FlyDaddy

Good morning

2011-12-10T11:48:00.001-06:00

This trip had early get ups each day. The cool thing is the beautiful sunrise.

A bunch of hops this trip. I saw the Milwaukee orchestra. They we're animal like. Merry Christmas.

On to New York always a favorite.

On my way home. Can't wait.

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Hollywood

2011-12-07T19:32:00.001-06:00

I had a cool trip to LA. We stay downtown and while I was there they were filming scenes for the new Batman movie. It was very fun to watch. They would start filming late at night around 9pm and shoot all night until dawn. I was on the 20th floor and could see right out my window the scenes being filmed over and over. They would shoot several takes of the same scene. The video shows a chase scene that included about 30 or 40 Gotham City Police cars chasing batman on his huge motorcycle. They would run the scene slow and eventually speed it up to full speed. There was even a helicopter that would swoop down between the buildings. Look closely and see if you can find it. I was mesmerized.

Setting up for the chase

This was our Hotel. Look for it in the movie.

The terrace of our hotel by day. Great view.

Time has flown

2011-12-02T19:04:00.001-06:00

Well, were does the time go. I see it has been a long time since I have posted. Been on the road some but have had vacation the last few months and was able to get some good time off. These are a few of the fun places I have been.

New York Central Park

Atlanta down town in the park

- Jackson Hole on a quick break

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Been a long time.

2011-08-24T16:21:00.004-05:00

Sorry it has been a long time since I posted. Funny thing about living in Minnesota once winter is over everyone lives life at 200 mph. You have to get everything out of every day that does not have snow in it. By the time fall rolls around you are so tired that you want to hibernate like the bears do. It is crazy! I have been bidding my flights to get the most flying I can get with the fewest days which means when I work they are 14 hour days, sleep repeat. I have seen so many cool things that I will try and recap.

In St Louis we stay right across the street from the Arch. A great walk way all along the river. Very cool.

This was just a week or so after the terrible tornadoes that hit the midwest. The airport was hit with a tornado and it blew out the windows in the terminal. You can see the video on YouTube.

This is Guadalajara, Mexico. It is very impoverished. I don't like going there much as it is not very safe right now. Interesting to see but always has a heavy sulfur smell. We can't walk around much. We have to stay in our hotel.

Kansas City. This is our good friend Blaine and Julia. Blaine has invented a lift that attaches to your garage opener and automatically lifts your bikes up to the ceiling. Very cool. He was setting up here for a show and I was in town to help.

Big thunderstorms. Beautiful, but boy can they mess things up. I have been delayed and extended this summer because of these little pests.

I had a 30 hour layover in Jacksonville, Florida and was able to go to Gainesville and hang out with Voom Voom Papa. We went boating on the Suwannee river. Very fun! We saw a bunch of Alligators. Imagine that.

New York, New York! I love it there. This is Times Square.

Very Sad... This is how a soldier comes home if they have been killed in the war. It is very respectful and honoring. There is another soldier that escorts them home. They ride along side them the entire way. I am in Atlanta this day and everyone stops what they are doing as the tug drives by.

This pretty much sums up everything. Crazy times we live in so you better " Trust God or go crazy"

See ya soon!

Beauty and the Beast

2011-04-14T12:42:00.006-05:00

Taking off out of Portland Oregon there are some absolutely beautiful sights. This picture is a distant picture of Mt Hood. It is 11,235 feet tall. Notice the clouds below the peak. It is cool because you can see the top sticking out above the clouds.

This is what Mt Hood looks like as we fly by. We are flying right next to the giant mountain. Very cool. It has snow on it all year around and in some places they ski in the summer.

This picture is of Mt St Helens in the front and Mt Rainier in the back. Mt Rainier is over 14,000 feet tall and Mt. St Helens is the volcano that blew up several years ago. It is only a little over 8,000 feet tall now. The entire top half of the mountain blew off and we saw ashes all the way to Cincinnati when we lived there.

Me tired of fighting the weather. This trip has been full of blizzards, bumps and thunderstorm. It is hard to see out the window in those conditions. Ready for sun!!!

Will winter ever end??? Snowing like crazy in Salt Lake.

On to Spokane Washington. It was 39 degrees but I was curious about what this was as I looked out my hotel window. So, I got a Starbucks and investigated.

Now I get it. As I walked around the corner I saw the beast and why there was a rope across the river. It was to keep boats and people from going over the falls. The falls generate electricity here in Spokane. In 1922 they built a powerplant to generate the cities electricity. It still works today.

There is a bridge that spans across the falls. You can feel the spray from the water below. It was kind of cold today though. The water turns a generator that produces electricity.

Well home tonight. Can't wait.

Winter Wonderland

2011-01-13T18:52:00.005-06:00

Wow what a day. We have been flying around this week in a winter wonderland. The first day we were in Charlotte and they received a couple of inches of snow and the whole operation shut down. Not in Minneapolis. Take a look at where Santa Lives.

Trying to taxi around the airport with out any taxi lines. They are all covered by snow.

Landing can be tricky as everything goes white when you put the aircraft into reverse. Slippery!

Even driving the baggage carts has it's challenges.

This is the view as we start to get deiced. Cool machines. They call it the car wash. There is one of these contraptions on each side of the airplane. He has a nozzle on the front and sprays the aircraft with deice fluid.

On to California for the night. These are the Rockies. Very beautiful snow covered.

Even the Grand Canyon has snow on it. Cool!

Lots of traffic today.

Well it has been a long day of fighting the weather. I am tired, see ya tomorrow. I am getting some sleep.

I'll Be Home For Christmas

2010-12-21T10:09:00.005-06:00

What a crazy month of flying. To get a bunch of days off over Christmas I have had to fly my buns off for the first half of December. But we did it and I am home for Christmas! I am very excited to be off. So many of my partners are working and a way from their families. It can be a very hard month when you are away. You get through it but there is nothing like waking up on Christmas morning to the family.

I spent most of the month looking at this. We have had so much snow and flying and LANDING in it is always a challenge. Imagine landing a 170,000 pound object at 170 mph on an icy piece of cement! All in a days work.

Just another great view.

The Holiday traffic is not just on the ground. Fun to see.

Change in Latitude

2010-12-02T10:54:00.004-06:00

Wow. I woke up this morning and walked outside to find our hotel right on the beach.

I walked out of the hotel this morning in search of a Starbucks and wow, we are on the beach. It was dark last night when I got in and I was tired. Just seemed like another hotel until I woke up.

It is beautiful here. I found a quick place to sweep my honey off too for the weekend!

Sorry Kidos but Starbucks and the beach, well that is a romantic get away.

I captured a few moments to help keep you going until we can both put our feet in the sand!

Up in the Air

2010-11-18T14:36:00.005-06:00

Hey, I am up in the air again. This trip I was in some pretty neat places. I spent one night in Cincinnati and stayed right across the street from where Casey was born. That brought back some great memories of spending New Years Eve in the hospital. I ate at the Cracker Barrel we use to go to all the time and had some hot rolls at one of our favorite places, O' Charlies!

We were in Chicago, Atlanta, Ft Lauderdale and New York. This first picture is flying out of Atlanta. The leaves are just changing. It is hard to believe when we have already had snow and the leaves have left long ago.

I Love New York! This is on Broadway close to where we stayed and as you can see they are getting ready for Christmas.

This is the New York City Public Library. We were so close and did not realize it. It was very beautiful. Is that where books come from?

This view is walking up the last flight of stairs to one of the many libraries. I love the contrast of the very white marble and the deep dark wood carvings. I asked if they had the Cat in the Hat and I got a weird look from the librarian. I guess not.

The paintings were beautiful.

Behind the library is Bryant Park. It has many small shops and is bustling with activity including street performers. There is also an ice rink you can skate at like at the Rockefeller Center.

This video was very cool. We are streaking across the sky right above a layer of clouds. It is one of the rare times you can actually feel how fast you are going. Check it out!

Rocky Mountain High

2010-11-04T19:00:00.006-05:00

This trip was pretty cool. I started in Philly and then Salt Lake, but a new interesting place I flew into was Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It is a little town that is all about skiing in the winter. We stay at the ski resort which is at the bottom of the hill. The cool thing about flying in here is the descent into the hole. There are mountains topping 13,000 feet all around. They are the Grand Teton Mountains. The picture below is flying into Jackson Hole. If you look closely and see the boulder sticking out of the clouds, well that is were we are going. Jackson Hole sits in a basin with mountains all around and today the fog has rolled in and does not want to leave. We will fly a tricky approach right down between the mountains and descend beneath the clouds to land on the little mountain runway.

These are some great pictures as we circle down the ridge to position ourselves on the approach for landing. We are about 16,000 feet. The mountains are between 10,000 and 13,000 feet.

This picture is on the ground. Notice the ice on the trees from the fog. A little freaky descending into the clouds knowing all the mountains are around.

This is down main street in Jackson Hole. You can see the ski hill in the background. It is a very quaint little town that seems like you stepped back in time. The fog finally burned off and it was a great day in town.

These are Elk antlers that are shed on the National Elk Refuge and the local Boy Scouts collected them and made this archway. Pretty cool. We are about a stones throw from Yellowstone.

This is a secluded little town with lots of history from the wild west including paintings by Ansel Adams ( a famous artist). We will come visit one day and maybe ski the hill!

Tomorrow on to Salt Lake, Orange County, California and then home. Can't wait to see ya!

Up Up and Away!

2010-10-12T11:20:00.008-05:00

Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, faster than a speeding bullet, it's a bird, its a plane it's, it's, oh a plane.

(You will have to pause my awesome music to hear the action).

The skies are very crowded and I love seeing the other aircraft fly by. They are about 1000 feet away as they sail by. Hard to get a good picture. The actual view is much better.

This picture was in Memphis. It was a row of Regional Jets all lined up.

This picture is flying over the San Mateo Mts which are just to the Northwest of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Look at the snow!

The Grand Canyon just never gets old. The view is always a little different depending on the light and time of year. We are flying at 38,000 feet. Very cool.

Well on to Vegas Baby!

I've Been Everywhere Man.......

2010-10-04T18:41:00.014-05:00

Wow, have not posted in a while. As Johnny Cash sings, I've been everywhere man..... It has been so busy and my flight schedule has been crazy. I get into the hotel and I am pooped. Then it is early up and on the road again (Hey thats another song... On the road again). I am tired of my 3 am wake up calls. I should put up a picture of the inside of my eyelids. That is what I want to see the most lately. I have been taking pictures and thought I would post them in one huge chunk. Hang on, it has been one heck of a ride. I've been every where man!

San Francisco

San Diego

San Diego ( My ship has come in)

The Moon was so beautiful in the morning. We were flying at 39,000 feet.

A big mama thunderstorm in Florida passing Jacksonville.

I can't remember where...

Philly

Central Park NYC

Hurricane up the East Coast. Bumpy. We flew up the coast from Florida to NYC.

