So apparently...more folks are tunin into this thing since it was in the family xmas card. That means more pressure to get this thing knocked out.

As of last post, I was in the middle of DIVOLC wishing I was flying. Well, I am out of DIVOLC...still wishing I was flying. We finished the class early on Thursday, and they scheduled me for my 2nd to last aerobatic flight (and most importantly last aerobatic checkride) on Friday. It was a good way to finish off the week, and the gang decided to head to San Antonio for Friday night. None of us had a flight until Sunday night...so it was game on.

Wouldn't you know it...they called and moved my flight to Saturday night....sweet. So, I turned in early, and got back to Corpus early enough to hit it. My first Night FAM(iliarization) was a great time. I had an awesome reservist for an instructor who gave me good gouge on smooth landings at night. Well, the planets must have aligned because I was ON, baby! I had some of my best landings that night. I was pumped.

Awesome, great weekend flight and Monday morning I was scheduled for my last aerobatic solo. And then...I took a look outside. I drove in to the squadron...where I was promptly cancelled. Infact, I was cancelled each subsequent day after that until Xmas leave. Somewhat frustrating...but that is the way it goes.

So, I am here at home, enjoying life. I was moved from RI's to formations...which means that after my aerobatic flights I will move right into basic formation flights. I am really lookin forward to it.

Well, not too much new going on...hope everyone is doing well over the holidays.

Oh, btw...if you have not heard, Alyssa has her own blog for her cruise between Hawaii and San Diego (tough life huh). The URL is as follows: http://jepense88.blogspot.com/

I encourage you to visit her ramblings, for they are communicated much better. She is out away for Xmas, and I know she likes knowing people enjoy what she is writing.

Alright, Chris...out...

Hello?...Uhhh, hello?...Is this thing still on?

Wow...there has been a lot going on since the last post. I will try to adequately convey it all here in some coherent sequence.

As of the last post, I was preparing for my check ride and first solo. I was finally able to finish all of the prep flights. Then, it was off to the check ride. Luckily, I had a pretty easy going guy who wasn't inclined to jump all over me before I could any small mistakes I made. So, while it was by no means a "perfect" flight, I got the required "safe for solo." As it turned out, my Dad and little bro had come down that weekend to hang out and play golf since they both had a couple of days off. That made it pretty cool because I was able to share the joy of passing my first check ride with both of them. The timing could not have worked out better because I soloed the next day right before going on leave for Thanksgiving. What an awesome time! Without a doubt, the best part of flight school so far was launching with no one in the back for the first time. I simply got enjoy flying on a beautiful day.

The next day, I drove back home for Thanksgiving. Talk about a great week. The next week, I was right back into the cockpit to start PA's (precision aerobatics, they might have had to drop the P for me). The PA block is one of the best blocks in the entire syllabus. There are seven flights, and three of them are solo. Since then, I have flown five flights with two of them being solo. The PA solo's are just as much fun as the first. I could just tool around in a working area doing loops, rolls, wingovers, and 1/2 cuban eights. I pretty much just roll and loop for about half the flights, then I just cruise around a bit and enjoy being in the air.

This next week will be somewhat frustrating because I will be in a mandatory Navy class called DIVOLC (Division Officer Leadership Course). So, I have to stop flying for a week to take it. However, I can use the time off to set my new furniture up in my room (a scant 2.5 months after I moved in huh) and figure out what I am doing for Christmas. Then next week, I will finish PA's and a couple of night flights before going on Christmas leave. I am scheduled to roll into radio instrument ground school when I get back in the new year.

Alright, well...essay comeplete. Oh yeah, in case any of you did not see...Navy DOMINATED Army for the 7th straight year. The final was 34-0 yesterday in Philly.

Anyways, hope things are going well out there. Have a great Christmas season!

Wow...this is frustrating! So instead of maybe soloing this week, I have not flown once. Nothing! There have been a number of reasons why, and they are legitimate for the most part...however, it is still very annoying. I have three flights before I can solo, and I am in a purgatory of sorts. I was hoping to build a solid rhythm in these last few flights...oh well. It will work out, and not flying at all helps put a perspective on how great my job is. I am happier when I can actually go to work each day.

