Talk with Fred North

00:00:00: Welcome to Pilots Cross Talk.

00:00:13: Hi guys, very warm welcome to our very new podcast Pilots Cross Talk.

00:00:18: We have an excellent guest with us. It's Fred Norris. Hello Fred.

00:00:22: Hi, Dean. How are you? Thank you.

00:00:24: And Andreas, of course, with us too. Hi Andreas.

00:00:26: Hello, Tim. Hello Fred. Hi.

00:00:28: Hi everybody. So I think the audience is very freaked out about that our new podcast will start with you because we both obviously fans of what you are doing.

00:00:41: Thank you. So I read a little bit about you. You were born in Tunisia and you came to flying to a camera pilot flying in 1985 and you have about 20,000 hours at all.

00:00:56: Yes, something like that. 23,000. Yeah, same. 15,000 hours of motion picture flying. Yeah.

00:01:02: And I thought, okay, that's a lot. And the 5,000 hours, you did something else. So and I only have 4,500 hours.

00:01:12: So what you do besides is more than I have done by now. That's really great.

00:01:17: I mean, you know, the most difficult is the first 500 hours after that, it's just cruising. So that's it. You know, the truth is.

00:01:26: And I read about a record of flying high. So you have been at 42,500 feet one time.

00:01:34: Yeah. You know, like at 40 years old, a man is always by a Porsche or divorce or he does something. So to me, I had the car, they want a divorce.

00:01:48: So I did the attitude record. I just needed something to spice it up.

00:01:52: Okay.

00:01:53: So it was just what can I do to challenge myself? And because I was in a place in my life at the time professionally, that was cruising a little bit.

00:02:04: And I wanted to, you know, have new challenge. So first I was thinking, you know, maybe I can land on the Everest.

00:02:13: But then this is so complex to get the permission between the different countries.

00:02:18: So then that was too difficult. And then that's why I decided to do the attitude record.

00:02:23: Wow. Impressive. On which type you did that?

00:02:26: I did that in the AS350, so, you know, the Airbus. And we did that in South Africa because he was one of the only country in the world that was giving us permission to exceed the limitation of the manufacturer to go higher than 18,000.

00:02:43: Normally you cannot, you have to be instrument. So we went above that. And then the people were so welcoming us, you know, to do it.

00:02:52: So if you are in the book, you know, that we are flying sideways, we went through the details of the whole record. And it's pretty, pretty crazy.

00:03:02: How does it feel to be up there with a helicopter?

00:03:06: Very lonely.

00:03:08: Truly, it's very lonely. Because, you know, you go from you with everyone on the ground and it's kind of everybody's like, you know, there's a lot of tension and energy and everybody's on task.

00:03:21: And then as soon as you go up, you're still excited a little bit. And then to a point when I went to like 20,000 feet, that's when it hits you. You're lonely.

00:03:31: That's it. You're on your own. And then from that moment on, I kind of realized that it's up to me if I'm going to be, it was not the six to succeed.

00:03:42: At the time I was thinking, I'm going to, I'm going to live or I'm going to die. Like there were that, that, that, you know, the swirl above my head.

00:03:51: Yeah. So I was like, you know, then you need to, you know, meditate a little bit on the way up, but there was a lot of tension. Yeah.

00:04:00: Did you fall with the doors off or doors on?

00:04:03: All the doors were off. We put some like to replace the doors and we remove all the instrumentation, we move everything we could like every kilo we can save, we removed.

00:04:12: And did you felt a pressure because yesterday I was at your program, you're talking about pressure.

00:04:16: Yeah. Motion flights. Did you felt a pressure to do it? Do also during the flight? Or you said, well, now I have to do it. I can't return.

00:04:26: No, there was no way I was going to return. But what happened around 20, 18 or 20,000 feet? I had a problem with my counter pressure jacket, because you need a counter pressure jacket to avoid the lung to expand and then die from bleeding, internal bleeding.

00:04:41: And the problem is that we were so stressed out, the whole team that we made a mistake and we put the parachute on top of the counter, you know, the counter pressure jacket.