Hurricane approaching NYC. We got in and out just in time.

Jacksonville

Grand Canyon

Chicago (Yummy Pizza)

Boston

Miami

Washington DC ( The fall colors are coming)

White House

Visitors. I see traffic all the time but we are moving so fast it is hard to get a good picture. We are flying at over 550 mph and they are coming at us at the same speed, so that is umm.....1100 mph closure rate. I caught a few videos for another post.

Good Night!

A unexpected treat

2010-08-25T10:38:00.006-05:00

Baltimore

Since the merger with Delta things have been less than smooth sailing. The operation is great as long as everything runs perfectly, but it is very rare that it ever runs perfectly. There have been so many cuts to combine the operation that if there is any weather or a mechanical you fall through the cracks into "never land". That was this trip. One thing after another and we found ourselves stuck in New York with a small mechanical. Hours later we were fixed and under way, but too late to fly our scheduled trip to Albuquerque. The unexpected treat was getting reassigned to fly into Baltimore. That is where Karen's sister lives. It was so much fun! It was Richard's birthday and I was able to spend the night there and celebrate his birthday with some of their friends. They have this fun dance video game that we played and it was a blast. It was almost like being home. I really enjoyed the time there and it was truly an unexpected treat.

Philadelphia

2010-07-31T12:25:00.006-05:00

Philly

After a busy day yesterday fighting thunderstorms and mechanicals we are in Philadelphia today. A very cool place to be on a Saturday, although I would rather be home any day. It was a perfect day here about 78 degrees and sunny. People were out eating at little cafes and touring the city. Our hotel is right in the middle of the historic district. It is next to Betsy Ross's home where she made the historic American flag.

Her house was built in 1740 by this guy and as you can see a home is never really finished. He is still hard at work today.

Next I walked down to the pier and saw some very historic ships. The first two are from two different periods in Naval history. The black submarine is from WWII and is the USS Becuna. It was stationed in Pearl Harbor in 1944-45. The second light colored ship is the USS Olympia and was launched in 1892 during the Spanish American War. It was one of the first ships to have electricity and sailed throughout WWI.

The large masted ship is the largest four masted ship a float in the world. It was built in 1904 as a cargo ship and has sailed the world over 54 times. It had been captured by the American and Germany Armies over the years and was purchased and turned into a 4 star restaurant in 1974.

This picture is just a picture of the inlet with a sailboat out on a leisurely sail. Looks relaxing.

As I was heading back to the hotel I walked through this historic district that was very quaint. These are homes in the city still on some of the original cobble stone roads.

There are several horse and buggy tours (Karen don't look), that walk through the historic district pointing out sites.

These next two pictures are of Carpenters Hall. Early meetings were held here for the Colonists in 1771. The First Continental Congress met here in 1774 and put into affect new resolutions to ban the slave trade. It was captured in 1777 when the British took over Philadelphia.

Right around the corner is Independence Hall. This is the place where the Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution were debated and adopted. The bell tower steeple in Independence Hall is also the original home of the Liberty Bell. Today the bell tower holds the Centennial Bell which was created in 1876 and the Liberty Bell is on display across the street.

Lots of history here and a good summer place to visit. Be home soon!

Coast to Coast

2010-07-24T14:36:00.008-05:00

San Fran

It has been a busy few weeks flying. The trips I have been getting have been brutal. Very cool places and beautiful sites but flying on the back side of the clock is tough. These trips fly out to the West coast and then sit all day and leave around midnight or two am and either fly back to Minny or all the way to the East coast. The flight to Minneapolis is not too bad. It is about three and half hours and I get in at 0600. The flights from the West coast to the East coast are rough. They are about five and half hours and we arrive at 0700. The coasts are completely different as well. I am used to the East coast and its feel - tropical with lush foliage and palm trees. The West coast is completely different. It is much more rocky and hilly with very little foliage. This last trip I was in San Francisco and took in some very cool sites. Let's take a look.

This is a picture down at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. If you look closely you will see what looks like a bunch of sharks in the water. Actually it is a bunch of swimmers. They are all wearing wet suits as the water is very cold. They were practicing for a Triathlon.

This picture is the well known Alcatraz. This island was named after the pelicans that lived there. In the 1850s it became a military fortress and incarceration facility for war prisoners during the Spanish American war. In 1934 it became the infamous maximum security prison for members of organized crime. It was nick named "The Rock" and one of its famous prisoners was Al Capone.

San Francisco is known for it's fishing and everywhere I went there were fishing boats both large and small.

I even stumbled across this row boat. Two men rowed, yes I said rowed this boat 5000 miles across the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco. It only (haha) took them 189 days and they rowed continuously 24/7. One man would row for 2 hours while one man rested then they would switch. Wow, can you imagine. I can't even imagine rowing for two hours straight. I'll bet they were in great shape!

The next cool ship I saw was not a ship at all. It was a submarine from WWII. It's name was USS Pampanito. It actually survived the war which was a feet in it self. More than 33 percent of the WWII submarines sank, many because of the mechanical issues or failures. It was one of the most dangerous duties for serviceman. That is why it was completely voluntary. Lets look inside.

The plush sleeping accommodations.

The spacious laundry facility.

Modern Kitchen.

Office space without a view.

And of course any home would not be complete without their very own torpedo room! The sign said Keep Out. I kind of thought that went with out saying. Cause I know, when I get in a cramped submarine and see a open torpedo door I just get this feeling like climbing in. (Not)

From the pier you can see in the distance the Golden Gate Bridge. It was completed in 1937 and was a marvel in it's design. It has to withstand over 6o mph winds and as you can see is usually surrounded by fog and clouds. There are also very treacherous ocean currents that made this bridge very hard to build. It is designed to sway 27 feet to withstand up to 100 mph winds and is painted in the very distinct orange.

Time to catch the cable car to get up the steep roads to the famous Lombard street. The cable car was introduced in 1873 after many horse and carriage accidents on the steep hills. The cable car was the main mode of transportation until 1906 when the great earthquake and fires hit San Francisco which destroyed most of the cable car system. It is the only operational cable car system left today. The cables run under ground and you can hear them running all the time.

As you can see looking back down the street, it would be extremely hard for a horse and carriage to travel up and down these streets.

Lombard street. It is known as the crookedest (Yes that is a word) street in the world. It was built in 1920 and has 8 very sharp turns. These turns allowed cars to travel down the 40 degree slope.

Very cool place to visit with plenty to do. It is a little chilly at 60 degrees in July and usually cloudy but still fun to explore. Be home soon!

Rapid City Get Away

2010-06-21T14:57:00.012-05:00

A trip I had this month ended up with a 30 hour layover in Rapid City. It is such a cool place to visit. I asked the kiddos who wanted an all expense vacation get away for 30 hours in the exotic hot spot of sweet South Dakota. Well I got 2 takers: Austin and Nicole. Casey had several social events, so she and Karen stayed home. I was flying the trip and we did not get into Rapid City until almost 2am. There were more delays than I care to remember! The kids were troopers though and got to sit in first class. They will do about anything if they can sit in first class and get a free banana and OJ. I made them get up early as we had a full day of sight seeing. It was a whirlwind tour.

Hey! Get up sleepy heads. You had 5 hours sleep, what's the deal?

Every-time we rent a car Austin begs for a cool car. We always have to get something large we can all fit in. This was the most important part of the trip for the boy. Well we got a Dodge Charger with a Hemi. Can you tell the excitement??

Our first stop was Bear Country. "Lions and tigers and bears oh my." It was very cool.

We saw bears everywhere and they can walk right up to your car and look in. Good thing I got the scratch and dent insurance.

A Snow Wolf

Why does the bear cross the road? I am not sure but it was cool to see.

They also had plenty of babies to look at and were very cute.

After Bear Country we drove on down to Mount Rushmore. Such an amazing place. All of the carving they did back in the 1930s without one loss of life. Dynamite, jack hammers and hanging off the cliff of the mountain. It's really amazing.

When you enter the area you first walk down a hall of flags. Each representing one of our great states. It was here where a lady bumped into the kids and said to Austin, "Oh I am sorry girls have a nice day". It was so funny. Maybe he needs a hair cut?

It was a beautiful day!

We tried so many times to get people to take a picture of all three of us. Most came out fuzzy or as one lady said. "I am not sure if it is OK I don't have my glasses on." When I looked at it we weren't even in the picture. I almost laughed out loud.

There was this cool area where you walked into a little tunnel space and looked up through a crack to see George Washington.

Hey! Who you lookin at?

Then on to Crazy Horse. He is a famous Indian Chief that would not surrender. The monument is so big that Mt Rushmore fits inside his face.

This is what it will look like when it is complete. It's a family project that has been in the works since the 1940s. It is funded completely through private donations.

Then on to Needles Highway. We drove through some very cool tunnels along the winding highway.

As we drove along I was wondering why it was called Needles Highway. Well we came around a corner to see exactly why. There is a path that is barely wide enough to drive through. It looked like there was no way you could drive through it. Kind of like a Needle. Oh, I get it!

We found plenty of hills to climb along the way.

And we had to conquer each of them!

Oh, did I mention there were buffalo! It is kind of weird because they roam free and can walk right up to your car. This one was ticked off and had just been running and kicking.

A whole herd moving on to greener pastures.

There were lots of babies too.

"Well Mr. Insurance man it was like this. A giant buffalo just came out of nowhere and rammed the car."

We had so much fun! I would definitely recommend seeing were the Buffalo roam. I might even break into song........

Up Up and away!

2010-06-07T18:41:00.004-05:00

This weekend was a boys retreat. The girls went to Florida for our nieces graduation but the boys could not go for the entire time so we were on our own. Well, we made the best of it and did a mini retreat boy style. Austin and I went with our great friends Roger and Grant.

First was an air-show complete with a jet powered school bus. This thing had bad boy written all over it. It used an F-14 (fighter jet engine) and could cruise at over 300 mph. It would do a burn out that was really a blast. Get it.

There was also a jet powered outhouse. I have only seen one of those before and that was after a bean burrito. Hot Stuff!

We were able to see the small acrobatic airplanes fly amazing routines as well as the military fighters including the Blue Angels, my favorite.

The weather was a little rough. 65 and rain but it still was very cool!

Then it was off to the hotel, which included an indoor go-cart track and giant water park. We had a blast. We swam until they kicked us out and then got up early to be the first ones in. Crazy, but fun! As you can see there were all kinds of very cool activities for us. We played until we could play no more.

The end of the day there were 2 very tired boys, hanging out in the lazy river.

When the Cat is away...

2010-05-02T10:52:00.004-05:00

Gotcha YA!

GaGa is up for a visit and is staying in the basement and the other day she told me that the lid to the toilet had just snapped off. Well after a million jokes, I went and looked at it and sure enough it had just snapped on both of the hinges. I could not believe it. So I replaced the lid with a new one and asked her what she was doing with it. She informed me that just normal stuff. Well, I am on a trip and could not leave it alone so I installed a hidden camera to see what the heck was going on. Check out this picture. I knew it!

