ye of little faith

13 Aug Thursday evening after work I booked it home to join the local kayak club on the Cache La Poudre river just outside of town. Luckily earlier this year I had a run in with a tree (post for later) that resulted in my purchase of a "slighty" used canoe, but more importantly an awesome friendship with a former river ranger that taught me how to handle a large canoe better than most posers with a little sporty kayak. When I pulled up with my canoe I was being stared at like a hippie in boone-town, and everyone was pretty standoffish, but not bashful with constant comments on how "technical" this float was going to be and how many rocks were exposed, i guess their friendly way of showing doubt. The stares continued through the subsequent rapids as they prepared each time to have to throw me a rope and catch my boat, but they quickly turned into stares of pure amazement as they realized I still hadn't flipped and many of them had. They started cheering as I squeezed tar-baby (my canoe's name due to the black patch on the bow) around bolders and into eddies that could I barely fit in. So they opened up and let me in as one of the cool kids. I guess I should've let them know up front that I 1) am from arkansas, and everyone knows arkansans have jedi like domination over water ways 2) was trained by one of the best canoers ever (seriously he has his own documentary, well kinda). Its also funny to note how people become a lot more friendly and talkative when they find out you fly planes, which I noticed on another float trip 2 weekends earlier where the same group suggested I do a section further down with 2 other older gentlemen. I love just telling them i'm in the AF and let the trip go longer until they reask what exactly I do, and note the differences. Its ridiculous. Anyway the float WAS one of the most difficult ones I've done, but it was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot about the differences of the rivers out here vs. back home. And to the groups defense they had no idea what my background was, there have been people lost on this stretch, and it is a ridiculously large canoe for that river.

Natural State vs. Natural City

15 Aug This morning while eating waffles I looked out my window to see my neighbor the red fox (click attached photo and zoom in) then a buddy and I went for a short hike on the edge of town where we saw over 50 prairie dogs, a vulture sitting on a dead tree like the ones on Jungle book, some deer, and a BIG-o rattle snake (see fuzzy photo from my phone). We had just seen one of those informative displays for snakes, and I wasn't sure if it was real or part of the display, but upon closer inspection from its 6 the big daddy awoke with a lightning fast spin around to me and rattled, my heart stopped for a few seconds and every brezze in the leaves I heard the rest of the day was another snake in my mind. When we came back by he was joined by two smaller rattlers, I decided to assume they were real as well without closer inspection. It was pretty awesome for a morning IN TOWN.

No Maps Required

So yesterday I talked one of my buddies into doing a low level (which for us is 500 feet off the ground) over western Arkansas. The route started around Nashville and wound its way north over the Ouachitas, right by Camp Ozark, Waldron, and Pilot Mtn. It was one of my favorite flights to date. 500 feet is the height above the average terrain, so when as we approached a ridge we would climb just enough to easily clear it and bank over to get a good look at it, as the "TERRAIN, TERRAIN, PULL UP, PULL UP" annunciators went off. I was bouncin around in the jump seat as giddy as all get out when I recognized the three mountains you can see from mom's front porch. The Pilot/Co-Pilot kept looking at the map saying "well there aren't a lot of distinctive things to look for here" and I was having to hold my tongue from pointing out every little detail. We had to coordinate with some A-10s when they entered the moa, but all went well. We stopped in Fort Smith where mom and dad were waiting, and even though it was very brief, it was really fun to get to fly in for lunch. I flew back on a VFR leg over Rich Mountain in OK to Texarkana which has a very short runway. I ran all the numbers to ensure we could take off out of there, but didn't think about touch-n-go distances. The combination of receiving more fuel then we asked, less fuel burn than I calculated, and higher than expected temps resulted in 100 feet less runway than we needed, luckily we ran the numbers in time and knew to do low approaches only.
I really wanted this flight to happen so we spent over an hour planning on sunday, 3 hours monday morning, and when we stepped to takeoff found out they hadn't actually scheduled a jet for us!!! We almost had to cancel the whole thing, luckily we stole one from a baby class that didn't plan to take off till later in the day. Today rather than putting tons of prior thought & coordination into it we're just gonna show up 2 hours before brief and see what looks good. We'll see how that works.
Another note worthy trip was to Illinois last week, the FBO gave us each $15 dollar vouchers to a nice resturant, and a bottle of local wine out of about a dozen choices, not really what I would think u should give people about to go fly, but...

cross county

This past weekend we had our cross county in the T-1. Definitely one of the highlights of the program, you get to plan a trip with another student to spend 2 nights out (with an IP of course). We stayed the first night in Fort Worth, stopping in Lake Charles LA for possibly the best cajun food I've ever had. The second night was in San Antonio on the river walk (its awesome when the base is full and they give you form to get a cheap military rate downtown, as was the case both nights). I got to see some friends both nights, and its always interesting to see the IPs out of uniform and having fun. Some of the notable in-flight sights included (this includes some from the past week as well): fireworks from a baseball game (actually kinda scary), light show at a dirt bike rally, the stockyards, nuke power plants, low level in the smokies, the coast, and lastly the NCAA football stadium tour of: UofAx2 Arkansas/Alabama, UTx2, Texas/Tennessee, Miss State, Florida State, LA Tech, and Texas A&M. Its hard not to have fun when you're flying to another state everyday for lunch, even if you do completely retarded stuff that you want to slap yourself over. Yesterday I flew worse than when we first started, very frustrating, but I guess thats why we're in training, I definitely got to see how to correct yourself when found in an undesirable situation. Good times had by all.

