PLANNING

The word Planning is a BIG word in aviation. we are taught to make plans for everything we do. I wonder if 'flight planning' is an Oxymoron? If you have been around aviation long enough, you know nothing ever seems to go exactly as planned. There is always something that changes things up a little. Weather, Maintenance, cfi's canceling, another renter not getting back on time with the airplane, the list is endless. If you are a student pilot, or pilot working on advanced rating you definitely know what I am talking about. One of my favorite saying regarding GA (general aviation) is, If you have time to spare, go by air!
Time and again I have had to cancel flights for numerous reasons. One day I was preflighting the Mooney for an Instrument lesson and I found some pretty bad damage to the landing gear doors that one of the partners had done, and NOT reported to anyone. Talk about mad!
I try to plan things out. I like to know where I'm going in life. One of my goals for my Aviation Career is to fly for an airline. My top number one pick for a regional airline was Express Jet.


Not only where they one of the best regionals to work for, they had a base in San Antonio! How awesome that would have been! Well, as of Sep 1 2008 Express jet (branded service as pictured above)will be no more! i hoped they would make it through the "OIL CRISIS" because I wont be ready to make the move to a regional until probably this time next year, but they didn't. Of course express jet will still be around as Continental express, I Hope. Just like anything else in aviation, your Planning does not always work out. In reality your planning for best case scenario. Each person has there own way of looking at life. I have a Faith. I believe My path will be planned out for me and I just need to walk it. Just like right now, I am down for a little while and cannot fly, but I have faith that their is reason for it, and I will just keep moving forward working toward my destination. Just like a flight plan, The weather might delay you for a while, even though your planning did not include the delay, you will eventually get there!


The picture of the Express jet was taken yesterday while I was at KSAT. I was checking out some work being done on the 172. While there I managed to check out a couple more of the neighbors. Across the field was a Trade Winds Boeing 747 sitting at Sino Swearingen.

I thought it was an interesting photo, with the heat rising off 12R blurring the picture.

Sino Swearingen if you are not familiar with them are building a new light jet here in San Antonio the SJ30-2

Great looking plane, isn't it!

A couple more of the neighbors.

An arriving SWA


And a departing Delta. I really like the MD-80 series. It's such a shame they wont be a round much longer!

Aviation is just an indescribable thing. It can drive you crazy with all the up and downs but if it's in your blood you just can't shake it! You know what I'm talking about...don't ya! ;-)

A Day at the airport

Have you seen the bumper sticker a bad day fishing is better then a good day at work? I think that's the same as being at the airport. I was at the 172 Hanger at KSAT, which is abeam the touchdown point of 12R (san antonio's main runway).
It's fun sometimes to just pull a lawn chair out and watch the planes come and go. We have all types, GA, corporate, Airline, Freight, Everything from the smallest GA to 747's. It always interesting to see whats coming and going. We even have a p-51 p-38, and a f-4 corsair that frequent SAT.







The only downside to being at a large field, is there usually is no one else around...close by. It doesn't have that small field feeling, where people are sitting around a picnic table telling "there I was 35,000 feet, in the soup, inverted" stories.






But it sure is fun to sit and watch the "neighbors".


There is just something about being at the airport!

MEI on Hold

Well, the MEI is hold for a little bit. Maybe I will have have a chance to get it early Aug! Getting the CFI and CFII at Career Pilot School was a lot of fun, and hard work! I will come back soon and add a few photos to this post of the school and planes. I want to say thanks to Michael, Adam, Mark, Jake, and Ron. What a great bunch of guys! I'm ready for another wally's burger! It was really a good experience, It was sad to leave as quick as I did! Hopefully I will get back up there soon to finish up! Now, all we need is that new Career Pilot School Location 3 in San Antonio TX!

UPDATE, while I'm holding I figured I would post a few pics!