Turn on a little praise and worship music and watch out. I think she is doing the running man dance.

Her new Indian name is "One with Stool". It use to be "One with Wind" but that is another story. Never a dull moment!

(Just kidding about the hidden camera. Karen caught this picture.)

Indianapolis

2010-04-14T09:56:00.004-05:00

When I am on the road I love staying downtown and seeing the sites. You would never guess that Indianapolis was such a beautiful city. It is designed to really enjoy the downtown environment. There is a canal walk that runs by the Capitol and ends at the Baseball park. It is beautiful and there are many condos that are on the canal. It is a perfect place to jog or walk. There are paddle boats you can rent and paddle all along the canal. Very beautiful.

Along the canal was a very cool memorial. It is the Medal of Honor Recipients. It is the highest honor that is given to our servicemen. When you read the stories of their heroic actions you can not believe their huge sacrifice.

See if you can read this. It is pretty amazing. The order of importance is:

Purple Heart

Bronze Star

The Distinguished Flying Cross

The Silver Star

The Distinguished Service Medal

The Air Force Cross

The Distinguished Service Cross

The Navy Cross

The Medal of Honor

The heroic actions to receive the Medal of Honor is in most cases fatal to those who receive it.

Hotel Flying

2010-03-26T10:26:00.003-05:00

Wow

When they say Airport Hotel they really mean it. This is a video standing on the deck of our room in Miami. It was a cloudy day and you could watch the planes pop out of the clouds and fly by. Very cool, got a love it!

Charter Bus

2010-03-02T19:27:00.005-06:00

This trip is a NBA charter. There are several Airbus aircraft that are specially fitted to only fly the NBA stars around. They are what they call above first class. The aircraft in this configuration holds about 50 people. Normally it holds 150 people. It is like having a very large personal jet. Very cool.

It is a long day for us. We started in Minneapolis and picked up a team and dropped them in Dallas and then we flew empty to Oklahoma City and picked up another team. We flew that team to Houston and then flew empty back to Dallas to be in position to fly a team back to Minneapolis the next day. We get in about 2am. The Next day we fly a team back to Minneapolis and then on to Portland Oregon. Wow what a trip. I will keep you posted. The food is amazing. I think my nick name will be fat boy after this trip. Each of the seats have individual video systems and about anything you could possibly want is on board.

This picture is Dallas. We fly into the downtown airport which is very close to downtown. kind of cool.

Snow Days

2010-02-22T12:47:00.003-06:00

February has been a snow filled month. It is beautiful and cumbersome all in one. When we are flying it presents some obstacles as all of the snow and ice has to be removed from the aircraft to safely fly. The tricky part is it has to stay off as you taxi out to the runway when it is snowing. The first picture is the cumbersome part of snow in the winter. We are in line getting the snow blown off the aircraft before we can takeoff. It is pretty cool to watch. This Star Wars like contraption works it's way around the plane spraying off any snow and then applying a special mix that absorbs any falling snow so the wings are clear when we takeoff.

The next pictures are some cool pictures of the snow from around the country. One is in Chicago as they are trucking out the snow from the airport and another from the mountains surrounding Salt Lake City. You can see how close the mountains are to the airport.

The small lines in the center of the mountain is a strip mine. This mountain is just West of Salt Lake.

See ya soon

Boy Time

2010-02-06T21:47:00.008-06:00

Fun Time At Home

I have had a great time at home. This weekend we had boy time. We went skiing and then to downtown Minneapolis for the big Motorcycle show. It was a blast!

The weather was great for skiing. We were getting a light snow and it was about 30 degrees. We lucked out and there were not any lines for the ski lifts all day. We could ski down the hill and get right on the lift and go down again. It was so much fun. Here in Minnesota we also have night skiing. It is one of the few places around that lets you ski at night. It is a whole different feeling skiing at night. It is a little harder to see but supper fun!

This ski hill is the same one I use to ski at when I was a kid. We lived in Iowa and we had to drive about 5 hours to come up here to ski. I never dreamed I would live here and be so close. Amazing the hill is exactly the same as it was when I was little.

Minneapolis was also the host to the annual motorcycle show. So it was off to the show. Austin had his good friend Travis come with us for Boy Time. We saw cool motorcycles and watched some stunt riders. They even were able to get their autograph. Very cool!

I love these pictures of the boys. There is a picture of the boys sitting on a bike and watching TV. That would be the perfect addition to anyones living room. Might give you a neck cramp though.

This is the video of the stunt riders. Austin and Travis were able to get their autograph. They loved it!

Training Day

2010-02-02T19:02:00.003-06:00

The Aircraft Simulator Bays

As pilots it seems like we are constantly being evaluated. We get put through the paces every nine months in the aircraft simulator, we get an extensive flight physical every six months as well as all of the continued training pilots do to maintain their Air Marshall qualifications. We have line check airmen that ride in the cockpit to evaluate our skills in line flying duties several times a year as well. All of these tests are pass/fail and if failed could mean a whole new saying. "Would you like fries with that"? "How about a hot apple pie"? (No Pressure)

This month it is the simulator. We are tested running through many emergency situations. Engine fires, failures, cockpits that fill with smoke, landing gear that fails to come down etc. You get the idea. It is grueling and very difficult. All of the sessions are video taped so you can see all of your mistakes up close, learn from them and practice again. We are then tested, scored and after several days let loose to get ready for the next series of tests.

These pictures are what the simulators look like that we train and test in. Super cool! They are amazing how real they are and how hard they make you work to survive. It seems very real and amazing what they can simulate, even pumping smoke into the device that makes it very difficult to fly, just like it would be in real life. If you can see the computer screens in the back of the simulator, that is where the check airmen sits and enters the malfunctions into the sim.

Happy New Year 2010

2010-01-09T07:18:00.004-06:00

Vegas

I had some good time off and had a great Christmas but now back at it. This trip is the Las Vegas shuttle. I flew from Minneapolis to Las Vegas on to Detroit spent the night and back to Las Vegas for a short few hour to fly the red eye back to Minneapolis. The Red Eye is the all night flight. You leave at about 3 am Minneapolis time and get in at 6 am. Wow am I tired. I did get some cool pictures. Las Vegas is very unique as it is an Oasis in the middle of nowhere. At night it is spectacular as it looks like the Disney light parade all lit up. Click on the video to see.

The flight out is very cool. You fly over the Rockies and they are always beautiful. We are at 35,000 feet and they still look so close.

On the way in just outside of Las Vegas we flew by the Hoover Dam. Kind of hard to see, but if you follow the water to the left you will just be able to see it.

Las Vegas is surrounded by mountains and it is very different seeing a city surrounded by mountains like these. The first picture you can see the city and mountains lying around it. The second picture you can see the mountains that are off the end of the runway. We takeoff and turn to gain altitude to fly over. Makes for great views.

Well home soon and back to the cold winter on Minneapolis. The weather shows it -10. I cant wait to see ya. Stay warm!

Home for Christmas: Let it snow

2009-12-24T11:08:00.004-06:00

This month has been different for me flying. To be able to get Christmas off I had to bid for reserve flying. That means rather than having a regular schedule I have had to be on call. The way that works is I carry around my flight gear and uniform and when the company calls I have to go and fly. I felt a little like Clark Kent. My phone would ring and literally I would have to jump into a phone booth and put on my uniform and fly away. The trips I would fly were mainly into areas that had been affected by weather and had cancelations like the East coast this last week. The company puts on more flying to catch up after the weather prohibits the original flights from operating. ( My Changing Facility) Usually the back seat of the van as Karen drives me to the airport. Kind of like a phone both.

I am home now for Christmas and so happy. I have spent many Christmases alone in a hotel. I am savoring every minute. I wish each one of you no matter where you are a very Merry Christmas! Don't forget to track Santa. The Northern American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) tracks Santa every year. You can watch him deliver presents too! www.noradsanta.org

Back at it.

2009-11-30T11:24:00.004-06:00

Well back at it. It was so nice to be home for Thanksgiving. It was very special. I miss you all so much.

This has been a busy trip. Not much time to do anything but fly and sleep. This trip has had long 14 hour days. I have been to Ft. Lauderdale, Memphis, DC (twice), Minneapolis three times and Raleigh Durham. I can't wait to get home. The pictures above are about all I have seen for the last three days with the exception of the break I had in Minny where we had lunch together. That was definitely the highlight of the trip, seeing you guys. See ya soon.

The Best Way to Fly

2009-11-09T06:04:00.003-06:00

Our Private Jet

We make a good team!

This was the best way to go to work. When I can take my family along. I had a normal trip to New York, Tampa and DC. This trip the flights to and from DC were wide open with plenty of open seats and I was scheduled to have the day in DC free from duty. That gave us the day in DC. Karen and Austin came along and it was very special. I loved having them with me. We flew out to DC in the evening and they got to come up to the cockpit before we left and see my office and even got to talk on the flight attendants PA system. Austin loved being in the cockpit with me and I loved having him with me.

When I was walking around the aircraft performing the preflight inspection I looked up in one of the windows to see my beautiful wife looking out and blowing me a kiss. I will remember that moment for ever. It was so special having her on a flight I was flying. Definitely one of my all time highlights.

The Wild West

2009-10-31T15:10:00.003-05:00

Crazy Wrabbits

The start of the day was early and as I was walking around the aircraft doing my preflight on the airplane I had to take a double take. There was a bunch of Wild Rabbits (Scary). They were on their way out West. I guess they needed a change from the boring Midwest. They were headed out to the Wild West. When I got back on the airplane the owners of the scary rabbits wanted to make sure they made it on the airplane. This is the picture I had taken so I showed them their crazy wrabbits were with us.

It was the last day of the trip and I was headed out West to San Diego and the route we take is one of my favorites. You fly over the Rocky Mountains and continue on through the desert in Nevada and over the Grand Canyon. It is so beautiful! The Rockies were especially beautiful today as the clouds were slightly below the mountain tops. Denver had just received a lot of snow and it was very scenic.

The Rockies

The Grand Canyon

Milwaukee

2009-10-29T12:36:00.003-05:00

It is a cloudy day today in Milwaukee but flying in I saw a unique building on the skyline. I found this picture to show you. It is the Art Museum downtown. I am staying close by it today. The top part that looks like a whales tail or ships tail, is part of the roof that twice a day opens up like wings. Very cool. The temperature today is cool and it is very cloudy.

It was an early get up today at 3am when I left Boston. This trip has had all early departures which is wearing me out. It is hard to make yourself go to bed early. I feel like a senior citizen. I get the early bird special at dinner because I eat at 4 and then in bed by 8 pm. Yee Haw I am living it up. One more day of early get ups and then I am sleeping in. I fly to Minneapolis then on to San Diego and then back tomorrow. Long day but I can't wait to see ya.