00:04:51: And the problem is higher you go that that jacket inflate. So the straps were preventing me to breathe. So when I was at 20,000 feet, it was starting to to expand.

00:05:02: And then I could not breathe. So I thought I was going to pass out. You know, when you see the flashes before you pass out, I had that.

00:05:09: But I was sitting on the chair in the helicopter. So there was no, you know, I was not breathing. But I didn't realize I was not breathing enough.

00:05:17: So the flashes, I called the people on the ground. They didn't understand that they didn't realize that those parachute was on top of the counter pressure.

00:05:26: And then when I and the problem was with the helmet and the oxygen mask, I could not look down to see the problem.

00:05:32: So it took me a little while to figure it out. And at that point, I was thinking, I have to fight that. Because if I if I go back down, that's it, I'm not going to go back up.

00:05:42: You know, so I fixed it. And you did it. Yes, fixed it. Yeah. So another question for me is so when I fly police missions, it's always OK, this is your mission.

00:05:54: You have to do this, you have to do that. That's your job. But there are some moments where I just sit in the helicopters, your sunset or sunrise, lay back inside of me, smile and think, oh, God, you're getting paid for this.

00:06:09: Yeah. It's crazy life, a real passion. And I think I'm the luckiest guy in the world. Do you still have those moments when you're going?

00:06:18: 100 percent. And I mean, I'm sure you do the same. You take a photo, but the photo doesn't really translate the beauty of it. And I think as a helicopter pilot, when we do sunset, sunrise too, but you just woke up so it's miserable.

00:06:33: But sunset, I think when you get that moment of peace, because usually it's not as much wind. It's more calm. And yeah, no, of course I have those moments.

00:06:44: Each time there's something like that, I just take a moment to have gratitude for the job.

00:06:51: I fully understand that.

00:06:53: Yesterday you told something very interesting that when you do motion flights, they don't look for helicopter pilot wishes filming all the things, the scenes. They are looking for somebody who is organizing the scenes. Or how does it work?

00:07:08: So there's two jobs within the one box of the film pilot, the one called the Arial coordinator and then the film pilot. And the two become one at the end.

00:07:21: But the first 80 percent of the job, when you get the phone call from the producer to the point you're going to be doing the flying, that's more the coordinating of it.

00:07:31: And why? Because the permitting, let's say I need to do a job in Vienna or even in Germany somewhere, one of the cities.

00:07:39: So I have to adapt to the local regulation. We have to get the city permit. The mayor office needs to get his approval.

00:07:46: So you need to work with production to get all those local approval from the city, from the, you know, everything.

00:07:53: So at that point there's no flying involved, you know what I mean? So that's the same person that's flying the helicopter with the camera. So that's what it is.

00:08:02: So that takes, you know, two to three months and you have to find the proper helicopter. Let's say the director wants you to have a big machine like EC-145, which is a bigger helicopter.

00:08:14: But you know that this machine won't be necessarily the right one for what they want to do.

00:08:20: Let's say they want to do a fight inside the helicopter. So you won't have three, four guys fighting. It may not be the right cabin layout, for example.

00:08:29: And you also know the machine may not want to do abrupt movement left and right because all the arms will go off.

00:08:37: So anyway, so that's what they need, a specialist that can tell them, you know, you should maybe not use this one, but you should use this one.

00:08:45: And then they have to re-imagine their vision because when they have one idea, it's difficult for them to change.

00:08:54: But it's your job as an aerial coordinator to say, you know, you're going to get way more if let's say we have a dolphin or for, because, because as a pilot, that's what I need.

00:09:04: And it will be less sensitive to like balance, let's say. I'm not saying the EC-145 is not doing that. Just an example.

00:09:11: Yeah. So anyway, each movie that I do, I usually change the machine.

00:09:16: Interesting. Yeah. Yeah.

00:09:18: So, but how many machines you're allowed to fly?

00:09:21: So, you change always your machine.

00:09:25: No, but that's why I often go back to the roots of the one I fly, which is, you know, the Airbus H125 for plenty reasons.

