First T-44 Flight

This week set another milestone in my flight training, I flew a multi-engine aircraft for the first time. After much prompting from my flight instructor to pull my thumb out of my mouth and to get out of the fetal position and fly the aircraft, I flew, landed, and took off all by my lonesome. My flying, not life, partner flew us out to our training area (over a big pond) and he did his maneuvers, then we switched seats and I got to fly. I did a few maneuvers and then I flew us to the auxiliary field where I did fourteen touch and go landings before stopping and letting my flying, not life, partner take over and do some landings and take us back to the Naval Air Station (NAS).

The experience wasn't too bad. I felt a little bit on the nauseous side while the other guy was flying, but once I got behind the controls, I felt better. However, I did get back to that feeling once he started flying again at the end. I didn't pop, so at least it was better than last time. Hopefully, since this was the first time I had flown in almost three months, that what I felt on Thursday will be as bad as it gets. The flying wasn't bad either. The plane isn't near as responsive as the T-6, but that goes with the territory. I kept waiting for the instructor to take the plane and show me how to do it, but he never did. I ended up testing the integrity of the landing gear with a teeth rattling first landing and just figuring it out from there. He did a lot of verbal coaching (versus the yelling from the last training), but he didn't take the aircraft. I guess it makes you feel pretty good when you can fly a plane without having someone take it all the time because of your lack of ability to keep it from becoming the biggest leaf on the tree.

The weekend has gone good so far, but we still have one more day thanks to President Memorial. I can't quite remember what his legacy as a president was, but it must have been up there with Lincoln and Washington because they named a day after him. Sweetpea (John Strube) came down from Laughlin AFB for a couple of days. Luckily, the weather broke for a few hours and we got to enjoy go-karts and the beach.

Sweetpea tried to pick up on some girls...enough said! YIKES! Look for his picture on a law enforcement website soon!

Other than that, the week went by without much hoop-la. Candi had another hard week at the office. She has been getting in more hours, but she still has time to work on things for me. WHAT A SWEET WIFE! Zoe's foot is getting better and I think I can stop carrying her around soon. I swear she limps just for sympathy because the vet can't find anything wrong.

CPT (Cockpit Trainer) Week

I had a CPT/sim each day this past week and I have the final one more tomorrow. They are used to get a feel for where everything is, how to start the engines, set up the equipment, and teach us the basics of how to fly with both or just one engine. The sims themselves aren't too terribly hard because the instructors really work with you, but the briefs before are the brutal portions. The brief is where the instructors grill you on certain systems or procedures and you have to know everything about the topics. We are given a list of the items, but I found out that they really go in depth on every aspect. The Navy system is a bit different than the Air Force one, but I am starting to get use to it. Apparently, the Navy expects you to study and know what is going on all by yourself unlike the USAF that holds your hand through it all. We should start flying this week or the first of next week...after we get back from Memorial Day.

Other than that, the week was pretty much filled with studying for me. Candi is enjoying having something to do during the week. She thinks she has a nice office...

...I guess I would have to agree. Not only does she get to overlook the water, but she has friends stopping by to chit-chat and keep the dog alert. Notice the dog's head on the right side of the picture, having a stare-down with the crane next door (below).

Zoe (the pooch) has developed a limp and for that we had to take her to the vet. The vet thinks she stepped on something and it got infected. Luckily, there are plenty of people in this house to pamper the already over babied dog. At least someone likes Peaches (Jamie, our token Georgia resident).

Well, I am pretty disappointed in all of you for the lack of comments or e-mails the past few weeks. It is pretty sad when I have to pay my roommates to leave messages so it looks like I have friends.

Ground School Over

The past week marked the end of my ground school here at Corpus. There will still be a lot of learning and tests, but the main part of sitting in a room and trying to remain awake, is over. I will miss the "be done before 1430" attitude, but I can't complain too much...after all, rumor has it I am here for something other than working on my tan.

Here is a picture for my hard working friends at Laughlin AFB! The picture shows just how dedicated we second lieutenants are during the work day at 1500. Happy Phase III to you! Well, you guys get to go faster, so it all evens out.