I'll have the seniors special please!

Boston

2009-10-28T17:04:00.003-05:00

It is hard to believe less than 24 hours ago I was siting on the beach with my beautiful wife. It was quick at home and out on the road.

The trip to the Keys was an amazing get away. Our room was on the beach and as you can see from the top picture you could walk off our porch to the beach. It was so much fun!

It was so hard to go back to work. As you can see it was a little colder and grey in Boston. The leaves are changing and it is a beautiful color. I think though to be honest I like the first picture better.

Well another day and off to Milwaukee tomorrow. Then on to San Diego and Home. The best place of all. (Home)

See ya soon!

History Lesson NWA

2009-10-21T09:30:00.003-05:00

Northwest Airlines was founded on September 1, 1926 by Colonel Lewis Brittin, under the name Northwest Airways, a reference to the historical name for the Northwest Territory. Like other early airlines, Northwest's focus was not in hauling passengers, but in flying mail for the U.S. Post Office Department. The fledgling airline established a mail route between Minneapolis and Chicago, using open cockpit biplanes.

Northwest began flying passengers in 1927. In 1928, the airline started its first international route with service to Winnipeg (Canada). The airline's operations were expanded to smaller cities in the region by the end of the decade. In 1931, Northwest sponsored Charles and Anne Lindbergh on a pioneering flight to Japan, scouting what would become known as the Northwest Airlines Great Circle route, and proving that flying via Alaska could save as much as 2,000 miles on a New York City-Tokyo route. In 1933, Northwest was designated to fly the Northern Transcontinental Route from New York City to Seattle, Washington. It adopted the name of Northwest Airlines the following year.

During World War II, Northwest joined the war effort by flying military equipment and personnel from the continental United States to Alaska. During this time, Northwest began painting its aircraft tails red as a visual aid in the often harsh weather conditions. The airline's experience with the severe northern climate led the government to designate Northwest as the United States' main North Pacific carrier following World War II. That is why we still have the Red Tails today. We also still carry troops back and forth to hot spots all over the world today.

On July 15, 1947, Northwest became the first airline to operate a commercial passenger flight from the U.S.A. to Japan and Northwest remains the largest non-Japanese carrier at Tokyo Narita Airport, with flights to several cities in Far East Asia as well as in South East Asia.

Northwest meteorologists pioneered the first clear-air turbulence forecasting system in 1957, important since the airline flew many northern routes over turbulence-prone mountain areas. Northwest remains a leader in turbulence prediction, providing TPAWS (turbulence prediction and warning services) to other airlines still today.

November 1st our aircraft shifts over totally to Delta Airlines and we come to an end of an era. Northwest has a rich history with many pioneering firsts in the airline industry. It has been very cool to work with them and move into the future. It is hard to imagine flying back in the early years over Alaska into Japan with minimal navigation equipment and operations. I thought as we move forward it would be cool to look at the past.

This picture shows the combining of the two airlines. Notice the Red Tail on the Airbus. It is still with the Northwest branding. It moves into a new logo with Delta. If you look closely at the picture of the wings the bottom set of wings are Northwest wings. They have "Air Mail" written on them as that is where Northwest got their start. The middle set of wings are those of old Delta and the top set of wings are the new Delta. Notice the color change to red. Delta incorporated the rich heritage of the Red Tail into the new Delta.

It is sad to see such a strong legacy airline name go away. It has been around for over 80 years. Quite a accomplishment in the ups and downs of an airline environment, but I am looking forward to the future with Delta. They are a good airline with an employee friendly environment. On to another chapter in life.

Rock Star

2009-10-17T21:50:00.005-05:00

This was our sweet ride this morning in Sacramento. Normally we ride in a very average van but today we are Rock Stars. I walked out to get in the van and saw this huge limo and wondered who was taking that and why in the world would they be going at this hour. It was 0530 in the morning. If I was a Rock Star I would go like 1100. Well it was for us. We hopped in and drove to the airport and everyone we passed, (all 3 people on the road at that time) looked in and wondered what star would emerge. Well sorry to disappoint you it is just your Rock Star pilots. Yeeee Haww. I am not sure how cool I looked climbing out of the limo that sits so low to the ground I almost split my pants trying to crawl out and then knocked my hat off practically falling out on the ground. I think I need to practice my stage entrance. Oh well next time. It was fun while it lasted.

See ya soon!

Let it snow

2009-10-14T16:04:00.005-05:00

Well the summer is actually over. WHAT A BUMMER! We start into the long winter months.

The first picture tells it all. Dark and snowy.

This picture is the empty parking lot to Valley Fair. The local amusement park. Summer is over. It went by too fast! Things are starting to wind down.

This picture is flying over the zoo. So many animals are in a wild environment where you could not see them. I can see the huge aquarium. Have you seen or touched any monkeys? Ill bet there is one in there.

The snow has been flying and here we go. Today we flew out to Sacramento, California. Our route takes us over the Bighorn Mountain in Wyoming. They actually have a town there called Crazy Woman! I laugh every time I fly over. Duh (Just kidding)

This lake is one of the largest in the States. It is in Nevada, close to Reno and is called Pyramid Lake. It is very salty and not really for swimming. Lake Tahoe is close by and is the resort to go to for swimming. That is the place I climbed the mountain. It is very beautiful there but Pyramid Lake area looks deserted and very desolate.

On to Minny and Bismarck and then home. See ya soon!

Sonnys!!!

2009-10-08T10:09:00.002-05:00

Guess what I ate? You guessed it Sonnys! Nana came down from the Villages and had dinner with me. It was awesome. I ate until I was about to be ill. We had a good time.

Today I am in Hartford Connecticut. No Sonnys. Bummer. The leaves are just starting to turn and it is sunny and 63. I am here for today and getting some work done. Tomorrow off to Minny and out to Billings Montana and back. See ya shortly.

A very gusty day in New York

2009-10-07T19:09:00.005-05:00

YEEEEEE HAAAAA!

My last landing in New York! (Just kidding). It was so windy in New York today. The winds were at the absolute max the aircraft could safely land in. Everyone was having to go around because the winds exceeded the max. Once the winds would die down enough we could come in and land. Needles to say we got caught in the conga line and ended up being over a hour late today. It was a wild ride in all the bumps. The winds were over 39 knots. That is just under 50 miles per hour. Yippy Ki Yay!

We were able to get out of there and on to Tampa. It was much nicer in Florida.

This is an area just South of Tampa. Many ships come in and off load and pick up their materials. The city is to the middle right.

Here is a better picture of downtown Tampa. It was so nice to see the water and get warmed up.

Here is a picture of an Air Force base called MacDill in Tampa. This is a cool base where Special Forces work and play. This is the place where Mom and I went to the airshow and Mom was in the infamous portapotty! (Remember)

These are some beautiful homes on the Gulf. It would be very exciting to live on the water. What a view.

Well another early morning and on to Connecticut tomorrow.

See ya soon!

On the Runway

2009-10-03T14:27:00.004-05:00

Most of my flights lately have been quick, so I am back before I can post the sights I have seen for ya.

This last trip was cool though into New York again. We landed in Newark, New Jersey and had to take a limo drive to New York (JFK) for a morning departure. It took almost 2 hours to drive it. It was rush hour traffic and stop and go. Very boring! But we did go over the George Washington bridge which crosses the Hudson river. That is the bridge Captain Sully flew over when he landed his Airbus on the Hudson river. To the left is New York city and straight ahead on the water is where he landed.

The next picture is sitting on the runway in New York JFK waiting to take off. Straight ahead is the city. Really cool. Look at the building at the end of the runway. You don't want to run off the end do ya? It looks pretty weird heading toward it.

The city is so large it is amazing how many buildings there are. It looks like a sea of buildings.

Boston with Nicole

2009-09-12T14:28:00.003-05:00

I was flying s trip which included a long overnight in Boston. I asked Nicole if she wanted to come with me and she said she would love to. Boston is one of my favorite cities to visit. It is rich in history. She can fly free and there were plenty of seats or so it seemed until the weather came into Boston and flights started getting delayed. My flight filled up and there were only 3 seats left and she was 3 on the list. She got on and I was thrilled until a passenger could not get their seat as the agent had put 2 people in the same seat. You guessed it they had to pull Nicole off the flight. We were heart broken, but there was another flight. It ran late as well and she did not get into Boston until midnight. I picked her up and we went to sleep to be woken up at 430 by fire alarms and sirens. Our hotel alarms were going off and we had to evacuate the building. A story in its self. Turned out there was not a fire and the firemen gave us the ok to go back in after 20 minutes standing outside in the rain. You could not believe what we saw people wearing. The next day was great and we had a wonderful day touring the city. Here are some great pictures of our day.

Our Hotel

On the Trolley in Boston. It was sprinkling today so we took a tour of the city by trolley. It was so much fun. We saw so many cool places. Our tour guide was a retired history teacher and taught us so much about the history of the city.

This was Kings cemetery. Paul Revere was buried here as well as John Hancock and the Franklin family.

This was at the start of the Freedom Trail. This statue was in front of the State House.

This is the home of Paul Revere. He raised 16 children in this home. He had 8 children from his first wife who died. He remarried and had 8 more. Wow! I guess his second wife was very competitive.

The road home

2009-08-26T18:50:00.007-05:00

Well today was a early day in Memphis. We flew to New York and then on home to Minneapolis. We landed today to the South in New York, which means you fly up the Hudson river over the Statue of Liberty and circle the city to land. It is very neat flying so close to the city. Seems a little weird being so close to this very large city and seeing the twin towers site. New York is also so busy it is a little crazy talking to the controllers and landing in this very crowded airport.

This is the Statue of Liberty. Kind of fuzzy, it was bumpy coming in.

New York City downtown. The open area is where the Twin Towers stood.

This is upper New York where the Empire State building is located. As you can see it is a huge area packed with buildings.

This is an amusement park just North of the city.

See ya soon!

Change of scenery

2009-08-25T17:45:00.006-05:00

(I took this picture yesterday on the mall. It is such a cool place to visit).

Today started out early in DC. The sun was just coming up as we took to the sky and headed for Memphis. I had been looking everywhere for Elvis but little did I know he was under glass at the airport in Memphis. He wouldn't sign an autograph. (Whats up with that)?

Then it was on to Cancun. We were just flying down and turning around and coming back. I wanted to take you all and hang out on the beach. The beaches are just beautiful. We will have to make a trip there! Look at how blue the water is.

Well I must get some rest. It was along day. Tomorrow we fly to New York and then home. See ya soon.