00:09:34: So I often, because most of the time on the type of movie I'm doing, it's action.

00:09:40: So there's going to be some craziness in there. So they want me to fly like a maniac.

00:09:45: So usually larger helicopter, for me, it's more a problem.

00:09:49: Yeah.

00:09:50: I've flown, I did one movie called Elysium. I don't know if you know that one.

00:09:55: And on Elysium, they wanted the EC-145 at the time to be, because in the movie, they have those vessels.

00:10:04: And the vessels are, you know, in the future.

00:10:07: So we used a machine so they can put the vessel on top of it, of which visual effect.

00:10:13: We do that a lot. So all the movements are real, but the machine itself is not, but then it looks better.

00:10:20: So anyway, the machine that they wanted to use for that was the EC-145.

00:10:23: It was the first time that I was using one of those machines.

00:10:26: I really didn't know. So I flown with a Mexican pilot because he was in Mexico City.

00:10:30: And I didn't realize the mass limitation. I'm not going to go into that technical stuff, but basically there is a limitation.

00:10:37: Okay. But basically there is a limitation that I was not used to.

00:10:41: And the first landing, I had to basically put helicopters super fast on the ground sliding.

00:10:47: So with the Airbus, piece of cake with my machine, but with that one, as soon as I did one, because the pilot didn't tell me that I should not do that.

00:10:57: So I just came like, you know, like my life depend on it. And then boom, the first alarm.

00:11:02: And they told me you can only have three and then you have to replace the mass, which was 100,000 euros.

00:11:07: I said shoot. You know, so anyway, that's some helicopters.

00:11:12: So I've learned my lesson. And now I'm trying to make sure we have the proper one that we can give them the creative that they have envisioned.

00:11:22: Yeah. Okay. Interesting.

00:11:25: Yes, absolutely. And you're telling about preparing very well for those filming about three months, four months or more.

00:11:34: When we see those pictures, you doing crazy things.

00:11:40: So there's a word like there are many old pilots and many bold pilots, but very less old boat pilots.

00:11:49: I know it's such a cliche thing to say. But I mean, in general, yeah, we prep a lot.

00:11:55: So to give an idea to your audience, if you have a crazy action sequence, one second in the film is about one month's prep.

00:12:03: To give you an idea. Okay. Because most of the time is seven, eight seconds, the crazy and we do seven, eight months prep.

00:12:11: But by the time, you know, I get the first phone call to when we do it, we, we, we, it's not seven, eight months straight, but it will be per second, one month to give an idea.

00:12:21: So it's a lot, a lot, a lot of preparation.

00:12:23: Yeah, because I think a lot of people think you're in the hotel, then you have breakfast, then you're arriving at the scene, flying a little bit of helicopters and going home again.

00:12:30: Yeah, no, yeah, I mean, I wish it was like that. But the prep is really 95% of the job.

00:12:38: And if the prep is done correctly, like to give you an idea, okay, when we did the movie extraction to where I landed on the moving train, you know, so what happened is we prepped that's that's that scene for 10 days on a decommission runway.

00:12:54: We put a truck with a flatbed and we put the train container on the flatbed truck and we were, we trained the speed and how we're going to learn on that thing.

00:13:04: So we landed like 80 times, even more on that decommission runway with a truck.

00:13:10: When we did it on the day for the film, we did it twice. And that was it.

00:13:14: So it's about the ratio, you know, same thing for the Beverly Hills Cops for we did, you know, hundreds of flights.

00:13:22: And on the day we only did a few. And that's usually the way it works, you know.

00:13:28: And as you mentioned now, Beverly Hills Cop, what is harder to do a real stand concentrated or to perform as you are a zero hour student pilot?

00:13:39: It's way more complex to do the scene. I mean, when you have zero hours and you start, you have no clue.

00:13:48: Right. So there's no clue, help. Yeah.

00:13:51: To not judge the risk. Yes, of course.

00:13:54: But I think when you perform as a zero student pilot and you do it, I think it's pretty hard to perform like you can't fly.

00:14:03: I think that's what you mean.

