!
I found the Olympic site photos most interesting so your extra expense was well worth it.
I've done choppers several times - at least yours was clean and your photos therefore quite good.
Excellent photos, a grand way to spend your birthday.
"Ascot Racecourse" surely you mean Epsom Downs.

dg writes: I surely meant Epsom Downs, sorry.
"good grief I'm in a bubble in the sky being held up only by a rotating blade"

Errr, no, DG. Helicopters work by scaring the ground so much it, largely, stays away from them. Or so says my husband, who knows a bit about such things!
Wow indeed! Memories you'll treasure.
Thanks for taking us along with you.
Great to see you had a fantastic day.
I had to pick up a friend at Gatwick airport last year and was early enough to stop by at Redhill Aerodrome, en route. Although much of it is out of bounds to the public it's an interesting place. (Mind you, it's a fair old trek from the A23 if you're on foot!)
BTW, apparently there's another reason to be looking to the skies over the Thames around midday on Friday, when there will be a flypast of eight planes over St Paul's to mark 6 months since the withdrawal of the military from Camp Bastion.
I would imagine that you're mightily pleased with your recent choice of replacement camera. The photos look superb, particularly when I suspect they were taken using a simple automatic "point and shoot" setting and with the camera lens trying to maintain focus through the helicopter Perspex canopy.

You have great nerve allowing yourself to be lifted up into the air by a two-bladed lift device. I've been in many helicopter rides but I always seem to find comfort in the fact that they have more than "two" blades although I suspect they are no safer.

There's no doubt you had a great day - although I do hope one day we have a DG post on riding (or attempting!) to ride a Segway!
Poor obscured Gherkin...
Happy birthday!
Great pics, DG
Wow,DG. Wot a birthday! Missed you as you flew around Canary Wharf as I was visiting the Docklands Museum and then visited the pub next door. Had I known I would have raised my glass to you,as I do now! A belated Happy DG Birthday. 👍👍
I'm glad you had a great day; making me jealous so I must drop a big hint in the appropriate direction! (I see Mike's beaten me with a point of order - Epsom not Ascot.)
Not a balloon or a plane then!
(See my comment on Monday's post).

Really pleased you had a great birthday treat (even if not actually on your special day).

Superb photos - did you ask them to specially polish the "glass" for you?!
Mine cost around £120 for a 45 min for personal flight around LA. It was a very small chopper but gave a great view. Ironically we flew over the Mansion of Tori Spelling's father who banned tour buses from his street. Another highlight from flying quite literally between 2 sky scrapers.

Looks like you had a great trip and The Thames is a great place to fly down.










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