After 10 days of the campaign I know for certain that I will be able to fly solo in the very near future! A massive moment in realising this ambition, a moment that I have dreamt of more times than I can count; A moment - that in most cases comes a few months after an average students first lesson - will finally arrive two years after my own first proper lesson. Even as I write this I'm looking at the dates in my log book because I can't believe its been that long. Time has flown because it has been filled to the brim with endeavor to make this a possibility. To be on the cusp of actually being able to sink my teeth into my flight training and, as a family, finally embark on this adventure feels beyond awesome!

Last weekend I started cleaning out our shed, so as to create a study area in which I can focus on the theory I need to absorb. If anyone is of the mindset that embarking on pilot training sounds a bit glamourous, then think again: to achieve a zen space for study I had to clear out a lot of old shed junk - read; old scuba gear, camping stuff, wood offcuts, old snowboards, half used bags of plaster and tile adhesive, boxes of crockery, interesting bits of wood and every box an appliance has ever arrived in! This process led to a rather unpleasant discovery, I had lodgers: my dear friend Rattus Norvegicus! 6 hours of a painstaking and smelly eviction ensued, during which I slowly morphed into a real life Roald Dahl character.

The other big news is that Sarah, kindly offered a Gite holiday, In Brittany, as a reward. Obviously I will be covering the cost of the holiday so the pledge level is now the big kahuna prize. I am chuffed to be able to offer this beautiful holiday destination as a reward. I think it has plenty of potential as a group holiday as it sleeps up to 7 - I'll be stocking the cupboards with wine too. Further to that any pledgers at this level will receive all the discount benefits I am eligable for in the future. It got me thinking too, that if anybody does take up this offer, and I have got a few hours under my belt post post PPL skills test, then I could fly one of the party down there. This would be a fantastic experience that I'd love the opportunity to provide. All in all I think this is an amazing reward for any incredibly generous pledgers.

For that to happen though I've got to maintain momentum with the campaign. I had some great support this week; the chairman of BALPA (British Airline Pilots Association) shared the page and gave me positive feedback on the vid. Welsh Rugby players Ian Gough (who's a keen pilot and flies a Yak) and Ken Owens (old team mate) both retweeted the campaign page. I'm also relentlessly badgering all the aviation publications to get them to give me some airtime - it's a bit like squeezing stones in the hope of extracting blood at the moment, but you know me: I'll not give up - It definitely needs to go further and engage more people.

So please continue to help me spread the word far and wide. I am so grateful to you all who've shown support and belief in me by sharing the campaign and pledging even the smallest amount - every gesture is, honestly, very humbling.