Anyways, that is what is happenin down here...nada...except Lys came down for a day at the beginning of the week. It was great to see her before she heads to San Diego for a few months. She tries to convince us that she is getting a bum deal, but she is having a tough time getting me to believe her.

By the way, Navy was literally a fingertip away from beating Notre Dame once again! They thought they had it sealed up and then Navy scored a touchdown, recovered an onside kick, scored another touchdown, recovered a SECOND onside kick, and missed a receiver my about a foot all in the last 3 mins of the game. That is why I love service academy football...you get to be the underdog a lot and they always play it out. Hell, thats why i love college football in general.


Alright, I am out...catch y'all later!

Whew, long week! Four flights this week, and it would have been five had I not been maintenance cancelled on Monday. So, on Tuesday I got back in the airplane after a four day break. I could without a doubt tell I had been out of it for even just a few days. I felt a little slow and a touch behind the airplane. However, I was able to knock the rust off about half the way through the flight. During the flight, my instructor's microphone went on the fritz right in the middle of the landing pattern. So, while he tried to troubleshoot in the back, I kept flying the pattern. After finally taking his helmet off to diagnose and fix the problem, we were able to re-establish comms. However, for that short period, I was pretty much solo. I got an entire pass and landing with no input from the rear cockpit. It was pretty cool as it dawned on me that I had absolutely no help bringing the plane in.
The rest of the week held a flight each day. These flights are all check flight prep, so they have been heavily focused on emergency procedures and problem management. With luck, and good weather, I could solo as early as this coming Friday. I have two more flights before my check flight. Once I pass that, the solo flight will probably be later that day.
It has started to dawn on me how quickly they move a student from knowing next to nothing, to trusting them to take an aircraft out on their own. And that is when it dawns on ya that maybe...just maybe...there is a method to the madness. There is a great emphasis on instilling an independent nature which is a hallmark of military aviation, and for that case aviation in general.

Alright, enough lofty thinking from me...it is the weekend. I am out to go meet up with some friends for the night. Ready to get back in the cockpit with that solo flight sitting so close.

Chris, out...

Alright, finally, I am back at the blog writer. At the time of my last post, I was finishing up my BI sims. Luckily, those went off without a hitch, and I was able to get back into the plane. After the sims, we do three BI flights with us actually flying in the rear cockpit. The instructor takes the forward cockpit and does most of the flying into and out of the working areas. It was pretty cool watching the instructors go through the procedures which I am used to doing. They fly through the checklists and knock stuff out pretty quick. Once at altitude, I threw the hood over (which I of course found a way to make way more complicated than it should be...took about 5 mins the first time I tried to use it) and took the controls to fly my maneuvers.

My last BI flight was scheduled as an out-and-in with a mandatory warm-up. No worries, translation to follow. An out-and-in just means we conduct one flight event on our way to another airport, land, take a break, grab a bite, and knock a second event out on the way back to NAS Corpus. The mando warm-up is something they give us if we go 14 days or more without flying in the front cockpit. It is basically a "free" flight. We have a normal brief, but the grades do not count like a normal flight. It helps a ton. It was pretty cool to get away from the rest of the training squadrons and drop into a smaller municipal airport for a quick bite.

The next two days I got back into the regular graded flights. They were pretty exciting for me because I could tell that I was finally showing significant improvement. The mando warm-up allowed me to knock some of the rust off...trust me, there was a LOT of rust. However, it all paid off in my next two flights. To date, they have been the best I have flown so far. I am getting into the heavy build-up to my solo, which could happen as soon as a week and a half from now...wow...that thought is somewhat daunting. The flights focus on handling in flight emergencies, recovering from out-of-control flight and spins (which are wayyyy cooler than I thought they would be, though my stomach is still trying to get used to them), and working the landing pattern constantly.

I get back into the plane tomorrow after an awesome weekend going back to Annapolis to see my sponsor father do the flyover at the Navy vs. Temple game and having a mini-reunion with my buddies. It was pretty weird seeing good ol' USNA without being a mid anymore. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. Anyways, I am gonna go hit the books. Hope things are going well for everyone. Take care.