00:14:05: Yeah, for the for the part where I have to pretend I don't know how to fly.

00:14:09: Right.

00:14:11: And well, when you do it for the film, when we have to pretend to not know how to fly, the problem is because we have to put the machine in a place that she doesn't want to be.

00:14:24: So your maximum is the hydraulic system gets stressed out.

00:14:29: So when I go left the machine, you know, to 45 degrees angle, I get a light on my on my, you know, on the dashboard.

00:14:36: And why? Because the system is overloaded.

00:14:38: So I have to do something to reduce that. And two seconds later, I have to do it again.

00:14:42: So it's, it's, it's, you have to be super careful the way you're doing it.

00:14:46: So I usually practice higher, maybe like 100 feet.

00:14:50: And I see what the machine on the day with the temperature, the wind that day, the weight we have on board.

00:14:56: Usually I do it by myself. So it's light.

00:14:58: And then I tested it. And then I go lower to make sure it's going to be safe.

00:15:03: But I mean, it's not easy to do, you know, it takes a little bit.

00:15:07: I like that you say she to the machine. I like that.

00:15:10: So if we are at she, your wife is managing you and is a big support as I got to know here at the European Rogers.

00:15:19: And she has her own business and besides the little business managing you.

00:15:24: So what kind of relationship do you have?

00:15:28: Also, I mean, do you think you would be at this point without her?

00:15:33: I mean, she's a woman in the shadow.

00:15:35: Because she wants to come on stage with me. I'm trying.

00:15:40: No, I mean, she's really the foundation of the whole system because I mean, you know, men will be lost sometime with black and white stuff.

00:15:49: So she she's basically putting me back online.

00:15:53: You know, the organization of the whole thing in the book, you know, she did for the book, for example, it would never have been there without her.

00:16:01: I would have never done it.

00:16:02: So she basically did the interviews, like 25 interviews, one per chapter.

00:16:07: And then she wrote the book and then we he was a team effort, but she basically wrote the book, you know.

00:16:13: So that's the first thing.

00:16:15: And then each time, you know, the European rotor, it would not have happened if she would not arrange it.

00:16:20: So for sure we complete each other.

00:16:22: We've been together almost, you know, 23 or 24 years.

00:16:26: She's going to be bitching because I'm not exactly.

00:16:28: But long enough that but you know, it's it's I mean, for me, we're the perfect couple.

00:16:35: But you know, everybody is perfect couple, hopefully, but it works really well.

00:16:39: We we don't have the same skill, you know, so, you know, it's just a fantastic team.

00:16:47: Yeah, the three a nice to hear.

00:16:49: Yeah, great.

00:16:50: You told us for a scene of several days, you need a month about before to practice to organize everything.

00:17:00: Now you told us that you were here in New York before.

00:17:03: Now you're going to Honolulu after the fair.

00:17:06: Yeah.

00:17:07: And and then the next and the next and the next and next.

00:17:09: So how many programs you're organizing by yourself or by wife on what on time now?

00:17:17: Because it must be 10 20 or whatever.

00:17:21: No, I so so I usually prep the stuff.

00:17:24: So I have a team with me.

00:17:25: Okay.

00:17:26: So the team is helping me.

00:17:28: But I do most of the so the permit process because the main the time consuming is the permit process.

00:17:35: So like in New York, it's a complex airspace.

00:17:38: So you have a United Nation and then you have the Trump Tower and then those two have a restricted airspace most of the time.

00:17:45: So for us to get permission to get a waiver to fly inside the restricted airspace, we need to contact the Secret Service like for Trump, for example, for the Trump Tower.

00:17:54: And then to get a Secret Service just to find the proper phone number to get the Secret Service.

00:17:59: the team we're working together to have all this information, get the permission going.

00:18:04: So I initiate the momentum of it and then my team is helping to get all the information.

00:18:11: So it's really about two person, me and another pilot that I work with, Ben, that really is amazing.