Here is a shot of a newly minted CFI flying back to IXD from GHP. I was debating about flying back from the left, since it had been so long since I had flown from the left. But I decided to fly from the right!


I couple of shots of downtown Kansas City




The Arrow I took the CFI initial in.



The archer II (the plane I used for the CFII) and the Arrow



My buddy Trevor "teaching" a lesson in prep for one of his checkrides!


Career Pilot School, their IXD
New Century Location


It was a good time up there, I look forward to going back and finishing up my MEI!

Next up...MEI

Well I got my first hour in N125RJ today. I like flying the twin comanche, aka the twinkie. Its a fun plane to fly! The plan is for me to fly monday and tuesday, and hopefully a checkride on wednesday...I just hope and pray to be done by then! It has been a good experience, and even though it is 100 in San Antonio, I'm ready to go home! So for now its study time again. It is amazing I have been studying for months and I still feel like I dont know much of anything! Things are starting to come together though I look forward to instructing! Ok, study break is over, time to get busy!

CFII OH YEAH!

It has been a busy week since passing my CFI initial. I was not real current on my Instrument, so I had to spend a little time getting some basic instrument skills back! Not to mention, my instrument skills never were really all that great. Anyway, after a lot of study and about 13 hours in the air I took my CFII ride yesterday and passed! Oh yeah! WHAT A RELIEF! On the way to the airport I was so nervous I was actually happy that I was driving in a thunderstorm! I figured maybe it was my out for getting out of taking the ride I didn't feel I was ready for! Once Again I had to lean on my faith, and put it in His hands. So the DPE says well, let just do the oral and we can fly another day(the day was forecast to be thunderstorms all day!). About 2 hours later we get done with the oral, we look out side and the rain had stopped the clouds pulled out to 12K and it was suddenly flyable! Aside from the winds aloft 230 at 46 kts at 3000 it was clear and unlimited visibility. Despite the winds I decided to just fly, I figured it was made available to me so I had better take it. Two hours later I was a CFII! What an experience...Now just one more ride my MEI and I get to go home...I am so ready to go!

CFI!!!!

YES I AM NOW A CFI!!!! Wow, All I can say is what a relief! I stressed so much over this one, and have crammed so much into my head over the last two weeks that I think I have a permanent head ache! But I passed today and that's all that matters!

I had to fly to KGHP Midwest National In Mosbey Missouri to meet the KC FSDO examiner. It was an uneventful flight direct through Downtown Airport airspace. The air was smooth, there was a light fog over the river. I flew probably the best Pattern I have ever flown, by the numbers all the way to touch down which was picture perfect! Of course NO ONE SEEN IT! which is always the case when you grease one on! We started the Oral about 8:45 went to about 12 then broke for lunch! Came back got in the airplane! flew about 1.5 my flying left something to be desired, but hey, I passed! came back finished up at 5pm. It was a long day! I am just thankful it is over! I am thankful that I have a God who gives me the strength and ability to do this, there is no way I could do it on my own!

Now I am on to do the CFII and MEI, all within the next two weeks! OH GEEZ, the stress just came back!!!

Congratulations Trevor

Well, one of our class members took the CFI-A ride today and Passed!!! Trevor was the first to go, and he did very well! Congratulations!
My ride is scheduled for Tuesday! The nerves are starting to kick into high gear. Its been almost two weeks since arriving, we have learned a lot, but it just does not seem like enough! Sometimes you are so tired from studying it hurts! Tomorrow I start a mad rush to get the flying done. I only have about 2 hours so far for this course, so I have a lot to catch up! I hope the weather holds. It has been pretty bad around here, very strong thunderstorms, tornado not to far away. I talked with Michael today, he says I should still be on schedule to finish all three CFI, II, MEI by around the 28th. again weather permitting!
I hope so, Its been two weeks since I have seen my Family and i miss them and Home! This has been a very good experience so far, I do not regret coming back to flat land (KS) to finish my training up! Well, Its Study time!