Week 6...Flightline

The highly anticipated day finally came...and went. The first day of hitting the flightline, ends Phase I and starts Phase II. However, typically the first day of the flightline is capped off with a "dollar ride." It is the only ride that is not graded and it has origins back to the day of when WWII pilots came home with nothing to do and would go around charging a dollar for rides. It is tradition that you give the IP that takes you a dollar in some fashion that is unique to your ride or your driver.

Moving to the next phase, means a change in supervising personnel. This is where you are shown in great quantity the personal aspects of your life that dictates why you suck at life. And when you don't think there can be many more options, they have great insight on where to find a whole new list. It is a lot more "militaristic" because now "every action has the consequence of losing human lives."

The class as a whole is separated into two flights and we probably won't see the other half too much more throughout the rest of our training. We will be together during tests and certain instruction, but I will spend most of my time with my half of the class, in our new flight called the Knights. Here is a picture of the room where I will spend my time and one of my fans that shaved his head because of how cool I look. Actually, he is like 6'9" and so now they call me, "Mini Me."

It is a privilege to wear flightsuits when not flying, so we take tests and when we pass three of them (Emergency Procedures) we will get to wear our flightsuits all of the time...until we get into trouble. It gets to be a real pain bringing two sets of clothes and switching several times a day...part of the hazing or "the game."

Monday is my dollar ride, so I hope to have great pictures and stories to post on Monday night. Until then, I will study for standups, which is where you have to stand at attention and quote emergency procedures verbatim...one of the bigger headaches of the flightline. If you don't know them, they sit you down and you don't fly that day. If you get behind, you go home. So it is recommended that you put considerable effort into memorizing these steps...if you still want to drive jets for a living.

Del Rio Animal Shelter looking for help

The local animal shelter down here has three dogs up for adoption. People have requested the brownish ones and there is a waiting list for them, but nobody really wants the uglier, reddish one with a lot shorter coat of hair.

If you could find it in your heart to help the bigger dog find a good home, please contact the Del Rio City Animal Shelter at 830-555-5555.

Sorry, they (being the two puppies) were so cute, I just had to put them out there for everyone to see. Although, most would say the guy in the middle was so cute that they just had to put this picture out there. The puppies are a classmate's golden retrievers that I have adopted since my wife took Zoe away from me...I asked for half in the separation, but she had a better lawyer.

Week 5

Week 5 is almost over and I survived two tests and three simulator rides. The week was pretty grueling, but now we are going to see what flight training really is all about. Monday we are assigned to our flight rooms or our new homes for the remainder of our training. It is basically a classroom where me and thirteen other pilots will be if we are not flying. It is where we get instruction, briefs, etc., which is opposed to going to different classrooms throughout the day for classes. This is the time when you are required to be in the room or flying for twelve hours a day...basically it is the beginning of the "suck," as they so eloquently put it here.

I took advantage of the weekend, since it might be the last truly free weekend for a month or so. I went golfing at the base golf course this morning. There were a lot of bare spots, but for $12 for 18 holes, I am not going to complain.

I then went with some of my classmates out to our class sponsor's house. It was where I was shooting and swimming in a earlier posting. Well, more of the same with a few more pictures. And can you spot the Texan?

Pretty tough, huh? Nothing like guns, boots, and beer...that is why I stayed in the pool.

Then I came home to listen to the Bronco game over the web...and I really love listening to the babbling idiot (Paul J.) that calls the games! I want to throw my computer through the wall. I am learning that when announcing a game it is totally acceptable to interchange names, even some that haven't played in two years, and just guess at what is happening on the field. It would stand to reason that with a 50-50 chance of it either being a run or a pass that you would get the call right 50% of the time...NOT SO! I know you all have listened to the games on the radio, but have you really "listened" to what he and the other puppet say? He just said (listening while I type, that is why I am hopped up) that there was a fumble and then he said, "nope, that was a flag that the ref threw." I have heard more flip-flopping than political campaign. "It is a pass for a touchdown, no, it was a run for a loss."

Ok, that is all for now. I will post pictures of my new cowboy boots soon...JUST TRYING TO FIT IN DOWN HERE!

Simulated fun

In the military, they simulate everything...except in the Middle East. They simulate deployments, attacks, emergencies...and fun. It wouldn't be proper and I am sure there is a Air Force regulation that strictly prohibits fun. So, in the interest of efficiency they also simulate fun. This is how the Air Force simulates fun...no, actually everyone else in my class gets to fly the ones with engines, but they just don't trust me. They don't like it when you push the stick forward and the houses get real big, real quick. If I could only remember that if I pull back they get small again...instead of checking my main gear hydraulic pressure with a shingle depression test.

