Game On!

Now for a very important update. I am just days away from starting undergraduate pilot training. It feels so surreal that it is actually here; it has always been “Yeah, I will be a pilot someday,” – “Only a few years now” – “Yes! Got the slot, six months now.” Now it’s - “Unbelievable, one week!.” Today’s events are really what inspired me to write; I had my life support fitting appointment today. I was fitted for my G-suite, Harness, Helmet, and Mask today (G-suite: a girdle thing that goes around your waist and legs and is filled with air to help prevent loss of consciousness during high G-maneuvers, Harness: a harness that attaches the pilot to the ejection seat, Helmet & Mask: straight forward). It was such a great feeling putting all the gear on for the first time. Funny thing is that when I arrived I was filled with this unutterable joy about all the stuff I was getting issued but I wanted to seem cool calm and collect in somewhat of a stoic manner so I acted as if I was just picking up my laundry. I later found out that there are several guys that come in “So on top of the world because they are starting that they act like they are captain America or something,” so delicately put by the airman. Good thing I kept my mouth shut….but that pretty much sums up how I felt. At the end of the fitting the airman showed me to my ‘peg’ (locker/cubbie where my helmet/G-suite/harness are stored); the best part was seeing her put my name on my ‘peg’ and say “this is where you will suite up before you fly.” An unbelievably cool feeling knowing you’re this close to being apart of the fraternity known as Air Force Pilots.

Now all that is cool but what is more important is the studying! In the past months I was able to get a hand on a dash 1 (Flight Manual) and have been studying my Boldface/Ops limits (two pages of the aircraft limitations and emergency procedures that need to be down cold the day we start) and going over some academic material; hopefully preparing me for the first few weeks of class. The closer I get to my start date the more and more I realize the level expectations and effort that is going to be required during the next year; this will be the hardest task I have ever faced.

One of the best parts is meeting all the people that will be in 09-04 (class number). Over the past few weeks I have had the opportunity to meet the rest of my flight. I know I am a little biased but we have a pretty kick ass flight. Everyone is cool to be around on one level or another and everyone seems to have there head on straight…a lot of Type A guys that are going to be tough competition in the race for T-38’s but none the less great guys and gals; we are going to have a hell of a time on the way.

Our class start date is 19 Dec 07 ….a lot of us wanted it to be 17 Dec because of the correlation to the Wright Flyers historical flight but no cigar. We will have about 2 ½ days of class academics and then we will go on xmas/new years break. I will get to spend some quality time in DC with the Aunt Nena and Uncle Will and then New Years in Dallas…..Then, Game On!
Below are some pictures of the past week:

IFS Complete!

So I am now IFS complete. I finished my last check ride on the 19th of Oct. I look back on my achievement with pride and with some disappointment. Though I never hooked a ride (failed a ride) I still don't feel like I was where I needed to be in the program. I have always wanted to leave a program looking back and saying I would have done nothing different...I know I could have chair flown more, studied my stuff more, helped others more, eaten better (it helps). I was at the top of my class but I still feel it was not good enough. If I want to track 38's I now look forward to what needs to be done in UPT. It sounds somewhat egotistical but the drops for 38's for every class are dropping from about 5-7 per class to about 2-3 per class starting a few classes before me....so I need to be the best.

But lets go back to where I left off; mid-flying phase. I began getting better and better at flying the aircraft and was looking at how I could improve my flying skills each day. Its seems weird how it works but all of my best flying days were during standard training flights but my check rides seem to be my worst flying days. My first check ride, in my mind, I should not have passed. I busted my area (a box in the sky you have to do your maneuvers within) and I did my ground reference maneuvers with my flaps at Take off (left there from a previous maneuver). It goes to show that even with your infinite wisdom and ego that things can sometimes snow ball on you. All this occurred because of one thing...when I stepped to the plane I found out they changed my area at the last minute. But I let my ego make the call; I looked over at my IP and said I am cool with it if you are....and once again I said "I got this shit!". Everything in the flight turned out great except that the elevation I based my low altitude maneuvers were now different and I didn't realize it till I was mid stride in a simulated forced landing (engine failure....look for a landing spot on the ground and go for it.) Eventually everything in that portion of the flight took its toll. Surprisingly though everything else in the flight was awesome enough that he passed me even after screwing the low level portion.

