Along the Swamp Rabbit Trail

I took a VERY HOT walk today (100 degrees) along the trail. Took a smoothie and 30 minutes of a/c to cool down again. Can't wait to get home to New Mexico tomorrow!

Planes, Vans and Automobiles

Hotel van at 9:30 pm to the ramp

Our ride to Indy awaits

View from the cockpit in Indy at midnight. This bus takes us to security screening outbound 

Bus to the hotel in Indy for a short nap around midnight

Hotel bus again for return to Indy ramp after nap 3:30 am

Crew bus from security screening to flight ops

Crew bus from flight ops out to the airplane after brief

Our ride back to Greenville

I decided to record a night's journey for this particular trip. Missing is a picture of the final limo ride from the ramp in Greenville back to the hotel at about 6:00 this morning, b/c I was too tired to remember. All told, six vehicles, two hotel rooms and two airplanes, every night this week. Of course, the waiting is the hardest part, and that happens at midnight or so, outside of security screening in Indy trying to get to the hotel for the precious hubturn nap. Wears me out just thinking about it.

Housekeeping

One of the activities you might not associate with a professional pilot. We all have to iron our uniforms every day. Think about that; hundreds of guys ironing their stuff in hotel rooms. Kinda flies in the face of the macho image we try to cultivate.

Gullywasher in Greenville

3 hours until showtime and the weather ain't lookin' too good. Gonna be a long night...

Nice Scenery in Greenville

Falls Creek park and the start of the Swamp Rabbit trail in Greenville. The bottom picture is a street concert starting up on Thursday nights near the hotel. After training last week, I had a quickie to Miami and back to Memphis, then caught a US Air flight to Charlotte and on to Greenville, where I rented a car to go see my folks near Asheville for the weekend. Back in Greenville now for the week.

Okay for another year

Well folks, I survived my first annual checkride as a Captain, due in no small part to the excellence of my First Officer. This year's scenario was interesting and very short, which is how we like 'em. Off to Miami tomorrow, and then a weekend in North Carolina with my parents. One more week flying Greenville-Indy, then finally home after three weeks. Man is is hot in the south this summer!

Post Fourth Letdown

Another of my "Soutnern" vices (besides Krispy Kreme): Marble Slab!!

Grandkids on the Cubres-Toltec train

After a great Fourth of July weekend with family and friends at the cabin, I'm back at work. This month's line includes two weeks of Greenville, SC to Indy, one short trip with a Miami to Atlanta live leg, and the dreaded annual sim training (more on that later). I will be away from home for three weeks straight as it doesn't make much sense to zip home and back for just a day between these events. I also plan to visit my parents in North Carolina during one of the weekends, since they live not too far from Greenville. One of the difficult parts of being away on this job is leaving your spouse at home alone. This time was particularly hard not only b/c I'll be gone so long, but b/c our house was broken into while we were at the cabin enjoying ourselves. We have a security system in the house that we never activated when we moved in b/c it had so many false alarms and we never felt threatened, but Michelle wants it now. So, another complication for our lives thanks to the despicable actions of others.