Desert Pilot Podcast: Recent Episodes
Trevor Smith
Commercial Airplane Land, Sea, and tailwheel Pilot from Arizona podcasting aviation flying adventures.
An ifr story
I finally did it this December I passed my instrument rating so I’m now a commercial land and sea instrument rated pilot single engine. It definitely took a long time to do I started instrument flying about 10 years ago. It wasn’t that I never wanted to get my instrument rating it’s that I ran out of money.
I got my private pilots certificate in the fall of 2008 in the spring of the year I got married. I was going to Arizona State with ambitions to become a commercial pilot. By the time I got my private license the financial recession that happened that year in the next few years after was starting to manifest itself. I continued flight training seeing all my instructors leave for the airlines and then less than a year later come back to CFIs. By the end of the spring of 2009 I had changed my major to aviation management degree and decided to pursue aviation using part 61 I saw that I needed to pinch every penny that I could I still had ambitions to become an airline pilot but could see that I’d have to make every dollar last. I taken out a good number of loans in order to pursuemy aviation career. By fall of 2009 I was finishing up my commercial hours as well as working on my instrument rating. At the end of the year I applied for more loans in order to finish up my training. By then I was over 250 hours and had probably 30 hours of instrument training under my belt. But I was rejected no banks were handing out any student loans that I could find because of the recession. I had to throw in the towel not because I wouldn’t have finished just on loans but I was a new husband and a new father and at the time even if I did have all the certificates that I needed and was lucky enough to get a regional job the regional guys at that time weren’t making much more than 20 grand a year I definitely didn’t want to support a family on that. So I had a decision to make I could either finish my commercial rating or finish my instrument rating I wouldn’t have enough money to do both I had taken the written for both already.
I found a flight school up by Lake Havasu that did commercial land and sea ratings. Since I wasn’t going to go any further in my aviation career I decided to have some fun on my way out and get my seaplane rating at the same time. So that’s what I did I got my seaplane rating in January 2010 and was a commercial pilot without an instrument rating for almost 10 years. I continued to go to college through 2010 the whole time talking to a Navy recruiter when 2011 rolled around I didn’t go to that semester and entered the Navy in April 2011. The Navy benefited my family and myself more than I’ll ever know and I served four years getting out in April 2015.
Shortly after getting out I found a law-enforcement career and a few years in I was able to pursue flying once again. So I started studying for my written test again and once I passed in May of 2019 I went looking for a flight school. I had over 30 hours of instrument training from 10 years ago and needed the long IFR cross country. I had some G.I. Bill benefits that I wanted to use from the Navy but finding a flight school where I wasn’t a primary student and wanted to just finish up my IFR training using my benifits and take Uncle Sam’s money was like twisting peoples arm. I finally found a flight school a few hours from my house in Scottsdale. It wasn’t my first choice because they were a little pricey and far away but the training was superb and they helped me finish up.
So now I did it I’m finally an instrument rated pilot it’s kind of crazy to think about having gone 10 years being that exception to the rule a commercial pilot without an instrument rating having a limitation on my license saying I can’t fly passengers over 50 miles. It took a few weeks to sink in that I now meet all the qualifications for those job applications that say you need to have an instrument rating and a commercial rating pretty crazy. And that’s my IFR story.
This audio is my father, my son and I flying into Tucson international airport (KTUS). Recorded in June 2019.
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✈︎ email: trevor@desertpilot.com
This audio is my son and I departing San Manuel Airport (E77) flying clockwise around Mt. Lemmon through the Redington Pass into Tucson international airport (KTUS). Recorded in May 2019.
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Reach me on⇢
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✈︎ email: trevor@desertpilot.com
This audio is my son and I departing Tucson international airport (KTUS) on a flight to do some landings at San Manuel Airport (E77) recorded in May 2019.
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Find the podcast on most podcatchers like Apple Podcast, Stitcher, or Overcast
Reach me on⇢
✈︎ twitter: @DesertPilotTrev
✈︎ facebook: DesertPilot Podcast
✈︎ email: trevor@desertpilot.com
This is more audio at Tucson international airport (KTUS) with Wright Flight recorded in April 2019 approach and landing.
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Find the podcast on most podcatchers like Apple Podcast, Stitcher, or Overcast
Reach me on⇢
✈︎ twitter: @DesertPilotTrev
✈︎ facebook: DesertPilot Podcast
✈︎ email: trevor@desertpilot.com
This is more audio at Tucson international airport (KTUS) with Wright Flight recorded in April 2019 approach and landing.
_________
Find the podcast on most podcatchers like iTunes, Stitcher, or Overcast
Reach me on⇢
✈︎ twitter: @DesertPilotTrev
✈︎ facebook: DesertPilot Podcast
✈︎ email: trevor@desertpilot.com
This is some audio of me taking off at Tucson international airport (KTUS) with Wright Flight recored in April 2019.
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Find the podcast on most podcatchers like iTunes, Stitcher, or Overcast
Reach me on:
twitter: @DesertPilotTrev
facebook: DesertPilot Podcast
email: trevor@desertpilot.com
So I just found out for the 2020 Mars Lander that you can put your name on a microchip and send it to the red planet. I guess this has been going on for years with other landers but I just found out so better late the never. send your name here
This is the return from from Ep. 03 flying back from Benson (E95) to Ryan Airfield (KRYN).
Find the podcast on most podcatchers like iTunes, Stitcher, or Overcast
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Reach me on twitter: @DesertPilotTrev
On my facebook page that I don't keep up on: DesertPilot Podcast
Or shoot me an email: trevor@desertpilot.com
Intro music by Planet Orange
Outro music by Duke Ellington
This is a flight from Ryan Airfield (KRYN) to Benson Airport (E95) and yes you can hear me bust the class charlie airspace around Tucson International (KTUS). And yes I filed a NASA report for the event.
Find the podcast on most podcatchers like iTunes, Stitcher, or Overcast
=====
Reach me on twitter: @DesertPilotTrev
On my facebook page that I don't keep up on: DesertPilot Podcast
Or shoot me an email: trevor@desertpilot.com
Intro music by Planet Orange
Outro music by Duke Ellington
This is part one of Cole's first flight in a general aviation aircraft. The uncut video of this is on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/LJ_0kfkyjaY
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Reach me on twitter: @DesertPilotTrev
On my facebook page that I don't keep up on: DesertPilot Podcast
Or shoot me an email: trevor@desertpilot.com
This is a basic med story. You'll laugh and you'll cry, actually you probably won't do any of that.
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Reach me on twitter: @DesertPilotTrev
On my facebook page that I don't keep up on: DesertPilot Podcast
Or shoot me an email: trevor@desertpilot.com
I wrote this post in April 2017 and never posted it. So here it is:
Last weekend I had the chance to walk through Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress and a Consolidated B-24J Liberator. On display they also had a North American TF-51D Mustang and a North American B-25 Mitchell. I have never been inside of a B-24 before and was surprised on how much room there was inside compared to the B-17. The pilot of the B-24 said that it in the only one flying in the world. The Collings Foundation let us and everyone that wanted to walk all the way though both of them. My 2 year-old had an awesome time climbing in out and sitting in the gunner positions. My late grandfather was a navigator in World War 2 in B-17s. He was lucky that he never saw combat being an instructor most of the war. I’m always awestruck at the level of simplicity and also complexity these aircraft have. Also the level of team work that had to go on during a mission. Although my son might not realize how much history he is climbing though and experiencing. I hope aircraft like these are still flying when he has kids.
There has been lot of changes in life, a change of job, I’m not in the military anymore, so that also means a change in location. Arizona called me back from San Diego. Although I was sad to leave this is where we are supposed to be. We moved to Marana a town on the north side of Tucson it’s a great location close to work and family and best of all it is only a 10 min drive from Marana Regional Airport. The airport has 2 interesting runways 12-30 which is the long almost 7000’ runway and the shorter almost 4000’ 03-21. Most of the time the traffic favors 12.
Shortly after moving to Marana I was at the park or out walking with my son I wanted to know what was going at the airport. I’m not directly under the pattern but I can see most of the planes on downwind. So I put up an antenna in my attic wired it my aviation handheld and then to a computer and steamed it online through LiveATC.net. Just a side note if anyone wants to do that liveatc is super helpeful at getting it all set up it makes it really easy.
So for a few months now I’ve been listening to the traffic at the airport. The airport is non-towered, although it is in the 20 year master plan to build a tower. This day on Wednesday Mar 15, 2017 was one of those days that a tower would have been useful. The airport is popular with students because it is just over the threshold for what the FAA deems a cross country flight from most of the phoenix area airports. The Army also likes to come to the airport to train too. In this recording the Army aircraft are a Mustang which is a helicopter not the P-51 and Shady which is a twin turboprop that is acting as a jump plane. Because of the nature of a non-towered airport the pilots announce what they are doing and there is a lot of traffic this day. It get a little heated and I thought it would be a good training tool for everyone.
A number a take-aways that I got from this recording. First one is to listen, listen, listen to the radio and paint that mental picture of the traffic in your head or if you can see it even better. Second even though it got a little heated on the radios the pilots remained professional. I love this about aviation that we all know there is more important things to put on the radio then our egos. You hear this that people are still reporting even during the argument. Third you never know when you are being recorded I think it should be assumed that anything you put on the internet or over the radio will be forever.
My last flight in 2015 was a perfect April day with light winds, clear skies and temperatures in the mid 70s F. The crew was myself, my son Shadrach, and two buddies from the Navy; Tony and Bill. We were flying to Catalina Island KAVX (aka The Airport in the Sky). The day was so clear we took off from just outside San Diego KSEE and once we got over the ocean we could see the island right away. We flew in to airport and took a shuttle down to the main town, Avalon, and walked around for a bit before heading home.
This was one of my most memorable flights not because of the close friends I was with, the perfect day, or the bucket list location. But because it was my son's last flight with me before he pass away in May 2015 at the age of 5. He loved to go flying with Dad and I loved taking him up. He died of cancer that he had been fighting for the previous two years. That April we knew he wasn't going to make it. We had known since about November of 2014 but we were just living every moment to the fullest. I so grateful for Tony and Bill being the coolest "big brothers" to him on this trip. Because of how the cancer had progressed it was painful for Shad to walk for very long so we took turns carrying him on our shoulders so he would not be in so much pain. Flying to Catalina was a dream of mine and that island will always remind me of my little co-pilot Shad.
| | | Tony in the right seat Bill and Shad in the Back. Although Shad looks scared the whole flight he was telling Bill, who really scared of small planes, it was OK. | | |
| | | Tony at the Controls |
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| | | Saw a buffalo on the island |
| | | Avalon Bay |
| | | At the Beach |
| | | Selfie time |
| | | The water is so clear you can see right to the bottom |
| | | He thought the buffaloes were so cool |
| | | Shad knew how to smile for the camera but this is how he felt most of the time |
| | | Waiting for the shuttle to go back to the Airport in the middle of the island |
| | | My Navy goodbye lunch at Slater's 50/50 burgers. | | | | | |
Here are some photos of Shad and I's flight before moved from San Diego back to Arizona in May.