And then there was my final check ride - Murphy decided to take a ride with me on that one too. I was paired with Miss Hicks; a check pilot who was conveniently 4 months pregnant too. As usual the on these types of flights...it started off wrong. I turn the key to start the plane and the engine fires up but it begins making a weird sound like it couldn’t quite get started….SHIT!!! why me! Why me! I begin looking around the cockpit to see if there was something standing out….Start warning light extinguished, oil looks good, temp looks good, volts/amps look good…..but everything is not good, the engine is still making weird sounds. So for safe causes I decide to shut down the engine; good choice right. Well it was the wrong one and for some reason I decided to shut down the engine by turning the key back to off…wrong again….use the mixture to shut down the engine! Two mistakes and I haven’t even taken the parking break off yet. She begins to tell me that the engine would have been fine and then got on to me about not shutting the engine down right. So we finally get rolling and tower decides to let me know that I will be taking off from a different runway with a different departure; Fantastic! So I throw my mistakes I made on the ground out the window and say “lets get it done.” Take off was great and I get up and get cleared to contact departure (someone in front of a radar that watches you and everyone else throughout your flight to the area). So I proceed to do so “Pueblo departure, Tiger 27, five thousand six hundred for six thousand five hundred, east departure.”…cool the radio call went well. Now just an aside here: when I am flying by the seat of my pants, such as on departures I have never done, I look a few steps ahead and worry about those before I look to the next steps. Now I had looked at the departure but I only looked at where I needed to turn out…not to where I was supposed to turn out to. Ok, now on track, I made my radio call, good. Well for some unknown reason departure decides to come back and quiz me over the radio…this is unheard of. He proceeds to call back “Tiger 27 radar contact………………Tiger 27 can you explain the next step of your departure for me?”. WhaaaWhat?! Who are you to question me over the radio like that! I have a pilot in the plane that does that for me!.....Damn! You’re just giving her more reasons to fail me! Now of course this was all in my head, outside I was cool calm and collect. Now I know that we didn’t turn till the pueblo VOR (thingy that tells you where you are in relation to it) but I didn’t know the next way point; I knew it was either Yard or to the left of Dale. So I get on the radio “Tiger 27, yes sir, we turn abeam the pueblo VOR……”….cool got this…Pueblo Departure: ”Tiger 27, can you tell me what the next way point is?” At this point I wanted to kill the guy on the ground so I mumble “Tiger 27, we turn abeam the pueblo VOR towards yard*mumbled*” – Pueblo Departure: “Tiger 27, thank you.” Whew…Thank God it was right. The rest of the flight went well except for a few mistakes and a minor near mid-air collision in the pattern. Yeah! There was a kitty (Solo student call sign) in the pattern and he decided to turn final for the runway when we were already on final. It was cool pulled a few G’s and, never once heard of it but, came back and hooked the student that was on his solo ride. Overall the flight was not good by any means; I was on edge the whole time and my mojo/stuff was just off the whole flight…she still decided to pass me though, weird.

Overall a great time was had in good old Pueblo, Colorado. I made plenty of new friends that I will remember for the rest of my life. Its funny because I always heard my father talking about how he met guys in the Air Force that he never forgets and who are still friends of his to this day. Well on to the next step....UPT baby!!!