DC Afternoon

2009-08-24T15:33:00.004-05:00

I flew to DC today and had the afternoon off to explore. I of course went to the Mother Ship... (The Air and Space Museum). I feel at home there. I can't figure out though everytime I go back, there seems to be more airplanes hanging from the ceilings that I use to fly. That is only suppose to happen to old timers. I remember going there when I was a kid thinking wow somebody really sat in there and flew that. Now I am walking up to an airplane I flew only to hear, "Wow somebody actually had to push all of those buttons and sit in there". Could it be true, that I am becoming an old timer. Nah! That kid is just crazy.

This first picture is the nose of our (NorthWest Airlines) Boeing 747. This is the actual nose off of one of the airplanes we retired. Very cool to see. It is huge.

The next series of pictures is a progression of the aircraft cockpit. Notice the difference with the instruments. I flew each of these. Hard to believe. Computers made a huge difference in cockpit design. This first one is 1950's technology. We call these round dial cockpits. Notice the dials. Everything is moved with large levers and connectors.

This cockpit is the beginning of computer technology making it's way into the cockpit. Just the beginning. This aircraft has the computing power of a small calculator you would use in school today. Not much. This cockpit we called flying the "Steam Gauges". This is getting into the 1970's. Flew that too. Wow maybe I am old.

This is a modern cockpit I fly today. It is the A-320. One of the most sophisticated cockpits of today. (Not a very good picture. It is behind glass and a lot of kids licking the glass or something. I think that same kid that was giving me a hard time). Notice there are not any round dials. Everything is run with computers and control stations. It is fly by wire, which means instead of large levers to move the wings ailerons there are computer control stations that send a electric signal to move the ailerons. Well, since this is very advanced and it is in the Smithsonian maybe I am not so old after-all.

Ok, then I walked around the corner and saw the wave of the future. (UAV's) This is the stuff I am working with for the Government. Well, now I know I am not old, I am just ahead of my time. I feel much better. I think it is time for a nap.

Well hope you had a great day. Tomorrow on to Memphis and Cancun. Maybe I will see Elvis catching some waves.

Waiting for a Jet Plane

2009-08-15T10:44:00.004-05:00

This trip starts in Minneapolis goes to Denver and Back and then goes on to New York. We had a 3 hour sit in Minneapolis waiting for our airplane to come in that we were going to take to New York. The first picture was our empty gate waiting for our airplane.

This next picture is our airplane finally pulling in. The days are long when you are flying. We typically work 12 to 14 hours at a time so when you have to sit around waiting you get a little bored as you can tell.

This next picture is of me sitting in the cockpit getting ready to go. I took a picture of the reflection in the window in front of us. If you look closely you can see me in the cockpit, you'll have to look close. I was waving like a crazy person. After I took that I wondered what the passengers thought of this crazy pilot taking pictures and waving at the glass. Oh well it was along day.

This picture is for Kari. This is a picture of your Dads refinery. I flew right over the top. I was waving. Ask him if he saw me.

Well on to New York and then home soon.

Phoenix in August

2009-08-12T20:20:00.005-05:00

On the road again.......

Flew to Phoenix, Arizona today and boy are my arms tired. (haha) It was a good trip we flew down to Arizona it is quite a flight. It took a little over 3 hours one way. It is kind of cool trip over the Continental Divide in New Mexico. The first picture is the mountain we flew over. The water on the West side flows to the Gulf of California and the water on the East flows to the Gulf of Mexico. Kind of cool. I am not sure what happens to the water that lands in the middle.

New Mexico has a few other interesting areas of interest. Los Alamos is where they developed the Atomic Bomb and the first detonation was in the Trinity Site in 1945. Just for Nicole there is the largest radio telescope in the world. It was designed to receive radio signals from outer space. Remember the movie (Signs)? Tin foil works good to keep those aliens from reading your mind. I put mine on when we flew over, just in case.

The next picture is the terminal in Phoenix. Kind of neet seeing the mountains and palm trees all in the same place.

The last picture is a moving map we have in the aircraft. If you look closely you can see a bunch of white dots with writing next to them. Those are all the airplanes flying around us. It was busy!

Well on the Green Bay, Detroit and then back home!

Back in the Air

2009-08-04T20:50:00.003-05:00

Back in the Air

I have been able to just work my DOD job for the last 6 months and now it is time to do double time. I have so enjoyed being home and not having to travel so much. I am headed back into the cockpit this month. A lot has happened. When I took my break we were Northwest Airlines and now we are Delta Airlines. Delta merged with us last year and we are now the largest airline in the world. A lot of changes.

I had to go back through a small refresher training course in the simulator to make sure I remember were all the buttons are. I guess it is important (What ever). The simulators are very cool training tools. (That is the first picture). They sit about three stories above the ground and replicate every possible emergency including pumping smoke into the cockpit. I had to practice and test out on engine fires, failures and many other emergencies. It has the exact cockpit that we fly in including visuals that are very realistic. Kids if you remember you have been in them and flown the airplanes. Now that we are Delta we have new procedures that have to be trained.

I love flying but miss being home so much. I am so thankful that I was able to get the summer off and enjoy family. Now that I am back in the cockpit I will start showing you the World again as I see it.

The Friendly Skies

2009-02-28T10:36:00.002-06:00

Times have changes and Pilots responsibilities have grown beyond just safely flying a tin can 40,000 feet above the earth at over 600 miles an hour. A new threat has grown and in the midest of huge pay cuts and retirements that have been disolved a pilot today must meet a new day with more resolve and commitment to their passengers then ever before. Most of this accomplished on their own time with little support from the airlines that employ them. Every passenger should know the level of commitment and sacrifice each Pilot has made to safely transport each and every person safely to their destination. Make sure you say thanks.

How long can it last?

2009-02-24T16:46:00.001-06:00

Where Ive Been

2009-02-16T10:40:00.004-06:00

I have not been updating the blog for a while as I have been on leave from flying Airplanes and have been working my business of training unmanned Aircraft Pilots. My second job is working for the Department of Defense training unmanned aircraft pilots. When the Airline starts to cut back they ask pilots if they want to take a leave so they do not have to lay off junior pilots. It works great for me as I can take a leave and work my other full time job. When flying picks up and they need pilots again, I go back and fly and work my Defense job on the road. It keeps me busy but not a lot I can update on the blog.

The above pictures are an Unmanned Aircraft (UAV) that I work with. This is just one of several I have been involved with. Maybe one day you will get on an Airliner and look up into the cockpit and see a computer flying. Several agencies have already been testing flying large aircraft completely unmanned. Hey maybe one day I can fly all across the country from home. Wouldn't that be cool.

Happy Birthday Nicole!!!

2008-12-27T14:19:00.004-06:00

Happy Birthday Nicole!!!

What do you think of your birthday car? (Just kidding) I wish I could get you a Ferrari.

I am sitting in New York getting ready to come home and have a birthday celebration with you. 19, it is hard to believe. It seems like yesterday I was flying around with you as a baby to get my paycheck when I worked at Comair. I would take you everywhere with me. I was able to spend a lot of time with you growing up which I hold so precious in my heart. Riding horses, dirt bikes, traveling, the dads and daughters camping. (Remember we won the look a like contest) We have had so many great times. I am so proud of you and how far you have come. I see you growing as a lady and am privileged to be able to walk along side of you. I think the hardest thing for me as a dad is letting go. In a way my picture of you is frozen as a little girl even though I know you are a lady now. Know how much I love you and always will. I will be home soon to celebrate.

Happy Birthday

Looking for Santa

2008-12-24T12:39:00.003-06:00

Santa has already started his route!

It is a very dangerous job!

In flight sighting.

Yesterday in LA. Santa having some fun!

It is even dangerous having fun.

Back in the air after a couple of months at home. The airlines are over staffed because the load factors are down since not as many people can afford to fly right now. The nice thing is they have been offering time off for pilots that want it. It has been nice being at home and just working my Defense contract. Unfortunately Christmas is a bad time for sick calls and the company makes almost everyone fly over the Christmas Holidays. Soooo here I am in Las Vegas Christmas eve. I flew into Los Angeles and then on to Vegas yesterday. Tonight I fly to Detroit and home late. Christmas day I head out again. I think I am flying as much as Santa. If you go to www.noradsanta.org you can track his flight across the world.

Believe it or not he has actually started his trip. I will be watching out for him. I saw him yesterday on the ocean in Los Angeles. He is a busy guy but likes to have fun too. The ocean is a dangerous place but Santa is brave and quick. He is out flying his route today so he made it out of the sharks mouth. The air is dangerous as well with all of the jets flying around so santa has to keep his eyes open and not fall asleep. I will try and listen out for him tonight and keep you posted.

As fun as Christmas is I want to make sure we don't forget the reason for the season. The birth of our Saviour. It is easy to get caught up with all of the presents and fun, but lets not forget what we are celebrating. Have fun and I will be home soon.

Lake Tahoe

2008-11-01T16:24:00.005-05:00

We flew into Sacramento, California and drove up to Lake Tahoe. Once we got there we climbed Mt. Rubicon. Look it up, it is 9200 feet above sea level and 3000 feet above the lake. The first picture you can see the tower. The tower is a cliff with a shear drop off of 300 feet. That is were I am sitting. It was very difficult to climb and very scary once we got on top of the cliff. It was extremely windy but the view was breath taking. You could see the mountain range called the Sierras. We climbed 2 miles to get to the top with a vertical rise of over 3000 feet. It was very steep and my legs felt like jello. It took us one hour and fifteen minutes to make the climb and we saw snow along the route. The water is very blue and the lake is much larger than it looks. It is over 11 miles wide and 22 miles long. At it's deepest point it is over 1600 feet deep. The mountains surround the lake and we were sitting on the top. Very cool.

Tic Tac Toe

2008-10-29T19:39:00.005-05:00

Winter is here

Tic Tac Toe at 40,000 ft

Well it is the end of October and already we are looking at winter. Snow this morning on the airplanes and across the ground on the way to New York. The second picture is what we pilots do when we get bored. Tic tac toe at 40,000 feet. It is difficult but amusing. On to Sacramento. I will get some good pictures. See ya soon.

October Road

2008-10-25T11:37:00.004-05:00

The sunrise flying home for my Anniversary.

Spending time with Mom in Orlando and her new sporty car!

The beautiful mountains in Denver

Another sunset in New York

This was a good trip, but I am glad to be home. It started out at 6 am in Minneapolis with a check ride. As a pilot we have to take many tests each year. We have a 4 day checkride in the simulator each year and then once a year we receive a line evaluation. The line evaluation is not announced and you never know when it will be. The check pilot will just show up and go through all of your manuals to make sure everything is up to date and then ride in the cockpit for a round trip. This time it was to Denver and back. It is about 2 hours each way and they test all of your skills. They ask you questions about the airplane and all of the procedures. They then watch you fly and grade your performance. Luckily I passed and get to keep my job for a while longer. If you fail it is unpaid leave and up to a board if you get to keep your job. (No pressure). We always joke about training and call it - bet your career. The flight to Denver was very bumpy but I did get a beautiful shot of the mountains. It is usually very bumpy going into Denver as the air flows over the mountains it creates turbulence. We call that mountain wave. It can be very dangerous.

