Today, we had the best time flying around Palm Coast and Daytona. (X47 to DAB back to X47) It was awesome flying around and finally checking myself familiar with the terrain. I’ll tell you this much…it is nothing like San Diego. There are no mountains in sight whatsoever. Just a bunch of little lakes, the Daytona 500, other airports and a couple of waterways. Here’s a picture of the view that I took while sitting in the back seat.

The is one of the local main roads bridging over the Intercoastal Waterway leading into the Atlantic Coast. Well, I’m going out to check out this country themed club, Rockin Ranch. Come along!

Well, after my first three weeks at CAPT, the first Qualifying Event arrives next Wednesday. A Qualifying Event is basically a final. Passing is considered 90% or higher which gets you 4 points and if you don’t pass, you take it a second time for 2 points where you still have to get a 90% or higher. Well, there are a bunch of QEs and with that, the total amount of points in the program equate to 169. There is some bonus point or something like that. But to graduate Summa Cum Laude, you need to have 163 or more. That’s what I’m gunning for. This first QE is 100 questions, multiple choice, so I’m hoping that I can get 100%. We’ll see.

I have a quiz on Friday with about 83 questions and then I have that other set of essay questions due tomorrow. Better get going. Oh yeah, we fly on Friday if it doesn’t rain. And the weather is great!

For sometime now, the program that I am in has been getting a lot of negative views from current pilots (those who did their time), Embry Riddle Undergraduate Students and quite a few others in the aviation field that are…you know what…ignorant. That’s all I can say. I have always been open minded about quite a lot of issues, especially those that offer a different opinion and idea and research and then form my base. The information that I’m about to share with you guys, I have known for a while but only until now went public. Here is the link to the press release by CAPT.

http://www.erau.edu/capt/home/milestones.html

The first three grads, the first three job placements. There are actually other grads that are also getting jobs, but I cannot disclose that information just yet. So far, 100% of the graduating classes (8 pilots total) have received contracts. *nuff said*

Here are two pictures of the MD-90 Simulator that is just so good, the hours you spend in there count towards your real jet time.

This is is a pictures of the outside of the simulator. For perspective, you can fit about 3+3 sitting down and still enough for standing room. Here is the picture of the inside.

Everyone has to try this out. Buy these wondrous Bose QC2 headset and use them w/ your iPod or whatever musical output device you have and run. Just run until your music library runs out! It was amazing. I finally got to use the treadmill that came with my house and I used my G4 Titanium Powerbook as my iPod. (for those who don’t know what that is, its a bigger and badder version of the iPod…it has a 15.4 inch screen!) Anyways, I just ran 1 mile, felt like I could do more and more and more…I stopped at 2 miles because I have to study, but by gawley gee, the sound is bolstering and energizing! Here they are in picture form and if you want to know more, just click on it and it will take you to Bose’s website. They are not one bit overpriced. Trust me, its been almost a year since I’ve had them! Oh yeah, they cancel out the airplane jet noise too. This totally helps me when I’m on those long cross country commercial flights.

Hello all. I’m sorry for no update yesterday. It was a long day with both my NFL underdog teams losing. Oh well.

Today, I got 100% on my Aerodynamics Quiz which was exciting! If all 4 of us crew members get 100% our instructor will take us out to lunch.

It was a really cold day today! 22 degrees in the morning and throughout the day, we had a temperature of 52 degrees F. Freaking cold and frigid! Anyways, today’s topic in class was all about engine and airplane instruments. It was a new fresh course and we actually got to see the 100 hr inspection being performed on the Diamond Star DA-40 today (only for about 10 minutes). It was completely gutted. Pretty interesting how simple but yet how complicated the airplane actually is. I’m really tired and the heater being on all day is making me more comfortable and tired too. Looks like I’ll be wearing my uniform tomorrow because Tally-Ho finally sent them to my roommate. It’ll be soooo comfortable! Casual days were good while they lasted. Oh yeah, I got my Black Members Only Jacket in too. That’ll fit right in with my uniform!

assignments: Review questions being given tonight which are due Wednesday. Flow and checklists memorized for before taxi and before take-off procedures. Read chapter 2. <- not that bad eh?

Here’s a picture of a dismantled DA-40.

I’ve just come to the realization that I just paid about $80K and sacrificed my life in San Diego to go to another state, study my ass off and be in school and be a broke student all over again. Out of all places, Central Florida! Hehehe… Isn’t it ironic?

(it ain’t THAT bad…really, its not…you guys should visit!)

After class yesterday, we headed over to a small little TGIFriday’s type restaurant called HiJackers at Flagler Airport and dove right into the Happy Hour spirit. I had a beer and turned red doing so, but I did it in a fashionable one gulp deal. For a non-drinker, “I’m always down”…to an extent. My buddies from SD can support that quotation. Anyhow, we decided afterwards that we had to keep on drinking. We decided to meet later on over at Forrest’s House around 8:00pm. Being that I only had one beer, I drove home w/ Laura. She wanted to start our earlier and went to Forrest’s house early while Manoj picked me up a little while later.

We dranked, and partied and oh boy, I mean partied. I had around 5 or 6 shots (and I was red once again) and I haven’t drank for a while now but I held up just fine. Everyone drank a little bit more and more while I stopped to keep watch.

To make a story short, one of us didn’t remember last night and I had to retell the story to her. She kept on telling us that she was “golden” while falling over a couple of times. It was fun and it was good bonding time. Now, on to things more serious.

MORE STUDYING BABY!!! Chapter 3 quiz on Monday and Chapter 2 Reveiw as well. It’s all in the fun. Oh yeah, I have to read like 2 more articles too. Man!!!