Tony a friend from work has been asking me to take him up flying. Actually he is an avid skydiver and has been asking me to jump out of my airplane. After we agreed there would be no jumping we set off yesterday. We flew out over the bay and since he had never landed in a small airplane before we did a few touch-n-gos. It had been raining the day before and was projected to rain yesterday but it didn't so the skies really claim and no one was out flying because they thought it was going to be rainy. It made for great conditions. His excitement was just contagious it was so fun to be with someone that was so enthusiastic about aviation. He reminded me of when I first got an aviation and made me love flying all over again.
Back in February I finally did my flight review for the next coming year. Our club requires a yearly review, which is good since I had not been flying in almost a years time. So my wonderful flight instructor Shairre, my son and I set out over the bay of San Diego to do some turns, stalls and landings. We got to see the sunset over the water and then work on some night landings it was a great evening.
John Gillespie Magee, Jr. was 19 years-old become fighter pilot in for the RAF in 1941 and died later that year in battle. He wrote this Poem on the back of a letter addressed to his father. It is an inspiration to every aviator.
High Flight
"Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air....
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace.
Where never lark, or even eagle flew —
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
- Put out my hand, and touched the face of God."
Made this video when I went flying last fall. Clouds are a rare site in Arizona so it's a big deal when you see one.
Some of you might think that I have fallen off of the blogging world. Well you would be kind of right. With work, home, and trying to finish up my bachelor's degree blogging kind of took the back burner but I haven't stop flying. Last year I got checked out with the Plus One Flyers flight club here in San Diego. I've posted a few of these pictures on twitter and some on facebook I post more in real time there. Here are a few photos from some flights from last fall.
| | | Took my son up in Sep for his first flight in the front seat. |
| | | we flew over San Diego bay he was the photographer |
| | | In Oct my brother-in-law few to Arizona was a good cross country flight |
| | | on the ground at Chandler Muni (CHD) just in time for the wedding |
| | | I flew back alone a few days later |
| | | rare clouds |
| | | sand dunes by Yuma, AZ |
| | | On Halloween my son and I took a flight to French Valley (F70) in Temecula, CA |
| | | when we landed back home in El Cajon (SEE) the CAF had some planes out |
| | | My son had fun |
If you are like me you listen to a plethora of aviation podcasts. I think some of the best aviation news comes from them and they stay on the topic I most care about most... aviation. A few months back I was listening to an episode of the Airplane Geeks Podcast and they were talking about the airplane of the week. One of the choices was the Aeronca Champ.
If you didn't know back in the fall of 2008 I received my tailwheel endorsement in a red 1942 7AC Aeronca Champ. I don't think I've loved and airplane more then the Champ. I think it's a smilier experience to a first car or girl friend you never seem to forget it. Flying the Champ is real stick and rudder flying. Like any tail dragger you have to be quick on the rudder peddles but not hard I can still hear my instructor saying toe pressur that's all you need to control the rudder, sometimes not even that much just thinking about adding left or right rudder would do the trick. There is a real finesse in flying that I think so lost flying heavy more stable aircraft like a Cessna 172 or Piper Warrior. Just before my tailwheel endorsement I had just earned my private from Arizona State University's Pilot Development Program. A great program that gave me a great base of knowadge of aviation and my future certificates. But it was also very airline cockpit and Crew Resource Management (CRM) oriented. The company procedures were many and the Pilot Operating Hand Book (POH) for each plane were hundreds of pages along with the other supplement guides that the school required to fly with. In contrast the Champs POH was barley 50 pages. The equipment on board was a radio, transponder, altimeter, airspeed indicator and an oil temp gauge. Flying the Champ was like riding a bicycle Once I got the hang of it and in coordinated flight you could just feel everything in balance and it felt good. The visibility in the plane was amazing. It had large windows all around you and tandem seating so there was no one next to you to block your view. With a stick between your legs in place of a yoke it made the Champ more my kind of flying. After receiving my endorsement the Champ was my first choice for the airplane I wanted to take up as offen as I could when going around the patch or for short trips. It was fun and cheap then only $62 an hour wet!
The airplane geeks did featured the Champ as the airplane of the week and David Vanderhoof did a great history segment on it followed by a story I told about flying back from Payson AZ to Mesa AZ and the experience I had of almost running out of fuel, I thought. hope you enjoy.
Download the podcast here.
| | | This is the day I got my endorsement |
| | | My favorite picture in Champ coming in short final in to Falcon Field AZ (FFZ) |
It was that time again to renew my FAA medical, and if you are like me then you are new to the FAA's online process. The FAA have stream lined the process on a new web site at medxpress.faa.gov. The Stuck Mic AvCast did a recent episode on the process on MedXpress. Having just finished I'll recap what I did.
First if you are a 20-something like me the the online form at MedXpress is extremely easy to fill out to set up an account on the MedXpress site. The site only has one form to fill out. FAA Form 8500-8. This is the old form that you used to fill out at the doctors office. After filling it out online you can print it out and save it as a PDF file. I love saving things as a PDF I have a folder in the DropBox cloud service that I keep all of my important papers so I don't lose it.
This online process is just for the FAA Form 8500-8 so if you have any special considerations those must still be filled out by hand. I recently got LASIK and didn't really know what to do. I asked around on the web and some one said to call AOPA. They have a medical staff there to answer question. I called them up and they said I need to have my Optometrist fill out the FAA Form 8500-7. I did and brought it with me to my Aviation Medical Examiner (AME).
I am pretty young and don't really have problems with my medical. Since moving to San Diego I wanted to find a AME that was the best price and I think I found him. He is retired, only works 2 days and only does aviation medicals. The best part is he only charges $60. (I know score.) The office was a little behind and since I didn't had extra paperwork or any work really for them they only charged my $40. I hope everyones medical experience can be that good.
The medical it self is no longer a thick brown paper with embossed numbers on top. Its now just a computer print out that you cut out the medical.
When I saw it I was initially turned off. It's just a piece of paper and a computer print out but then I thought its only a computer print out. Meaning I'll scan it and put it in the DropBox on my computer and if I lose or it gets ruined since it's just a print out I'll just print another one. Too easy. Thank FAA for making it simple.
This poem has been around the internet a while and probably on paper longer. Just a quick search I found it on AvWeb in 2006 and on an Airline forum in 2003. Another had posted it again this year and it made my smile so I thought I'd recored it here. I got bored and added the links in below.
T'was the night before Christmas, and out on the ramp,
Not an airplane was stirring, not even a Champ.
The aircraft were fastened to tie downs with care,
In hopes that -- come morning -- they all would be there.
The fuel trucks were nestled, all snug in their spots,
With gusts from two-forty at 39 knots.
I slumped at the fuel desk, now finally caught up,
And settled down comfortably, resting my butt.
When the radio lit up with noise and with chatter,
I turned up the scanner to see what was the matter.
A voice clearly heard over static and snow,
Called for clearance to land at the airport below.
He barked his transmission so lively and quick,
I'd have sworn that the call sign he used was "St. Nick."
I ran to the panel to turn up the lights,
The better to welcome this magical flight.
He called his position, no room for denial,
"St. Nicholas One, turnin' left onto final."
And what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a Rutan-built sleigh, with eight Rotax Reindeer!
With vectors to final, down the glideslope he came,
As he passed all fixes, he called them by name:
"Now Ringo! Now Tolga! Now Trini and Bacun!
On Comet! On Cupid!" What pills was he takin'?
While controllers were sittin', and scratchin' their heads,
They phoned to my office, and I heard it with dread,
The message they left was both urgent and dour:
"When Santa pulls in, have him please call the tower."
He landed like silk, with the sled runners sparking,
Then I heard, "Left at Charlie," and "Taxi to parking."
He slowed to a taxi, turned off of three-oh,
And stopped on the ramp with a "Ho, ho-ho-ho..."
He stepped out of the sleigh, but before he could talk,
I ran out to meet him with my best set of chocks.
His red helmet and goggles were covered with frost,
And his beard was all blackened from Reindeer exhaust.
His breath smelled like peppermint, gone slightly stale,
And he puffed on a pipe, but he didn't inhale.
His cheeks were all rosy and jiggled like jelly,
His boots were as black as a cropduster's belly.
He was chubby and plump, in his suit of bright red,
And he asked me to "fill it, with hundred low-lead."
He came dashing in from the snow-covered pump,
I knew he was anxious for drainin' the sump.
I spoke not a word, but went straight to my work,
And I filled up the sleigh, but I spilled like a jerk.
He came out of the restroom, and sighed in relief,
Then he picked up a phone for a Flight Service brief.
And I thought as he silently scribed in his log,
These reindeer could land in an eighth-mile fog.
He completed his pre-flight, from the front to the rear,
Then he put on his headset, and I heard him yell, "Clear!"
And laying a finger on his push-to-talk,
He called up the tower for clearance and squawk.
"Take taxiway Charlie, the southbound direction,
Turn right three-two-zero at pilot's discretion"
He sped down the runway, the best of the best,
"Your traffic's a Grumman, inbound from the west."
Then I heard him proclaim, as he climbed through the night,
"Merry Christmas to all! I have traffic in sight."
Author Unknown
Today I official graduated from ASTAC school I received my call sign "Atlas". Not the paper map, the greek god charged with holding up the entire world. Ya I know I'm awesome at least today. The story behind a call sign is never really fully told but I did have a lot on my shoulders during the course and still made it through, now on to the fleet.
| | | The middle 5 is our class with instructors on the ends. From left to right our class call signs: Jeeves, Snorlax, Atlas, SAP, Siri |
| | | In Greek mythology, Atlas was the primordial Titan who held up the celestial sphere. |
I passed my last section and the finals week. The last thing that we had to learn was P-3C Orion employment. They are the only fixed wing aircraft that we control on a regular basis. That is because they like to fly low and they do ASW. I passed that week's test and then move on the to the finals week which was a recap of all that we learn through the couse in one week it was 4 different tests and I passed. We get our call signs and graduate next week.
| | | P-3C Orion |
The next part of our training we were tested on was the implantation of the MH-60R Seahawk . Up to this point we had simulated controlling the capabilities of a SH-60B which has been the work horse of the Navy since the 80's.The new "Romeo" has all the latest and greatest equipment and the tactics are slightly different. Passed the test. Just a few weeks until graduation.
| | | MH-60R with it's dipping sonar hanging below, you can also see the sonobuoy launchers on the side. |
The so called hardest week of Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) is over and I passed. I say so called not because it wasn't hard but because we are told a lot and I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a harder week to come. I can't talk too much about it, but here are a few wikipedia links that will give a good idea of ASW and helicopters dropping sonobuoys. It was a lot of material that had to be memorized and done exactly right. I'm not too good at either, but I made it through. Although the class is hard I'm really enjoying it. It interests me and I'm good at it. I hope everyone can find that combination in life. Getting paid for it doesn't hurt either.
| | | cross roads at the sub base |
I was doing some online aviation training with the AOPA Air Safety Foundation I took a couse on mastering radio communications. It was a great refresh and there was a few things that I pulled from that couse that I had never thought about that I wanted to share.