Candi followed suit with my hard work week by putting in ten hours of her own. I think she needs a vacation from the rat race of work. The poor girl looks like she has worked herself to death. She is finding it hard to work when I come home and tell her she has fifteen minutes to get ready to go to the beach. The past week has been absolutely beautiful with Saturday and today (Sunday) being the nicest days since we have been in Corpus. It has been high 80's, low humidity, a slight breeze, and no clouds in the sky. We spent Saturday night at the beach with a bunch of wanna-be pilots from Laughlin and Corpus around a bonfire...very nice.

Saturday morning I got up early and went dirt bike riding at a new track I had heard about. It had rained during the night (although the day before and after were awesome) and I knew that the track would be in excellent condition. It was and the track was pretty decent for Corpus, although if I can do all the jumps by the third moto, it can't be that difficult of a track. I had a good time and met a few cool dudes that showed me the ropes. We had the track all to ourselves and it only cost $5...what a deal!

Well, that is about all from the Carbon Copy. It was a good week and we learned that Zoe loves the canal. We also found out that we can harness our boogie boards (like small surfboards) to her and she literally will pull us all around. She even pulled two of us for awhile. It is kind of like the Iditarod for the warm blooded type. Yeah, we probably can't get more lazy.

I will leave you with a couple of pictures that Candi took this past week from our deck. I would like to wish my mom and all the other mothers out there a Happy Mother's Day. I know my mom deserves it. I haven't always been the perfect angel that you all think I am. Until then, C-YA!

P.S. Here is a shirt I got...pretty ironic that I have a cleaning utensil in my hands when the picture was taken. Don't tell anyone, but I put the broom back after the picture and never used it. I couldn't find the power on/off switch, so I gave up.

Week 2 and I spoke too soon

I am glad that I jinxed myself by saying that it was easy and all...I had to study this week. As usual, I open my mouth and life makes me pay for it. I had to study and really get prepared for the classes and tests this past week. I had to dig up old study habits and put them to work. The Navy isn't so concerned that you know the material, as they are that you know how to figure out what they are asking on their tests. They put in double and triple negatives to see if you can't not never figure nothing out. I am more proud of myself for figuring out what they were trying to say, than actually knowing the answer. I have done alright so far, but it only gets harder and my roommate seems to miss one or two less than me on each test, which he constantly reminds me of the fact. The academics are subjects like weather, flight rules, aerodynamics, and systems. You would think that having just one more engine would just be double the systems, but there seems to me more than that.

But enough about me...lets talk about you! So what do you think about me? Just kidding, but lets talk about my better half. After weeks of searching the area high and low for job opportunities...I mean searching the beaches during high and low tides...she finally has a J-O-B. She narrowly beat out five other highly qualified applicants to be the next cashier at the local Chevron. It was a competitive process, but the manager said that the fact that she checked the box of "holding a job for more than four months...at one time," made her a shoe-in.

Actually, prayers where answered when Candi's old work, the Ada County Sheriff's Office, offered her a temporary job doing some of the exact things (minus the sleeping at her desk) she did while she was there. It means that she won't have to settle for the Chevron job that was a real cush job at seven dollars an hour. The wages are lower here, even though the cost of living is higher...go figure. Anyway, she will be able to work from home and be flexible with my schedule. We are really jacked for this opportunity and thrilled that she will be finally bringing in her part of the bread.

This weekend we went to the Corpus Christi Lake to see if I could con someone into taking me wakeboarding, but we were a little disappointed. The lake isn't very commercialized and there wasn't even a marina. I guess I will just have to settle for one of my roommates to buy a boat or my relatives to bring their boat down here. I live such a deprived life, I know. Here are some pictures of the beautiful refinery landscape on the way to the lake, the lake, and an old pavilion at the lake. Enjoy and thank you to the anonymous for making me feel like at least one person reads my blog...I appreciate all of your zero comments and e-mails...you know if you don't want people to read your comments, you can e-mail me by using the address that is at the top of this page (SO QUIT USING THAT AS AN EXCUSE EVERYONE).