Back in Arkansas

Well, you can't live in dream land forever and two days ago we woke up in Arkansas with the dream over. We had a good time at home in Idaho, but the only way to get back was to finish in Arkansas.

I finally got to fly with my squadron in Boise, two days before we left. It was a night flight in which we did low levels and assault landings (seperate runway which is a quarter of the normal size) under night vision goggles (NVGs). It was pretty cool and I would have taken pictures but two things would have happened. One, the flash would have blinded the pilots causing us to crash (not a good thing). Secondly, all you would have seen was black anyway. Instead of a picture, visualize black and then visualize flying into the black and only being able to see some green haze when looking through the NVGs. That is what the pictures that would have killed us would have looked like...not quite worth the risk just for something to put on my blog!

It was nice to see snow and get to enjoy it, as you saw in the previous entry. We saw snow out the window of the airplane for most of the trip (picture below is of Utah), but it went away before we landed in Little Rock. We found out why the snow wasn't in Little Rock and that was because it was over sixty degrees. Today it is over seventy and looks to stay that way for a week or so...just a little difference!

We made it home on Friday and I had a flight that night. Thankfully, we did not have any delays and made it to Arkansas on time. I hadn't studied or prepared for the flight (sim) we had that night because I was on vacation and I shouldn't have to study on my break. It just so happens that the sim instructor saw it my way and didn't even use 1 of the 180 minutes that we had to "discuss" our reading and study assignments. Instead, he had us get right into the sim and we were done and home before the 180 minutes of "briefing" was up. Long story short, we were done under three hours instead of the six to seven hour norm and it worked out perfectly for my lack of preparation.

Our pets were glad to see us home, although our dog picked up a couple of weird habits. When we got home our dogsitters had enough of their duties and gave us their dog in return (they went out of town). The time together made our only child realize that there were others in the world and she finally can get along with others.

Candi also has been busy with starting a new career. She is teaching a class here at Sherwood University. The class is an elective for the students and is called, "Get to know a Kitty 101." She only has one student enrolled currently, Remy, but she is hoping the online age will get her more students. In this curriculum, students learn how to handle hissing and paw swinging, while still being able to determine the scent of the new subject. There are no guarantees that students will not risk possible scratches and cuts, but they don't seem to mind as long as they can get some nose on experience.

Other than that, I have a checkride on Wednesday for my final sim of phase one and then we are on to the flightline for six flights (usually two a day) to complete the initial qualification in the C-130. After that I am on to air drop and specialty items with regards to flying the 130.

Thanks to all who let us stay at their houses, fed us, and entertained us while we were in Idaho. Candi and I appreciate it and if you want us to return the favor, our door is always open to you in Arkansas... not to be confused with it being open when we get back to Idaho. We don't have that policy there because you might actually take us up on it.