First Flight

Doing it tomorrow - nerves are raw :(

The Phase One Roll

I'm flying...well, sorta.

We've done four simulators to this point. Each has built on the last - going from checklists to flying to emergencies to patterns flown over an airport. They put us in these nifty rooms with mock-up cockpits (all the switches work), and we look at simulated scenes on large screens that surround us as we fly around and over the Enid area. It's pretty neat to apply all that we've learned to this point.

On top of that, the class thing has started heating up. Several tests each week. This week, it's Contact (basic flying maneuvers, including some stalls and spins) as well as Weather. That second one's a recap of Pensacola's weather, so shouldn't be too tough. I hope.

Trying to keep up with other things in life (friends, running, etc) has proven a bit more difficult with the increased work-load. But I've done okay with that.

Class has started - let the grind begin!

It's a good grind, though - like coffee :)

Out in Oklahoma

I've been in my new house for a week, and the boxes are unpacked.

This place has been great, so far. Our kitchen is awesome, filled with bunches of food! The family room has a fireplace, and my TV sits on the fireplace mantel. My room is to the back right of the house. It's a bit tight, but I am enjoying the shuffling of things to make it work.

Enid has been mediocre. The town has little to offer - it's not very scenic, and there's not much to do. On top of that, the rain and cold have kept me off the golf courses since getting here. Bummer!

Because of Enid's low-caliber entertainment value, I have been traveling a bit. Went to Oklahoma City for the Zac Brown Band concert. Out to Tulsa to visit a friend. Back to OKC for a night of sushi and fellowship with the Navy folks from Enid. Even squeezed in a date while down there.

Training starts in a few weeks. Until then, I'll be running lots and preventing my brain from rotting with plenty of Sporcle quizzes.

Helo Dunker

Underwater Disney World. Easily the most fun you can have while being drowned. That was my Friday.

When helicopters go down, the world becomes a mess for those inside. The aircraft quickly inverts, and it falls to the ocean floor with great haste. We can't change those facts, but we can prepare for them. Hence the training.

Through progressive steps, the swimmers prepared us for various exit procedures from helicopters. Operate these door handles, some don't work. Find a reference point. Use your hands (not your eyes) to guide yourself towards the exit. It's a great bit of fun, but scary too - knowing that so many have been through this training and needed to use it.

It culminated in the full-on dunker. They have a simulated helicopter on a cable. Six of us climbed in, strapped in. Then, they made the water more than a distant friend. Within seconds, we were upside-down, under water, in relative darkness. Let those straps go. Hand over hand, and exit that sucker. Live to fight another day.

I enjoyed it lots, and the thing definitely made me more comfortable with helicopters. Still not my first pick, but they have some perks.

No Air, No Air...

Hypoxia is a funny thing. It creeps onto the scene, makes you giddy, and turns a friendly game of patty cake into a violent competition. As soon as the air returns, the tingling disappears. So it was a few days ago, when the Navy deliberately deprived me of oxygen. They train us to recognize the signs of the dangerous condition, responsible for several Navy accidents and the death of Payne Stewart and friends in an aircraft that slowly leaked oxygen until all crew and passengers went unconscious. It's a debilitating kind of thing, and good for us to understand.

They took us up to 25,000 feet in altitude (simulated), where the air is rare. We removed our oxygen masks, and tried to do simple tasks: patty cake, counting cards, naming colors on a color wheel. After a few minutes, these things became all-consuming, and some folks couldn't follow instructions. A few blacked out, missing about 30 seconds of the time when they were most hypoxic. Me, I became a combat patty-caker.

After a huge build-up in my mind over the days leading up to the event, it went by easily. Another day when I think..."I'm getting paid for this?"

Drownproofing

Now that the academics are done, they'll find some interesting ways to tax my body - jumping from helicopters, altitude chambers, and drownproofing!