We do a lot of training in these simulators. There are three types of simulators. There are devices like the top picture that are just the front cockpit of the jet. Then, there are machines that just have one screen in front of the windshield. Finally, there are the pimp daddy ones, like the picture below. These have a 270 degree view. The picture is a little blurry, but I know you get the idea.
They use simulators so no IP (instructor pilot) has to light the engine on fire while traveling a couple hundred miles an hour. They lost several good men before they started using simulators! The real reason is that we can work on getting familiar with the controls, switches, buttons, lights, whistles, etc. without incurring the costs. Not to mention that it is pretty costly to trash engines, blow hydraulic lines, and eject just for practice. There are so many millions of those buttons, lights, and switches and this jet only has one engine, now you know why C-130s are so big...four engines has a lot of buttons.

Anyway, we practice emergency situations normal traffic patterns, maneuvers, and any situation that can be schemed. As long as you have someone running the master computer, you can make these things do anything you want and it is supposedly very realistic, except for the G-forces. Today I had an engine flame out and my propeller bladed out and it made me roll...basically when you lose oil pressure, the propeller blades turn to a neutral position and the torque is so great that it wants to spin the jet around the shaft in the motor. One side note, the propeller on this plane always turns the same speed, power/speed is increased or decreased by the angle of the propeller blade. Ok, that is your lesson for today.

I passed two tests this week...with much prayer...and I am looking forward to the weekend when I will have a little time off. THEY WERE HARD! It isn't like college where you could make up a bad grade and make it up on the homework and future tests, there is no slacking. In addition, the subject is a bit more challenging and I am not getting any younger.

P.S. In the top picture, the trigger does not lock and fire missiles...remember...simulated!

Week 4

Another week has come and gone, which means one week closer to being done. I had my first graded sim ride during the week and another test. I did really well on the test and ok on the sim. The sims right now are more just going through the checklists and making sure all the right checks, buttons, and calls are made. I had some trouble keeping my wings level. Every time I would look down at my checklist (which are strapped to your leg), I would end up banking the plane. But, on the bright side I didn't have to eject. I hear that doesn't make the instructors very happy. The sim instructors are all "has beens" and for some reason decided Del Rio was the place to retire and teach on the side. They are old, but some of them are quite nice. Others should not be in a place of social interaction.

I am studying for an aerodynamics test tomorrow and it will be the hardest yet. The other students say that they get increasingly hard from here on out...I CAN'T WAIT.

It is like Seattle here, it rained four days this week. The locals say this is very unusual, but I think they are trying to make it seem like it is better here than it really is. Last night was the coolest storm ever! Lightening would flash at least once a second and it was like daylight for a few hours because of all the lightening. I have never seen something like that. Then the rains came and it can flat put down the water here.

Anyway, all is going well here for me. I am pretty homesick, thanks to nobody calling or e-mailing, but I am getting use to it. Candi will be here in "roughly" 17 days, 4 hours, 22 minutes, and 39 seconds...but then again, who is counting.

Everyone loves farting noises...

So of all people to send me Flarp, The Noise Making Putty, by sweet mother pulled this beauty off. However, I found out how you keep 27 of the nation's brightest 20 -30 year olds and myself entertained for minutes during breaks. Notice I am not in the "brightest" group, I misspelled my name on the application and they threw out my request for membership!

Anyway, I can honestly say that everyone in class has taken their turn making farting noises. You may think this is crude, but all I can say is, "my mother thought it was ok or else she wouldn't have sent it to me." Everybody agreed that if anyone would have brought something like that to class, it would have been me. You should see some of these up tight people, they need something to lighten them up.

I passed the physical fitness test, my Systems 2 test, and another test this week. I will be around another couple of weeks, since they kick you out after two failures (below 85%). Although, I have started packing some of my stuff because this new class on aerodynamics is starting to get a bit out there. The equations have more variables than letters of the alphabet and the excuse that I am just the product of the State of Idaho educational system isn't buying me any special considerations.

Thanks again for the one non-family member person to call and the four non-family members that have e-mailed me in the last six weeks! Just remember, the rest of you are getting absolutely no souvenirs from me...except maybe a big cockroach or scorpion.

Week 3 down

Week three came and went pretty quickly, thanks to Labor Day. We had our first major test on Tuesday...and I am still in pilot training. I got a 91% on the test. No one in the class failed, which looked good to our flight commander. 84% is failing.

This upcoming week we have another test over Systems 2 material. It covers the propulsion systems and environmental systems. It is pretty interesting to learn about how the engine works. I am not an engineer or mechanic, but I think I am getting a grasp of how the whole thing works. 1,100 horsepower will be an awesome engine to ride.

We also have two simulator rides this week, so that will be interesting. We start off in the basic sims which are just the cockpit with no outside visual. We take off and fly and learn where everything is and how things work, all the while doing it off of instruments only. It isn't too bad since they don't put other aircraft up with us, so we can fly and not worry about other aircraft. I will try to get a picture of the sim and put it in the next post.

