Snow Days

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.