00:18:20: So he's basically going like, I will tell him, okay, we're going to be in New York, we need to fly

00:18:26: at that location. So I'll send a very detailed map. So I will ask the production to give me a very

00:18:33: detailed map. So that's maybe a week, you know, they send me something, no, not enough details,

00:18:38: send me something, then the GPS coordinates will be the wrong ones, you know, the one not in degrees

00:18:43: minute second, they'll give me something that we can Chinese stuff, we don't understand what that is.

00:18:47: So then I'll ask them, so anyway, so that's a little process. When we have a solid map with

00:18:52: all the information, and it's a very detailed one, like we have the time of the shooting, the GPS

00:18:57: coordinator, the height, the speed, the angle, we have a lot of info, then Ben takes that,

00:19:02: and then we go to Secret Service, we go to the FAA. So Ben does that, and then it's back and forth

00:19:07: between us. At the same time, I prep contracts, helicopter insurance that I do myself. And then

00:19:14: we call the airport to where we're going to be landing and we check the time. Is it night, day,

00:19:20: you know, so all that stuff, and then check the helicopters that I do. I usually take four to

00:19:25: five projects. That's basically the load of work for the next two months. But I'm used to it. So

00:19:32: it's pretty efficient in a sense, because you just you're talking about it sounds like so much work

00:19:38: here, almost get all those papers done. And then with four projects, yeah, we have one team, so I have

00:19:44: one team in the US, and we'll say the rest of the US, but one team is for Europe. And the other

00:19:51: team is for the US and the rest of the world. Now, if it's Africa and Middle East, it will be the European

00:19:58: team doing it. If it's like New Zealand, or Alaska or stuff, it'll be the US team. So, you know, we

00:20:04: make it work. You know, we make it work. Sometimes it's stressed out, but it works out.

00:20:13: And besides all of those work, you just launched your mentorship program.

00:20:17: Yes. Could you tell our audience what is about how you can become a mentor or a mentee and tell me

00:20:25: how I can convince you to be an ambassador? 1000% you can be an ambassador. I need passionate people

00:20:31: that want to help. So the mentorship program has been, you know, in our mind for a long time.

00:20:36: It just as we all know, it takes, you know, the commitment and time and the discipline to

00:20:41: let's do it. You know, we really wanted to do it. And one of the reasons is because all of us as a

00:20:45: helicopter pilot, when we pass a license from that point on, even when you are doing your license,

00:20:52: you're pretty lonely in a sense that is very difficult to share, you know, your doubts, your

00:20:57: the mistake you make, or even if you know yourself and your weaknesses, and who are you

00:21:02: going to talk to about those weaknesses, how you're going to, you know, manage those weaknesses

00:21:07: and strength to your new job. What job should you do? You know, should you do firefighting,

00:21:13: medevac charter, which country you should go? Should you stay in Germany, for example, or

00:21:19: should you get out of Germany to go some for France? So I believe that if you have a mentor

00:21:24: that will know you with no judgment and in a safe place, then it will help big time to enhance

00:21:32: safety and give you the confidence that what decision you're making are the right ones. And we all

00:21:38: know that when there's an incident of an accident is usually a decision that we haven't made properly.

00:21:44: And we all in the same boat, even myself today, I want to make sure I make the proper decision,

00:21:49: you know. So anyway, when you're younger from 20 to 30 years old, I'm thinking that's when you need

00:21:56: most of it, a mentor, because your brain is not fully wired at the time. And the decision making

00:22:03: process is not always the way it should be. So this is why that mentorship program came to life.

00:22:08: And the way it works is we have ambassadors with our experts in their field, respected by their

00:22:16: peers. Are you respected by your peers? I hope so. Okay, good. Because it's one of the things. And if

00:22:21: you're respected by your peers, and you know, you know, you are set up in your like you have, I mean,

00:22:26: you have plenty hours and you know what you're doing. So that's the ambassador. So there is

00:22:30: these like, guys, we need the ambassadors per country and region of the world to make sure the

00:22:38: language would not going to be a barrier. Because all the like the pilots in Germany that don't

00:22:43: speak English, for example, I want to make sure they have a chance to have a mentor. So the

00:22:47: ambassadors will be the person that will basically approve the mentor's application. So you go on

