SOLO

Well, I made it. Last friday was a pretty big day, with a sim in the morning and my first T-6 solo flight in the afternoon.

To avert any doubts, I survived.

San Fran Fog

my first solo flight was scheduled for this past week. Had only two rides until I went up, alone, in the traffic pattern above Vance AFB. In a week, should be no problem to fit those in.

Then the fog rolled in.

It was the freezing, soupy, nasty stuff, keeping planes from taking off and us from doing much of anything. Attitudes took a nose-dive. The flight room became pretty stagnant. There's only so many hours that you can read the same books, in the same place, all day long. Not the best of weeks.

More of the same, weather-wise, is expected for the next week.

Up in the Air

I'm seven flights into the program here. It's been very quick so far, but I'm learning tons each time I go.

Just got back from a ski trip this weekend. Hard to believe that I was on the slopes just recently, but in the air today. Crazy fast life!

That's about it for tonight. Sleepy time.

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.