Then it was off to Orlando where I was able to have diner with my mom. A short night but it was so cool to see nana. She was sporting a new car. Very cool! The next day taxing in you could see the sunset over downtown New York city. Very beautiful. Flying home on the last day I snapped this picture of the sunrise. It was amazing with the vivid colors of red and blue. The camera does not due it justice. Well it is home for our 22nd Anniversary. I can't wait to see you all and go out to dinner tonight.

Go West young man!

2008-10-18T11:06:00.003-05:00

The Fall colors over Minneapolis

Great Sand Dunes National Monument

Portion of the Grand Canyon

The Moon!

The only grass in Arizona

We flew out West to Phoenix, Arizona. I love flying out West. It is such a different part of the United States. The changes are dramatic the further you fly West. The start of the trip flew over Minneapolis and as you can see the fall colors are beautiful. As we flew over Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico we flew over this unusual site. It is the Great Sand Dunes National Monument in Colorado. It looks like a giant sand box shaped like the United States. It is located at the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Range and some of the dunes are over 700 feet tall. This is in the Southern portion of Colorado. The further West we travel the more desolate and terrain becomes. We fly over the Southern portion of the Grand Canyon. It is over 800 feet deep cut into the earth. As we get closer to Phoenix we fly over the Moon? No this is actually called Monument Valley. They filmed many mars and moon movies here as well as many westerns. It is hard to believe it is real. An approach into Phoenix we fly over the only green thing you see. It is a golf course. It really stands out with everything looking so dead. Well back to Earth soon. See ya.

Sunsets

2008-10-15T22:12:00.003-05:00

The top two pictures are another great example of the most beautiful sunsets. The colors are so vivid. The last picture is in New York and is a picture of the new Airbus 380. The largest jetliner in the world. There was a 747 next to it and it dwarfed it. It can hold up to 850 people and weighs over one million pounds. It has 20 wheels on the main landing gear and can be yours for only 320 million dollars. What a bargain!

Fall Flying

2008-10-09T11:17:00.003-05:00

The Fall color is beautiful

Minneapolis National Guard prepare for deployment

The stunning skyline of Bismarck

Downtown Calgary set next to the snow covered mts.

The season is changing and it is starting to get cold and the trees are starting to get their beautiful fall color. It is very beautiful as you fly over and see the vibrant color. The first picture is taking off from Minneapolis and seeing the color along the river. In line for takeoff I saw the Minneapolis Guard practicing for their deployment to Iraq. They fly in a line as they land to protect each other. The first aircraft lands and the second does a low flyby looking for bad guys in case the aircraft landing takes fire. The most vulnerable position for an aircraft is in the landing phase just prior to touch down. Kind of like a sitting duck. The aircraft behind the one landing protects the aircraft in case they get attacked. They immediately fly by and come around for their landing and the aircraft on the ground swings around to protect the one landing. Very cool to see.

We flew into Bismarck and then back to Minny and on to Calgary. Long day (13 hours). We got into Calgary at 130 am. I was tired but was fortunate to see the amazing skyline of Bismarck. You can see the metropolis by the single skyscraper.

On to Calgary which is actually a very pretty city. You can see the skyline set next to the snow covered mountains. It was 31 degrees. COLD! Oh well it is getting that time of year. Today back to Minny and on to New York. See ya soon.

Riding into the sunset

2008-10-02T14:58:00.002-05:00

We were getting ready to takeoff for New York when I looked up just before takeoff and saw the owner of the Minnesota Vikings taking off. The game had just finished and he was heading home. What a way to commute!

The next picture was a beautiful sunset. It was one of the most vivid reds I have every seen. It is hard to capture on a camera, especially bouncing along at 600 mph. The sunset was sandwiched between a layer of clouds. It was cool. Well off the Raleigh Durham and them Edmonton Canada. See ya soon!

Winter is on it's way

2008-09-15T10:35:00.003-05:00

Denver Rockies
The Snow Plows Practicing

The last day we flew out to Denver. It is very beautiful as there is more snow on the Rockies and they really stand out. As we were taxing into the terminal in Denver I could not believe what I saw. The snow plows were out in their shinny trucks practicing and getting ready for the first snow. It is hard to believe but we are only a few weeks away from our first snow fall. I am not ready for that. Winter is already upon us.

Rainy Days

2008-09-15T10:13:00.002-05:00

In Line for Takeoff
Landing in Minneapolis
On Approach In Boston
Downtown Boston over the Airport

This trip was a wet one. Much of the country was covered with rain. It seemed like everywhere we went we were bouncing along in the storms. The top pictures we are leaving Minneapolis. A departure leaves about every 2 minutes and in between those departures there is an aircraft landing. As you can see one airplane lands and one takes off. When you land you better be right on because an airplane is sitting right next to the runway waiting to take off. There is always a audience watching your landings.

The next pictures is coming into Boston. It is a very cool city filled with history. The freedom trail is downtown and takes you past so many historical sites. The Boston Tea Party as you have studied is just one of the famous historical events that happened there. The airport is surrounded by water so I have to make sure I don't land short or roll of the end. Swimming would not be good there. The city is very close to the airport as you can see by the picture where you can see the downtown buildings over the airport terminal. There is a train that runs from the airport right to downtown. Very cool. A lot of ships will come into Boston and off load their goods in those giant containers you see stacked up and eventually those items will get shipped to our home town. Boston is one my favorite cities to visit as you really can see how our country was formed.

The road home

2008-09-03T10:13:00.005-05:00

NYC taxi
Niagara Falls
Threat of Nature
Threat of Mankind

This trip was filled with adventure and beauty. The skyline in New York is the beauty that man has built. The New York skyline is like no other. There are 3 airports that are so close to the city and even though they are huge they are always at capacity. It always amazes me how close the airports are to the city. Most airports are several miles away from the major city.

The next site along the road home was Niagara Falls. The beauty that God made. It is amazing how large it is. It is next to Buffalo, New York. We are at 36,000 feet flying over. It is hard to see the magnitude of the falls at that altitude. Someplace I would like to take you to see.

One of the threats we deal with as pilots is one of nature. Snow, ice wind and as this picture show thunderstorms. It is hard to believe something so beautiful can be so destructive. The turbulence inside the storms this big can bend the wings. We also face man made threats. With the Republican National Convention here in St. Paul the security has been beefed up against the threats man makes against man. We were flying in yesterday and ATC closed the Minneapolis airport and scrambled the fighters as they had a security breach coming into the airport. The fighters approach the threat and intercept them and either lead them away from the airport or shoot them down. It is very serious business. We have been briefed on their procedures and consequences of ignoring their signals. The threat for us flying in is we do not always have fuel to hold and wait for the airport to open up. In today's fuel conservation mode every extra pound of fuel on the aircraft means it is heavier which means it burns more fuel. To save fuel they only load on the aircraft what is necessary. In this case ATC opened the airport just in time or we would have to diverted to a close airport because we were low on fuel. The new world for the friendly skies. Glad to be back.

Sitting in Jamaica

2008-09-02T12:58:00.003-05:00

I am in Jamaica New York.

My deluxe shower accommodations. I am not sure what to do with it.

This is the cool lighting system at the airport. Like something out of Star Wars.

Our deluxe transportation.

Standard issue phaser when leaving the hotel for lunch.

I am actually in Jamaica, New York which is a borough next to the JFK airport in New York City. Most people refer to this area as Queens. Not a great area to stroll around in as you can see by the standard issue Phaser. The hotel is a little weird as it is used mostly for airline crews. You see crew members from all over the world. Kind of cool although if that is so, what is up with the shower? There is a drain in the middle of the floor and the rest of the room is completely open. I can't decide if I am suppose to stand up or sit on the bench. Oh well, I knew you would want to see it. The airport is fairly modernistic airport as you can see by the picture of the lights. They reminded my of some sort of antennae of a creature out of Star Wars. Well I will be home tonight. May the force be with you.

Labor Day

2008-09-01T13:19:00.003-05:00

Lake Superior in Duluth

The city of Duluth

Phoenix, Arizona (An oasis in the desert)

Another beautiful sunset

This trip has not been easy. A lot going on and then the end of summer. Today is Labor Day and I guess it is fitting I am working. The sites have been beautiful. I am in Duluth and the boardwalk along Lake Superior is amazing. I looked up to see the sail boat passing by the light house. It is a gorgeous day here. The view of the city from the pier is cool. soon it will be cold here again and the lake will freeze. Hard to believe on a day like today.

Before flying into Duluth late last night we went to Phoenix Arizona. It is very brown in color and desert like. The picture of the fountain is cool in that it stands out from the air. Everything around it is brown. The last picture is another beautiful sunset. The colors and spectrum is very hard to capture with my camera. It is spectacular to see though. Well today on to Minneapolis and New York. See ya soon.

The best part of my trip!

2008-08-27T21:33:00.004-05:00

The last part is the best part!
The best part part of my trip is coming home. I wanted to be a pilot ever since I was a little boy looking up in the sky to watch a jet fly over. It has always been a passion for me. As I grew I found a life long passion that means so much more to me. It is my family. I love to fly and see so much of our beautiful country but there is something so wonderful about coming home. A peace even in the midst of a storm that calms the waters.

This trip was very busy with a lot of late nights so not many pictures but I saved the best for last. Coming home.

Still flying

2008-08-23T08:57:00.004-05:00

My beautiful view in the morning in New York
Passing the Lady (Statue of Liberty)
The mighty 747 landing in Minneapolis
A rare view of the awsome F-22 Raptor

I woke up in New York to a beautiful sunshiny day and opened my shades to see the.... Prison. Oh yah, I am in New York. Oh well, the next view was better. On takeoff out of New York today we would fly past the Statue of Liberty. It amazes me everytime. We flew on to Minneapolis, Detroit and Charlotte. In Minneapolis I took a picture of our mighty 747 landing. It amazes me everytime I see it. Look at the wings bending on landing. They are designed to do that it. The airplane was flying in from Narita, Japan. The flight is about 13 hours long and there are 4 pilots on board. Two fly and two sleep. They have bunk beds built in for the pilots to sleep. It weighs over 850,000 pounds. Pretty amazing something like that can even takeoff.

The last 2 pictures are of the military's newest fighter airplane called the F-22 Raptor. They were flying in long range formation across the country. They fly along like that and then refuel in the air along the way. That is how they move them over to Iraq. A giant fuel truck (Airplane) flies along next to them and extends a hose into a receptacle and fills them up and they keep flying. Pretty rare to see them so close flying by. We were at 38,000 feet and they were at 43,000 feet. Way cool.

Back in the Big Apple

2008-08-19T20:37:00.003-05:00

Landing in New York

The Ford Test track in Detroit

New York Island

Number 35 for takeoff!

Our Deluxe accommodations next to the Prison.