Yesterday I finally felt a little like I was back home because I went wakeboarding. I met a guy here that has a wakeboarding boat, not a bass boat that people keep asking me to go wakeboarding with. I feel bad acting like a snob and turning them down, but it isn't quite the same as what I was spoiled with in Idaho. Oh and the water temperature is cold to the locals because it dropped below 80 degrees. They obviously haven't been in Redfish Lake or Black Canyon in May.

Anyway, the dude graduated from Oregon State and barely let me in his boat with my BSU hat on. I guess Beavers don't take too kindly to getting smacked upside their furry head with a hoof...I told him to look on the bright side that at least he wasn't a Vandal, because they get beat every year by the Broncos. He didn't understand and I had to explain that at least his team has beat the Broncos this decade. I just had to get that shot out for my division two, Vandal friends.

And with that, I will just leave the grenade with the pin out and sign off while waiting for the blasts to come back.

Hunting the Texas way!

I am suppose to be studying for my Systems 1 test tomorrow, but this is more fun than learning schematics of hydraulic lines...plus, you all will love this story.

In Texas, they hunt a little different than we do back home. Right now everyone is gearing up for the big hunting season. The locals are scurrying around buying camo gear, guns, ammo, and...DEER CORN. Yep, the got to stalk their feeders now, so the deer will be there on opening day. Then all they have to do is be real sneaky and sit in their perch and wait for the deer to feed a few feet away. Below is a couple pictures.

This picture is harder to see, but it is just to the left of the blurred sign.

Some don't even bother with these air conditioned units, they just put the feeder by their deck. One local tells me he gets his "limit" each year from his deck. But, due to the physical exhaustion of hunting from a perch or deck, everyone here has what they call "Gators." Basically, they are a cross between a four wheeler and golf cart, that have a little bed so they can go pick up their adventurous kills.

Every where down here is selling deer corn and these perches, it is crazy. Guys are in camo setting these up along the roads on property that they rent, just so they can wrestle down a deer that wouldn't stand up to a Great Dane.

Anyway, just an interesting thing down here. I really want to take a local back to Idaho and show them what walking or at least going outside of city limits to hunt is like. They would definitely make Cabella's pretty useless...not like they need calls, camo, gear, etc. Just a pair of slippers and a gun, although they are probably pretty perturbed about having to set their coffee down and missing 15 minutes of Good Morning America.

Trip to Aggieland

This weekend I had one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I went to a Texas A&M game, at their campus in College Station, TX. A little background to set the stage, Texas A&M was founded in late 1800's as a military school. It wasn't until the seventies, that students were allowed enrollment without participating in the "corp." The Corp was the part of the university that still remained regimented like the old ways. Today, only 2000 to 2500 are in The Corp of the 49,000+ that are currently enrolled. And like a military school, tradition is everything. From bells ringing at certain times to taps being played in certain directions, from not walking on grass in certain areas to a whole museum dedicated to remembering the past, Texas A&M is unlike any school I have ever seen.

Now, let me fast forward to midnight on Friday. Every Friday night (unless it is an away game, then it is on Thursday night) the students and The Corp get together for what they call Midnight Yell. This starts right before midnight and about a mile away from the stadium in The Corp's dormitory area. They line up in their modified uniform (company shirt, BDU/camo pants, boots, and company helmet) behind the band, which is also in the The Corp, light up some huge torches and march into the stadium. The students and fans then follow all the cadets into the stadium where they practice their yells. It is basically a big pep rally, except these yells are done by everyone. During the game, there is 90,000+ all doing the same yell or chat...one of the most impressive things I have ever seen. 90,000 people all on the same page is amazing. Here is a picture of 30,000+ at midnight getting pumped up for the game. They have a speaker and then the students tell fables that some how are suppose to parallel the upcoming game.

The funny thing is that most of their yells have to do with beating the Longhorns of the University of Texas. Even during the game, while they were playing an east coast team, they were talking about sawing the Longhorn's horns off. The Texas A&M fight song even talks about beating UT. It is one of the coolest things ever and every person is involved and knows the history.

Once game day came around, The Corp once again assembled, but this time in their standard uniforms. They marched to the stadium and everyone comes out to watch. Without exaggerating, I bet there were 100,000 to 150,000 people watching and cheering this event on. Most of them just tailgated and didn't even get a ticket to watch the game. There were tents every where with family names on them and then the years of their graduates...definitely a tradition.

The game was great and A&M won easily. But, that ended up being the least interesting aspect to the whole trip. I started off just wanting to see a bigger college football game and I ended up getting much more than just a game experience. I am sure it probably means a little more to someone in the military that know what these kids in The Corp are going through, but then again it is so much harder than what I have gone through, I can't fully understand it. Military schools like this make even make the Air Force Academy and West Point look like a vacation.

I apologize for writing so much; I promise the next ones will be shorter and easier to read.