DC Afternoon

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

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

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

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

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?

Where Ive Been

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.