40 years up in the air

What do you get for a brother at Christmas when he already has enough junk stuff for any three normal people? Well, I shouted my brother Tim a helicopter flight over Brisbane... and because the ticket was for two, I came along as well.

The helicopter we rode in is a 1971 Bell47G. Think M*A*S*H and you've got it. It's essentially a plexiglass bubble, engine and rotor blades. No doors, but thankfully bloody good seat belts!

Taking off from Archerfield. Please excuse the three hairy legs, but this shot shows how open the cockpit is. Plexi ahead, open air to the right, ground 900ft straight down.

 Bell 47 instruments. The engine is a six cylinder piston engine, with enough power to climb to 12,000ft. Andy, the pilot, tested this once by taking it past the summit of Mt Cook in NZ. Just.

No wonder I get lost in Brisbane! 

The Heart of Brisbane, with the Story Bridge. The river's slightly browner than usual due to wet season rains upstream. It's never what you'd call clear though. 

The Gabba, from almost directly overhead. Now would NOT be a good time to drop the camera.

Botanic Gardens, South Bank to the left. 

Tim and Andy over St Lucia and the University of Queensland. 

We want to go again! Back at Archerfield.