IFS

So it’s been some time since my last entry. That is simply due to the nature of IFS (Initial Flight Screening). Its been about two weeks since I have been here I have been through one full week of academics followed by a week on the flight line (i.e. flying). To tell the truth I underestimated the place; don’t get me wrong I am excited as hell to be selected for the program but my expectations on the level of intensity were wrong to say the least. As arrogant as it sounds I thought the little bit of flight time I accumulated would give me an edge on the program and I would be able to get a handle of the aircraft on the first flight; man was I wrong.
But I am getting ahead of myself….lets start at the beginning – academics. The first week of IFS is summed up best by a 12 hour day full of power point academics. Academics included topics such as aircraft systems, FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) regulations, airport operations, radio communications, etc. It is the hardest to explain to someone that you are at a point of emotion where you are miserable but at the same time ecstatic to be in the situation you are in. You are told to step in front of a fire hose and collect all the water that comes out….ok go! So the hose is on and you are learning 3 – 4 subjects a day and are studying them throughout the evening. Sucks huh….not really it’s actually very interesting to look around the room and find everyone just as interested in the subjects as you are. Hell most of us have been waiting for this training to start since we were kids. Well as hard as the week went the test was not nearly as hard as the week was; it was on the contrary very easy. Most scored 100% and none scored below 90%. I got a 100%.

We were very fortunate to get our dollar rides before the weeks end too. (Dollar ride = First ride – no penalty to grade on how you fly…whew!). 90% of the students got their rides on Friday…sweet! I had a morning flight and it was the single most fun/humbling experience I have had since I have been here. It was great, we briefed upstairs on what we were going to do in the air and then after we were clear on what was going to go on during the flight we ‘stepped’; term used meaning walked to the plane. I pre-flighted the plane and we were taxiing in no time. Taxiing was just as it was in the Cessna I flew back in Kansas just maybe a little more sensitive but none the less I had it in a few hundred feet. So at this point I’m thinking (excuse the language but it’s exact verbage) ‘I got this shit!’ …………and that’s about the time the flight went down hill; at that point I had control of the aircraft and was with it stride for stride but in just a few short moments I would be holding on as the aircraft took me for a ride and I was behind it the whole time. So we make our clearance call and say to tower “Pueblo Tower,Tiger 30, ready for take off, 26L (two-six-left)” – tower responds “Tiger 30, cleared for takeoff, runway 26L.” So I roll on to the runway center line as happy as a kid who just got his first kiss. I start thinking ‘Ok Mike, with my infinite wisdom and skill I am going to impress the hell out of this IP and show him the next greatest Air Force pilot in the making.’ So I throttle forward and she roars down the runway……ok…not quite roaring….but whatever the 125hp engine is putting out. At that point all the hours of preparation in studying departure procedures, radio calls, throttle settings, area procedures…..they all went out the window! Hell just on the take-off roll I was struggling to keep it on center line and then I go to pull this thing off the ground and she pops right up….as a matter of fact too fast! The IP starts saying calm down…”ease the stick back”. Once in the air the only thing I was able to do was hold my altitude and everything else was holding on to the plane. Every input I made was exaggerated by the plane. I began to learn very quickly that it is very different flying yoke controlled aircraft to flying a stick controlled aircraft. Control sticks are far more sensitive and require less movement to tell it where to go. So the end of flight comes and I am fighting this thing to the ground, in reality I was fighting my IP because he was correcting all my wrong inputs on my glide path (descent path to touchdown on the runway). In summary the flight was great for the first one; and at the end of the day we all got to hang out in the bar and tell each others stories on their first flight; great time.

So the week went on and I was able to catch more and more up with the aircraft. I am now at a point where I am able to focus on my maneuvers rather than my flying and trying to get a hold of where I am. It is really an amazing thing, you are exhausted and pushing your limit on information retention because you are constantly studying and prepping for your next flight but yet you can’t wait till you wake up and get to do it again. I love my job!

This weekend we went to blow off some steam at pikes peak, the Coors Brewery, and finished it off with a Rockies game. There are some pictures below: ok well I am having difficulties posting pictures so I will edit once its fixed. Sorry.

