2008!!!!

A little update from the Rio! Last I wrote I was just about to start UPT; so I will start back from there. I started UPT and had two days roughly full of briefings where everyone on base came and told us how they support us. At first the briefings seemed unimportant and a waste of time but it wasn’t until the life support briefing that I fully understood the importance of everyone on the base and how lucky I was to be in the position I am in today. If you need anything at all everyone is there to help….if you need a new mask, cool you got a new mask…..need a new visor, cool you got a new visor…you need help with studying or with anything else for that matter, everyone is there to help you! It goes to show that the Air Force takes care of their people, especially their pilots. Well after the two days of “pilot training” I headed up to home (Allen, tx) to see the family. Xmas break was great! I spent a few days in Allen with the family and then we all headed to DC to visit Uncle Will, Aunt Nena, and Kaitlyn for Xmas. To sum up xmas: plenty of drinking, eating/getting fat, getting presents, and spending time with family….everything I wanted it to be. We even got to get some snowboarding time in…..I have improved quite a bit from the last time I went but then again this time I tried to be a little more cautious due to the devastating repercussions had I incurred an injury. Either way, a well needed break before the start. After DC we headed back to Allen to hang out for new years! 2008! Wow I am getting old.

Now I am back in Del Rio and spooling up for the year of my life. When I first got back we checked in on a Thursday which was pretty sweet because it was a half day. We came in at 1:30 and said, hey we’re alive and then we got one briefing and went home. The next day was cool because of pictures, we put on our service dress and took a picture in front of a flag…I don’t know how it turned out yet but it will be interesting to look at years later or even at the end of this year; see how much hair I lost. This past week has been the first real week of pilot training where we actually learned stuff that applied to flight. The first part of phase I is Aerospace Physiology, where we learn everything from our survival equipment to how the body is affected by pressure (i.e. altitude). It is pretty cool seeing everyone interested in what is going on in class and the labs we get to do. We got to get suited up to learn how to strap into the ejection seat/cockpit correctly, we got to light off some signal flares, we got to practice PLF’s (Parachute Landing Falls), we got to practice the barany chair (a spinning chair that is used to disorient you, simulating spatial disorientation), and tomorrow we get to jump into the altitude chamber. The altitude chamber is pretty cool because it simulates being at altitude and shows us our specific symptoms of hypoxia (hypoxia: lack of oxygen to the brain; check out youtube for altitude chamber videos); we pretty much get to get drunk for free or better yet on your! dime. As for the actual academic part of it, its not that hard. We had our first test on Wednesday and 2/3 of the class got a hundred, myself included. Of course Aero Phys is the easiest part of pilot training….it only gets worse from here. This next week we have the FACT (Fighter Air Crew Test) which is a physical test that measures your strength and how well you will do in fighters….so they say (everyone has to do it); shouldn’t be to hard. We also have our Aerospace Physiology test and then we hit systems I….f^&* yeah! 1 ½ weeks down and 4 ½ weeks till we hit the flight line. Training Day 11 and still in pilot training!

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!