Now I'm going to back up a little. Immediately after my LOFT (line oriented flight training) Sim session I managed to get a two week gap between LOFT and my first IOE trip. My wife who had already planned to go to Oahu to visit her sister was already at the airport heading to Dallas, on her way to HNL. I had to go to the training center to get my new certificate signed (which now says EMB 145 on it). I was done by 7am and heading to DFW myself via the shuttle. Once at DFW I had a bit of a wait so I went over to the gate where my wife was due to arrive. It's Funny to meet your spouse in passing at an airport away from home. After a short visit we talked about me going out as well. So off to SAT I go. She managed to get on the flight to HNL. So now I'm at home taking care of things I needed to be done before I leave.

After a long flight she calls and we confirm that I should go. So Inside of a couple hours I pack and make arrangements to go. I have never made a decision and prepared for a trip to Hawaii in a couple hours before. Usually those trips were planned 6-7 Months in advance.
Sometimes it's not easy being Spontaneous. I called UPS and asked about Jumpseating with them. Jumpseating is where a Pilot with an airline is allowed to fly on another airline if both airlines have a reciprocal agreement. My airline allows UPS pilots to fly on our airplane and vice versa. The best thing about this, it's free. The down side is that its standby, space available. If the plane is full you do not go. And now days, most airlines are trying to fly at 100% every flight.
The lady I spoke with said it was no problem for me to catch a ride with them. The trip would be SAT-SDF-HNL. There was about a 5 hour sit in Louisville, but I would still make HNL at about 10am local time.

I caught a ride to the UPS center at SAT. The people were very nice. I finally met the pilot, he checked my documents and welcomed me aboard. There was another UPS pilot jumpseating to Louisville for training. He took the time to explain their operations to me. I think this was my first ride on an airbus, an A300 to be exact. Didn't see to much, the jumpseat area was small with about 4 fold out jumpseats. Not real comfortable. I had had very little sleep in the previous 24 hours so I did my best to try to rest. Once we arrived at sdf he even took me inside showed me around and where to check in. The facility had a dark room with lazy boy chairs, another room with lazy boys but with lights on, a cafeteria, and a huge preflight room. this place was really nice!

Finally after I tried to get a little more sleep time in the dark room, I went to the briefing room to wait for the crew. Soon after an FO (first officer, or commonly referred to by many as co-pilot) walked up to me and asked if I was jumping to HNL and I said yes. He was part of the crew on my flight. A little bit later another FO showed up, he was the relief officer for the flight. When a flight is long they add a pilot to the crew so they can take breaks. Now all we need is a captain! Just before the final show time the captain walks in, reviews the paper work we all have a little small talk and then off to the airplane we go.
Back into the crew van for our ride to the airplane. Door to door service, I think I could like working for UPS. Finally we get to our plane and climb aboard. My first time, again, aboard an MD-11. I love these airplanes and always wanted to fly on one. Their jumpseats are MUCH nicer. Basically first class seat that recline with foot rest. However the captain offered to let me sit up front with them on a little fold out jumpseat...yeah I took it! I'm not going to miss this for anything.
So after a very cool takeoff roll, and climb around some thunderstorms

We finally settle in at cruise altitude. The captain then turned around and say's "their should be two meals for you in the back, we will be using the bottom bunk, so the top bunk is open. make yourself at home!" Hmm No sleep in the past 24+ hours, a 9 hour flight ahead, and there is an open bunk...Now this was an easy choice. So I changed into some shorts and a Tshirt and to sleep I went. After a few good hours of sleep I finally decide to get up a little more then an hour out. Time to get changed, freshen up and have some breakfast. Wow what more could a guy ask for...
As you can see the big island is poking up through the clouds, this means we're getting close.
They brought us in over the south west corner of the Island, over the Famous Waikiki beach and Diamond Head Crater.

You can see the ala wei canal on the north side of thr tourist district




It was an awesome finish to a great flight. ATC took us out pretty far over the Pacific before turning us back to the airport. Being 1500' above the Beautiful blue water is an amazing view.


And just like that we're on the ground. My Beautiful wife was there to pick me up and had a front row seat of the landing. The crew had me take one more van ride with them to the gate, and then I jumped out to catch my ride. The entire process with UPS was awesome! The crew was just wonderful, a great bunch of guys! Thank you y'all so much!

So now it's time to do what I came to do...See the Island, and family.




My wife with a view of Koko head Crater in the background.