Chris

Howdy from down here in South Texas. I think this is the shortest turnaround time between posts from me in a long time. Anyways, things have slowed down just a touch. I have been scheduled for nothing but BI sims since my last post. I just finished my fifth one yesterday, and number six is tonight around 7 PM. They have been going pretty well as I have been getting the good civilian instructors for the most part.
The sims have been a double edged sword. Things slow down a bit when only scheduled for simulators each day. Each event is shorter, has a shorter brief, and their are fewer things to think about in the simulator. I do not have to worry about course rules into and out of the airfield, radio calls, or avoiding traffic. All I do is sit in the sim, and the instructor puts me at 13000 ft and we get to work. So, there is less to study and more time in which to study it (hence the two wall posts in the same week). However, I know the ugly side will show itself once I finally am put back in the plane. Today is the eighth day of not actually flying, and that surely means I will be quite rusty once back in the real cockpit.
However, I have been able to focus attention on other things which I let slip away from my mind during the first FAM flights. You know...little things like voting, cleaning the apartment, and determining the airspeed of a laden swallow. Also, it gave my mom and chance to come down last Friday for a few hours. She non-rev'd down in the morning to see what life was like down here in Corpus for the fledgling aviators. It was great to see her, and she also hooked us up with some things for the apartment. After showing her around for a few hours, I guess we scared her enough to jump back on a plane to Dallas before my sim that day. So, if you talk to her, and she has not repressed the memory, thank her for risking life and limb and coming to see how the young bachelors live down here.
Alright, I can see you are checking your watch trying to find something else to do...I will wrap it up. Things are going well down here, and once I start flying again...the race will start right back up. I am hoping to have solo'd by early to mid November.

Hang loose,
Chris

Well hello again...or if this is your first time landing here...I do apologize (this will assuredly be the last time you let your hand just wander with a computer mouse in its grasp until you wake up and say "what the hell am I looking at?") Since my last post I have had two more FAM(iliarization) flight and one BI (basic instruments) simulator.

FAM 3 was last Thursday, and it went alright. I had not been in the cockpit for a week, and I could tell. Everything was slow, even my ground procedures. However, I was able to cheat death once again on take-off and head over to one of the outlying fields for some pattern work. It was my first time in the landing pattern doing touch and go's, and it seemed like every T-34 out at that time was at the field. Sweet...now everyone and their mother can hear and watch the new kid try and land the plane like a real pilt...this should be a treat! Things went alright with the full flap landings. It was nice having that soothing voice from the rear cockpit..."trim, TRIM...alright, get the nose down, power, right wing down, top rudder, OK...wave-off, Wave-Off, WAVE OFF!!!!" Luckily I did not have too many of those.

Anyways, after five of those or so, my instructor offered to take the controls and give me a break while he demo'd a no-flap landing. (The difference being that no-flap landings are flown at a higher airspeed through the approach). Damn, he makes it look easy. Alright, my turn. I would say my first attempt could best be envisioned by picturing the WWII dive bombers bearing down on a Japanese battleship. The exception was of course that the "battleship" was in fact the runway. So, needless to say, I had a touch (wait, lots) of trouble at first. However, I started to get a better idea of the procedures, scan, and sight picture I needed to have on the approach. The best part of the flight was the home field break...it was the best break, landing pattern, and approach I had flown to date. While that was a good feeling, I was still somewhat frustrated with my earlier attempts in the pattern.

Before my FAM 4, there was a little thing called the three day weekend! That was a welcome time as the group of us trotted up to San Antonio and the river walk. A good time was had by all....y;all understand...no need to elaborate on that.

So, finally, this past Tuesday I had my FAM 4 flight. I was looking forward to some more pattern work and a bit more basic maneuvering at altitude. However, as I drove to base that morning, I could not help but notice those large anvil shaped clouds over the bay that I had been warned about so many times in API. As we started our pre-taxi checklist we were hearing over the radio some instructors debating on whether to launch or not. Thankfully, as we taxied to the run-up area, we heard that while there was a touch of rain over NAS Corpus, one of the the outlying fields was clear as day. So, We took-off and quickly scampered out of the rain and into a clearing. Again, the radio call must have gone out that I was coming to the pattern because everyone and their mother decided to do pattern work that day too. So I took the controls and went in for my first pass of the day. Rusty was I...the pass, ugly. However, after that first pass things got a lot better. In fact, the rest of the flight was great. Obviously, I still had lots of necessary and timely input coming in from the back seat, but I could tell that I was starting to shorten the gap between me flying the plane and the plane flying me. Trim was coming quicker, procedures were going better, and maneuvers were the cleanest they have been yet. And to top it off, I flew my best break, pattern, and pass ever at the end of the flight over NAS Corpus. I was pumped...on the inside of course.