00:22:53: the website, and then you fill up your application as a mentor, let's say, and then let's say you

00:22:59: want to be in the police, you know, somebody wants to be a mentor in that segment, like you have

00:23:05: pilots that you know, they may want to be mentors, they go on the website, they fill up the application,

00:23:09: and then you will be the one to review them. And you'll tell us, Fred, you know, that guy, that guy,

00:23:14: they're all good. And then then now they become mentors for the mentees. It's a little bit the

00:23:19: same thing. Now it will between the mentor and the mentees, the mentees will fill up the application,

00:23:24: say why, why they want to be part of the program, and all the reason behind. And then the mentor,

00:23:29: then we'll put them together. So they can, you know, from that point on, they will take that

00:23:35: outside of the website. It's very important for us that this is a safe place. When I say that is

00:23:42: for internet, I don't want people to have their personal, you know, you know,

00:23:48: weaknesses and whatever they're going to say and career decision guidelines online. Because I really

00:23:56: think those pilot forum that destroy each other, it's not, I think it's not a representation of

00:24:03: who we are in aviation. And it needs to be a safe place. So then the mentor and the mentee will

00:24:08: have that relationship, a trust and confident, you know, relationship. And if you think about it,

00:24:15: if they stay together for a few years, 10 years, 15 years, it's going to be amazing. Because he can

00:24:19: send a text to the guy, he can say, you know, tomorrow I have a job. I'm not sure what you think I

00:24:25: should say, you know, just to give you the little boost to make the right decision. And if you want

00:24:30: to change career, you can tell him, you know, if you don't be in the police forces as a pilot, or

00:24:36: what my chances to change. So that mentorship program is for that, you know.

00:24:43: I really like that you want to build. Sorry. That's Andreas, by the way.

00:24:48: I like the thing that you want really built a connection between two guys, a mentor and a mentee,

00:24:56: and that they will have their aviation life together in some kind of way. Exactly. And that's

00:25:03: a good part. It's like having a new big brother in aviation. Exactly. Exactly. Because we don't

00:25:07: have that as a helicopter pilot. Yeah, it's very difficult. I'm doing that with all my students,

00:25:12: which did an examination with me. I told them, okay, how are you going to start flying? But if

00:25:17: you have a question, give me a call, you're growing up there, your whole life, you will have questions.

00:25:22: Then you can. Yeah, because I think there's a lot of helicopter company or organization that are

00:25:27: trying to do the mentorship. But the problem is that they're doing it within their company. There's

00:25:33: no way any pilots will be honest about his mistake to his organization because you're

00:25:39: admitting a weakness that may not be seen correctly. So this is why it's important for me that it's

00:25:46: outside, you know. The internet is not a safe place. No, it's not. No. And also it's very,

00:25:53: because we know 99% of incident or accident are a human error. Each time we do a mistake,

00:26:00: it's our fault. And it's difficult as a pilot and as a human being to go through your mistake,

00:26:07: okay, in an honest way. And as a pilot, we have to go through them if we want to be better and

00:26:13: not do them again. And I believe that the way it is structured today, the regulation, it doesn't

00:26:19: give you that opportunity. The only thing they do is blaming you basically to say, oh, we're going

00:26:25: to pull your license or we're going to do that. It's a punishment. But there is no release system

00:26:30: to help the person to go through it. Like all the mistake I made in my life, he was the backpack

00:26:36: was heavy, you know, and he was like, shoot, first of all, I'm an idiot. So you go through self

00:26:41: incrimination because you say, okay, I should not have done that. Why, you know, like you feel bad.

00:26:46: So first you have to get out of that state, you know, and then what do you do to improve? But

00:26:53: sometimes you so much into the emotion that you made a mistake that you can't improve. So this is

00:27:01: why I think the mentor can help. You say, dude, I've done the same mistake than you. And look

00:27:05: where I am today, you need to move on with that. And so I think it's super important.

00:27:10: And everybody is doing mistakes. Everybody. You have to learn from your mistakes.