My Niece at our favorite little local restaurant Keneke's in Waimanalo on the windward side.
and one of my favorite, if not my favorite places on Oahu...Sunset Beach!

What a great time, now now it's time to head back to the airport, It's time for IOE...


then the Island offers me one more beautiful view before I go,
What a way to top off a great visit.

IOE

Last I wrote I was sitting in a hotel in Chicago just outside of Ohare waiting to start my first trip. I was really anxious about it, but more in a nervious kind of way. I always thought my first time in a Jet would be exciting. Normally I am always very excited to fly a new airplane. This time though, I was letting my nerves get the best of me. IOE (Initial operating experience) is the first time you actually climb abroad the actual airplane. Up to this point it has all been in the box...or the simulator. My first trip would be ORD-TYS-ORD-RDU.

So the moment arrives and I finally meet my IOE Captain in the ORD crew room. He was a very nice guy. Very patient. Our first plane was running late, so we went outside to use another airplane to do a preflight inspection on. Finally our plane arrives so we head down to start preparing for our flight to knoxville Tenn. He took care of the walk around because he knew I would be needing the extra time to get my duties done. He took the first leg, I had to handle the radios while on the ground in ORD. I felt like a brand new student again. I think I said "what did he say" on every other call. I thought I was pretty good on the radios, ha, not as good as I thought. So we finallyu made it TYS. We once again did our preflight duties and now it's my turn. The take off was pretty smooth. I wanted to get a feel for the airplane so I hand flew it up to about 14,000 before turning on the autopilot. It's a very comfortable airplane to fly. The flight went pretty well. I was very much behind the airplane, but CA McCarthy kept up with me, and the plane. My first approach in the airplane just had to be in Ohare, no, not some smaller airport. I had to fly the 27L ils and land at one of the busiest airports in the country. Well, I made it. we got on the ground and prepared for our next leg to rdu where we would overnight.

The next day was a return to ord, then an Omaha turn. Again I would fly the ORD inbound legs.
Day three and four was a repeat of the previous two except I did the outbound legs


This was my plane for the Omaha leg. it was an interesting flight. The controller actually put us in a bad spot, but we managed to get a visual on the runway just before the Capt was about to call a go around. He asked if I had a visual, and If i could get it down. I said sure. It actually ended up being a descent approach and I even got a compliment for salvaging the approach.

this was not my first flight but this shot remind of the first time time I flew to 36,000. I though cool I'm at FL360, then I thought, How am I going to get down?

I am now done with 6 days of IOE. I will probably do two more before being signed off. I'm currently at home waiting for the call. I hope I hear something soon.

Here are a couple more pics from the trip.

Sitting in OMA waiting for a ground stop to end so we can go back to ORD



You'll have to forgive the picture quality. I don't have a camera just my Iphone for now.

where has time gone?

I have to start with an apology! I had four comments waiting for moderation, and I didn't even know it. I didn't even know my settings were set to do that. One person cedarglen kindly let me know that there was someone out there who was keeping up with me. Honestly I really didn't know if anyone was following along. I'm not much of a writter, actually I'm not a writer in way at all. This little blog was just a way I have tried to record this crazy journey i'm on. So I'm sorry for not keeping up the blog, it has been a very busy three months!
I started class March 28. I was awarded ORD (chicago) and the EMB 145 on the first day. Our first week was basic indoc which was learning basic company procedures, getting company manuals, and taking care of the basics. Week two and three was computer based training, then weeks four and five was systems ground, fms lab's. After that Sim training started. All in all it wasn't to bad. It was however very stressful, tiring and challenging! The written test was simple. The oral exam was also not to difficult. The sims on the other hand really kicked my butt! they had a rash of maintenance issues on the sims. Long story short I was sent home for three weeks. As of right now I believe there are still two people from my class waiting to do their checkride. We all should have been done Jun 17th.

So after three weeks at home I was finally called back to finish up. The first night I was really rusty since i had not been in the some for so long. The next was a bit better, so the instructor signed me off for the check ride. Sunday morning, Jun 12th at 5am I began my very first part 121 checkride. By 730am I had PASSED my very first pt 121 checkride!!! Talk about a relief! the folloing thursday I did Loft (line oriented flight training), and friday morning recieved a new certifcate, which had added to it the EMB 145! woohoo. So what do I do next? friday night at 9pm I Jump on a UPS a300 out of SAT to louisville KY and from there an MD-11 to Honolulu Hawaii.

so after a short visit to Hawaii I now sit in a hotel in Chicago, waiting for my first day of IOE. Tomorrow I will strap on my first jet and takeoff to Knoxville Tenn.