go, no go

Since we only have to show up in time to prepare for the flight now-a-days and can leave after we debrief, I've stumbled onto freedom I'd forgotten about. Last week a buddy had his last flight and convinced me to stay out till 2:00 eating sloppy joes and watching movies (thinking I wasn't on the schedule for the next day). I got a call at 6 from my buddy asking if I could come in and help him plan his first nav ride. I definitely didn't mind (still thinking I could go right back home back to bed) but since I was there, when a jet became available they threw my in to fly at the last minute. I franticly rushed to get a plan together, checking what I needed against where it was available and if that agreed with weather & birds (bird status controls our life). 90 minutes later I was told to forget it, they were gonna put somebody else there, and the cycle of panic continued to that student. But now people knew I was there and had nothing to do, so I got to guard the snack bar for the rest of the day. And my day off became an 10 hour day. Not whining (cuz it resulted in me being able to make a plan in a snap and forced me to study) but it was funny, and is typical of the mood shifts.

Out-n-Backs

So most of UPT has been extremely busy, constantly running around and trying to keep my head above water, but since transition is over and we've started navigation life is AWESOME! Wednesday I rode down to Tallahassee as another student flew. So I spent the flight looking around (u don't get to do that much when ur the one flying) saw University of Alabama's stadium and did some more cloud gazing, we started descending and I wasn't sure if we were gonna nick the top of one billowing tower or not (felt like a roller coaster when u think they are gonna run u into a wall) and accidentally let out a grunt when we hit it, forgetting that it was a cloud and not a sky scraper. I always feel like I'm stepping into high society when we land, the general aviation terminals are designed to appease people who can afford a private jet, very luxurious, with TV rooms with leather recliners, sleeping rooms, small gyms, fancy briefing rooms... I got to fly back at night, which is always breath taking - stars above and below (city lights).
I got home around 11:30 but couldn't sleep cuz the next day I was going to fly both legs of the flight, and since I was the only one planning I got to choose the destination, and I wouldn't be an Air Force Bearcat if I didn't choose Booneville. We flew to Little Rock then did a VFR (low flight using ground references) leg to Fort Smith, which just so happens to go directly over Blue Mtn Lake and Booneville (at least is does when I plan it). We were wings level with the lodge on Mtn Magazine on our right and Flood Mtn/the ridges you see from mom's front porch on our left. Navigation is pretty easy when you don't have to look at a map. "There's the petit jean, that'll take us behind the ball fields, Oh and there's the white water tower in my back yard" We shot an approach into Fort Smith then continued north to stop and eat dinner with Mandy, Brian, and the kids. Meg is ridiculously cute, and has just as much fun playing in the tall water fountain in the lobby as seeing the plane, I loved it!

Its Been Awhile

So I had no idea I haven't updated this thing since half-way through phase II. I guess I'll have to do a quick recap, give a current update, and try to fill in gaps laterz. So after phase II, I track selected into the T-1 Jayhawk (trainer to fly heavies). It was not my choice at the time, but I am definitely lovin it now. Man I have a lot to catch up on... I'm in an amazing mood right now. I did well on my check ride today (the first of 2 that matter). Over the past few weeks we've been doing "transition" flying the T-1 around the near southeast (Jackson, Memphis, Huntsville, Montgomery) practicing Visual patterns, and gaining an overall feel for the control. It is completely different from the T-6. We don't have any gear to wear (just a headset, very comfortable) can get up to use the bathroom if necessary, because of course we bring snacks and drinks for the long flight, and you have a copilot to little tasks that you feel are below your status. Unfortunately the copilot (your instructor) disagrees. Now we will be starting the Navigation phase. In this phase one student flies to an airport (tomorrow will be Tallahassee) we stop for lunch/dinner, get gas, and the other student flies back. I'm pumped!! We spend so much money at these outbases they pamper us with cheap food and plush amenities hoping we'll tell the other guys to go there as well. Flying has been beautiful lately, with all the thunderstorms popping up, we are constantly rolling around billowing cumulonimbus tops. I remember always looking up at clouds, making pictures out of what I saw, now its 3d and you can explore the other side. Its like skimming really close to a cliff, but never having to worry about crashing. Sometimes when you are passing through thick layers of clouds it looks like a jungle with huge trees and hanging vines. Its all fun and games until one of those trees starts spitting lighting.

Because I fly, I laugh more than other men;

I look up and see more than they.

I know how clouds feel,

What it's like to have the blue in my lap;

To look down on birds...

Who else has seen the unclimbed peaks?

The rainbow's secret?

The real reason birds sing?

Because I fly... I envy no man on earth.