00:27:15: Yeah, but the problem is pilot, we have egos. And ego don't admit doctors to, you know, right?

00:27:22: Have to learn. Yeah. And yeah, all of us have to learn. Everybody is doing mistakes. You have to

00:27:26: learn from that shit from the bigger ones. Yeah, what they know, it doesn't matter. You know, we

00:27:30: hold, I mean, with 20,000 hours, I've done a lot of them, trust me. But some people think like I'm

00:27:36: perfect. I'm not doing anything. Like, phew, you know, even today, I have to be careful. You know,

00:27:41: I mean, 100%. Yes, of course, errors or mistakes happen. And if you're lucky enough that they

00:27:47: don't kill you, then you learn from them. So you're right, but you have to mentally to be strong enough.

00:27:53: And sometimes you need somebody to help you. And I think a bigger brother mentor will help you.

00:27:58: Yes, of course. Yeah, I've seen Gerard Pina. Yeah, Gerard is an ambassador. Yeah. And I was happy to

00:28:05: fly with him two years ago on the Alps. We had a mountain training course with our police pilots.

00:28:10: Yeah. And then he came with me and told me, show me how you fly in the Alps. And he was so respectful

00:28:16: to me. And I was like, Oh, my God, Gerard Pina sitting beside me and looking how I'm flying.

00:28:21: And but he was so great. It was, yeah, you're doing good. I would do maybe I would do it a little bit.

00:28:26: No, it's so amazing. Yeah. So great. Yeah. I really felt he respected how I do it. Yeah. And he showed

00:28:34: me, I just gave you a hint or something. Maybe you try it next time like this. I do it like this.

00:28:39: And it was great. So I think if he is one of the ambassadors and of the mentors, this must be a great

00:28:47: program. But Gerald is, I will say, he's a perfect pilot ego. Yeah. Like he's confident enough that

00:28:54: he knows his stuff and it will give you the respect as a new pilot. And I love the guy is amazing.

00:29:00: And that's why I really, he was one of the first one I called. And he was 1000% because he really

00:29:05: want to share his experience. Yeah, you know, which is what it is about. And by the way,

00:29:09: we want to share our experience as older pilots, we want to share, you know, so if you want to be

00:29:13: an ambassador, please speak with the woman in the shadow over there. And then she will put you in

00:29:19: there and address to yes 1000% yeah. No, we need as many, you know, passionate people I want to

00:29:26: help because we can't do that by ourselves. We can only initiate the movement. So if there is pilots

00:29:31: that hearing us now, please go on the website and and or contact team and Andreas and come join us.

00:29:38: Yeah, I promise everybody who's hearing this will do. I hope so. I hope so. We have a good audience.

00:29:46: They do things like this and like things like this. So okay, great. Thank you so much. Yeah,

00:29:50: you're welcome. So we are happy to have you here. And you already said you have a book. Yes, flying

00:29:57: sideways, right? Yeah, so flying sideways. It's basically the story of my journey in life from

00:30:05: the beginning, you know, in Africa, all the way to Hollywood, how the ha or how this happened.

00:30:11: So it's more inspirational journey. And it's a funny book. It's fun. There's a lot of stories.

00:30:17: And I think all of us as a pilot, you'll see you will find a piece in there that was the same for

00:30:22: you. Because we all have a little bit of similar journey. It's not easy to become a helicopter

00:30:28: pilot. I think it's one of very difficult job, because it's how you go from 200 hours to 1000

00:30:35: hours. Those that that that segment there is hard. And you need to be disciplined, committed, and it's

00:30:40: not easy. And then and then you're 1000 hours, nobody's treating you well, like you an idiot,

00:30:46: you have 1000 hours. So then you have to go until you are like 3000 hours. So the book is

00:30:52: is about the whole journey. And, you know, all the, the mistake I went through, open opened on it,

00:31:00: and also the success in the in the book. And, and it took us a little while to find the title,

00:31:07: the flying sideways, because we wanted something that mean, you know, the story in the book.

00:31:14: And because in life, we all know that when you want to go straight, you have to go sideways first,

00:31:20: which was, you know, for me going more sideways than ever straight. So that's a little bit of that.

