Memorial Day and what it means to Me

So I haven’t blogged in quite some time. I figured this Memorial Day weekend would be a revival of my blogging tendencies again.

Memorial Day… What does it mean to you? The answer probably means parties and cookouts and time off from work. For me the meaning is on the other end of the spectrum. How many of you can remember every Memorial Day from 2006 until now? Hey I can!

2006: I was in Orange, CT at my cousins house.

2007: I was at Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven, CT

2008: I was in Air Force BMT at Lackland, AFB

2009: I spent the day with my grandfather at home

2010: I attended Memorial Day Observances (not church you dimwits) in East Haven, CT on the Town green and the VFW Post.

2011 is still up in the air but I will not let it go to waste, even with me being scheduled overnight into Sunday morning.

Has anything seemed a bit un normal in that list? Back in May 2008 I was in a bit of a struggle against red tape to stay in Air Force BMT. I was on Medical Hold at the time for 30 days. On May 22nd 2008 I decided “the hell with paperwork” and asked to continue training. If it weren’t for my grandfather, that wouldn’t have happened. So anyways the only special treatment all trainees got on Memorial Day was standard protocol for the Air Force. PT was exempt at 0552 Central time. We were allowed lights out the night before at 2200 instead of 2100 and we woke up at 0545. The rest of the day was routine.

Long story short my luck ran out in June and I was ELS’ed in July 2008.

So now to the real reason why I’m blogging. I do not let Memorial Day go down the gutter anymore. Especially since my grandfather passed away in November 2009. Many of you who are reading this from my facebook page know he was a WW2 Veteran and a POW in Stalag 17 (Krems, Austria)

I would like to take the opportunity to say hey I salute everyone in my life, past and present, haters and non haters who have some sort of tie to the military. Whether it be someone who was directly at any time in the service, or whether it be someone I know who has family in the service. And especially for those who have gone into the unknown dimension. I would not be in the position I am today without the support of all my friends, family, fellow BMT wingmen/seppers, and my fellow volunteers in the Civil Air Patrol.

I leave you all to do some personal reflecting (no not praying- I’m not a religious numbnutz) with this rendition of Taps that shows the words behind the bugle call.

Thoughts on my first solo flight (the real deal) from my 16th Birthday in 2004 etc

Back when I turned 16, I was in the midst of real world flight training. To have the oppurtunity to leave the shadows of the earth alone is a gratifying experience. And a challenging one too. Why was it challenging? Weight in aviation means a LOT, especially in general aviation. At the time, I had a full fuel load. But when my 200+ pound flight instructor was taken out of the equation, the Piper Warrior i was flying flew a lot differently. it lifted into the air easier and sooner. it also wanted to float more on landing. On my first landing, i chewed up about 1000 extra feet than I’d hoped for, just waiting for the wheels to hit the ground. Thankfully the runway I was using was 5600×150 feet.

OK enough of that and heres the real reason for this post. Those who know me and went to school with me know that i was taking flying lessons well before I got behind the wheel of a car. My solo effort landed me on the front page of the New Haven Register. 03DEC2004: Too Young to Drive, E. Haven teen takes to the skies instead.

Yerp. I was flying solo before I even had my drivers permit. At that time, my bike was my main mode of transport. After i made two solo flights, my grandfather had to pull me from flight training. When I was 16 1/4, I went to the DMV in Hamden, CT and obtained my drivers permit. What were my thoughts on driving: HOLY SHIT THIS IS SCARY! I went from an envoornment where there wasnt many airplanes in the sky to bumber to bumper traffic. In flying, traffic avoidance is at the sole discretion of the Pilot in Command, and sometimes ATC points out suggestions. Now multiply the feeling by 100 and youll know where I’m coming from. it was hard at first. I had the urge to floor the gas pedal (and I still do)

My mother tells me driving is supposed to be pleasurable. I think shes insane. To me, driving is a full time job almost. The instrument scan comes in handy in driving of sorts, especially when cruise control doesnt work. I can never just look straight ahead. ive always wondered how well many peeps would be in the air. I say theyd all suck. English and its understanding is important in aviation (its the international universla ATC language). But a lot of jerks on the road seem to have trouble interpreting road markings and simple english.