1. Declaring EmergenciesThe air traffic controllers that they interviewed during the lessen talked about how ATC wants pilots to declare emergencies more because it gives the controllers the ability to bend the rules more and get the aircraft to a safe airport faster. A call from the FAA or a form to fill out it better then buying a new airplane.2. Traffic Advisories
Going though controller school right now it's easy to see a contact on the radar scope and see the range to the aircraft I'm controlling. But as a pilot I found it hard sometimes to judge the distances to traffic that ATC gives me. A good tip that they had in the course was to count out on the ground the number of miles given by ATC for traffic range, then look up to find the contact. That way your eyes are already focused on the right distance you should be looking at to acquire the traffic.
It's was that time again last weekend for the 2012 MCAS Miramar Airshow. This year it was just my son and I going to the show. The US Navy Blue Angels, USN F/A-18 Super Hornet demo, USAF F-22 Raptor demo, USMC AV-8B Harrier demo, U.S. Army Golden Knights, U.S. Navy Leap Frogs, and Sean Tucker "Oracle Challenger" were some of my favorites. It since it was only the 2 of us I just snapped a few photos with my cell phone.
| | | We love helicopters he thought it was so cool to go inside. |
| | | watching the show with a B-25 in the back ground. |
| | | Blue Angels |
| | | Blue Angels |
| | | Us with the "Blue Airplanes" as my son puts it. |
| | | Saw this in the parking lot and thought it was fitting. |
We are through our 2nd or phase of training and our 2nd test. All is well. This phase or week as they still call them, although the couse is not split up in to weeks any more the Navy can be set in their ways, dealt with the control function of the computer systems that work with the ship and the helicopter. The focus was understanding how to get the computer to do what you want. And talk to both helicopter and ship. I think this is going to be a common theme for the rest if the course.
The next phase is the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) which I hear is the hardest part of the course.
This cockpit audio was recorded at least 2 1/2 years ago I don't really know. I just found it going through my computer and decided to share. I'm flying 3 touch-n-gos and have 2 other pilots in the plane with me. Dave an instructor and another buddy of mine who is a private pilot in the back seat. 3 pilots in an airplane is always fun.
Download the podcast here
I'm in school right now. Not back to college but at school for the Navy. I got selected to go to (are you ready for this) Anti-Submarine Warfare/Anti-Surface Warfare Tactical Air Controller or ASTAC school. What that is the air traffic controllers on smaller ships. Like mine USS Princeton (CG-59) where all we have is a helicopter pad on the back of our ship. When we get underway we have a squadron of 2 helicopters on our ship with the pilots and crew to man them. But the controlling of the aircraft and any other aircraft coming to our ship is the responsibility of the ship. That is where my job comes in once I'm done with school I'll be one of the two ASTACs on board to control all helicopters (or helos as we call them) around our the ship.
It's a tough school one of the hardest for my rate (job) as an Operational Specialist or OS. I haven't been in that long so I was really luckily to get this school. Being a commercial pilot definitely helped too. Since I've dealt with ATC before and know how aircraft handle in the airspace system.
I'm in the middle of our 2nd week of school and just took our first practical test. Meaning controlling aircraft on a computer simulator and have an instructor as a pilot sitting behind you. Not to toot my own horn but I did very well and got the best score in the class. (I might end up paying for saying that later.) The test was controlling search patterns and a Emergency Low Visibility Approach or ELVA which is basically a radar assisted approach back to the ship. It was challenging and fast paced. I'm excited to move on.
I just came back from the largest naval exercise in the world and unlike the movie Battleship there was no aliens that attacked. The whole exercise is around the Hawaiian Islands and is a month long building up to the final week of the event where we have a big "battle". Although we did fire some 5in. rounds off and Harpoon and SM2 missiles it wasn't at another ship or at least one that had people in it. We also spent 2 port visits, about 10 days total, in Pearl Harbor on Ohau. Which was really heaven on earth I really wouldn't mind living there. I was gone from home for about 2 1/2 months and was good to come back. Here are some pics from the trip.
| | | At the driving Range |
| | | In port Pearl Harbor |
| | | Replenishment At Sea with the Nimitz |
| | | Pulling into Port in Hawaii |
| | | Battleship Missouri |
| | | Aviation Museum on Ford Island |
| | | on Ford Island |
| | | firing the Harpoon |
| | | hiking in Hawaii |
Yes it's true at almost 1 year since my last audio podcast and 6 months from my last post the DesertPilot podcast is back. I recorded this episode off the deck of the USS Princeton CG-59. Enjoy.Download the Podcast here
| | | SH-60B going around |
My 2 year old son Shad, brother in-law Jayce and I went to the Miramar air show a few weeks ago. It was way cool and Shad loved it. I really wanted to go and se the Blue Angels for the first time. And that was awesome as well. I don't know if it is because I'm partial to the Navy they performed much better then the Air Force Thunderbirds that I saw back in March. Their tolerances seemed much tighter, and precision just a little bit higher. I was a great time had by all.
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 effectively respond to an attack or emergency.
I will constantly test myself against realistic standards to discover my strengths and weaknesses. I will turn weakness into strength.
I will seek to learn new skills and techniques, and then teach what I have learned to other members of the pack. Be it with firearm or blade, empty hand or blunt object, I will hit my enemies hard, fast and true.
I will live a quiet and unobtrusive life, but I will develop and retain the capacity for swift and decisive violence. I recognize that I am the modern equivalent of the traditional Minuteman, and that I may be called to service at any time against heavily armed enemies. I will respond effectively.
I accept that I am a pariah among some of my countrymen, and a quaint anachronism to others. I will not hold their ignorance against them.
I will win, or die trying.
I swear this creed before God, my family and my fellow citizens.
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 trying to figure out how to put the cover back on the plane.
Brendon did good he didn't throw up or even go for the bag. On the way up going over the ridge to get in to Payson was a little rough but coming back it was turning dusk and claiming down. It was a great flight.
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 started looking at other options that's when ATC looked good. But I wanted a back up plan.
Back in April I looked in to being a Controller in the military. Since I was is high school I have always been interested in the military and it's always been in the back of my mind to join but it's never been the right time or it didn't fit or it just didn't feel right. In April and I was looking into a military service that could give me all the things I wanted. Namely a Control Tower Operator Certificate and get my loans paid off. I narrowed it down to the Navy because they were the ones that would give me the most Loan Repayment Program (LRP) Money to payoff my Loans ($65,000) and the most likely to get the kind of experience I would want and would be valid for the FAA.
I talked to them and took the ASVAB in May. I got an 85 which was good for ATC or really any job that I wanted but they told me that I would have to pass a phyical before I joined. I order to pass a physical I had to lose 30 lbs. Over the summer I got a personal trainer and started to work out while eating about half the caloires I had been. I also on a fluke got to go backpacking at Philmont for 10 days which really pushed me and helped. So as of last month I made weight.
I took the physical and passed. Then came the part where I sign up for a job. I wanted AC (that is the Navy job code for ATC). But they said they didn't have it and that he would noy give it to be because my eyes aren't 20/20. The job they did have a Operations Specialist OS. OS controls air and sea traffic but in a tactical sense, where to go, who to engage and so forth. It's sounded cool but I was unsure. It wasn't AC. So I called my wife and we talked about it, together we decided to go for it. It was a good job (inside work environment, with a Top Secerat clearance). But above all it felt right. Through the whole process of filling out all the paper work it felt right. Every time in the past I've looked in to the military I stopped just because it didn't feel right. And there I was presented with a job that I would like to do but isn't what I wanted and it still felt right. So we signed up for 4 year. And I report on April 19th 2011.
I still want to be an AC for the Navy so my date might change if all the paper work gets approved and I get my job changed before I ship out. If not I'll change while I'm in.
Right now we are excited and a little nervous of course. It's something new and we don't know what is going to happen for sure. I still plan to finish my degree in the Navy (and have them pay for it). We are ready for this adventure and who knows what the future will hold.
| | Copperstate Fly-In 2010Oct 23, 2010by Ben Cowden View Album Play slideshow |
Here are some photos from this years EAA Copperstate 2010, I flew down on saturday in the CAP airplane and hung out. We got to tour and talk with the captain of a the B-17 that flew down there from the CAF at Falcon Field. I ask if you had to be a really high time pilot to fly the B-17. He said "No" and that he was an account for his day job. To fly it is just like a big flying club that you buy into and it they see that you have some common sence and your head screwed on tight then they'll start to train you. I had never been in a B-17 before and it was a lot smaller then I thought it would be but man was it cool. I'm definitively going to join the CAF when I'm settled down a little more.
I did it. I made the sacrifice and switched to AT&T and now have an iPhone 4. One of the features on the iPhone is that I can upload HD video that I took and edited on my phone to Youtube. I've done a few videos and wanted to post them on here. I flew a non-rev flight to Texas to see my cusins went to a Rangers game and rode along with my cusions who is a local cop there. tons of fun.
I know it’s been a while but it’s been a very eventful summer and now I’m back in school and all is well… Right.
If you haven’t been following me over the summer I went to Florida with my wife, 9-month-old son, and brother in law. The original reason for going was to see the STS-133 launch that was scheduled for the end of July. But after we had bought our non-refundable airline tickets and hotel room NASA pushed the launch back to the fall. We still went and had a great time at Disney World and the Kennedy Space Center. See picture below.
The next shuttle launch is scheduled for November 1st and I’m going to go. Here’s how.
Over the summer I was lucky enough to get an internship with the Mesa Air Group. Their training department, where I work, is also right where I go to school at Arizona State University’s Polytechnic campus at Mesa Phoenix Gateway Airport (KIWA), formally Williams Gateway Airport, formally Williams Air Force Base.
What does this have to do with seeing a shuttle launch you ask your self? Well simple. One of the benefits for interning at an airline is well, the benefits.
So having the flying expenses taken care of is great. I’ll be able to get there. But being the poor college student that I am and already having paid for this trip once, we come to the propose of this podcast.
I’m sending a call out to anyone who would like to meet-up with me and help spit the cost of seeing this spectacular event. Ladies and Gentleman there are only going to be 2 more shuttle launches. Count them one, two. After that, well, we really don’t know what is going to happen. But think of the experience you could tell your kids, grandkids about seeing a shuttle launch. I still listen in ah when I here of people that saw the Saturn V launch in to space and this is truly a once in a lifetime event.
So if you are planning to going or live there and would like to meet up please send me an email Trevor@desertpilot.com or you can direct message me on twitter @TrevJSmith. I’m flying in on Sunday evening and the launch is the next day Monday November 1, 2010 at 4:40pm
Come down and see one of the last these last engineering marvels launch in to the heavens, you’ll regret it if you don’t.
Update 4/11/11: I Never went to the launch on Nov. 1, 2010 I actually joined the U.S. Navy that day. The launch didn't that day anyway it was pushed back several months and did go until Feb. 2011.
Last month as part of my intership at Mesa Air Group 3 other interns and I got to "play" in their Canada Regional Jet (CRJ) model 200 full motion simulator while they're was not pilot scheduled for training. It was loads of fun.
This is a short segment (3min) from NPR that talks about the decline in student pilots in the US and why. It's great to help anyone understand what is going on in the industry.
Although most of the things in the story does hit the issue on the head I, along with JetWhine.com, don't agree that less student pilots will lead to less professional pilot. It will just lead to lower qualified pilots. One of two kinds, a fool who is up for his neck in debt or some one with rich parents.