00:31:25: And, you know, people will love it. There's a lot of maps. And as we it's very simple English,

00:31:31: because we know pilots don't know how to read. So we were very, very careful the way we did this.

00:31:36: And these cure codes, also at the end of the book, so people can watch the videos of the story,

00:31:42: we're telling so it's just a lot of, you know, entertainment in there. So yeah, I hope people

00:31:47: will love it. An interactive book. Yes. Great. Yeah. And Andreas, I talked about a crazy thing.

00:31:54: I, I just came to my mind that I said, okay, when Fred will sign his book for me. Oh, yeah.

00:32:02: And I have his autograph. I will tattoo it on my arm. I don't think I will tattoo your name.

00:32:09: But if there is some words or a sentence or like I have on my arm, be kind as a motto for me.

00:32:19: So do you have something like this? I like to be kind. I mean, gratitude is good too. The

00:32:27: problem is those cliche words is hard sometimes to put depth in it, because everybody has a

00:32:31: different feel on it. I like to be kind because at the end of the day, you know, that's the core

00:32:38: of everything. And a lot of people don't have enough kindness in general, because kindness will

00:32:43: give you, will create opportunity for others, you know, but gratitude too. And I mean, I don't know

00:32:50: for you guys in Germany, but in France as a kid, I never heard the word gratitude until I was way

00:32:57: advanced in life. And I think in America, I heard the word more for a reason. Maybe I'm mistaken,

00:33:04: but I would have loved to know that before, because gratitude is an amazing word too. Like to have

00:33:10: gratitude for yourself to make you more happy in a sense, because we should be very happy with

00:33:17: what we have. But we know everybody wants something else. But to the point is like, okay, you know,

00:33:22: it's not that bad. I have gratitude. I'm pretty good. Like a sunset, something's super, you know,

00:33:27: I think you're good with the big kind. If you want, you can put the helicopter because you don't

00:33:32: have a helicopter on your arm. No, that's a nice tattoo because I'm always thinking, what can I do?

00:33:40: I was thinking about Da Vinci's air screw. It's too complex. Yeah. And but I don't want a real

00:33:46: helicopter. That's a sign. That's a sign in the book, by the way, when I sign, you know, so I'd

00:33:52: usually do the helicopter. But so my son Tom, there's 20, he basically tattooed this on his arm.

00:34:00: And that's why he usually signs. So he asked me to draw it. And then he did put it on his arm. So

00:34:05: then I decided to put on my arm. So that's pretty new. It's been two, three years, something four

00:34:09: years. So anyway, not that long. And then my other Kate Cooper, he loves cars. So then stick shift

00:34:15: here. And then my daughter, it's love Hawaiian. So I have the tree in there. So but you should put

00:34:21: a helicopter. Yeah, I will do. Yes. And you said gratitude. I always was thinking of tattooing

00:34:28: gratitude. Can we make a deal if it's okay for you? You write on a piece of paper gratitude

00:34:34: and your handwriting and I will tattoo it. Okay, 1000%. Perfect. Thank you. No, congratulations.

00:34:42: For that. What you're going to do? I will take the helicopter. You need one.

00:34:52: You need one tattoo. Is it not something you want to do? Just put a little one. Come on.

00:34:59: We will see. Come on. I'm not the tattoo guy. I was not either. I was not either. And at the end

00:35:09: of the day, just a little one and you put it, you know, you can put on your ass whatever you want.

00:35:12: But it's discreet. I have to my I have to ask my wife in shadow. Ask her. Ask her. The woman

00:35:19: in the shot. Ask her. Yeah. But I like your helicopter, by the way. Okay. Thank you.

00:35:24: So think we are coming to an end. Okay. Yes. Let's come to an end Fred. But thank you very much

00:35:32: for your time. You're welcome. My pleasure. For your information. Yeah. For your ideas.

00:35:36: For your help for all those great movies. My pleasure. And we can do another one

00:35:41: anytime when you want us to. Thank you very much. Thank you.

00:35:50: Thank you.