Chilling...MD90

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Everyone has to pick up the new Jack Johnson Album entitled: Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George. It is definitely one of the best sounding, coolest, chillest, just laid back albums I have heard since, I don't know, his last one. It's great! Go get it already and stop reading this!

Quote from iTunes Reviewer: "all you have to do is pop this in and the girls strip all their clothes off."

My serious review: If you love songs just about everyday life, this album stands out in happily creating "happy" tunes. It's almost as if Jack Johnson was born to sing about Curious George. It is a little childish, but come on, you can't expect that it wouldn't be esp. with it entitled "Sing-A-Longs..." The famous intro to Napoleon Dynamite theme song is onboard and it just works and completes the theme of this release. His acoustics along with G. Love and Ben Harper epitomizes how great a release can be if you combine two musical geniuses. Grab it!

MD90: It was rather smooth today with Kevin and I definitely now finally moving right along together in the airplane together. What I mean is, is that we aren't chasing it anymore being that we were way far behind it. We aren't topnotch just yet, but we are getting comfortable. I did a circle to land in Boston Logan which was great at 700" AFE and touchdown without consequence. We're still navigating with the VORs / NAV radios, but soon enough, we will start using the FMS to its fullest automating glory!

Windshear

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Today was one of the better flights in the MD90-30 Level D Full Motion Simulator. It was an enjoyable flight with a lot of hands on. When I say hands on, I mean like fighting the beast all the way down to the ground. I can't say that it was a safe landing (I crashed and red screened the sim) but it was definitely a learning experience where I would definitely avoid all possibilities of getting myself, crew and passengers involved in.

Departing KLAS on the MCCARAN 2 Departure with the Hector transition, we began setting up for the YENNI 1 Arrival. We were (or at least I thought we were) quite a ahead of the plane in terms of navigational and situational awareness. Little did we know that what the ATIS was broadcasting (Thunderstorms in the Vicinity) would turn into them moving onfield. It was definitely, bar none, the bumpiest ride I have ever experienced. At one point I thought that we lost an engine, but nope, it was just chaos taking over. This was only the 6th flight and with no knowledge of systems (this is only the transition course not the MD90 ground lab) it was a battle. I found myself saying to Kevin that I didn't think that we would make it.

The first shot around, we had to get revecotred because I blew through the ILS 25R Localizer and then wound up 3000 feet above the Middle Marker. That was a definite go-around. Getting revectored for another approach seemed to go well, but I should have known to not and try to save any approach if I wasn't stabilized. I definitely wasn't at 1000' but I still tried to do it. I had the field in site, but it was too late. We started another inbound approach and I got a chance to go around. Of course, I thought that it was another case of Windshear, but I just wasn't setup fully. Once more, we got put on the 4.5 DME out from runway 25R and made another attempt. It was an alright one, but still, I definitely would like to get more of this action on.

My babe is coming to town! T-minus 51 hours and counting...(as of this publication)

WX (Sat Uplink)

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There has been quite a lot of weather in this part of the US, as well at the northeast, and in lieu of the recent awesome radar images of the squall lines that we were so blessed with, I have included at the bottom right side of the toolbar underneath the link to trelijah, a picture with constant updates from the NOAA website. Check it out. I'm going to sleep now because I have to wake up in like 5 hours for a 3:30AM departure from my house! It's going to be great!

First Storm

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I have to say that as I am typing this message, there has been a constant array of lightning and thunder for the last 20-30 minutes. It is banging, crackling and bright as hell! Check out the link of Thunderstorms on the WX radar. I'm right where the red is passing through. It should be over shortly, but this was definitely one of the ones I'll be remembering. Woke me up and kept me up for the entire time.

Office Blog

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just something fun in lieu of the CAPT news.

Co-worker #1: Who was in the bathroom just a minute ago?
Co-worker #2: I don't know.
Co-worker #1: Someone was in there taking a dump, and I could see under the stall that he had his shoes off.
Co-worker #2: Wait, like barefoot?
Co-worker #1: Well, with his socks on. Who would take their shoes off, though?
Co-worker #3: I don't know, but I think I might start doing that. Not a bad idea!

712 South McClintock Drive
Tempe, Arizona

this was taken from: http://overheardintheoffice.com/ check it out! its quite funny.

As of today...

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It is a truly sad day for the CAPT program. It will be missed as well as all the instructors and academics, but WE WILL make this last few months (till the newest class ends) the best ever! We'll show those main campus people and the rest of the industry what we are made out of! Bowling tonight and Superbowl Party this weekend at my house!

http://www.erau.edu/er/newsmedia/newsreleases/2006/captends.html

http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=21013842-c47f-46ba-8050-af7b1ef3de91#d

CAPT 511 / Day 2

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Here's a pic of the simulator on the outside and another with me at the controls. I'm still chasing the plane a little bit, but things are slowly coming together. Kevin reminded me that we are in a transition course and not the actual MD90 ground lab. We have a lot more to go over tomorrow, but I'm sure that everything will come into place.

I executed the Freedom Visual 9L into Philadelphia and had an engine fire prior to V1 departing on 27L. They were both pretty awesome, but the first engine out as FO was quite a shocker. When they said that you would just sit there and not do anything at first, I didn't realize that I was doing just that. That engine out siren is really loud and making an announcement for the passengers to standby, etc, its crazy! This pic is before I started breaking into a sweat trying to get everything straight.

We got some flight director experience today and did a stall too. I'm loving the jet!

LOFTs and CAPT 511

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LOFTS: LOFTS stand for (line-oriented flight training) and over the last few days, Kurt, Manoj, Ryan and I have been just flying all over the state of Florida trying to gain some experience and build up hours with the ones that CAPT has allotted us. From Pensacola to Tamiami (twice) I've burned off quite a bit. It's definitely been lots of fun. On the way to Pensacola with about 1.5 hours left enroute, I decided that we not divert for a bathroom break at Tallahasse. It was not a wise choice. I ended up enduring some of the worse lower-abdomen pain in my life. I broke into a cold sweat about 10 mins. prior to touchdown. I was just hurting. Finally running to the bathroom at Pensacola Aviation, I relieved myself and still was feeling some pain. Don't think that I didn't use the restroom prior to leaving but I did two times. I didn't even drink anything in between. It was a good lesson. The weekend prior we diverted for a restroom break and that worked out well to Charleston, SC. I have learned well!

While Ryan and I were at Tamiami, we encountered two pilots who also wanted to grab a quick bite to eat and we all ended up going to a place called Kegs. It was almost like High Jackers but they did have a good selection of food. I had a Gyro (it was alright) and we just chatted away. One of the individuals was the assitant cheif pilot for Flight Safety in Vero Beach. So of course, he asked us quite a few questions about the program and we just compared back and forth. The other gentleman was a flight photographer, and he had a lot of stories to tell. Yesterday, on the way home from Tamiami, we got vectored right over Miami International and that was a site! THere was also some good actual instrument along the way and surprisingly it wasn't that bumpy at all!

CAPT 511: With the news that the King Air Mechtronic simulator is down for another week, CAPT has decided that we proceed with our jet transition course in the MD90. A great choice that we do not get behind. I'm rather excited that we proceed but I did want to get some experience in the mechtronics. I actually want to fly a King Air and grab a few hours with a pilot out there. If you are reading this, leave a comment.

My plan today is to study some flows with my flight partner and just go over the simple motions of a preflight in the MD90 cockpit. It's going to be an interesting week. As of now, my first LOFT in the MD90 is at 2000 (8:00pm) tomorrow. Good stuff!