Mark

Mark

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Goodness H Crackers	[Feb. 26th, 2007\|10:34 pm]
Where do I even start? In the last episode, your hero was just attempting to start the long process of becomming a pilot. Since then, he has managed to solo, survive a 6 week illness, pull off a major project at work, re-vamp a process at work, take a solo cross country flight and land a new job within the company. Not bad for an opinionated libertarian who will abandon his plans for world domination when he grows up and winds up settling with a rough trick named Jim. Ok so maybe I wont give up my plans for world domination. ;-) 10 points to whoever can name that quote But yes, the flying is going along splendedly. I got sick with some mystery illness back in october that pretty much crippled me for about 6 weeks total. I was in the middle of a huge audit at work selling off a piece of new software to the gooberment and I started getting ill. Well it was a 2 week event that I struggled through. End of the 2 weeks, I was feeling ok (looking back, no I wasnt) and I ended up collapsing into a 103 fever that lasted for another 2 weeks. In that time frame, I made it to work 1 day. Docs were affraid I had mono. This turned out to not be the case. Turned out, they had no idea what I had. Best as I can figure, some opportunisitic little bug nailed me in my weakend state--something that would normally bounce off a normal immune system . Since mine was on the ropes, it got a firm hold and wouldnt let go. for 4 weeks, I woke up soaked to the bone and had to change sheets and sleep clothes. Not a very plesant experience. I was just getting back into the cockpit when the weather turned to absolute crap. I was able to fly maybe 3 times after my illness and the end of the year. During this time, I pass my one year aniversery at work. Unfortunately, all the different possible jobs I had lined up evaporated in the time between summer and then. Unknown to me, my chief engineer was pulling some major strings behind the scenes to get me out of there. Towards the end of the year, I embark on a revamp of my professional baby, the defficiency reporting process. This was the process I had no idea how to do and basically built from scratch in the year I was at work. Unfortunately, it didnt work and needed to be tailored to something that mimmiced reality. After 6 weeks, I get the thing done with the help of several awesome people whom I miss dearly. Literally after I get it done near the first of the year, I am informed by my chief engineer that I will be leaving the C-5 Program for C-130J stress engineering--my dream job. I had 2 weeks to train my replacement and get out. It was very difficult leaving my old group. I purposefully got to work late that thursday so I could pack up my office without anyone hearing me cry. I got hugs from alot of people, and those who didnt yield hugs, gave me firm handshakes and well wishes. Apparently, I made one hell of an impression on everyone I interacted with. My boss really spoke volumes tho. My time working for him was summed up in one action on his part. Half an hour before he left, he made the final rounds of bedchecks, made sure we all completed our time cards and that was it. When he left for the day, he didnt stop by, shake my hand and wish me luck in my new adventure. He turned off his light, locked his door and left--nothing else. His last words to me were "complete your STARS." Simply amazing Really, the only person I truly hated was my boss. I would like to think that if he hadnt been a complete micromanaging, overbearing, insecure, racist sack of douche-like antichristic monkeyshit, my experience in Configuration Management would have been alot better and I might have had less of a burr up my ass to get the fuck out. Who knows. I have been in the new job for, oh jeez, I will be starting my 3rd week as of this week. The people are simply fantastic. They are thrilled to have such new blood in an otherwise old group. My boss and co-workers are simply amazing people. They are excited, insightful and always willing to answer my most basic of questions. The only problem is, they are at the very end of a major project and are all working 7 day weeks to get it done. But, that will end at the end of next week. Once that happens, my work will take off, and my real training will begin. Tomorrow I will joust the windmill of boredom yet again wish me luck!!
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And I take to the SK.....errr um Tarmac

[Jul. 17th, 2006|11:47 pm]

[	Current Location	\|	Vinings	]
[	mood	\|	bouncy	]
[	music	\|	Orgy - Dreams In Digital	]

This entry is going to start on the 14th.

I was extremely excited about the 14th. My frist flight lesson was finally set up. This was good as my flight instructor is going to be out of pocket till sometime mid-late next month. Fine, there are other instructors who can fill in while Truitt is gone. No biggie.

So my co-worker, terry, who happens to be one of the most fantastic people to ever grace the earth, was saving some boxes for me for my impending move. I drive up to her place and get said boxes. I look at the sky, popcorn, no biggie. I was on my way to the field and I could just tell the weather was deterriorating by the minute. I took a few physics of weather classes and got a good feel as to when the weather was turning nasty. I was cursing the sky the entire way.

I get up there with about 45 min to spare, so I sit outside, study my books and procedures. Instructor and an instrument student roll up. Basically find out the weather is crap at the training area and we are most likely not going to go up. Fine, I knew this.

We decide to atleast go out to the plane and do the preflight. As we are walking out we see another student and pilot scoot in. ask em how the training area is. They said they didnt know and that it was just lightning all over the place. We scrub the flight.

Get out to the plane and notice that we are surrounded by T-storms, big ones.

We get in the cockpit and he begins to show me around, I pretty much knew all there was about the instruments. However he showed me how all the raidos worked, that was pretty cool as I didnt know that one already.

The heavens open about 5 min into the familarization. It was a good old-fashioned frog choker. We had the cockpit doors open to let some air whip through as it is hotter than hell out there. Well, to save the aircraft from water, we seal ourselves in the cockpit. We finish up all the stuff we need to do inthe plane and decide to make a break for it (run back to the FBO) then the lightning starts hitting all around the field.
We decided that getting struck by lightning not a good thing. so we sit in the plane and ride it out. The wind was blowing so hard the airspeed indicator got up to about 35kts sustained. Mind you for part of the pre-flight, we lowered the flaps (increase lift at a given airspeed. Well, the plane was straining against the tiedowns and the control lock.

Yes, the plane was actually trying to lift off the ground

kinda interesting trying to talk about the aircraft over the driving rain.

As fast as blew up, it went...after about 45 min of intense storm.

We got out, did the walk around then headed back inside.

Even though I didnt fly, I learned alot on the ground and I had fun.

Next lesson, the 21st from 1600-1900 hrs.

The rest of the weekend went fairly well. I finally found out I dont have all the equipment I need to repair my car, so tomorrow I start the process of finding a shop close by to do the work.

Remember Gerogians, tomorrow is the primary for state elections, vote or you dont have any room to bitch!

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