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!