Academics Complete

The title would make you think that I was in class, learned some presented information, and was smart enough to move on. Not so much the case! They said here is the information, good luck, now go fly and don't kill yourself. The academics were fast and hit the high points...we were supposed to fill in the low points in our spare time. According to what we are responsible for knowing at this point, there is a ton of low points and I haven't found enough spare time to get them to stick in my brain.

I flew two simulator rides this past week and I made it look like I had never flown an aircraft that fast or like I hadn't flown any aircraft in over a year. If you could have seen me in the cockpit, it would have appeared that I was running. Both arms going back and forth, as well as my legs. And yes, I had the flight controls in one hand and the throttle in the other, with rudders under each foot. I don't think I need to tell you that if you would have been riding with me and it would have been a real aircraft, you would have thought you were in a dingy in the middle of a hurricane! I think I know why I get airsick now...I can't fly straight and level! One degree of nose high attitude at .9 Mach and you get thousands of feet off in short order. The maximum allowable deviation is 175 feet, so I had a horrible second simulator flight.

This upcoming week, I will take my circus act to the actual aircraft and scare some poor instructor pilot into sobbing uncontrollably while having a death grip on his ejection seat handles. I am supposed to get a free ride tomorrow, (two seat aircraft + an instructor with no student = open seat) with a few more simulator rides and then the real thing. It is a very "big boy" course, by which I mean they don't tell you every little thing to do. However, they do expect you to know and do every little thing. It kind of scares me that I am way under prepared, but all I can do is to continue studying and pray it all works out.

As for the non-flying life, we bought an awesome wakeboarding boat and have been ripping it up during the week and weekends.

Not really, but I did take a break from studying this week to go downtown and see the sites.

We got caught up in an immigration reform parade, so we can now say we marched in a parade that was chanting how bad Arizona was! I kept my mouth shut, because when you live in a town where the first name starts with "San," you are already out numbered. This place is definitely not Boise...a little like Caldwell and a little like Compton, but not Boise. You might think that I am saying that my skin color sets me a part from the locals, which it does, but it is more the fact that my truck doesn't have thumping beats, heard from up to three miles away coming from the speakers and that I don't have rims on my vehicles. We had forgotten how much different the South was! I have seen more lifted cars...yes cars...and mini-vans with rims than you can imagine. The sweet ride below actually has a 'Sugar Daddy' sticker on the back & sides... what class??!!

Candi is continuing to work and stay couped up in the house, just to watch me come home and study each night and during the weekend. I think once I can get a handle on this information, we will have more free time to explore the area. Well, I now must do something new and...STUDY!