Today we flew from Minneapolis to Washington DC and then to Detroit and on to New York. A very long day although it was a beautiful day to fly. The weather was great. New York is such a neat place and frustrating place all rolled up into one. It is so over crowded that the flights are always delayed and the traffic is terrible. It is like flying into a hornets nest just after it has been disturbed. It is a common sight to see 30 or 40 airplanes lined up for takeoff like today. One airplane takes off every 2 minutes so you do the math. You taxi out and the controller tells you to get in line you are number 40. Thats the frustrating side, but when you look at the beautiful skyline it is so cool. You are so close to the city and there is so much water around the city. It looks like it is a island. All along the river and coastal water ways there are huge ports that the ships unload their goods for delivery to our homes. Some ships carry oil that is sent to the refinery to be made into gasoline and some items like cars come in huge boxes that are unloaded and put on trains to be shipped to other states. Very cool.

I thought Austin you would like the Ford auto test track. This is in Detroit and is where they test the new cars and reliability of some recent models. They test handling and set up rain simulators to test the cars handling in rain. In the large building next to the track they crash some of the cars to get the crash safety rating. If you look closely you can see the FORD on the top of the main building. It is neat to see.

Oh, the last picture is of our deluxe accommodations in New York. If you look out my hotel window you can see the prison. It was getting dark so the picture is a little blurry but if you look closely you can see the inmates in white clothing in the outside area. Kind of creepy.

Well tomorrow off to Minneapolis, Detroit and Charlotte. Talk to ya soon.

Back in the Air

2008-08-17T10:54:00.001-05:00

Colorado Springs

Cheyenne Mountain NORAD

Valley Fair from the Air

Mall of America to the left of the runway

A barge moving up the river

Wow. I have been home for a couple of weeks. It was so nice. Now I am back in the Air. The job as a pilot is so different than most. We don't work 9-5 or have weekends off and we don't work 8 hour days. Our job takes a weeks worth of work and jams it into 3 days. Our days are usually 12 to 14 hours long and we can work 365 days a year. It is different to get used to and can be hard as inevitably everything breaks at home when you are on the road! The great thing is because we work such long days we do get more days off, which I love because it means more time at home. To make it work you have to be flexible and be able to adjust on the fly. I am still working on that.

The first set of pictures is Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was a cool trip as our pastor Dave Johnson from our church Open Door was on the plane. I talked with him for a few minutes as he was leaving; he is a man with an incredible depth and understanding of God's love, and at the same time, hilarious! Our church places all of the sermons on-line as a podcast, so I am able to download the sermons on to my computer and Ipod each week. As this Sunday I am sitting in New York, I can still feel near as I watch the sermon.

Colorado Springs is home to NORAD, North American Aerospace Defense Command. They watch over the world's airspace and in particular North America for any missiles, aircraft, or other attacks on our country. One of the amazing places within this command is a mountain called Cheyenne Mountain. NORAD central command was up until 2006 inside that mountain. It is 2400 feet under ground and a city that is mounted on giant springs in case of attack. Inside there are huge screens that monitor all of the airspace. They see all aircraft and satellites traveling around the world. I was extremely fortunate to visit the facility a few years ago and it is like something out of a James Bond movie. The Air Force Academy is also in Colorado Springs. They have one of the only Supersonic wind tunnels used for testing high speed aircraft in the world. It takes several hours to pump up the compressors to create wind speeds of over 1800 miles an hour.

The trip back to Minny we were able to fly over Valley Fair (our Amusement Park). It looks much smaller from the air (Where's Waldo?). We were about 10,000 feet flying over. Coming into Minneapolis we flew past a barge taking it's load up the river. Kind of a normal Mississippi river kind of thing but it still looks cool. Landing in Minneapolis it is hard to believe but the Mall of America is directly to the front left of the runway. I can't believe they allowed the airport to build a new runway so close, but it is kind of cool when you are landing. I think I saw a sale at Justice, but I flew past pretty quick. Well home tonight see ya soon.

Take a tour with me of Philly

2008-08-01T14:23:00.001-05:00

We stay downtown Philadelphia. It is a little walk to Independence Square where the liberty bell is displayed but the sights along the way are pretty cool. The first picture is the downtown federal buildings. That is where city hall is located. You pass underneath it and keep walking to the Historic district. The Federal building is unique in as you can see it is a historical looking building in the middle of all the skyscrapers. It really stands out. As you continue on there is a lot of buildings with painted art on the sides. I snapped a shot of one by the Burger King. Oh ya it is not uncommon to see a homeless person a sleep on the sidewalk along the way. Very sad to see.

Next stop is the Liberty Bell Center. The Liberty Bell is in a building next to Independence Hall were it once rang. It is very cool to see it up close. It is very big and has a inscription on it proclaiming independence years before it actually happened. The Liberty Bell was first heard in 1753 where it rang in the top of the Pennsylvania State House. That building was renamed to become Independence hall after July 4th, 1776. It was the delegates in the State House that adopted and later signed the Declaration of Independence. The document was mostly drafted by Thomas Jefferson but Benjamin Franklin helped revise the document for approval. The last picture is the grave site of Benjamin Franklin and his family. A lot of history here. The Liberty Bell rang for Independence and cracked sometime in the early 1800's. They tried to fix it but it never rang again. It is guarded in the building it now sits and a few years ago a crazy person tried to ring it with a hammer and struck it and was promptly taken into custody at gunpoint. I guess they are serious about no touchy.

Early Morning to Philly

2008-08-01T11:40:00.001-05:00

Today is the one year anniversary of the bridge collapse in Minneapolis. The first picture is a picture of the bridge from overhead after takeoff. If you click on the picture you will see it larger. It is currently completely connected. They started rebuilding the bridge first from the foundation and then from each side to meet in the middle. It is getting closer to being finished although there are a lot of people still trying to get to that same place.

The second picture is of a famous Nuclear Power Plant. It is called Three Mile Island. It is famous not in a good way. In 1979 when the United States was turning to a very new power supply called nuclear power this plant had a string of malfunctions which ended in an overheat causing a partial meltdown of the core. It leaked radioactive particles into the air which could be very dangerous. It was shutdown and new safeguards have been put in place to prevent the same problems in subsequent plants. Those radioactive particles are know to cause radiation poisoning and cancer. They found there was not enough released to harm anyone. If you click on the picture to see it better you will see the 2 stacks on the right are not operating. That is were the meltdown occurred. They will not run again. The stack on the left still operates today. Google it for more info. We do not fly over it very often.

The last picture is again in Philadelphia. If you look past the gate E8 you will see a cargo ship. The airport is right on the water and it seems a little weird to see so many huge ships right next to the runway. You land over the ship yards and the air swirls around from the water making it tricky to land. Tomorrow off to Minny and New York. Be good.

On the way to Sacramento

2008-07-30T14:54:00.001-05:00

Flying out to Sacramento, California was fun today. The first picture is over Battle Mountain, Nevada. It is in the middle of no where but is a little mining town. The picture is a working Gold and Copper mine. Sorry I could not quite reach a piece of Gold for ya. The second picture is how they grow crops out there. They have irrigation systems that water in a circle. These green circles are everywhere and stick out in the dry brown dessert. The last picture is Lake Tahoe. It is a great summer place for boating and a wonderful winter ski destination. The lake looks like a bowl. It sits high up above the surrounding ground and is filled with water. The town next to it is called Reno, Nevada. Well they say Arnold S (The Governor/Terminator) is in town and eats lunch across from our hotel. I will see if I can see the Terminator. Be Good!

The Western Path

2008-07-26T10:51:00.000-05:00

The Western United States is amazing with its rugged terrain and amazing feats needed to pass through this area. The top picture is Spokane, Washington. It is on the Eastern Border of Washington State, next to Idaho. The Mountains can be seen in the distance as we get ready to head East. Our route takes us over the Great Rocky Mountains. I have shown them to you before but they amaze me every time I fly over. What amazes me is how people in the 1800's traveled through them. There are only small passes that work there way through these great mountains. One of them is called Mullans Pass, (the second picture). It is a small pass that crosses the Continental Divide in the Rocky's. Explorers found this pass and in the middle 1800's the Military came and turned this wagon trail into a road for the military to bring troops and supplies through the Rockies to fight the Indian's. As you can see by the last picture, which is just to the South of Mullans Pass the mountains are very treacherous and rough making the feet of building a road a huge endeavor even today.

The storms around us!

2008-07-25T12:40:00.000-05:00

Like life storms come and go. Some are small and short lived and some are what we call Big Mommas. The small ones you can easily fly around even though they are a little inconvenient but the big mommas can tear you up. The way we fly around the big momma's is to slow up, keep alert and navigate through the rough ride. Much like life. Not always smooth but we do get past the turbulence.

The top picture is a drawing of how a storm grows to be a big momma. The weather must be just right. Usually there is cold air that moves over warm and moist air. The warm air lifts up the cold air which then freezes and gets heavy and falls. As it falls it warms up and rises to repeat the process all over. This creates great energy and a lot of turbulence until eventually it blows the top off and starts to shrink or dissipate.

The second picture is a medium size thunderstorm that is building. Note the top of the cell. It looks as if it has a hat. The third picture is a big momma. If you look closely you can see the rolling clouds all around. Big mommas can be very destructfull and suck everything in all around it. We are very careful to stay away from those. As a rule of thumb we will fly 20 miles around a storm that size as it is very powerful and can disrupt the airflow around it for miles.

We flew past all of the storms yesterday and I am in Spokane, Washington today and it is very beautiful. It is cool and crisp and smells like pine trees. We leave in a little bit and on to Philadelphia. We will see what we see today.

Cool and Fuel

2008-07-20T08:22:00.001-05:00

What a day! On the way out to Salt Lake City we saw a very rare event. The top picture is a B1 Stealth Bomber. We were only one thousand feet away. It is very rare to be so close to one of those. As you can see by the picture they are fast. We were flying directly at it at over 600 miles an hour and they were coming at us at over 600 miles an hour. That is a closure rate of 1200 miles an hour. You see a black dot and then it is gone. Remember the speed of sound is about 680 miles an hour. FAST!

On the way back we ran across a long line of storms coming into Minneapolis. They closed the airport and we held in a holding pattern with about 10 other airplanes until our fuel got low and had to divert to Fargo, North Dakota along with 6 other aircraft. There we could get more fuel and wait for the Minneapolis airport to open and then fly back. Today with the high fuel prices all of the airlines carry only the fuel they need. To carry more fuel means the airplane is heavier and burns more fuel costing more money. Because of that if something disrupts the traffic we have to divert and go to a closer airport. Just the way it is today. We are very safe and plan to make sure we have enough fuel but they do not allow any extra. Fargo had so may airplanes on the ground we all had to park side by side and get more fuel and wait our turn to blast off.

What a day!