So which one am I? Well I hope to be nether by staying clear of debt and not speeding though to stay proficient and professional. I'm learning that any schooling right now is going to put you in tons of debt. I plan to pay off my debt while working as an air traffic controller. At the same time building hours at CAP and working as an instructor aka Free flying. Then when I have enough hours I can get a good retirement for the FAA as an ATC and be hired as a pilot.
Flying is still my dream but I learning the best things come to those who wait.
Jessica and I flying to Disneyland December 2008
This last Wednesday morning I did my first Civil Air Patrol cadet Orientation Flight (or O flight). Three 13 year-old cadet boys and I went off for a 2 hour flight making 2 stops letting each cadet taking turns in the front seat flying. Each cadet gets 5 of these in CAP. First stop was Case Grande, second was Coolidge airport. When we landed we saw a DC-4 on the ramp fueling up. We got out and walked over to it. You don't see a DC-4 everyday and after talking with the pilot we learned that some one had bought the old plane that had been at Coolidge for years and they were ferrying it up to Anchorage, Alaska. They let us climb inside and take a look around. It going to be used to hall fuel to small towns in the bush in Alaska. I only had my cell phone for pictures so they are not that great but cool none the less.
me and the three cadets.
These are the big tank they had in the back to hall the fuel.
UPDATE 6/13/10: I got sent some more pics from a little better camera so I thought I would post them
A little while back I was listening to the Uncontrolled Airspace podcast ep. 186 and they were talking about flight bags and all the things that they carry in their flight bag. I was shocked when they didn't mention any survival gear that they carry. I consider survival gear an essential part of flying and my flight bag. I put this together to show everyone what I carry and give some ideas. I'm open for any input so send it my way.
Arizona Survival Gear from Trevor Smith on Vimeo.
Download the video HERE for your mobile device.
In my Aircraft Design and Logistics Management class at Arizona State we made a Radio Controlled Airplane. But the way we did it was the class was step up like a company would be with a design, supply, manufacturing, etc. departments that all worked together to make the plane. I learned a lot and was a neat idea for the class. The grade we got in the class was not based on if the plane flew but how we worked together and what we learned from it.
I was in the test and evaluation department and charged with recording and editing this video which is a summary of the semester.
Arizona State RC Airplane Project Spring 2010 from Trevor Smith on Vimeo.
Download the video for your mobile device
This is a recording of a flight back into Scottsdale coming home from a 5 hours Civil Air Patrol exercise. We are flying in from the north west and there are tons of students around we really had to have our heads on a swivel.
http://www.archive.org/download/FlyingIntoSdl/CapIntoSdl.mp3
I did another funded Civil Air Patrol (CAP) flight this last week. Instead of taking my audio recorder this time I decided to shoot some video. I shot video in the past with the video function on my camera but I've since gone out and bought a Kodak Zi8 that shoots HD. I'm still getting used to all the settings that I has. The video I shot for this flight was not the best that I think the camera can shoot. The morning shots seem to be fine but the prop wash seems to get really bad later in the day. I'm going to try to mount it in some different locations in the plane and see what works best. Because the shots were so different I didn't edit a nice video I just put some of the raw shots on the web.
Download podcast here:
http://www.archive.org/download/FundedCapFlt/fundcapflt.mp3
This flight is my first really funded flight flying for the Civil Air Patrol that I flew last Tuesday. My squadron at Falcon Field Airport (FFZ) just got a plane assigned to them again and today I signed up for a crew pick up flight. The Arizona Wing does consolidated maintenance and for good or for bad some has to go pick up the pilot that takes their plane in to the shop in Payson (PAN). On this flight I pick up a pilot after he dropped off his plane and took him back to his car at Chandler Municipal (CHD).
Falcon Field like many in the Phoenix valley has its roots as an Army Air Corps field build for training British pilot in World War II. Falcon Field was it's original name give to it by the British in the 40's and the name has suck since. Currently it has one 5100ft and a parallel 3800ft runways and is one of the busier airports in the valley one probably my favorite. This recording is just me taking off and opening my flight plan. You'll notice that I recored this podcast different then the others. I bought a patch cable that plugs right into the headset jack but it did something very strange in the begining of the flight the audio levels were normal but the slowly got lower and lower that by the the of the flight you could barely hear the audio at all. That's why you are only getting the first part. The rest of the recording was so bad that I really couldn't even use it. If there is any one that has an idea of what is happening please send me an email trevor@desertpilot.com. On past audio recording I used a little tie clip mic that I put in my headset ear cuff. The patch cable audio is much clearer with very little background noise, but the background with the tie clip you can hear the plane noise and gives it a more organic feel like you are there. It's different let me know what think of ether I hope you enjoy.
Falcon Field sq. patch
Boeing B-17 touch-n-gos at IWA from Trevor Smith on Vimeo.
Podcast Download:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/13836556/b17touchngo.mp4
I was driving (Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010) to Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport where I go to school back from lunch and looked up and saw the B-17G Sentimental Journey fly over the car on final a few hundred feet off the ground doing touch-n-gos. The plane is based at Falcon Field (FFZ), just to the north of IWA, and operated by the Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force I've never see a B-17 flying before and it was quite a sight.
The video in the podcast feed is a lower quality the one found on the blog so it can be viewed on an ipod
This episode is my mother and I flying back from Payson, AZ to have breakfast with my Grandpa on his 79th Birthday. Mom did great she was a little nervous but that is normal from anyone who hasn't sent too much time in little airplanes. Here is a link to her blog where she talks about the flight and posts a few more pictures.
The breakfast crew
First I wanted to note that in the podcast I said this flight was done in September that is not true it was November 2009.
I flew a plane from Chandler (CHD) to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway (IWA) to pick up my instructor then we flew south to Coolidge (P08) did a DME arc on the way out then shot an approach in to Coolidge and one in at Gateway coming back.
Here are some photo of the cool planes on the ground at Gateway.
The red line is CHD to IWA blue is the IFR training and pink is IWA to CHD.
Click here to see a 3D map of the flight using Google Earth
I did it. Today I passed my checkride and am now one of the newest Land and Sea Commercial Pilot. I'm up at Sheble Aviation in Fort Mohave where I spent the last 3 days going up and down the Colorado River and Lake Havasu learning to land a plane on the water. It takes a spacial rating to do that. I also received my land rating. The flight school up here is really great at being very practical about what you need to know to be a competent pilot and pass the check ride with no fluff which is what I like.
Being a Commercial pilot and an Airline Pilot is a distinction that a lot of people don't make. I'm a commercial pilot meaning I can fly people or goods for hire. That doesn't mean I can start advertising for that though I have to be a charter to do that. What I can do with a commercial license are things like crop dusting, banner/glider towing, areal photography/site seeing flights, things like that.
| | | I didn't fly this Beech 18 but I got to ride in the back on the first day |
| | | fueling the Beech |
| | | Docking |
| | | inside the Beech 18 |
| | | This is day two and the plane I learned in is behind me called the Lake Buccaneer |
| | | inside |
| | | my instructor and I |
| | | Lake Havasu |
| | | doing touch-n-go's on the Colorado River on the way down to Blythe |
| | | Blythe Airport (BLH) |
I flew up here because the drive here is 5 1/2 hrs and the flight is 2. But I should have just drove I was planning to be home on Friday night but because of high winds on Thursday we didn't have time to finish on Friday and had to be push for today. I got done this after noon and was prepping the plane to leave and one of the mags were bad (one of the 2 pieces that supply spark to the spark plugs) and since I was going to be flying into the night I decided not to go. so one more night here then back to Mesa after the mechanic fixes it tomorrow.
Santa Claus, like all pilots, gets regular visits from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It was shortly before Christmas when the FAA examiner arrived.
In preparation, Santa had the elves wash the sled and bathe all the reindeer. Santa got his logbook out and made sure all his paperwork was in order.
The examiner walked slowly around the sled. He checked the reindeer harnesses, the landing gear and Rudolph's nose. He painstakingly reviewed Santa's weight and balance calculations for the sled's enormous payload.
Finally, they were ready for the checkride.
Santa got in and fastened his seat belt and shoulder harness and checked the compass. Then the examiner hopped in carrying, to Santa's surprise, a shotgun.
"What's that for?" asked Santa incredulously.
The examiner winked and said, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but you're gonna lose an engine on takeoff."
I thought it was funny I got it off an aviation site I frequent.
Merry Christmas everyone.
This the promised video from the podcast from yesterday. In this video I did 4 touch-n-go's and I full stop landing back a Chandler. Merry Christmas!
Desert Pilot: Christmas Touch-n-go's from Trevor Smith on Vimeo.
I love listening to liveATC.net not really to listen and think really hard about what is going on but more as background, I did some of that for this experiment. This episode is largely unedited. I flew out to south of the Chandler (CHD) and did some touch-n-go at a little field called Phoenix Regional (A39). I have a Lightspeed Zulu headset and for this very relaxing flight I listened to Christmas music. This so for those that like Christmas music and cockpit audio enjoy. I took some video with this flight and will be come out with is shortly.
Here are some shots from the flight.
you can see this flight in 3D by download it and open the file using Google Earth
the music in this podcast is from Josh Groban, The King Singers, and 259
I did my first formation flight, ok so it wasn’t a true formation we still had lots of room between us but it was closest that I’ve ever intentionally been to an other aircraft. I’m with my friend David from school and meet up with some other friends in the air to a fly-in breakfast that we didn’t know we were all going to.
After breakfast we talked on the ground and thought we should meet up in the air and snap some photos of each other. We decided that we should go first and be the point of the 3 since we were in a high wing Cessna and they were both in low wing. We would get establish on an altitude and they would come up behind and below on ether side of us so we could all see each other the whole time. We are all new at this and this is this first time for most of us. I don’t do much talking in the podcast but I am very much there, we had decided to have David take the radios and I just fly the plane. We never really got too close but it was a blast doing it.
The pics below are some of the pictures we took I don't have a map of this flight but you can look back to last months flight to the same breakfast were we are flying almost the same route.
waiting to take off that is David and I are in the Cessna in the front.
You can almost see our smiling faces in this one.
the view from our right side
and out our left side
This is us bugging out.
This is part two of the podcast where we are flying back from Copperstate 2009 at Case Grande Airport (CGZ) It's not a long flight but a fun one. I posted pictures and the 3D map of this trip on the previous post Copperstate 2009 part 1. The podcast is below. enjoy.
This episode is part 1 of flying with my friends Nick and Jacob to Copperstate 2009 last month. Copperstate is an EAA event and I would say that it is like Arizona’s Oshkosh. It’s is at Case Grande Airport (KCGZ) just about .5 hobbs south of Chandler where we flew out of.
Below are some pics from the day we were there and this podcast, part 1, is us flying there. Hope you enjoy.
This Trimotor was giving rides that I should have taken but we saw flying in and out all day.This is the heli we got a ride in.
Jacob and the Heli pilot
Nick and I
nice bikes that I could see my self on.
Trimotor taking off.
the only jet there.