The Lake and IFS

So lately Del Rio has been nothing short exciting and surprising. Even at that level though we still need a weekend get away. The lake has come to be a favorite spot for everyone. For roughly a hundred bucks five people can rent a ski boat for about 4 hours; runs about 20 bucks a person including their choice beverages. I have attempted water skiing somewhat successfully but just can’t get wake boarding for the life of me. I have been out three times and I still can’t pick it up or get up for that matter….I have labeled it as one of my worst enemies right now. I vow to defeat it before I leave Del Rio though; Fun is not even in the equation on this one…I will get up on that board whether I like it or not! …..well other than that the lake is one of the greatest places to go around here. I don’t know how the temp is during the winter so I better get as much time out there as I can. Below are a few pics:

But all fun comes to an end……well not really. I am currently on my way to IFS (Initial Flight Screening) where I finally get to start the first official training to becoming an Air Force Pilot. I will miss the lake during the six weeks that I am in Pueblo but that will be quickly rectified with the flying time I will get and the many different people I will get to meet. I am overwhelmed that I am actually going to do this! The only down sides are the 0430 show times and the long days of studying…..but who cares…I am flying! A quick rundown of what I will be doing: It’s a six week program where I will learn about the basics of aviation as well as learning how to fly, maneuver, and land the DA-20 Katana. The program takes place in Pueblo, CO and is based around a UPT (undergraduate pilot training) training syllabus. Which means it will not be like learning to fly with a normal civilian instructor. I will be pressed to learn all the systems of the aircraft as well as the maneuvers in the syllabus in a relatively short period of time; if I don’t I fail…no extra time. The bar for passing is much higher than that of our civilian counter parts. I don’t know the exact numbers but basically you can’t score below an 90% or 95% on all your tests; don’t quote me. We will have daily stand-ups; where the class stands up and each individual is quizzed on a subject and whether or not he or she gets it right they have to sit down or stay standing respectively; standing is bad. Summed up: lots of learning in a short period of time. Its interesting to see how the Air Force trains their pilots. It reminds me of a movie I watch a long time ago, Robot Jox (look it up). The way the facility is set up is very similar to how the movie does it. Its one facility with everything under one roof: Our Dorms, gym, dining hall, flight rooms, classrooms, ground trainers, and even the hangar. The facility is a renovated storage facility that is now a state of the art training facility for the Air Force. We are groomed and taken care of during the time we are there the only expectation is that we stay physically fit, learn, and perform while we are there. I love it!.....Thanks goes out to all the tax payers I will be enjoying the next six weeks; I think.

L-Town

Well my first time out of the Rio since I got there! I went back to L-Town for the Cardona’s wedding. It was a great time that involved plenty of old friends and alcohol; good mix. The wedding was perfect, it took place at a nice little Baptist Church in Lawrence and then the reception was at Abe & Jakes. I know what you’re thinking, for those of you that know Abe & Jakes it’s a bar atmosphere but it fit the bill perfectly for the reception; It had plenty of dance space, plenty of space for tables and was open enough for people to move around and congregate. One of the cool things that everyone there got to observe was Eddie’s Best Man, an army soldier that had been hit by an IED in Iraq. He lost his leg and was meant to be in a wheel chair to come down the isle but instead used a walker to come down the isle and surprised everyone; something special he wanted to do for Eddie and Kari.

It was a little weird being back in Lawrence for the first time since I had left because this time I was not coming back for school. It was cool to see all the new students moving in everywhere around town. I thought to myself as I drove by about what they might do with their futures; what lays in store them. At the same time I began thinking about why I do what I do, to protect our way of thinking and the right to educate ourselves about the world. I continue to enjoy the satisfaction and sense of purpose I have in the world today; keeping the scientist thinking, the philosophers questioning, the engineers designing, the teachers educating, and just the overall desire to know…anything to push mankind to the next level. Overall a great trip.

Event!

So a little update from the Rio. I threw my first party last weekend! It was a little of a birthday/still going to be a pilot party. It was good though, the place did not get trashed and we only had one person get too drunk…he was the only guy that ended up in the pool too, weird. Then again it was supposed to be a pool party but ended up being a college party instead. We had guys that played beer pong to guys that played Wii (a stupid game that you use a wireless controller to dance around and look like an idiot….but it was still cool....google it) and then people that just chilled and didn’t talk all that much…academy kids (great education but no social skills…..haha…no I am just kidding…….No but seriously). And then the Fuge was officially used for the first time! The great part about our fuge is that we can fit more than one person in it……a group entertainment device. We didn’t have anyone get sick; just very dizzy so that was good. But we are still waiting for the one! The party was good though…in the process of getting ready for the party (Tiki torches that lined the yard and a grill) the house is now improved to a new level. Slowly but surely we are going to be the best house known in the Rio. Anyhow…there are some pictures below that can give you a better visual. I Thank God for every day I have here….I am having a blast!

