Sobering Thoughts

Ex-Thomson Airways

I survived the week before Christmas. Made it through the end of the Mayan calendar, held on to my temper as we were several hours late out of Memphis every morning, skillfully flew jets in need of some TLC, and even brought the above pictured 757 into the Greenville ramp looking like it had been parted out. This was a recent aquisition that has the passenger-to-freighter mod, but was pressed into revenue service during peak before getting its shiny new paint job. The marshaller in Greenville was reluctant to guide us into our parking spot b/c he didn't believe we were in the right place!
I also had a painful realization this week: I flew with a new hire pilot who's been on the property for 3 months. It was my first newbie FO as a Captain, and I had to write a (very positive) evaluation on him (reminded me of flight instructing in the Navy...having to fill out all those grade sheets). Anyway, he is 27 years old, and the realization is that by the time he retires from Fedex, I'll probably be dead!! Ho Ho Ho. It's off to the cabin for a white Christmas (assuming I get home on American). Talk to you next year.