The l-39 on take off
2 Apache coming in
Kicking up some dust
Me
Don't know how one got this
2 heli's and the jet
taking off
checking out a Huskey
sitting in the roomy Super Sport Cub
Over fly of some Stermans
Flying back
View a 3D map of this flight using Google Earth
This flight I'm flying right seat for a friend (Dave) practicing IAP. The podcast isn't the whole flight just coming back into Goodyear (GYR) when it got a little interesting. here is a link direct to the file but you can always subscribe to the podcast using iTunes by clicking the link on the side.
http://sites.google.com/site/trevjsmithfiles/podcasts/dp002dave.mp3
Dave
Click here to view this route in 3D using Google Earth
This is my first try at a podcast:
http://sites.google.com/site/trevjsmithfiles/podcasts/DesertPilot-flyingbackwithNick.mp3
For those of you who don't know what is that is I found a good little article about what it is.
http://www.how-to-podcast-tutorial.com/what-is-a-podcast.htm
I started to record cockpit audio and when I go on my flights. I haven't really got is all down with the recording and me narrating the podcast but I'll get better as I go.
This flight is off to a fly-in breakfast that the Coolidge airport put on the first sat of every month in the fall, winter and spring month. So this was the kick off for the after the hot summer.
here is a few pics:
Stearmans flying over (sorry about the camera smudge)
Andy and I next to he's pitts, if only it had two seats.
Great J-3 Cubvery nice newly painted Citabria
Blue is there red is backClick here to see the above map in 3D with google earth
This past week has been crazy. On Friday Oct. 9, 2009 I became a father to my first child. Shadrach or just Shad. It really is a wonderful thing to be a father and really all the emotions of being a father that I've hear people talk about start to make since as I start to make these small steps in my life. Here is a shot of right after he was born.
Today I flew some instrument approaches into Gateway (IWA). I like flying into a towered airport because it is more like flying a real approach would be. Although it wasn't too busy today the controller vectored us past the final approach fix. oops, good thing it was just practice. Then after that we flew to Coolidge (P08) and did a GPS approach and came back. Like always you can see my flight in 3D by downloading the file and opening it using google earth.
Ok so I didn't go too far south just down to Marana Regional Airport (AVQ). I still need a little more time to build up my time for commercial.
On the way to Marana I stopped at a little airport called Phoenix Regional (A39) just north of Case Grande and I got out and walked around. Most people don't so I wanted to check out what was there.
on the ground at A39
there was this house right on the taxi way that looks like it is a foreclosure (I could get it for cheap) very nice looking, few broken windows but other then that looks good.
these are two very large radial engines that look like they've seen better days.
It looks like a Baron, cool paint job, needs a little work.
this office/hanger was also right on the runway and no one was in it. Also there is 100LL at A39 I never knew, doesn't show it on the charts.
I didn't take many pics at AVQ seemed like an ok place might have to go back and try the restaurant out. Here are some old planes there.
the cars below were going faster then I was in my little Cessna 152.
Click here to see this route in 3D with Google Earth
I finally got my GPS to work when I was practicing VOR and ILS approaches into Case Grande (CGZ). You can see the crazy patterns to fly an approach. That's why I may seem like airlines are turning the wrong way sometimes.
click here to get the file above to view in 3D using Google Earth
This week I went on a Civil Air Patrol flight. This mission was really awesome it was to go out and have the Air Force practice intercepting us. I was flying scanner and finished the scanner training up. Here are a few photos from the flight.
A friend from the Phoenix Pilot Group, Dave needed to go to Greenlee Co. (CFT) and wanted to practice some instrument approches for his instrument that he is working on. When he asked if I wanted to go and be a safety pilot I didn't really have to think long about it, I love to go flying. It was a good long flight in a Cessna 172. We did some VOR tracking and went to CFT then flew over and did a GPS approach into Safford (SAD). Then came back through the mountains and a ILS into Gateway (IWA). It was a good day. Here are some pics.
On the ground at CFT it was a nice little strip nicer runway then SAD actually
Dave getting out at SAD
Good old Safford Regional Airport I think it is a really nice field and has lots of potential to be great. It has 2 great runways and lots of room, they need to have a good fly-in there.
Flying out. It looks like I'm really short in this pic and I did realize how low my seat was until after I took it.
click here to get the file to view our route in 3D using Google Earth
My wife is getting pretty good with photoshop and I just wanted to show off her handy work. This is what she did some of the photos from a flight I had last week.
Check it out! The STS-128 crew on the International Space Station answered my question that I submitted a few weeks ago. My question starts 3:25 in the video. This was also live on NASA TV.
thanks to the crew of STS-128.
Last night the Phoenix Pilot Group (PPG) had a full moon fly-in. I flew up with a guy name Andy and his son Jacob, in his friends Mooney. We headed out of Falcon Field a little after 6pm. We flew around Sky Harbor (PHX) and headed west to Blythe (BLH). We checked on the common frequency and found we were the last of 3 heading over but since the Mooney we were in was turbo charged we had no prob catching up. We headed through some rain that really wasn't too bad just we couldn't see for a little bit. After landing in BLH we walked over to a truck stop and had dinner then headed out in the night sky.
Andy, Jacob, and I
Flying in a little weather
Inside the Mooney
Sunset
(thanks to Ken) us eating dinner, we were the only ones there at the Union 76 truck stop
full night moon
the route back
click here and view our route in 3D in Google Earth
Wednesday, Rock a friend of mine. Took me up for the first time in his Cirrus SR22. He let me fly left seat and can I just say WOW. Cirrus aircraft are everything they advertise to be. Rock took off from Deer Valley and came down to Falcon Field to meet me. I know the map at the bottom isn't the cool new tracking GPS one. I forgot my GPS in the car but there was plenty of GPS on board. The plane had an integrated Avidyne PFD and MFD linked to 2 Garmin 430's and a Garmin 496 all with xm weather and storm scope. The plane was great to fly. It didn't feel like it was over powered but had plenty of power to get anywhere fast. The cockpit was one of the most roomy and most comfortable that I've been in. Everything in side just felt right it seems like the Cirrus guys where really thinking when designing this aircraft. The controls seemed to be right in the place they should be. Just all around very nice. We flew up to Sedona. I never been there, I don't know why I just never had made it. Flying through the red rocks were great and the way the airport being on a plateau really didn't throw me off at all. We stopped and had soda's then came home. all and all a really fun day. thanks Rock.
Rock and the plane at FFZ
Cruising along on the way to SEZ
inside the cockpit
where we were
I talked about how I was checked out to to fly the CAP aircraft on my own time and I am but I'm going for mission pilot. In order to start the training for mission you have to finish 2 flights as scanner he is the guy in the back behind the pilot looking for things below. On the 1st I took a mission. It was early, like 4:30am in the morning, we flew south of Gila Bend and in the interest of OpSec we'll keep it at that what we did. All you need to know that it was fun and am just a little closer to mission pilot.
The bird early in the morning.
flying out
out the back
beautiful morning
sunrise
Me backseat flying
I have really come to enjoy the flight for the valley just into the mountains to Payson, AZ. The flight has taught me a lot about flying in mountains things like mountain waves and going from an area of high to low pressure. I saw my grandparents while up there, like always. They got a new 42" HD TV so I had to see that. There was a TFR just north of the town for a forest fire. I didn't see any smoke but the airport was crawling with fire aircraft of all kinds. It was very neat to see. I didn't get any pictures of them though. I forgot my camera at home so only had my cell phone but the pictures turned out better then I thought they would.Me flying home.up over the Beeline 87 highwayComing in to Phoenix this is Falcon Field right off my nose.click here to download file to view this route in Google Earth
Check out this map I made using my Garmin GPSmaps 96:
This is just a screenshot so it you can't see much detail but if you click HERE to download the file and see in Google Earth. You can zoom in a on the map and see exactly what I flew and even see where I parked at the airport.Here is how I did it. Garmin came out with this program called BaseCamp. You can just upload the route you flew, drove, hiked, whatever. There was lots flights on my GPS just select the one you want, this one is a flight I took a few weeks ago. Then there is a menu at the top where you can view your selected route in Google Earth. Then to get it from Google Earth to maps you export it to a .kml file. and upload to a site like Google sites and you put the link of the file in Google maps and it will show up as shown above.This is the only way I could figure out how you do it. If anyone know an easier way let me know.
That's right I passed the instrument written exam. For most every aeronautical rating advancement (private, instrument, commercial, ATP, just to name a few) there are 3 parts of the test. First is the written porion, then an oral test, and the last is a practical flight test. The latter of the two are with a check instructor pilot (a special instructor blessed by the FAA to give tests) and are called the check ride.
The written exam I took was 60 questions in 2 1/2 hrs. This was of the 700-something questions that there are for instrument. When I went into studying for this test I thought it would be like the private test. I study for a couple of weeks and feel ready, then take the test. After trying to study for the instrument like I did my private, I learned I couldn't do that. So after getting a Gleim, an online study help program and 3 months later I felt ready and passed. The good news is that I hear this is one of the hardest writtens there are, so I'm glad to get it out of the way.I also wanted to send my thanks out to Selkirk College for there Navigation Displays website. It really helped me when studying how the nav aids work and what you are seeing in the cockpit really looks like from a birds eye view.
Got my first free flying "mission" with CAP today. It wasn't a lot it was a short 20min flight from Chandler to Deer Valley airport and back. I shared the flight with 2 others so I only flew on the way back. All the pics I took from the back seat on the way there. I hadn't been in the back for about 6-7 years. The pic below is some of the CAP planes in a row before we left at Deer Valley and it looked cool.
Here is what we flew. I think I would fly around the valley when I do it again because of all the extra radios that are in the CAP airplane there was tons of static and radio interference around south mt. (two peaks on the map) from all the radio towers on top.
the flag on my shoulder me
Chandler tower
flying over Stellar airpark
south mountain
this is a military center of some sort the radar gave it a away but I'm not quiet sure, looks army
Deer Valley's brand new tower
At Deer Valley we had a few hour class about mountain flying it was very informative, really a great class and great things to know in Arizona.
This morning I took my Form 5 checkride and passed. A few weeks ago I talked about how I had joined the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) and am having a blast. There is a link on the side bar too. I joined to help build my flight hours and also the idea of low-level search and rescue (SAR) sounds fun to me too. Today was the first step to be coming a SAR mission pilot I took what is called the Form 5 flight evaluation which basically lets everyone know that you are serious about flying for CAP. What it is, is a mini private pilot checkride that is very relaxed. What we did was took-off from Chandler and stayed over the farm fields between there and Casa Grande. Did some things like steep turns, stalls, turns around a point, and landings. I didn't do everything perfect (maybe I'm too hard on myself) but I thought I did well and my instructor did too and passed me.Like I said this is just the first step. Getting the Form 5 means I can rent a CAP plane if I want which I pay and I can also transport it or people if needed for CAP which is paid for (free time). Nothing to do with SAR though that is Form 91 and I have lots of paper work and training in between to get there. I dosen't go in order 5 through 91 but it might be that much paperwork. But I'm having fun doing it all.
This is my new DIY camera clip that I made to hold my my camera and clip it to the dash board. I drilled a hole in the top and put a screw in there it worked pretty well. As you can tell from the video.
Went to Payson, AZ to take some pics of a train set my Grandpa wants me to sell on ebay. I still need flight time so flew. It's just over 50nm but climbs 4000ft. in elevation so the ground comes up to meet you.