My Morning Reflection

2008-07-19T08:10:00.000-05:00

I was performing my preflight of the airplane this morning in Flint and looked up to see this cool reflection of the aircraft in the terminal windows. I ran back up and grabbed my camera to take this picture. That is me looking goofy under the wing taking this picture. I bet the passengers thought I was crazy. Well I am in Detroit now and getting ready to head to Salt Lake City and back home. See ya soon!

Cool sights along the way

2008-07-18T14:11:00.000-05:00

I started the day in Hartford Connecticut. Early up and on my way. Close to the airport is this amusement park. It looked like a lot of fun. It is next to the river and would be fun to go too. Click on the picture and it will get bigger and you can see some of the rides.

The next picture is coming into Detroit. (Motor City). Detroit is home to the largest American manufacturers of cars. The picture is hazy but it is the test track they test their new vehicles on. They run the track for handling and endurance testing. This helps them to design and develop new cars.

The last picture is in the Detroit terminal and I laugh every time I see it. It is called an Oxygen Spa. People pay a bunch of money to put on an oxygen mask and breath. I always walk by and say "Hey, its free out here". They look at me with that face of, " He just doesn't get it, does he." you know that face you guys look at me with. Well on to Flint Michigan and tomorrow Detroit, Salt Lake City and back home. Have fun at the play and baseball! Wish I was there.

Stormy Day on the way to Billings

2008-07-17T22:16:00.000-05:00

Today started out very stormy and we were delayed in Minneapolis because of the lightning. When ever there is lightning within 10 miles of a airport they shutdown the ground area so the ground workers do not get hurt. The first picture is the radar on the airplane. We can see the storms and fly around them but it can still be bumpy. The second pictures is a plane landing in front of us in the rain in Minneapolis. We first flew to Billings Montana, which is the last picture and then back to Minneapolis and on to Hartford Connecticut. We did not get in until about 11pm. Long day again. The Billings airport sits on a Plataea and the city is below it with small mountains off in the distance. Well it is off to sleep as I have to get up early and fly to Detroit and Flint Michigan. See ya soon. Goodnight.

Tuscon

2008-07-13T15:13:00.000-05:00

Tucson is a cool airport. The approach is over the mountains and through a valley as you can see. The summer can be very stormy as clouds form over the mountains. I will show you more pictures of the storms latter. The airport itself is small as you can see by the old style control tower. The last picture is a military bone yard. This is where the military parks many of their old fighter and military aircraft. If you look closely or click on the picture you can see the aircraft all lined up. This airport is also a F-16 fighter Air Guard unit. There were several fighters taking off with practice bombs to get ready for their deployment. They were all lined up and taking off.

Fun on the beach and back to work

2008-07-12T20:07:00.000-05:00

The top picture was a time of rest with my family. The beach is the place we seek when we need rest. It is such a peaceful place filled with Gods Majesty. We spent a few days just walking on the beach listening to the waves and searching for sea life, which we found each day. The beach holds such a special place in our hearts and we love being there.

The next picture is back in the office. It was a early morning departure from San Jose, California. The sun was just coming up over the mountains and it is very beautiful. On the way back to Minneapolis you see aircraft fly by and realize how fast you are traveling. We are flying at over 600 miles an hour at 40,000 feet above sea level. It does not feel like you are traveling that fast but when we drive our car we drive about 60 miles per hour which equals one mile a minute. At 600 MPH we travel about 2.5 miles in 15 seconds. That would mean we could be from our house to Church in 4 minutes. WOW!

Well on to Minneapolis and Duluth today. Tomorrow Tuscon. Sea ya tomorrow.

High Flying

2008-07-05T11:18:00.000-05:00

I saw a very rare cloud formation the other night. The first picture you can see them fairly well and the second picture they are up in the darker section. They are called noctilucent clouds. It means night shinning. They can only be seen at twilight, that's why it is so hard to get a good picture. They are seen in the summer months and are the highest clouds know to exist. These clouds were about 80,000 feet high. It is amazing as we are flying at 40,000 feet. These clouds form at over 50 miles up in the sky. They are to faint to be seen during the day and are illuminated by the sun when it is setting. Scientist don't completely understand how they form as they are almost in space. Most clouds are formed in our atmosphere and use wind and heating and cooling to move but these clouds are too high for that. Some scientist think they are the left over ice crystals from the exhaust from the space shuttle. Wow!

Well in New York today and saw some fireworks last night flying in. We were very high so they looked like bombs going off. You could see all of the little towns around the big cities shooting off their fireworks at the same time. Looked like they were under attack.

Can't wait to get to the beech with you all tomorrow. Save me a spot.

Missoula Montana

2008-07-04T13:12:00.000-05:00

It is the 4th of July and I am in Missoula Montana. Not to bad although I miss the Parade in Florida we like to go to. Where else can you see a confederate soldier riding a bull with a goose. Not here. I did decide to make the best of it and take a little hike which turned into a strenuous mountain climbing experience. It was worth it as the view here is spectacular. I was warned of the ferocious mountain lions and did manage to capture one here as you can see. It was pretty scary! All in all a beautiful place to visit cool mornings and small town atmosphere. Tonight I head to New York. Maybe I will see some fireworks. Enjoy the 4th!

Coast to Coast

2008-06-29T12:05:00.000-05:00

Coast to coast. Day one of this trip we flew to California and saw the West coast in San Jose. The top picture is of the Uinta Mts. They are out by Salt Lake and are one of the few mountain ranges in the world that span from East to West. Look it up on a map. Most mountain ranges run North and South but these run East and West. Kind of cool to see. The peak is Kings Peak and is over 13,000 feet above sea level.

The next pictures are what it is like heading to the East coast. Traffic, Traffic, Traffic. The West is very calm and quite and the east is very busy. Aircraft are all around you all the time and the radio is constantly talking. The two pictures with the airplanes are flying by only about one thousand feet away. Pretty neat to see. The last picture is of the cockpit instrument that shows all of the traffic. If you look at it you will see a yellow cross. That is our airplane. All of the white dots to the right are airplanes flying past and next to us. Very Busy. Well I am in New York today and back home tomorrow after a stop in Detroit. I am in China Town were they have all kinds of very authentic Chinese food, like tentacles and worms etc. Good thing for me there is a McDonald's around the corner.

Sayonara

Do you know the way to San Jose?

2008-06-28T21:11:00.000-05:00

Do you know the way to San Jose? That is a song you probably have only heard a few times before. Well the answer is I did find my way to San Jose. Flying to the west coast is far more interesting than just about any other part of the country. The sights are amazing. The first part of the flight takes us over Rapid City and the Black Hills. The top picture is of the Crazy Horse Monument. We were at 38,000 feet. You can see it so clear from that altitude. Then the road takes us over the Continental Divide where there is still snow on the peaks of the mountains. I will put more pictures in tomorrow. The second picture is just past the Continental Divide called Flaming Gorge. This is kind of what the Grand Canyon looks like. This Gorge extends for over 90 miles and is made from natural sandstone which gives it the beautiful color of red and orange. The next picture is Salt Lake. This lake is huge and is full of so much salt you float on top when you get in. You don't even have to tread water. It is the second saltiest lake in the world. Guess which one is the saltiest? The Dead Sea in Israel. Cool! The last picture is us parked at the gate in San Jose. As you can see we found our way to San Jose. This airport is still one of the few old style airports that does not have jetways. They use these old style ramps to get people and everything else on the airplane. If someone needs a wheel chair they come out with a fork lift and lift them off. Yahoo!!!

Ew Nork City (New York City)

2008-06-26T20:36:00.000-05:00

The last day of my trip. The last day is the best day. The last day was another early get up and started with a beautiful sunrise and a calm flight to Memphis. After a quick turn in Memphis it was off to New York. When Austin was little we went to New York which he called Ew Nork City and he said he would live there one day and ride around in a limousine. Who knows? Today we were flying into LaGuardia which is another very small airport with spectacular views. The approach takes us by the city which you can see in the first 2 pictures. If you look closely you can see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. There is a void at the end of the peninsula where the Twin Towers stood. You can see it clearly and the skyline looks slightly beaten where it once stood so strong.

The next 2 pictures are on approach to the airport. To the right is the New York skyline. We actually fly so close to the city it seems weird to be so close to a city that was so terrible ravaged. It is beautiful and sad at the same time. Notice in the pictures how much water there is around. You don't think about New York City as being right on the water. LaGuardia airport is surrounded by water much like DC. There have been several airplanes slide off the runways and into the water. Thankfully I did not bring my swimsuit so I will stay dry. See ya at home!

Day 2 Philly, Detroit, DC, and Nashville

2008-06-24T17:12:00.001-05:00

Well I have been flying all day and boy are my arms tired. Get it! Today was another long day. 12 hours with a 3 am get up. We started out in Philly this morning as you can see the cockpit view of the Philly terminal and went to Detroit. The picture of the Island is just outside of Detroit and is a memorial for Admiral Perry. Look him up. Pretty famous guy. Hard to believe there is a huge lake around Detroit. One of the big shipping lanes. When you fly over it, it feels like you are in the middle of the ocean. It is that big. That picture is from 20 thousand feet.

The next picture is of the Detroit Terminal. This is the new International terminal where Northwest flys most of the giant airplanes over seas. When they are all lined up in the morning it is pretty impressive. These airplanes will fly for 12 to 14 hours straight to reach there destinations. Most of them have beds in them for the pilots to take breaks. That is what I need.

The last picture is on Final approach to DC. This time we were flying in from the south up the river. If you look on a map you will see the DC airport has water on both ends. It is one of the shortest runways we fly into and is very tricky. You don't want to mess up here or you have to swim. It is a beautiful view of the city in front of the airport. If you look closely at the picture you will see the airplane in front of us landing. That airplane will land and they will squeeze another plane in front of us to take off. He will be lifting off as we land. The airports are getting very crowded and they have to squeeze them together like that.

I have a few more pictures of DC and on to Nashville. I will be back tomorrow after we go to Memphis and New York.

Early Morning to Philly

2008-06-23T12:07:00.000-05:00

As hard as it is to get up at 4 in the morning to go fly it is one of the most quiet and peaceful times of the day in this business. The second picture is of the airplanes lined up at the gates getting ready to start their busy day. It is completely quiet and the sun reflects off the airplane in a new beginning of a new day. It is rare that an airport is quiet but early in the morning it is peaceful. The terminal is almost empty but starting to wake up just like me.

The next two pictures are on final approach in Philly. It was raining and overcast here. The approach to landing flys directly past the military ship yards. Many old military ships are being decommissioned and taken apart. At one time this was a very active military base with war ships passing through regularly. This city is very historic as it is the home of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell (remember National Treasure); the building they took the spectacles out from behind a brick is Independence Hall. The Liberty Bell is kept near by for viewing. It rang in Independence Hall untill it cracked.

Tomorrow on to Detroit, Washington DC and Nashville. I have to get up at 0315 so early to bed. Be good!