With the first four FAM flights done, I moved yesterday to my first BI sim. That went well, nothing too big to report...just that the simulators are a pain to try and trim. Anyways, I have rambled long enough. Take care.

Well first of all, I apologize for not updating this thing in a while. Needless to say, things have picked up dramatically. The fire hose of things to learn has been set to full. First of all, we had CPT's (cockpit procedures trainers). Basically, they are just cockpit simulators which we practice going through the normal checklists and emergency procedures. The civilian instructors who run the simulators have an incredible amount of time in many many aircraft. Some of them have time in aircraft like F-86's, F9F's, and F-8's. After they ran me through the grinder for five sessions or so, I was feeling pretty good. I thought I had things pretty well under control, and I was looking forward to getting an on-wing instructor to start FAM's.

That process all started on Tuesday when I met my on-wing instructor for FAM 0. He outlined for us what we needed to start studying for our first few flights...wow! To say I was behind was an understatement. I do not even really know how it got that way, but I knew I had to hit it hard. So, I spent most of Tuesday night trying to prepare for my first brief and flight on Wednesday morning.

My first brief was eye opening as to how in depth and down cold I needed to know the information for each flight. However, I was pretty pumped as I strapped in for my first actual flight (that by the way takes forever especially out on the line in South Texas). When we got the hold short, my instructor told me that I would get to take a shot at the take off. The good news is that I did not crash the airplane. However, beyond that...the airplane flew me more than the other way around. After two hours of trying to stay with the airplane, we were back on the ground. It was awesome on one hand, and at the same time it was very eye opening as to how much I had yet to learn. That night was spent almost entirely studying for my second flight. I wanted to get back into the plane and try to start fixing my troubles.

The second flight went better, but I was still having trouble with trim. That remains my biggest challenge. However, my instructor will be busy through at least monday, so that gives me some more time to study.

Anyways, I will sign off here after my diatribe. Hope things are going well for everyone.

I almost forgot about this pic. This is another one from API. This was most of our class on the day we graduated from API. They have a bar upstairs in the API building where the instructors provided us with a drink or two after graduation. It was a good deal and a good way to finish out the program with my class. 

Well Hurricane Ike psyched everyone down here in Corpus out. I hope anyone reading this from the Houston/Galveston area is alright because it looked pretty intense. Down here, we barely saw some rain. Oh well. 

We started the week by finishing our systems class and taking the systems test. That was pretty simple, especially since we had a good instructor. He flew Huey's in Vietnam with the Army, made it to Senior Chief as an E-2 mech in the Navy, and then flew the T-34 as an LDO instructor. Needless to say, he was dripping with experience, and he knew the T-34 like the back of his hand. On top of that, he enjoyed b.s'n with our class, which helped to keep things relaxed. The systems boards and panels used for instruction were the same ones which were originally installed at Whiting and Corpus in 1982. That means I just finished being taught with the same boards my Dad learned with. I got a kick out of that, but they obviously worked well since our class all passed the test. As each day goes we get more and more one time check in the blocks we need before our first flight. Even with all the gouge, heads-up, and instruction, I am pretty sure I am going to be eternally behind on the first flight. However, that seems to be the name of the game...keep your head above water for the first couple flights of a training block and then it straightens itself out...if you work at it. 

Anyways, that is what is happening down in Corpus. I can't wait to get going with the first FAM flights. I am ready to start having a reason to wear my flight suit every day. Hope things are going well with whoever is reading this. Take care.

Finally, I have internet again. It has been a long process getting set up down here in Corpus. After staying the BOQ for 10 days, we finally had an apartment. It is very nice, but neither of us had any furniture. Luckily, my mom mobilized the family network, and I obtained a full apartment's worth of furnishings from my fam in Dallas. After that, it was more battles with AT&T for internet and tv. What a joke...they are such a pain down here. 