Everyone in the Fuge!

Beer Pong

The Roomates!

Sierra Hotel

Sierra Hotel!!!

I am filled with unutterable joy....really I am....I am typing this on a computer. Seriously though, I meet the qualifications to be an Air Force pilot. My dream is still alive! I can’t explain the feeling I have right now, I am really going to do this. I leave for IFS (Initial Flight Screening) in a month and a half where I will learn the basics of flight on a DA-20 (see below) for about six weeks. Then a month later I will be starting my initial briefings for SUPT (specialized undergraduate pilot training). I can’t remember a time when I never wanted to be a pilot; I have dreamed of this since I was a kid. From the time I played with every aircraft toy I ever owned, to seeing them at airshows, to learning about how they work in college, to now as I sit, watch, and listen to the 38’s roar down the runway off to fly their next sortie; soon to be me!. I can remember the day I put the uniform on for the first time. I was so overly excited, I had wanted to wear it for so long. I didn’t care that it had the lowest of the lowest rank; freshman cadet rank, one slanted bar. The only thing I cared about was that I now represented the United States Air Force; Something I have grown very proud of being apart of because of my father. I had the greatest sense of purpose. That day I felt like the most important person in the military….even though I was not even close to being in. That day came later when I pinned on my first gold bars; an equally great feeling. I am now an Air Force Officer, a second lieutenant. It will soon be my turn to have my chance at making my mark in pilot training. Soon!
I have added a few photos of what I would like to track in order of progression.

DA-20

T-6

T-38

F-16

F-22

Family and Future

Ok….A quick update on how things are going so far. I have finally moved into the place I am going to live for the next year and a half of my life; fingers crossed (I will explain later). The place is amazing! I have three other roommates who all have characteristics of people I have never lived with before so it should be interesting. The house has four rooms, three bathrooms, a 2-car garage, and the best part a pool!. Oh….and I forgot we have a centrifuge too; see the photo below. Yup that’s right a centrifuge….its actually a modified version of a merry-go-round but living with a bunch of wanna-be pilots…it’s a fuge! The place has plenty of room for four guys to live in more than comfortably and for myself, well I feel like I am on vacation right now. I work three days a week/four hours a day and the rest of the time is mine….oh and the Air Force still pays me the same salary as any other Lt.

The POOL!!

The House

THE FUGE!!!

This last week was great. My family came into town to visit for my Birthday and I got TMO to bring my stuff; I felt close to home. We decided to spend the day out on the lake ‘attempting’ to wake board. We all took turns driving and attempting to wake board; lets just say driving the boat was much easier than wake boarding. It was funny too because they have been forecasting scattered thunderstorms throughout the whole week into the weekend but for those four hours that we were out there we got the perfect weather; I attribute that to the big guy upstairs, thanks. All and all a great week!

Now comes the part I have been waiting for since the day I heard the news I was upgraded to pilot, I complete my Medical Flight Screening tomorrow. I am writing this from Brooks Air Force Base or Brooks City Base (google it) as it’s called. Up to this point everything has been within my power to change/fix or to work on to make myself eligible to be the next ‘zipper suited sun-god’ but now it’s out of my hands. Tomorrow I can only hope that everything inside me works properly or is within the Air Force standards. For those not informed on what MFS (medical flight screening) is; it’s a full on hard core physical where they make sure anything and everything that might affect you in flight…works properly; and that’s just about everything.
Well I will be updating this as it happens so till the next entry which will be in a day!

So as of now I am officially working the transition office. The job may not be exactly what I am looking for though. I originally thought having a cake job would be cool to have but after just one four hour day of working I am thinking otherwise. On my first day I had several snags that I had to work through one by one….it made the job seem exciting for the time being. That feeling was short lived though, simply because after that the rest of the four hours felt like an eight hour job; I was completely bored. I am sure there are several ways I can entertain myself I just need to find them. Overall though it just feels good to actually being doing something productive around base, as unproductive as it was.

