Desert Pilot Podcast

Ok so I'm back after 5 month of Navy basic training and Operation Specialist (OS) "A" School. I'm now at my first duty station in San Diego, CA aboard the USS PRINCETON (CG-59). I have tons to learn now. It's nice to be finally where I'm suppose to be for I can do my job. Here is a small video I made on my flight home.

Yesterday I took my son up in a small airplane for the first time. A fellow pilot friend Bill sent me a tweet that he needed a co-pilot for the fly to Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) from Stellar Air Park (P19) for Cutter Aviation's free BBQ so I said sure then asked if Shad (who is 18 months-old) could come too he said he didn't have a problem with that. Below are some of the pictures from the flight and the audio from the short flight home. Shad had a good time the only part he cried was when the engine started and got hit with the wind from the prop blast but it was short lived. He did great.   Download the Podcast Shad "helping" with the preflight All strapped in ready to go. This is taken in the air although you can't really tell. He was a little unsure. Captain Bill On Final Runway 25L  After we touched down he fell asleep I guess it was stressful. the BBQ area at the end flight crew He slept the whole way home. A good flight

This last week I went flying for the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). Unlike most days in Arizona where the skies are clear or maybe just some high stratus clouds in the flight levels we had a low level cloud layer. It was a cloud layer from about 6000 to 10000 feet of nice fluffy cumulus clouds. I had never flown above a cloud layer that I could not see the ground. It was a little disconcerting at first but it was nothing after awhile and fun. Here are a few pics from the flight.

Today is Arizona birthday. My wife put this flag together for me and a friend, she can really do wonders with Photoshop. I love her. Also I found this creed that I thought goes well and something I'd like to pledge too. The Defender's Creed John Farnam I accept and understand that human predators exist. Criminal or terrorist, they take advantage of our civilized society to prey upon the weak. They represent evil and must be confronted and defeated. I believe that self-defense is a moral imperative, and that illegitimate force and illegal violence must be met with righteous indignation and superior violence. I will not rely on others for the security of myself, my family and my community. I proudly proclaim that I run with a like-minded pack. I do not amble through life with the mind-numbed herd. I will train with my chosen weapons, maintain them and carry them in a condition of readiness at all times. I will be mentally prepared and physically equipped to effectivel...

So since my brother Brendon has been back from his mission he has not been flying with me. I got my private pilot certificate about a month after he left on his two year mission. I always wrote him on his mission about all the flying I was doing because at the time I was building my hours for my commercial. Since being back last September are schedules have never lined up until today. We flew up to Payson to visit my Grandparents and an old family friend, Lou, that was there to visit. As most of you know I've done lots of trips to Payson before but this was my brother's first. I like the flight to Payson because you get to see lots of the desert and the Phoenix valley as well as go in to the mountains and see a bit of the rockys. Me at the Controls   Downtown Phoenix  Brendon at Payson  There is the crew after Dinner-lunch (looks like an ad for Coke-Cola)  ah... the weather rock no airport should be without one.  Back on the ground in Chandler tryi...

My youngest brother and I in November of 2010 got to go see the only flying B-29 when it came to the valley for a few days it was very neat. There was also a B-25 and B-17 there. We got to go inside of all of them and took lots of pictures. Below are some and on a link to even more. Download the short podcast of the flight over here. B-29 on take off with the B-17 and B-25 in the foreground. My little bro and the B-17 B-29 coming in for landing Hanging out the window of the B-25 Manning the guns of the B-17 inside the cockpit of the B-29 FIFI  Check out more pictures of our flight here.

Yep I did it, On November 1st I swore in and joined the U.S. Navy. I know there might be a lot of questions so I'll just tel the whole story. Last year I got I changed my major to Air Traffic Management or Air Traffic Control (ATC) from the more general Aeronautical Management that I was doing. Really the only difference in the degree is that the last few classes in ATC are labs in ATC sims which seemed cooler then upper level management classes. Since taking these ATC classes I've found that I really do like them and would want to do ATC for a career. I do still want to be a pilot but I've since put that on hold. I need a job that I can support my family with. In order to be a pilot I would have to go at least another $10,000 in debt and after I get hired the average starting pay for a regional airline pilot is around $20,000 a year. With almost $100,000 (by that point) in student loans and a family to take care of, making only $20,000 a year won't cut it. So I sta...