Flying is just like riding a bike

As mentioned previously, I had been looking forward to flying with my grandfather yesterday. The weather was absolutely perfect, the winds were relatively calm and my grandfather arrived only a few minutes late, meaning....I was able to achieve another goal in my life. This one, without a doubt was rewarding in ways that I don't think I can even fully comprehend right now. Saturday afternoon at around 1500L, Stan Newman and I took to the skies in a Cessna 172. It has been 26 years since he had held the controls of an aircraft. He's up there in age now and by the way he took to flying, you would never know it. After we stopped for gas at Smoketown (S37), we took off to the west and I asked him to take the controls. He latched on to the yoke and flew that airplane like he'd only been out of the cockpit for a few months. Everything from his commentary, the the smile on his face, showed that he was truly very happy. For me, this has brought meaning and emotions that are both selfish and selfless rewarding. Was it everything I wanted it to be? No...it ended too soon. Other than that...My God....it was a GREAT DAY and I'm so blessed for being able to experience such an event. Things like this remind me just how wonderful life can be....and how hard it is to make moments like this happen. I've always wanted to be a pilot....to be a pilot and fly with the guy that got you hooked on flying.....well that is just more of a blessing.


My mother was not able to fly with me. This was unfortunate. She was feeling quite ill, and as much as I gave her a hard time for getting in the plane and making it as far as a short taxi to the middle of the airfield, I'm still proud of her for trying. I personally, do not jump into small planes if I'm feeling under the weather, so I can relate completely. Her husband Joe...he went up and had a kick ass time. We did 3 touch n goes before returning the airplane and calling it a day. Sheri did a nice job while riding with my grandfather and I, she had a camera and a video camera...so if I can figure out how to upload it....I will.

Now, It's back to work for me. I'm currently sitting in the ASIG Trailer (The Pride of the Aviation Industry.) I've got a North American flight arriving in less than a half hour and it will quick turn and head down to Norfolk. Speaking of North American....had a minor issue pop up on the Scheduled Service front. It's funny....an airline that runs like they do all over the world in ways that can make you scratch your head.....and they'll complain about matters that are small in comparison. Oh well....as long as they are my customer....I'm going to bend over backwards to watch out for their interests. That and...sometimes they entertain me....so I still love them.

Before I run...I'll update on the Nissan saga. The Corporate Nissan Tech guy looked at my car. The call was checked and now my car is up on a lift with the engine in 5 billion pieces scattered across the shop floor. As it turns out, the Spoiler, Side Mirror Motor, nor the rear seat cup holders had nothing to do with all the overheating and pinging. It turns out, the head or the head gasket had a small crack. Which ever it was, the crack was so small it couldn't be seen. The Head is being sent to a shop to be machined and pressure checked. The oil pan was dropped in the process and that is where the found all the coolant. Hmmm...Coolant in an oil pan.....Do you think there might be more of a serious problem? OK, I'll stop bashing them now...they finally tore into the engine and are going to fix the problem. Now that Sheri is a dealer there (She starts full time tomorrow,) I'll probably end up having them fix the damn thing up and then I'll just sell it...only to replace it with something else that I can hopefully trust. It's funny...after all this...and practically a new engine....I feel like I still can't trust the car.

The aircraft is on a desent in to BWI....No in-range call. Nice.

Eyes Open

The final numbers are in, I was awake 30 hours and out of that 30 hours, I worked 24 of them. During that 24 hour period, I covered 7 flights and managed to supply reps for HOP, NKX, RIV and YHZ. This definitely ranks up there with one of my busiest days. Special thanks to my wife, my mother and Andrew for talking to me on my long ride home last night. It was one of those drives where, If I wasn't talking to someone...I was falling asleep quickly.

Today, I've got only 2 flights....seems so quiet in comparison. ATA and North American are coming in from Germany within an hour of each other and will both be turning and ferry out within the same time frame. Normally, I would look at that and think, hmmm...I'll be running around a lot for this. After yesterday, I feel like I could cover this in my sleep. Well....barring unforeseen circumstances of course.

This weekend, I finally spent my BestBuy birthday gift card and used it on an iPod dock. This morning, I hooked up my new dock to the stereo that pumps music into every room in my house. So far today, I've worked, showered, worked some more, ate breakfast, worked even more have enjoyed listening to a great variety of music without commercials. Ahhh...I love it! Between Satellite Radio and the iPod, I just don't understand why anyone tunes into the FM dial for music anymore.

