For realz

11 Aug Tuesday morning I had my first flight at my permanent base (Cheyenne WY), new planes, new terrain, new crews, great morning. I rode up with another co-pilot, and along the way the sun started peeking over the distant horizon on the open plains. As we crested one hill the orange beams started breaking through, down the ravine it disappeared, then up the opposite side to find a half full sunrise lighting up the buffalo herd bedded down near the water of the next valley.

I got to the squadron to find 3 crews in their desert flight suits loading up there deployment bags and going over last minute checks to make sure they were ready to head out. I had forgotten today was the day we sent the third rotation over to swap out crews. To everyone else it was something they saw every other month, but for the first time guys I work with were going to do this stuff for realz. It was pretty exciting, and at the same time brought me to the reality that I'm not just training for the fun of flying around anymore. I'm not trying to add any undo drama to the situation, but it was pretty awesome.

The flight was amazing, the H3 model of the C-130 (what I am in now) is light years ahead of the old E models flown for training in Little Rock. It has a "glass cockpit" and flight director/auto pilot similar to that of the T-1 I flew in Columbus, very nice. We flew over the plains to the drop zone, further over some foothills & hogbacks to Laramie to do some tough-n-gos. Coming off the runway we chased some antelope which are as numerous as chiggers back home, and about as annoying to the locals. My instructor gave me a tour over northern Colorado's mountains and across his ranch. Again the difference between training in school and preparation for deployment could be seen in the discussion that followed the illumination of a "check engine light" and general techniques handed out. I can't think of any aspect of my job I'm not excited about (maybe the computer based lessons on information assurance). Life if good.