As for everything else going on; I am pretty much enjoying myself. I spent most of last week walking around without my contacts off because of my flight physical here in a month (no contacts 30 days prior); I don’t recommend driving at night like that…nearly hit an armadillo. It came out perfect though because the two weeks ago I went in to get sized for flight glasses, these glasses that are approved for the cockpit but have nothing to do with making you look good…or even ok (very similar to BCG’s or birth control glasses), and they arrived Friday. On a good note we get one pair of glasses that are cosmetic and are for use on the ground; i.e. they look good. I have been wearing them around for the past week and a half. I can’t even remember the last time I wore glasses but its taking some getting used to. I also went out for the first time since I have been here. A future roommate and I went out to a couple of bars this weekend and definitely got a feel for Del Rio. There was only one bar, The Herald, that made you feel like the you walked out of Del Rio when you walked in there; it was very upscale. The other bar we went to was ‘TB’s’ a little bar north of town that has been unofficially termed the ‘white alamo’. You can do the math yourself, a border town full of Latino’s with very few white people….well ‘TB’s’ is where it looks like most of them hang out. Its great for new Lt’s too because its cheap beer and cheap food.

Well it also seems we have found a place to live; A very nice four bedroom home with a pool and a garage. It is immaculate and should be ready to move in by the 21st of July. Still looking but we are pretty dead set on this one. Just a heads up….still living in a hotel room! I don’t recommend it to anyone, its comfortable and its nice having a person make your bed and stuff but its just small and isolated.
Oh…and just a quick note…go see transformers! The movie does exactly what it was made to do…make all us Transformer generation people feel like kids again only this time they transform into cool stuff we like to play with today….F-22, Camaro, Mustangs….etc. Anyways that’s it from my end. Happy Birthday Esteban!

1st Checklist

So I am halfway through my first week and I am feeling pretty good. As Seebeck once put I still get alot of the "LT look"....as in I ask a question that is common knowledge to them and people give me the blank look as if I did something wrong. Its pretty cool right now though because the only things I am responsible for are the things on my checklist; basic inprocessing stuff (housing office, safety briefings, alot of medical visits, ..etc.). I am did however find out what my job is eventually going to be....I have the highly classified, most important job of .....manning the transition office desk; a little anti-climatic. I am actually excited about it because it allows me to work in the same building that the phase I & II pilots (guys flying the T-6). My job is just to inform the incoming supt (specialized undergraduate pilot training) students of what to do when they arrive I will work about 4 hours a day and about 3-4 days a week; all in all a pretty cake job. I will start training for it this Friday.
It is a very good feeling to be walking around base and just realizing to yourself that alot of these guys going through training are going to be the future leaders of our Air Force. Being in the transition office is great because everyone has their own story about how they came to be a Lt in pilot training. We also have some foreign exchange students which is pretty cool to be around to. I have narrowed down where I might be living...only problem is that it might be on the north side of Del Rio...kind of far from the base. Other than that things are going great.

Laughlin AFB

So I am finally here. Everything I have dreamed about up to this point has culminated in .....hours of boredom. I know, not exactly what you were expecting.

I arrived to Del Rio TX after a not so bad 7 hour drive; 7 hours in a car seems so much better when you have never driven the route before....that is compared to the many drives from Kansas to Texas I have made. After arriving I had to still had to stay off base because there was no room on base. I took a quick tour of the base and then prepped my uniform for my first day of work. My first day of work turned out to be great. I ended up going to the wrong place to begin with but by days end I had my in processing check list and was doing my best to complete it. I ended the day with a long awaited work out; the gym is surprisingly nice on base but still does not have everything I would like.

Over the weekend I prepared my BDU (battle dress uniform) for monday.....I kind of came up prepared with that uniform. I was missing my cover and I did not have my rank sewn on. Sunday I went to church and just traveled around town looking for nice areas to live. Like I said I have alot of down time right now. I am not used to having this much time to myself on the weekends. Overall it was a great few days to start my stay here in Del Rio. I look foward to the upcoming week and what it holds.