Transitions

Looking out to the West, it is a scene from an old-time Western movie. Hills rising from the horizon, and brush, trees, and dust as far as the eye can see. To the East and South, a valley that is producing crops and looking prosperous.

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The Only Constant is Change:

This last trip to relieve on the fire fighting planes proves the old adage. In fact, it’s interesting to me that I finally ran across an activity, and a group of people, that changes as fast as I do. I’ve driven family and friends nuts for years because I could/would/had to change plans “on the fly” (yes, the pun was intended). I’ve now met my match.

Tuesday the call from the Chief Pilot (hereinafter “the Chief”) said that maybe Continue reading →

Like I said, we were wrong.

As usual, up at dawn, exercise (not as much today, after all….it’s my birthday!), breakfast, and headed to airport earlier than usual. We exchanged the usual banter on the way, assuming that we would have another morning of sitting.

Preflight done, trailer checked, and as I always do, I ran a set of sample calculations for loads based on projected temps through the day. That way, if in the heat of the moment of dispatch, I come up with a number that is strangely different, then I have a benchmark to say to myself, “whoa, better redo that!”.

The couch, as always, called out Continue reading →

“Happy Birthday to me, happy birthday to me….”

Well, it’s been an interesting couple of days….I write this early am on the 28^th, but I figure that we might as well make it a birthday week…celebration started before I left Mississippi, when my kids threw a “party” for me at the hangar…sort of a combination Father’s Day and birthday all rolled up into one. I finished up at Vicksburg, and on Wednesday the 25^th left out of Vicksburg in the company Baron, and landed at Cochise County airport in Willcox, AZ.

I was the “relief” for our chief pilot, for the 26^th and 27^th. (Under our contract, after 12 days on duty, there is a mandatory 2 days off…our company sends Continue reading →