All I can say is things are starting to move fast. I will do my best to come back and post more indepth information about the training and my IOE experience. I have some photo's too. Sorry this post is a bit short and jumpy, but I really just wanted to get some sort of update. Thanks to those who do follow my rants!

A new Beginning!

September 2007, it was the first post of this little blog! I started to document my new endeavor to become a commercial pilot. I had spent the previous 18 years in the transportation industry and I was ready to get out! I was fortunate to have a wonderful, supportive wife who encourage me to make the change.
Fast forward to April 2008. Finally I acquired my Commercial multi and single engine pilots certificates.

Now, three years and 6 months later, through one of the worse downturns in the aviation industry, a medical issue that could have ended my career before it even started, and numerous roadblocks and obstacles I am Happy to announce I have been offered and I have accepted the offer to become a First Officer with American Eagle Airlines!
It has been such an amazing month. I applied after I found out a friend was working there, flying the EMB 145. He offered to walk in my resume. I also met another AE Pilot who worked at the AE training department. He also volunteered to make a call on my behalf.

I fully expected this to be a 2-3 month process. 2.5 weeks after I applied I received the offer to interview.
On March 2 2011 I interviewed. 9 days later March 11, 2011 I received the call that I Had passed the Captains review board. Within four hours of that call I was scheduled for the March 28, 2011 Class.
In less then a month I will have interviewed and started class. This has happened so fast I'm not even sure If i believe it yet.

I'm not yet sure what to expect from class, except I will be very busy with a lot to learn. I hope to be able to write about my experience, but I will justhave to wait to see if I will have the time.

It's just doesn't seem possible. I excited yet someone stunned I think. It seems the training and time building and Instructing were just taking so long, I just didnt know if, or when I would make it to this level.
I think this is going to be fun, I cannot wait to get this started!

BTW, here is a picture of my friend Trevor (at least his back). He was about to "teach his lesson" when we were in school working on our CFI Certificates. Trevor is the one who walked my resume in for me.
Thank You Trevor!

The light, it's very bright

Just a hint, I'll have more details soon!

Would You do it again?

I have been asked this question several times. Of course the question is in regards to making a career change to aviation.

Let me start with a little back ground. After High School I went into the U.S. Air Force. Did one tour with them and got out. On the civilian side I figured I would either go Equipment Operator (Bull dozer, cranes, backhoes etc) which is what the air force trained me to do, or I would get into transportation, which is what both my father and grandfather did. The first call I received was to drive for a corrugated paper company, also known as card board. So for the next 18 years I worked transportation. Pretty much every aspect of it. From Dock worker to driver to supervisor/dispatcher positions. I had two separate companies go out of business on me, one had 18,000 employees. The last one I worked for is the largest LTL carrier in the US. However, that company is also not doing very well, and I would be surprised if they are still around in 2012.

After seeing the writing on the wall and after being laid off I decided maybe it was time to make a change. My wonderful wife told me I should pursue flying, commercially. At that time people were being hired at the regionals with 300 hours TT. So I quit and decided to go back to training full time for my commercial, Multi engine commercial, and CFI, CFII, and MEI certificates. Fast forward a couple years and the aviation industry is still suffering from the economy collapse. Flight Instructing is still slow. Hiring is starting to show signs of recovery, but I'm still in a place I suspected I would be out of a year ago.

There have already been so many up's and down's since I made this change, but the question still remains. Would I do it Again? Yes. I'm still very excited to find out what awaits me. It still amazes me every time I take off and watch the ground slip away.

1000 and a new year!

It has been awhile since I have been by to update the blog. Things have been very busy, which is a good thing. Most importantly just before Christmas I finally passed 1000 total flying hours. It has been such an amazing journey. At times it has been exciting and just an amzing experience. Other times it has been stressful and tiring.

So hear we are in the new year. I'm sitting on 1000 total time and 82 multi engine. I'm at 555 hours as a flight instructor. I enjoy instructing, it's challenging, and very rewarding. However I'm ready to make the next move. I have been giving some consideration to applying to a regional Airline. I just recently came across another website www.oneflyingleap.com It's another great story of a guy who made a career change and successful made it to the airlines. It is a great story.

I think 2011 will be interesting, I just need to slow my self down a little and smell the Jet A exhaust along the way!
Happy New year!