View CHD to PAN in a larger map
Started in Chandler 0530 trying to beat the heat it was still just about 90F when I left.
Mt. Ord
Me
Flying back into the valley about 0930 just under 100F
View CHD-U77 in a larger map
Still trying to get my 250nm solo cross country I decided to fly to Utah last Wednesday. Jessica had driven up with her mom the to be where it is cool and help her grandma. The plan was to fly up on Wednesday and back on Friday. Although I was taking a faster Cessna 172 it couldn't make the 455nm flight to Spanish Fork so I had to stop somewhere for fuelThe flight was going great until I got to Page, AZ, my planned stop for fuel. The landing I made was beautiful if I don't say so, but it was really rough after the nose wheel touched so I taxied off. Low and behold the nose tire was flat. So 2 1/2 hours later because of the incompetency of the mechanic there I was back in the air.The stay in Utah was great nice cool air and temps with a wonderful wife. Friday on the way back everything was great until I got to Page. I landed, fueled up everything seemed normal got in the plane the thing wouldn't start. The starter wasn't engaging the prop. I asked the mechanic to hand prop it (kind of like rolling a car down a hill to get it started). The mechanic didn't know how. The best advice was to let it cool down so I did and one hour later it was up and running and I was in the air and never going back to Page, at least in an airplane.over PHX early in the morning on Wednesday.downtown Phoenix
Sedona red rocks
me
Flagstaff
This is why it took 2 1/2 hours. (note the top of the plane on the ground) I really didn't know at the time that you had to take everything apart it was my first flat tire. I found this out after talking with the owner.
Glen Canyon Dam
Payson, UT
Rocky Mt.
Flying back on Friday yes I'm wearing a jacket it was 50F at 11,000ft.
more of the beautiful mountains I flew through that morning.
I went Flying with David, from the Phoenix Pilot Group meetup, who needed to do some instrument approaches to stay IFR current. You don't need a instructor to do this just another pilot.He had a great just over 10 year old Bonanza in great shape and flew just as well.
We flew from Gateway an the did some VOR, GPS, and ILS approches in to Coolidge and Case Grande until coming back and doing 2 into Gateway to make it 6.
under the hoodbeautiful morning
me
more of the valley
The other day I was trying to fullfil my commercial solo cross country for an airport over 250nm away, well I didn't realize that the airport only had to be 250nm not that I had to fly there non-stop. So my plan was to fly from Chandler, AZ to Cedar City, UT in a 152. Which is a little 2 seat plane. After taking off and in cruse for awhile, like any good pilot I started to check my flight with the flight plan I had made I noticed I was flying at 80kts when I had planned on going at 100kts. With only 4 hours of fuel I did a few time/distance problems and I found out I wasn't going to make it to Cedar City so I landed short of my 250nm airport by 8 miles. and not knowing at the time that if I could have just stopped, fueled and continued a little and landed I would have completed the requirement that's what I get for not reading the regs all the way. Good thing I'm not going to become a lawyer.View 1L8 in a larger map
Early morning in Chandler, AZ
over the Grand Canyon
more of the Grand CanyonHurricane, UT
me and the famous Hurricane cliffs you can decide what the Mt. looks like.
I like how it says terminal 1 like there was a number 2
they did sky diving out of this airplane the door opened up, very small.
arial shot of Hurricane
Flying back home over Phx. If you look close there is a plane just about to land on the far right runway.
Flying in the early morning for some breakfast. At the tail is Quentin (Q) and Nick is taking the pic.
We flew from Chandler to Eloy and tried there little cafe down there.View to eloy in a larger mapLeaving Chandler
Q is in the pink head set.
Looking over Chandler to the San Tan mountains
Later that day Nick another friend Ed and I drove out to Lake Pleasant to do so Scuba diving it was really fun. I don't have any more pic of there I don't have an underwater camera yet.
So the last time that my sister Kevra was in a small airplane lets just say that is didn't end well I remember lot of throw-up smell and hearing her in the back while seeing my uncle trying to land the plane as fast as possible. I as remembering her getting out of the plane and asking what that design on her pants was... it was barf. Since then about 6 or so years ago she has been very reluctant to fly in anything small. I've been talking with her and set a date for last Wednesday morning. She wasn't too happy about me picking her up at 5am but I wanted the time that would be the clamest and coolest. not to mention the prettiest as well here is some from the trip.View kevra 1st flight in a larger mapSunrise at the Chandler Municipal Airport
Kevra in Jessica's cool pink head setSky Divers landing in Coolidge just as we were.
the cool old WWII hanger at Coolidge
On the ramp in Casa Grande
Flying Home.as you can see she did great didn't even think about getting sick plus and asking went you could go up next.
View solo night flight in a larger map.
Last night I had to build 3 hours of solo (meaning me only) time at night toward my commercial license. I like flying at night. The air is very calm and there are not too many people flying then, which makes it very pleasant and relaxing. I wanted to go to a few airports around here that I've just not been able to get to. Like Eloy has a really nice field but every time I wanted to check it out they were doing too much parachute jumping so I couldn't land. Also I had never landed at the Buckeye airport I've been over just never stopped. So as you can see from my map above I just made a big 3 hour circle. It was one of the funnest flying I've done in a long time. I really don't know how to describe it just that is was a blast and the perfect night to go flying. I almost didn't land at Buckeye because I couldn't see it. Most airports after the tower closes or if there is no tower has what is called "pilot controlled lighting" meaning just that. How it works is the pilot pushes the mic in mostly 5 or 7 or 9 times (depending on how bright you want the lights) and the lights will come on. [Also side note so if you had a little hand held radio on the airport frequency at night you could turn on the lights at most any airport that has lights by just pushing the "push-to-talk" 5 times. Cool huh.] Well at Buckeye I thought I had clicked the lights on but as the GPS told me I kept getting closer and closer and I just couldn't see the airport. Then the GPS said I flew over and I still couldn't see it. so I made a wide circle to try to find it and all I could see was black. Then just as I was flying beside it I remembered to click the mic again and the light came on. Out of the darkness it looked like an airport just appeared, it was really cool.just before I took off.
View CHD-GEU in a larger map
So I thought I would try out some thing new, this a map of roughly where I flew today. It was just a quick flight to Glendale Airport. As you can see I can't fly straight there because of the airspace over Phoenix it is just easier to fly around it all. In the last few weeks I've joined the Civil Air Patrol. There is a squadron (305) out of Falcon Field in Mesa. I joined because they do a lot of cool "missions" like search and rescue, homeland security, and in AZ help out with things on the border. You don't have to be a pilot to join and there are lots of different things people do on the ground and in the air that don't require a pilots license. But if you are a pilot the deal is even better because you can get the government to pay for your flying, in other words free flight hours. and for a pilot like me just starting out that is as good as money. The Civil Air Patrol or CAP is funded partly by the Air Force and they oversee what we do but all the members of CAP are volunteers that meet once a week and do training exercises once a month (right now). I haven't started flying yet because there is a lot of paper work I have to do. So I have to wait a little bit. Today though I did go to a training about marshaling airplanes it wasn't really what I joined CAP for but it was good info. Plus I had a friend fly over with me and paid half the cost because she was building hours too. here are a few pics and some cool planes on the ramp, they are with my cell phone and really bad. but you get the idea.Check out the tires on this one.
I went flying today up around Apache Junction it was a short flight just to east and Falcon Field but it was an amazing day to fly I just couldn't pass it up. Nice and over cast, not too hot, and smooth air. What else would anyone want.Inside of the 1950's Cessna 120
over AJ
this is a weird camera angle for me... or maybe I'm just weird.
more of AJ
Falcon Field on left downwind for 22L
I've felt for a while that I've need to write about this.
I wanted to bring up what General Aviation or GA is. Basically it's any part of Aviation that is not Commercial Airlines or Military. So Commercial operations like charter flights, business aviation, the big UPS and Fedx jets that fly out of Sky Harbor as well as the little ups planes that flies in to places like Safford and Payson are all GA. Crop-dusters, ariel firefighters, pilots that fly supplies to people that can't get it any other way, search and rescue workers, the forest service, flight instructors, as well as anyone with there own airplane is GA. The problem is that most people think that General Aviation is only, stereotypically, rich people with their own airplane. The problem with this is that the Government now seems to want to tax more of the rich, but GA is not rich. Sure there is rich people that fly for pleaser but going after GA as a whole is wrong way to get money out of those people.The reason I'm writing this is just to educate about GA and hopeful in the future if you hear anything about GA you won't think its a bunch of millionaires on joy rides after their games of golf. But that is a real asset that serves communities all over America. Below are a few videos from the Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association or AOPA and their push to help educate about how General Aviation Services America. For more information you can go to their website: GAservesAmerica.com
I Flew to Sells, AZ today. I love finding and going to new airports. This one is a smaller airport with tight runway with cracks in the pavement lined with bushes and trees. I had never landed with trees so close to the runway it was a neat new experience.This is looking down runway 22
My trusty 152 at the runway 4 end.
The house that had a helicopter take off from it and what looked like a fuel truck was there.
What was the FBO.
E78 from the air.
Saw this after I landed at Chandler (CHD). very nice.
Last thursday I went flying but that was my first flight that I took some one some where and left them there. The some ones were my Grandparents that live in Payson, AZ. They needed to go to St. George, UT to get their new truck and instead of driving 8 hours there then having to drive 2 cars back. They asked if I could fly them and since they didn't pay for the whole thing it was legal. I love to take any excuse to fly any where and I knew this flight would be a time saver for them because you can fly over the Grand Canyon only taking about 2 hours. The day was just right. I got up the flew to payson and pick them up then we were off to St. George. Flying over the canyon was very beautiful. I didn't get any pictures for the flight but when I got back in to mesa there was a ton of apache helicopters on the ramp so I have a cell phone pic of that.
I thought I should put this in here for all you who didn't find out on facebook and my wife's or mom's blog. We are have a BABY. It's really crazy. He/she will be here around October 13th. It's good that it's takes 9 month to get here to give us a little time to get our heads around the idea. We are super excited.
This is the first Fly-in that I flew in to. Super fun!
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/13836556/cactus09.mp4
I thought I would just give an update on what it going on in my life right now. So far I'm still flying I try to at least 3 times on week until the loan run out which should still be a while. I have started school I'm taking Physics 2 not so fun but I do learn and I'll get through it. Aircraft engines. (where basically we take apart the engine of an airplane put it back to together and talk it) It's easy and fun. Air Transportation where we look at airline and see how they run and how Southwest doesn't have to declare bankruptcy and the other do. And Conversational Pima (Akimel O'Odham) with Jessica it's a fun class. School is a little stressfully but that is life. Here's a pic for my engines class we just put this back together.Brendon is doing great on him mission it seems like every week that he telling about a new person that he is teaching and has a baptismal date. I think it is great. I makes me think of my mission I can tell he is doing great.Since Jessica got into her accident in January we've been using "Kevra's" car. Which we thank her for it. Last weekend we went out and got a new car a 2009 Toyota Corolla in red. It's nice nothing like having something brand it's nice. I'll get a pic of it soon.
We flew to Disneyland for New Years it was really fun and great to get there in 3 hours in stead of 7. I need to build hour anyway. Here a few pics from the trip.Check out Jessica's pick headset she got from me for Christmas. I think this was my favorite ride.