Training wise, things have been moving very very quickly. We checked in with our squadron on Monday, VT-28 Rangers. They are supposed to be the better and chiller of the two primary squadrons down here. We started ground school on Tuesday. It is like API on crack. I already feel behind, and we just started. However, it seems that Hurricane Ike is gonna give my class a bit of a respite. We are waiting to be evac'd...maybe. I am hopin we are since that gives me a free trip home with my buddies comin too. Anyways, that is a quick summary of whts happenin down south. Flying starts in like 2 weeks, I can't wait. 

The pics above are from various events during API. A buddy of mine put them up, they are of no one in particular...just some of us in the pool and parasailing and such. 

My Bust! I have been absent from this for quite some time. It has been a busy past week or so. 

As I signed off the previous post, I was preparing to go parasailing in 'bama. Well, sure enough, the weather held out for us, and we were able to get that in. It was a blast! We got strapped into the harness and hooked to a rope about 200 yards long or so. Then, the PRs gave the thumbs up and the truck towing the rope gunned it. Simultaneously, we would start running. After about three steps I was airborne. Once we were a few hundred feet in the air, the truck would slow down. We would start descending in order to practice our PLF (parachute landing fall). If you do it correctly, it doesn't hurt really at all. We did this whole process twice. The first time we stayed attached to the truck, and it pulled us very slowly as we came down, simulating landing into the wind. This is the softest type of landing you can have. The second time, the truck releases the rope. This ensures we descend essentially straight down, which is the hardest landing possible (under a correctly deployed chute that is). All in all...I can't believe I was getting paid to do this. Especially since most folks have to pay lots of cash to do similar things at beaches and resorts. Oh yeah...I learned something too...I guess...

That Wednesday night, our entire class went out to a local bar that night to celebrate being done with API. Basically, it was a good excuse to go out and enjoy everyone's company one last time. I had a really great class for API. The next day, we had a small graduation deal. It was nothing spectacular at all...it took place in one of the classrooms. Just like that, API was done. That six weeks went by super fast. 

Friday, I got up early to pick up my orders, and then I jumped over to the airport to pickup my little bro. He was kind enough to come out and drive back home with me. Unfortunately, he was sick about half the way, but he never complained about it...what a trooper. 

We got home just in time to catch the last part of the party the consulting group my dad is a part of was throwing. I got to meet some very interesting people that night and later in the weekend. The rest of the weekend was spent seeing folks and getting ready to head to Corpus Christi on Sunday. 

I finally made it NAS Corpus Christi on Sunday night at about 9 o'clock (2100 for you military types)...7 hours in one state.  I was able to get a room at the BOQ and hit the rack, since the next morning was gonna be an early one. Four other guys from my API class and I got up early and checked in on Monday to Training Wing Four. By checking in early, we were hoping to get VT-28 which is supposed to be the best primary squadron in the wing. There were five spots left for the class which started 08 SEP, and there were five of us. So, luckily, we all got in the same class in the better of the two squadrons. I hope my luck does not run out before pipeline selection after primary. 

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday have been the busiest of all. We have all been running around base trying to check in at each base office, arranging our apartment rentals, and trying to figure out how to get our move money. What a pain it has been, but...it'll be worth it once we start ground school and the first phase of primary. We picked up our books, and the stories of the "firehose" of information were no lie...it is gonna be a steep learning curve. But, they are still paying me to go fly...thats pretty sweet! I am heading home this weekend to arrange my home of record move, so I will sign off for now. Hope everyone is doing well...enjoy the holiday weekend. 

Oh yeah, college football season is starting again...finally!!!

The last few days here have been awesome. Last Thursday we learned about the life rafts, and practiced getting in and out of them. Friday, we did the helo dunker. That turned out to be a lot of fun. Everyone was pretty nervous before our first rude, but we all stayed calm and had no problem. That was the key...just relaxing and going through the steps. Yesterday, Monday, we practiced getting out of our parachute harness if going down over the water. Today, though, was by far the best day. We spent all morning doing PLF's (parachute landing falls) and the virtual reality parachute steering sim. That was pretty cool. Then, we jumped on a boat, and they dropped us in the bay for help ops. API actually has not conducted helo ops for a few months because the helo squadrons have been transitioning o a new platform. I got to be the first in the water and first to be hoisted. It was very cool. The helo got nice and low, and the lifted us just out of the water. Then they put us right back in. However, I do not have a big need to do it again, that meaning I would have just bailed out of my aircraft. 

