Week 13

Well, for the most part this week was pretty uneventful, except I made a trip to the farm to see the donkeys...if you don't know what I am talking about, read the previous postings or read towards the end of this posting and try to figure it out. I flew three or four times and had four or five sims. We got our official K Flight patch (we are the Knights) and a cloth name patch. I know it is weird, but that is a big deal around here. When you see people in the halls and around the base, you can tell who is "post" or "pre" solo by their patches. So, now we are starting to look more like real student pilots. Here are my new patches...sorry about the gay, buck toothed smile...that is just how I roll.

Also, I don't know if you all know this or not, but I am kind of a big deal around here (movie quote). I had a very nice picture of me posted in our flight room. This picture was made to a black and white glossy photo by some of my caring friends for my going away party. Anyway, one of my studying buddies decided to help himself to the blown up photo and presented it in a formal flight brief. I had a rep for being a bad man, but now...you have to think I am close to the Hells Angels reputation.

I have been fighting a cold all week and half of the flight was DNIF (duties not to include flying) because of being sick. I really hope it gets out of my system so I don't have any extra disadvantages going into my checkride on Tuesday. If you are into the praying thing or just want to have me in your thoughts (which I am sure I am in most people's thoughts because of my stunning good looks) on Tuesday, it would be greatly appreciated. Several have hooked the checkride, but it would be awesome to do well on it. If not, you have following rides to figure out if you really should be in the pilot program...and that is not a good thing.

I started baby acrobatics this week, which will become advanced acro after midphase (check ride). I did horrible on my first few loops and split-s, but they are starting to come along. Rolls are easy and even I can't mess them up that bad. But, after doing all these and feeling great, I decide to go do some landings before quitting and that is when I went rancher/farmer. I was calling the donkeys and they didn't hear me, so I called more and more and did it as loud as I could. After getting done with that, I finished flying just fine. However, each time I throw up, I hook the ride. I also had to go visit the spin doctor and his nice chair. I didn't spew on the spin, which is good. I also had another ride after that and did the same maneuvers and felt fine. I don't know what it is that sparks the reverse flow of breakfast, but I am getting tired of it. However, being the optimist that I am, I am really enjoying the toning of the abs that these purgings bring.

I am stoked about getting to go home this next week and it would be so nice to come home after passing my midphase ride. Either way, I am still coming home. We have a class Wednesday that ends at 3 and my flight leaves at 6:45...and from San Antonio which is a 2 1/2 to 3 hour drive. I stink at math in public, but if jot those times down and do some addition (don't forget to carry the 1) and you do it correctly, you will see that I will be cutting it close. If I have to, I will act like I have to use the rest room and leave the class early, because I am not missing the first and only opportunity to go home for the first time in almost four months.

It really doesn't seem like Thanksgiving when the temperature is in the 80s and 90s. It is even more weird to see people putting up their Christmas lights in shorts and tank tops.

HAPPY TURKEY DAY EVERYONE!!

Week 12...and just call me Hans...I was solo

To my family, ask someone about Star Wars for the title to make sense.

I finally did it...I soloed. The flying week ended with me soloing on Wednesday night, then we had seminars all day Thursday and had Friday off for Veteran's Day. What a way to go to a break...riding on a high.

The day of your solo, you fly with an instructor in the morning and if you do well, they brief you up and give you their wings and send you up by yourself. I wore Lt. DeWolfe's wings, which I was glad because he has been one of the cool IPs that has put up with my poor flying and donkey calls. His call sign is Pyro and you can kind of see that on my left chest in the picture below. They turn their wings upside down so when you look down, you know who's wings are on the line...and because you aren't them.

The day was perfect for flying, not a cloud in the sky and about 80 some degrees. I was so nervous until the first landing. I nailed the first one almost perfectly and as I took off I just started yelling (not over frequency) and laughing...I had done it all by my lonesome. I then flew for a little over an hour, just staying in the local pattern. I ended up landing 8 times and flying the pattern 14 times. It was pretty crazy going 200+, pulling 90 degrees of bank and 3Gs and realizing there was no one else around.

Of course tradition was not lost on me. I was met upon touchdown by several classmates to do the dunking in the tank. I acted like I was going to cooperate and then I broke out of their grasp and ran to the flightroom. I juked and jived a bit and made it...they owe me, but some how I doubt I will get rewarded for my efforts. Nothing like a 29 year old breaking free and out running a bunch of 22-25 year olds...they now say I am the most athletic and fastest runner in the class. FINALLY, I AM GOOD AT SOMETHING! Too bad it wasn't flying, since the evaluations don't have lines for foot speed and athleticism.

Well, now it is on to my first checkride. I have four acrobatic flights and then a checkride. I am going to have that done before Thanksgiving and it isn't a good thing to hook a checkride. If you aren't familiar with "hooked" that is the term they use if you fail something, whether it be a ride, sim, or test. But then again, I will be home for Thanksgiving and I will care less at that point. I WILL BE HOME IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS...YEAH!

P.S. To all that care about wakeboarding (especially to Coleena), I landed three flips and rode them out yesterday. Nothing like wakeboarding in 90 degree weather in November...so there is one good thing about Del Rio.

Week 11...and another year older

This week was a good week. Can't believe I have been here for over three months and rapidly coming up on four. Thanks to all that called or e-mailed me on my birthday. The rest of you should be ashamed of yourselves, especially one female in particular that works at MTI. Here are a few of the presents I received, thanks to all and I apologize if your gift or card is not in this picture.

And here is me modeling one of those shirts...watch out GQ Model magazine! It is a different magazine than you are use to. The "GQ" stands for the full title of, "Gross, Quit Trying to Model Magazine."
I only flew a couple times this week and I was real rusty...not to mention I called the donkeys on Friday. I guess that is the sound I make when I am heaving up my insides, while flying. My IP had to turn my comm off during the flight because he said the sounds I was making sounded like I was calling donkeys. I must make a braying sound when I throw up. If I can get that "out of my system" I will solo on Tuesday and as they say here when something looks sketchy..."Roll the trucks on that one." When there is an emergency or something happens, they drive the fire trucks and rescue vehicles out on the apron, hence "rolling the trucks" when I fly by myself.

I am struggling with the whole aircraft control thing...which apparently is a big deal around here. I don't know if it is because I am built like a 11 year old boy or what, but I can't muscle that thing into perfect position before getting ready to land. I then struggle during the whole descent to get on airspeed and glideslope. My landings are great, which is the most important aspect, but they would like me to be a little more consistant up to that point. So once I get that under raps, I can solo. It will be scary to solo, but not so much because of my flying skills. I have confidence with my many years of flying experience (like what the crustys say here) that I don't fear I can get the jet on the ground. I do fear that with the other dudes up there that I will not see one of them or hear one of them and get a little too close. Formation flying is still a few months off and they don't like it if you jump ahead like that.

Anyway, hopefully I will have some solo pictures next posting. The weather is getting cooler and the pogo pool is getting cold. (Although, the ice cream man did make a trip through the neighborhood yesterday...yeah, IN NOVEMBER...crazy) A initial solo student has the call sign "Pogo XX" during their flight. When they land, it is tradition in the AF to throw them into a pool. Each class paints the pool exterior (it is like a big horse trough) and then you hunt down the pogo and throw them in. If the pogo makes it back to the flight room without being caught, then everyone owes them beer or root, which ever they prefer. I took out one dude with a perfect form tackle last week, but I think he acquired a limp from that. I am sure the word pogo comes from what we look like on our landings. Of course, you always blame maintenance if the shocks for some reason throw you back in the air after trying to land gently.

Here is me showing you when I will be back home for the first time in over three months. See you all then!