Hmmm... Churros
Pulling the sword from the stone I almost got it.
Eating at the Blue Bayou the one of the Pirate's ride. It's really good but I wouldn't take any kids there.
We were the there New Years eve it was crazy too.
We stayed for this great fireworks show that was going to happen but a thick fog rolled in and all you could see is the sky light up and hear them go off.
Today we moved in to our new new apartment today. I been slowly moving thing into the new place the past week but today my dad, Jordon, Jessica, and I moved the big things in. It only took the morning to do it. It looks so great. I love our new place everything is better it seems, it's bigger, nicer and quieter.
I flew to Kearny yesterday great little airport in the mountains south of Globe. I love flying and seeing new places like this.
Flew up to the Grand Canyon yesterday. I needed to work on hours for my Commercial license and this seemed like a great way to do it. So my instructor and I flew up to the Grand Canyon airport when when we got there we saw this old Ford Tri-motor take off that does tours. Very neat. We went into the Park and had lunch then went and looked around. This is snow in the desert.
They had snow fall on Monday and this is what's left of a snow man.
This is us flying over the east end of the canyon.
Me :)
flying over the west end
Bright angel where we were just standing and ate lunch.
the airport (GCN)
Me in the plane after we were back in Chandler. (CHD)
Last week I finished up on the two other endowments I was working on. One a high performance engine meaning I can fly an airplane with an engine over 200 horse power. Where before I couldn't. And my complex meaning I can fly a plane with a landing gear. Now on to my instrument training.
Some of you might be asking your self what a tailwheel endorsement is. Well as a private pilot I can fly but not all types of airplane and to fly different kinds of plane I need to get training in that kind of plane then get sign off by an instructor or what called an endorsement. The last 2 weeks or so i've be flying the little red taildragger shown about. It's really fun to fly very touchy but can be so smooth. I got the sign off on Wednesday day and then Nick and I went up yesterday we had a little bumpily landings but it was fun and it's cheap to rent. Jessica won't go up with me though because it is an old plane, from 1942, and not all metal. The wings and most of the fuselage are steel tubing covered with vinyl. I'm bummed because it's safe but that's ok I'll just find a taildragger out of metal and take her up.
My wife tells me that we really waited in line for 45 min. not 20 min. It didn't seem that long to me but I guess it was.
Here is what is looked like on my neck of the woods. despite how long it looks the line was not really so bad we only waited in line for about 20 min. I voted for the Maverick and yes on 102. 102 passed but unlike the 17 polled on my blog that showed McCain winning by a land slide. He didn't pull it off. I voted for him because experience I think our country needs someone who know what they're doing in the white house. The rest of the country doesn't think so I guess.
I don't like to to think I'm against Obama. I don't hate him or really anything he's done. For most of the election I like him. I don't really have a reason to not trust him. I hope he does of a great job of turning the country around and we are all better for it.
Now this doesn't mean I'm not going to double up on the food storage and ammo. You never know what could be coming. It could be really good or really bad.
Yes it came! you are asking your self what and then sneaking a peek at the pictures below. I got a new license plate. For some time I've been obsessed for some reason with license plates. I've even had to change my mother-in-law's plate. It all started with Jessica's car and the dealership license plates cover that was around it. I wanted to take it off but she wouldn't let. She said it looked funny with out a cover. So I was out to find a new cover that fit just right. She loves frogs and was looking to something that was frog that didn't say "I'm a tree huger" and I couldn't ever find one so I went for the next best thing. School. I found the NAU bookstore , Jessica's alma mater, online and she found one she liked. and here it is I think. I fit her car quite well.
In the mean time I was thinking about my own car and I been feeling that I need to jazz it up a bit. I bought a sparky sticker for the window but that just wasn't enough then I felt inspired this one of my favorite web sites.
I thought it was cool so I thought I get a flight oriented custom ASU plate the next time my registration came around. Then Jessica said why don't you just do it now. I didn't even think you could but she was right. We spent some time trying to figure out what to put on it. I knew I wanted something to do about flying and on the ASU plates you can only have 5 letters. We tried lot of different things: FLY, FLGHT, IFLY, PILOT, etc. Which were all taken. Then found WEFLY, and FLYBY that were available we like that the 2nd. I put in the order and 14-20 business days later it's all on my car. I think I looks great.
For a while I had noticed that there were holes to mount a plate on the front of my car. I settled on a scuba flag (red with a white strip) and there is a shark to make it look cool.
Hoi iedereen,
Ik heb mijn oud Arizona nummberbord en ik wil een Nederlandse bord hebben. Als iemand een heeft en met me wil ruilen A.U.B. geef me een email.
This weekend has been eventful to say the least. On last thursday Nick and I went to a Fly-in that we should of flown into. Because we went on a Thursday and not on the week end it was that busy and we should have rented a plane and flown in there. oh well maybe next year. Below is one the smallest plane we saw. It was on sale for $1900 so I bought it. Just kidding. It is so small that in order for me to fly it I would have to lose 40 lbs. In the back ground there is an old C-17 or DC-3 which ever you like to call it. but very cool none the less.We also went on a Helicopter ride. I'd never been on one. Nick is going to start he's training as a Helicopter pilot once he here's back for the FAA about he medical. They are know for taking their time with paperwork.
We were going to go to the show on saturday but our scuba friend Ed (one on Nick's old companions for his mission) invited us to go diving with him. and I'd been wanting to get my feet wet for since I got my certification. So off to Lake Pleasant we went. We went down to 60ft. the deepest I've bee so far.
The morning of the dive I and the friday before I had had a little runny nose but I thought I would be ok for the dive. Well Although it was a blast and don't really regret it I probably should of pasted it up. Jessica hadn't been feeling that great since the middle of the week and although we had tickets to the ASU game we didn't end up going. We just stayed home the rest of the day. and all day sunday. now we are both doing better but still not 100%. but we'll get over it the drugs are good.
I found this great flying quote and just wanted to pass it on:
“When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”
- Leonardo da Vinci
This afternoon I was at school and I locked my keys in car. It's the first time in a long time. And I'm surprised I hadn't done it at school before this but it happened and Jessica had to come bail me out. When she got here we went to try this fry bread place that her parents had tried called Cafe Laguna. Don't know why it's called that because it really has nothing to do with fry bread, but that's beside the point it was REALLY good. As good as this family famed place at the Trading Post just north of Flagstaff in Cameron, Arizona. I would recommend Cafe Laguna to any one. Jessica and I should've spilt one so we would could have one of their good looking deserts but we were way too full. I have my keys now and it's all better.
I would to say we need to vote YES for Prop. 102 in AZ and 8 in CA here are some cool video I've come across in the last week or so.
This is very informative:
This is sad:
Can't beat a prophet:
Last week we had a our department meeting and had the big wigs in the department all excited about how this semester we had 30 new students to the flight program and had to hire 8 new instructors. Great I think it's great that is the program is grow but wait there is a problem 30 new students adding to the 50 that were already there all trying to fly on the same amount of aircraft. See the problem ya. This week I've had to cancel 3 times to because they didn't have a plane for me. I the reason I get the short end of the stick is because I have to do long cross countries right now and have to take more block time then normal. It's letting me fly or two others and the two others get fixed I have some other thing brewing about what I'm going to do but it is pretty ridiculous.
Today before my class I took my friend Nick up and went flying. He is going to start he's flight training soon and this was also to give him a little extra push. Well it worked. We took off for CHD and I was headed for E81 in Superior, AZ there is a dirt strip there that I just wanted to touch down on and it got better. I was a little hesitant to go that way because it was a little hazy but we went on. I also didn't know if I wanted to touch down ether because the A/FD said there were large rocks on the field. We got closer and it just looked better and better then flew over at around 200ft and I didn't see any rocks so we circled around for a touch and go. (didn't have the money to stop) I floated a little long but made it down and up. I was so excited I forgot to tell Nick to record it. so the picture below it at the take-off you can see the field in the back ground. The most thrilling landing I've made since I started flying.
Got a letter from my brother in the mtc and he said he is singing in the missionary choir for the priesthood session of conference so be one the look out for him if you go.
6 am Friday morning we got up and drove out to Chandler Municipal Airport got in the rental that we had reserved the night before and took off.
pre-flight
I look so serious
I-10 , 51, and 202We took off and went over Phoenix and saw sky harbor. We went up and about Deer valley airport, Scottsdale and Falcon Field. Then flew over Jessica's school which she thought was rather cool.
Sky Harbor
Her schoolAfter fly by my school and the airport I fly out of we can back to chandler I got of the wrong frequency when trying to talk to chandler tower :) but we made it all right. They say a private pilots license is really just a license to learn.
After the flight we had breakfast at the restaurant they have on the field there. It was good and all and all is was a good morning. Jessica never even got sick.
I have a brother that is on a mission. He went in to the mtc yesterday afternoon. I think it's really weird to think about or more to realize. I've been thinking about what I wanted to do and tell him about the mission that I didn't know or that I wish some one had told me. I thought of about everything I think but I've been think so long when he would go and now it's his time. He was so ready and excited to go. My mom texted me as they were leaving the mtc and said "I'm a missionary mom again" I didn't really know what to say to that. I've never been on this side of the mission before. Seeing them leave makes me want to be on my mission again. For being so hard that is was it was also so wonderful. He'll come back changed but I'm exited to see the change in the making through the letters and all. For those who don't know he is now in the Provo, UT Missionary Training Center (mtc) he'll be there 3 weeks then he's off to the Seattle Washington Mission where he'll spend the remainder of the 2 years there. You can write him in the mtc if you would like his address is:Elder Brendon Albert SmithMTC Mailbox #108WA-SEA 10072005 N. 900 E.Provo, UT 84604-1793I send him letters though DearElder.com if you write him in the mtc it's Free once he gets in the field you have to pay for the stamp and I'll update his address when that happens, but it's nice you don't even have to touch any paper. but do remember that written letter are always better and if you really want to go out of your way a picture of you or some one he knows doing something fun with that letter is awesome as a missionary.
Thats right as of Tuesday I'm a Pilot sure I can't get paid for it yet but that will come. I had my re-check today because I didn't pass all the way last week when I did my check ride for the first time. I did everything great but I got lost on the flight plan part when you are suppose to simulate a deviation to another airport and I told myself what I needed to but didn't do it I was too nerves. Today was a cake walk I had to go up and and not get lost. Also last time he go at me because I didn't use the GPS in the airplane when all I've been taught is during check rides don't use the GPS don't even look at the GPS. So when he said use it I did and it was done like that.
Now that is done I start to work towards my commercial license which will take alittle longer because I'll work at my instrument rating so I can fly in clouds and in visibly and so forth.
I went down to the Chandler airport yesterday and got checked out to rent planes from them. I want to get me endorsement to fly taildraggers from them some time soon but my first thing I want to take Jessica up ASAP. She is a little nervous but once she gets in the air I think she'll love it. I hope. :)
View Larger Map
I thought this was cool I posted a list of places that I've flown to so far in my short flight career and I'll continue to up date the map. I'm almost done with my private pilots license, there were some complications with my check ride (final flying test) so instead of Saturday it's on Tuesday morning nest week so wish me luck.