Anyways, tomorrow is parasailing out in Alabama. That should be a great time. Then, it is off to Corpus for primary on Friday. 

I meant to post this last Wednesday...Aug 13

We have finally gotten into the practical stuff. We finished academics with flight rules & regulations test. The subject is very straight forward, so they feel the need to try and trick you on the test (like change the numbers around in OPNAV 3710...good job guys...you got us). That was frustrating, but no one failed. So, we had a class party that night at our class leader's house who brews his own beer. On Monday, we started the land survival stuff. They used to take us out to Eglin for a couple of days in the woods. However, now it is just a day of power point stuff...bummer. They said we would get the rest at SERE school. Tuesday was more power points over physiology. Finally, Wednesday, we got into the decompression chamber to figure out how hypoxia got to us. That was a lot of fun playin the P-cola patty cake. We also did the "spin and puke." Luckily, I did not hear of anyone in our class demonstrating the second part of that. 

Well it has been a few days...number of things going on. We had the Nav test on Tues morning, which went well for me and the rest of the class. No one in our class failed. At this point, we have still yet to have anyone in our class fail a test. Unfortunately, we only had one guy get a hundred. It specifically mattered for our nav test because our instructor who was a USMC Prowler ECMO made bets with us on whether we got 100's or not. If we took it on the first day of class, which I did, we got 5/1 odds. Thus, if I got a 100, he owed me 5 beers. However, I missed two questions, so I now owe him 1 beer. He set up a night for our entire class to meet him at a local water hole a couple of days before graduation. The point, he told us on the last day, was to get our class out together as a unit...a building camaraderie type deal. This guy was the best instructor so far. He tried to teach us stuff to pass the test, but, more importantly, he emphasized skills we would use in the cockpit once we hit primary. Things like doing distance, speed, time, fuel flow, winds, and point-to-point navigation in our head, without the whiz wheel. Also, he had great stories, which helped break up the long class periods.  

 

Anyways, since then we have been finishing up academics with flight rules and regulations. Hopefully, none of us blows the last test of the academic portion of API. Once we finish this, we get to start the practical survival stuff...the fun stuff like the dunker, compression chamber, bay-ops, etc. Everyone is looking forward to getting into that and out of the classroom. Alright, enough from me, time for a good workout and hit the books for our test tomorrow. 

Back from the weekend...good time. The rents flew out Friday morning and we took a look around the museum. It looks great these days, though I do not have much to compare it to in the past. The restaurant is designed to look like the Cubi Point O'Club, so it has a ton of squadron plaques from their WestPac cruises. Once they took off on Saturday morning, I drove out to Mississippi to see my buddy from school before he is off to Nuc Power School. Good time had by all. 

Today, we got back into it reviewing for the Nav test tomorrow. That shouldn't be too bad...just a long test. Hope folks are doing well. Thanks for the encouragement...I am havin a lot of fun.  

First Post

So this is the first one of these I have done. It was requested that I start one through flight school, and it seems like a pretty good deal. So...here goes. 

I got down here on June 20 to begin the 'A' Pool wait. My days pretty much consisted of going to a 0730 muster, and then my workday was complete. I was free to hit the gym, beach, or all of the above. However, one can only sit around so much, so at my Dad's suggestion I meandered over to the Blue Angels hangar to see if I could hang around the squadron and help do....anything. They were great. I got to spend a couple of day a week chillin with the folks in the admin office. Every once in a while they gave me a rinky dink filing assignment, but I was happy to do anything. Mostly, I just liked being around the team. I got to meet CAPT Mannix and a number of the other pilots. It was a great way to spend the three weeks before I started class. 

Once I started class, things picked up quite a bit. However, it has been great finally going through things which will apply to flying. I just finished the third week today with an Engines test this morning. One more week of academics and then we get to the fun stuff like the dunker and bay ops. 

Anyways, that about sums up how the days have been going. Time for the weekend...