The Nissan is still at the dealership. As it turns out, they gave me a 12 month/12,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty on the car when I bought it. Thank GOD! It looks like it's the head or the head gasket. Because Nissan remains thick headed and blind to reality, they took out my water pump yesterday to see if that was the problem. Nope....that wasn't it. What comes next? This is the funny part. They are sending in a Corporate Nissan Inspector to check on my car. Why? Just take the damn head off and look at the gasket or the head itself. They are wasting so much more time and money that they are responsible for on things that just are not the problem. At this point, I expect the Nissan inspector guy to recommend they swap out the lug nuts on the rear passenger side wheel to see if that has anything to do with why the car is still overheating. Maybe I just don't understand the process. Maybe I'm too narrow minded to see the big picture and some form of abstract reality that dictates checking everything that likely isn't the problem, before you look at what is without a doubt, most likely the real problem. Oh well....I may not have the car to drive, but at least I'm entertained by the whole thing. Did I mention my Honda just past 200,100 miles and still runs like a champ? All I can say is, thank god I didn't trade in my Honda for the $1000 they offered me.

Time to get back to work. I hope the weather holds up so I can fly tomorrow morning. I want to fly another round of Touch n Goes before I take my family up this weekend.

Horizontal Sleep....A Distant Dream

To say that I'm having a long day is an understatement. By the time I even get a chance to rest my head against a pillow, I'll have been awake for over 30 hours and working for over 24 of them. This is one of those days that I dread. Flights come and go every 2-3 hours and therefore, I can't even make it to a hotel for rest. If I had the energy and was completely insane, I would be covering 11 flights in this 30 hour period, however I decided to slow down and not kill myself with work. Instead...I'm working 7 and they are all back to back. Some ATA, some North American, most....late. My day will end at 1345L, (might delay even further at this point) Once this long day is over, my week get's much more gentle and I'll even be able to fly on Thursday, provided the weather is ok.

Brian from ASIG Operations is working the midnight shift tonight and he brought his dogs to work with him. Toby and Baily are 10 year old golden retrievers. They are very calm, very sweet and it's a pleasure to have them around. As I type, Toby is past out cold in the middle of the floor and Baily is standing next to me just waiting for my hand to reach over and pet him. What is sick is....I'm envious of Toby the dog.....I wish I could be comfortably sleeping on the floor. The floor just doesn't do it for me.

I got a call from Tom at ATA, who holds my old position. He was in dire need of a rep in Halifax this weekend. I've moved heaven and earth to try and find someone for it....no luck so far. Anybody want to cover ATA in YHZ?

If this schedule stays as heavy as it's been long term....I'm going to sell my house for a major loss, move to a trailer and be able to sleep more. The basic theme of this email is, "I'm tired"...could you tell?

OK....back to the car I go, I'm going to push my luck and try to nap for a few minutes before my ATA crew shows up.

T Minus 7 and Counting

By this time next week, (weather permitting) I should be doing a "Walk Around" at LNS on N4601D, the Cessna 172 that I fly, in preparation for a very important flight. For years, I have dreamed about being able to take my Grandfather flying. It was he, who got me hooked on aviation as a very little boy. He used to be a pilot and would take me up when I was 4-5 years old. We would fly from Bridgeport over to Block Island and all around the Long Island Sound area. Those memories have lived comfortably in my mind for a long time. When I was a 15 year old kid, I had a flight lesson where I took my grandfather up. It meant a lot to me, but I just don't think I was old enough or mature enough to recognize how special it is to be able to do such a thing. That, and I was simply a kid who wasn't even close to comprehending what it meant to actually work for and achieve a pilot's license. Now, I'm an adult, who moved mountains in my life to achieve a goal and make a dream come true.

Next Saturday, I'll be able to share that dream with the man who introduced me to flying 25 years ago. Once again, it's he and I at the controls...This time....I'm in the pilot's seat. There is no way to even quantify the effect that people have in your life when you are a child. I'm just so grateful to have Stan Newman as my Grandfather. The man is now into his 80's and though he is no longer flying....he still gets around in style. (See Photo) Next week, I hope to be able to add another nice picture to my flying photo's collection.

Not only will I be able to share this wonderful weekend when my Grandfather, but for the first time in my lifetime, I'm going to have my mother join me for a flight. Now that I think about it, the last time I was on an airplane with my mother, it was USAir from Baltimore to Daytona Beach and that was 19 years ago. She's never flown with me as a student pilot either. For now, it looks as though her husband, my new Stepfather, will also be joining us and I'm very excited to welcome him aboard too. So, as long as God cooperates, this weekend stands to be extremely rewarding for me. Not only will I be able to fulfill a dream, but I'll also be treating everyone to Bruster's Ice Cream, because that's just a damn nice treat after flying.

