The end of another year, and what a year it’s been; 136 flights totalling just over 289 hours visiting 48 different airports in 21 different countries. I have a new tool that I log the flights on and apparently I have flown 127,306 miles which is 5.1 times round the earth. On a slightly less positive note it also tells me I am responsible for 27 tonnes of Co2 1.39Kgs of Methane and 1.14Kgs of Nitrous Oxide.
Business wise the centralised Load Control unit that I run is expanding massively with an increase from 15 to 55 staff and a new site in Poland. The volumes of flights we have to deal with will rise stratospherically in 2012, the current throughput is about 5,000 units per month which will become 10,000 in February 2012 25,000 in March and topping out in April at almost 35,000 flights. The rest of the business is also doing very well; I have now risen to the fourth most profitable business in the group. The current market conditions are such that 2012 will be challenging and trying to pick the customers that will survive is quite a challenge. The survival of the Euro is something that causes everyone a worry. I never conceived that I could be writing contracts with a duration that might be greater than the currency they are billed in.
Personal highlights for me were accompanying a high profile music tour in South Africa, which provided the most memorable evening of an access all areas pass at the Port Elizabeth gig. The new contracts for the Centralised Load Control unit, winning new business provides an enormous high. And finally my work as a school governor in the local primary school; it helps me grounded and the school is a source of huge personal pride to me.
2012 is looking as busy as ever, I already have 26 flights booked to 12 countries.......
