DONE...with T-44A Training

I was waiting until I was done to write my next entry and here it is...for those of you that haven't had a full pot of coffee yet, this means I am DONE!

The last week has been a lot of work. We have been flying low level flights and simulating dropping supplies and troops at 500 ft above terra firma to get us familiar with how we will make a living in the C-130 world. We have to plan, chart, and prepare for these flights, which takes six times more effort and work than normal flights. The work is not hard, it just takes a lot of time. When you are flying two flights a day that take up to ten hours from start to finish and then throw planning on top of that, it makes for some pretty long and busy days.

However, the flights are awesome. Half of the flights were normal low levels and the other half were tactical formation low levels. We were able to find some actual hills in Texas (NW of San Antonio) and fly through them and into some canyons. Flying below mountain tops is pretty cool, not to mention we were in a three ship formation. Next to one of my formation flights in T-6s, this was my second favorite flight.

Yesterday was my tactical formation checkride. They really aren't graded (except pass/fail) but that didn't mean that I wasn't a touch nervous. Everything went fine. I forgot my camera, but I got a few pics on my new cell phone. Hopefully, some of the other ships will send me the pics that they took. Seeing two ships in front of you banked at 90 degrees (don't tell anyone in the squadron because we are only suppose to go to 45-60 degrees for training) between canyon walls is pretty cool...and I was actually flying that part.

Now, I am just helping out around the squadron until we wing in two and a half weeks. I will be filling in as a copilot for sims and solo flights, as well as doing the gay Navy watch thing. The Navy thinks that they need to have people watch things all the time, so they make positions for us to come in and sit, answer phones, and watch the building so that the enemy doesn't take the building when no one is "watching." Of course the day that I am actually done, the weather changes from beautiful to a big poop sandwich and is suppose to stay nasty for another week...I am jacked about that.

Lastly, I just wanted to thank all of you for your support and prayers through this process (especially those you supported with sending cookies and little surprises;-)). I know I still have a ways to go and Little Rock won't be a vacation (its Arkansas after all), but you all have helped me through the hardest part. I especially want to thank my wife for her support and understanding. I know I couldn't have made it without her encouragement, prayers, and help taking care of everything from bills to my stomach's needs. THANK YOU, CANDI! I LOVE YOU!