Maxed and Relaxed

Sheri and I went on a trip to Puerto Rico last week for a little rest and relaxation. I'll admit it right here and now, in front of the universe. I LOVE SPA TREATMENTS! Our spa bill came out to be just 38 cents less than the national debt of the US and Iraq combined. Hey...it was worth it though. The place we stayed at was huge and very nice. The week before our trip, Bob was on vacation and Andrew was working for me elsewhere in the world, so I pretty much has all North American, ATA and Miami Air.....during the latest round of AEF rotations and the start up of North American's Baltimore to Lagos Service. So...by the time our trip came around, I was in dire need for vacation. Not once did I check my email while we were away. Sure, I came back to over 375 new email's, but it was worth it to just be able to disconnect.

Hours prior to the trip, Sheri called her boss to give her the news. She was resigning and had accepted a position at none other than.....the Nissan Dealership where we bought our car. She's a new sales person there and will be starting full time on October 1. I'm so proud of her. She was so miserable at her job and she finally decided to grab life by the balls and change it. She did the right thing and gave 3 weeks notice....and turned in her written notice when she got home which turned out to be 2 full weeks. Each day at the dental office since then seems to have shown her more and more that she's made the right choice in leaving. I'll say it again....I'm proud of her. As for the Nissan...I'm sure I'll comment further on that story when I know what happens. Everything is still kind of up in the air on that front.

Hot Nissan, Cold Cheap Beer and a fresh cut lemon

My new Nissan Sucks! The engine temp has exceeded the normal operating limits again this weekend. Watching my temp gauge is like watching my tachometer when I hit the gas. Nissan keeps telling me that they "found the problem and fixed it." Well, at least that is what I was told the first 4 times the damn car has been back to the dealer since I bought it 2 months ago. I've heard all kinds of silly reasons. New Radiator installed...hasn't fixed it. Air in the system....new Radiator Cap....didn't fix it. Lower Octane fuel, put in high octane....not fixed yet. I figure, this time when it goes in, I'll find out that a Polar Bear is needed to provide arctic piss to be used as a coolant additive which will only be activated by a magical Sri Lankin Monkey Fart within a 6 and 1/4 mile radius of the radiator cap while a mechanic does a headstand while holding Gouda Cheese rolls between his knees and humms the tune to the "Price is Right" while smoking a fucking candy cigarette and snorting spicy brown mustard up his nose.

So, does anyone want to ask me my opinion of the level of competence that my local Nissan dealership has?

Sheri and I went to a wedding this weekend. In a word....Unique. This would be the first time I've been to a Wedding that included "Beer Pong," Camouflage Tux Vests and in Kitchen access to the beer. I don't want to come off as snooty...because the fact is....I had a Great Time! Like I said, Unique. Sheri and I also celebrated our two year Anniversary on the 27th of August. This year, we spent the night in New York City's Time Square Crowne Plaza Hotel. Kudos to the desk clerk for paying attention when I mentioned that this was our anniversary. Sheri and I went out to dinner and came back to our room, where a message was left that the hotel was giving us a complimentary bottle of Champagne. Not only that, but we had a beautiful large corner room with windows on two sides that looked out 40 stories up over both the Hudson River and Time Square. Totally awesome!

Tonight, I'm working at BWI and passing gas as if, the more I pass, the better the world will be. We are talking about Marathon Farts tonight! Whoa!!! I went flying this evening with an Airport Co-Worker. He's got a Cessna 150 parked right here at BWI, so when he invited me up for a ride during my downtime, I couldn't resist. Nice Flying Elias.

World Airways....just blocked out...Welcome Back Aer Heger.

ATA has been doing a bang up job with delays lately. I worked what was supposed to be 2 back to back departures at Washington Dulles Airport. One got out...the other was so badly delayed, I figure ATA lost a fortune on Hotels, Meals and even commercial transport for 240 passengers. NICE! Some good came from the whole mess though, I got to know the Charter Broker and made some good connections which I hope will create a business relationship going forward.

A good book everyone who enjoys a nice poop should read....."Poop Culture" Written by David Praeger....creator of Poopreport.com I have never been to the website....shocking I know...but I must say, this book is very well written and quite a joyful addition to your nature's call.

My plane is now in range....it's back out to the ramp for what I hope will be a fast operation. Oh yeah....tonight...my Honda is not just an office, apartment and lunch room....it's also a "Follow Me" vehicle. Oy!