Well today two big things happened we learned who McCain's pick for VP is. Now for the passed little while now I've been going back and forth about who I should vote for. When Obama picked his VP I wasn't to impressed about what the man did and stood for but now it's clear Palin sealed the deal for me. well just look at this:
She has a float plane! and loves to hunt and fish. How cool is that they got my vote.
Oh, if you haven't voted yet here place do so on the right side of the screen.
The other thing that happened today was I bought an AR-15 well sort-of. If you are wondering what an AR-15 is it's the semi-auto version of an M-16 see below:
But with my first piece I didn't buy that whole thing just the part with the serial number on it that part the government considers the "firearm" this:
It's not much I know and it will be a little while til I get all the parts together that I want and it needs to shoot. But it's a start and it'll be a fun project.
well I learned a new saying today from the old guy who works in the pilot shop. He is one of those people that you always seem to talk and then some who he talks about the days when he was flying. Good guy. Reminds me of my grandpa. So I leaving the store he says referring to me flying,
"Hey you have fun, remember It's the best you can do with your clothes on."
I thought about it and I like it and for me it's true.
It all started on Sunday I get a call from my mom and she says we have to come over they have a surprise to show us. With that I knew they bought something and I knew it's has to big because they won't tell us what it was. I thought it a car or a new TV. I was hoping it was a TV because then we would get there old one. They told all this while we were at urgent care finding out Jessica has strep. After getting the meds and getting Jessica comfortable I went to my parents and I pulled in the drive and saw 2 new cars a Nissan Titan and an Xterra. My dad had always wanted a truck and has been trying to get on for the past 10 years or so. I guess there was a deal in the paper where you could buy one car and get another for a dollar so they did that and got the 2nd car planning on selling it before they have to pay anything on it. I took them both for a test drive I like them both. So if there is anyone out there that wants a 2008 Xterra with less then 100 miles on it let them or me know. I think they're asking $23,000 OBO.
first things first we sold are love seat and our sofa so the pic below with those two around the love sac is no more. now it's just the love sac. We are planning on buying a sofa sometime but I don't know when.but for right now Jessica is sick. She felt bad on Saturday and then sunday she was no good. we went to one of those urgent care centers and found it was Strep-throat. She went to target and got some drugs and have been inside ever since well except for this morning when we drove to her school and had to finish up stuff for the sub.luckily we've signed up for a free trail of Netflix and have been watching ER all weekend and today we're into season 9 now (dr. greene just died). and no we didn't start at season 1. I like it but ya...all signed up for classes heres a list if you would to know:-AMT 214 Comml/Instrument Ground School 1-AMT 280 Aero Structures/Matl & Systems + Lab-AMT 200 Flight Safety 2-AMT 201 Air Traffic Control-PHY 111 General Physics + Lab
-AMP 301 Intro Statistics-PIM 115 Beginning Pima Conversation 1 (at SCC)all and all 21 credits you might be wondering why I'm taking Pima. well no only because my wife is half Pima Indian and we are taking the class together along with her sister. But I'm also going to minor in American Indian Studies it looked really interesting so i'm going to go for it. so right now i'm just waiting for the storm know as school to begin next week, and football to start we both have season tickets, I'm so excited
Here it is! The LoveSac Yes and it is wonderful after the 3 days it took to fluff it. They don't tell you about that when you buy it. We love the Sac!
This is the Greenbook. I made it a few months ago for my brother. It's all the really good talks that I found on my mission and most the talks that are sited in Preach My Gospel. I think it's way cool. You can order one for your self from the link above. I don't make any profit.
I took this video way back in 2004 when Grandma and Grandpa Mabry were selling their cabin in Payson, AZ and since just getting a mac I thought I would put it all together and well here it is. I had some great memories there.
This is at Grandma Cheever's house on the Monday after the 4th when we could still light Fireworks.
We made the 400 mile trip from Payson, UT to Creede, CO to see my grandparents there it was truly breathtaking there. My wife goes in to more details about the trip.
Pictures of the Trip...
are here of the whole trip i put on facebook. I love going on trips and getting away and just forgetting about everything back home. but it's also good to be back.
I'm in Utah with Jessica's family still and it's been really fun you can read all about what we've been doing on her, her mother's, and brother's blog. Last friday I called an old missionary friend up. We never were companion but we lived in the same apartment in Almere for 3 months. Well turns out he had one ticket to the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy concert in Layton. And it was already a sort of guy night out because John (the friend) wasn't going with his girlfriend. I asked Jessica if I could go and she let me. The drive up there is over an hour. I went early to talk to John. It was great catching up and talk to and in Dutch. Then off to the concert me, John and two of his friends. We had font row seat right in the middle of the stage. (John got them for free) The concert was amazing! They were so good. The solo's were great not to long or short and it seemed like they didn't miss a note. Very professional, very nice. The whole time I wanted to just get up and swing. After the concert was over we went back to John house and I spent the night because I didn't want to drive all the way home that late. So I did and was home early the next morning.
I don't really feel like writing anything so here are two blogs so you can know what is going on. Blog 1 and Blog 2
and keep reading on this one
So I have this little obsession with my iTunes there is a thing in it where you can you see the CD covers but I did most of the music I have but there are a few CD's that I can't find the album artwork anywhere on the web or I can't take the image. I decided to just scan the covers into the computer but all so put it online for anyone else who has that same obsession.
This is a CD that they sadly don't sell anymore. "259 Christmas" by 259. It Rob Gardner's first group, if you can ever get a hold of it I would recommend it to anyone.
These two CD I got on my mission from a member in Groningen, Harm Wierda, who is starting to make a name for him self if you google him. He was in a Dutch band (that sings in english) named Planet Orange These are two of there CD's "Lollypop Barbershop" and "Drip Drop Drippin'" I think there not bad.
Last Friday was my last day at work well for Med+One Healthcare I think. They really love there so I'm sure I could go back if I needed to. I stopped work not because I'm a bum but I'm going to go to school full time well almost over time, and get everything done so I can start flying and get paid to do it asap. Plus I have a wonderful wife who has a great job this year. We are really blessed and I'm really thankful for that.
When I go shopping although it is not always true I like to find things that I need. Like this trash can. We would come home the house wold stink from the Trash so we'd have to take out the trash all the time. So we heard about this trash can from our friends that seals in the smell. We had some gift cards to Bed, Bath, and Beyond, so we went out and got one. And after about week of use it really does work the smell in the apartment is gone. It's great. I would recommend it to anyone.
Went to the D-Backs game tonight for Janaya's birthday it was way fun. We won 11-1 and plus got a FREE chalupa and thrust buster!
I never really understood that term until I started flying. When you are on the ground you are not in the air doing what you want to. Last night I was planning on doing a night flight the weather was beautiful and the airport looked so cool all lit up at night. Everything looked good until we taxied up to the runway and did the run-up check where we check everything one last time before we take off. The alternator indicator was reading 0 amps which is bad meaning we were only run on the battery which is not safe so so taxied back and wrote it up and will try again another night. But that is part of flying is knowing when not to fly.
Other news, my brother Brendon got his mission call today: Seattle, Washington!
well to start with the weekend and yes we went to Thatcher. It's is south east Arizona for those that don't know what I'm talking about. We went to go see the home coming talk from my cousin Kade. He just got back from his mission in Vera Cruz Mexico. I thought it was a 3 hour drive there, but when we plugged all the info in to our new GPS, not that we needed to I'd been there a thousand times but we just wanted to try it out, it said it was only going to be just under a 2 1/2 hours which I thought was weird. I didn't even speed and it took just over 2 hours so I don't know if I went super slow the other time I went but it was weird. Kade gave a good talk and it was to good to see the family and all.
Then to day I had no math homework. :) and I did the same flight that I did last week so I could practice really doing good on the radios. I was much better. I really love flying it so fun to look over everything and just cruise along I almost forget it's school, until I have to pay for it.
I went flying this afternoon. I was also supposed to go last night but it was too windy for the little planes we fly so it had to wait for another night. (which I'm excited for) Today we did we the school calls the valley rally where basically you fly at a lot of different airports all over the valley right after one another. It helped me learn how to fly and talk on the radio and listen to two channels at the same time. It was crazy but so much fun. We started at Gateway then flew to Chandler did a touch-n-go then call Sky Harbor to fly over in their airspace. Then went to Deer Valley, Scottsdale, and Falcon (they were nice there, not so much at Scottsdale) and did touch-n-gos there too. then came back to Gateway. I loved seeing the city like that and all the different airports. We are probably going to do the flight again on monday to get some more practice in. and maybe change it up a bit. we'll see.
Today seemed extra long mostly because I had to stay at school until 530pm (my class ends a 1110am) for this safety meeting that the whole department has to go to. They are a little informative but mostly really boring and waste of time. At a bad time too. plus the 30 min. drive home all makes for long day. But the plus side is I do my homework at school so I can come home and in the words of the Dutch "chill"
I finally got the pictures of when I soloed for the first time in an air plane from my instructor yesterday. so here a link to them.
solo photo
We had a great trip to Catalina Island. Jessica goes in to pretty good detail so you can read more about there. I did post some pictures of the trip on facebook I put a link below and some videos on facebook, if you can get in there.
Honeymoon
Today I started summer school I'm taking a math class. The professor seems ok but I'll see how it all works out.
This is the backpacking trip I was talking about a few posts ago. Here is the promised video!
Jessica had the last day of school today and now we had the whole summer to go or just the 2 months that it is. The camping trip is now canceled because well from what I hear there is going to be a 3 or 4 in. of snow on the ground so well it doesn't sound like fun camping. so the back up plan is to go see Indiana Jones and go out to eat it should be good I'm really excited well. So in my life things are going well i went on my first flight cross county trip it was really fun. I had plans to fly up to Prescott then over to Payson and eat lunch there. But when i woke up that morning and looked at the weather it was too windy in Prescott so I had to make a change in plans but i had to fly at a airport that was above 4000 ft. so the only one that was close and had good weather was Willcox. We didn't stay in that whole long then we went up to Safford. The flight felt like my first flight all over again. there was so much going on inside the plane it was crazy. A lot of new things to learn. It was so much fun though at the end of the flight I almost forgot that I was doing this all for school and not just for fun. It was great!I also over the week bought a MacBook. I've eyed the one Jessica had that the school gave her and really fell in love with everything, so i went and got one of my own here is a pic it taking a pic of it self.
This week well what should of been tue.- thru., i went back packing with my brother. It was really fun. We had planned to go up on the rim and do a 30 or so mile hike there. But we got up there and well it was snowing in May. Not somthing we were really expecting. So after thinking for awhile we decied to drive down to four peaks and hike to the top of Brown's peak at 7,657. I had done the hike before for scouts as a 12 year-old but I didn't quite remember how hard it was. Here are some pictures of the trip and video will be coming soon.
Backpacking pics
well I'm on facebook most of the time and here is some of the pictures that I've posted on there. These are all links to those pics below. I hope you enjoy.
Wedding Photos, Wedding Party, Life photos, Spring Break, Engagement photos, Sporting Events, Before mission photos, Backpacking with the Ward, Family Photo shoot, Shooting, mission photos, Backpacking w/ my bro