You probably guessed by now that I’m not afraid to use the horn and I hate slow drivers. Will I ever calm down behind the wheel? Who knows. My mindset is still stuck in the aviation world I guess. When on an active runway in general aviation, takeoff involves firewalling the throttles and getting airborne as soon as practical. I did take drivers ed. I had a pilot as a drivers ed instructor. He told me that theres no need to brake on onramps and while under normal conditions on the highway. So what do I do? I try to be at or near 65 mph by the time I get on the highway. I hate all the assholes on the road who think its ok to brake on an onramp. it just kills my momentum. if youre in front of me when that happens, I usually blare the horn as I pass you in the middle lane.

And youre probably wondering why Im a tad OCD about interstate highway speed. Back in 2002, i was riding along in a van with my mother when we got klobbered in the rear by an 18 wheeler. My mother said she was doing 40 and we were in the right lane. Ever since then, and especially when i started driving, doing 40 for me starts to get me freaked out on the interstate. Thoughts of getting klobbered from behind start creeping in again. So whats my solution? I stay away from the under 55 crowd on the interstate. if you want me to be doing 40, its for roads like US 1. I do my part to help traffic flow on the interstate by staying off the brakes and I’m not afraid to change lanes.

Yup. When I have the oppurtunity to get into the air these days, i relax. behind the wheel is still crazy for me. I’m the kind of guy whod rather fly than spend hours cramped up in a car. And that also applies to airline flying as well. Back in March 2010, i visited my now ex girlfriend in Columbus, IN. My mode of transportation for most of the way was via Citrus (AirTran) i got to IND in a fraction of the time for a lot cheaper compared to driving. Lets just say i know people who would rather drive the 14 hours to Indiana. theyd probably stretch that into a two day affair. NOT FOR ME. Plus theres no smoking allowed on airplanes which is awesome for me, but thats another post.

Update on my Flightsim X Round the World trek

Since the last post regarding my status on this adventure, my pace of long flights in the DC3 has slowed down. Work and other interests have slipped inbetween. Currently I am at an airport in Eastern Russia with the ICAO ID of URKK. Its in the city of Krasnodar, Russia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/URKK (the real world info)

From here forward Im not sure if I want to stay in Russia all the way to the USA or if I feel like hopping through the Himalayas. The DC3 has a service ceiling of FL232 (23,200 feet MSL) so I must keep that in mind. The 5.1 hour hop I made to URKK from Moldova was in a modified DC3 airplane with modern avionics. The person who came up with the plane for FSX modeled the thing after real world flight characteristics. This means that the DC3 will fly faster and with less sluggish responses to control yoke inputs. On this latest leg I was getting 150 knots indicated airspeed. With help from a nice tailwind I was getting a groundspeed of about 205 knots. To me thats exciting. Compare that to my first part oceanic leg back in December. I was at 11,000 feet from Providence, RI to Halifax, NS at only 120 KIAS.

So youre probably wondering when I’ll arrive back at KMMK and KHVN in CT? I dont have an answer. I am taking this challenge with almost a roadtrip like attitude in a car where I dont care.

Nostradamus and my view on “Apocalyptica”

Most of you know that I was raised in the Roman Catholic branch of Christianity but I am a bleh person when it comes to going to Church. I’ve stated my reasons for not going in previous posts so that what I’m not going to talk about here. Today’s musing deals with all of the Nostradamus like hysteria I keep hearing about in the news.

For those of you who dont know who Nostradamus was, here’s a brief tidbit. he was a monk back in the 1500′s who picked apart words and phrases in the Bible to predict world events. Scholars have used his work to predict such events in history as the JFK assasination or the attacks on 11SEP01.

I’m sorry but I dont think one man can have the power to predict such things. The other part of my religious rant is all of this hysteria about 2012 being the end of the world. I cant wait for 23DEC2012 and also 22MAY2011 to come around, just so I can laugh at all you idiots out there. Whats the reference to 22MAY2011 you might wonder? Some uber religious assholes posted a billboard on I-95 here in CT stating that Jesus Christ is returning back to Earth on 21MAY2011. Now come on folks, youd have to be a psycho to believe that crap. They say he’s coming to Bridgeport of all places…. (yeah right)

If you happen to be a strong believer in going to Church and all of the hooplah with taking Christianity to the T, well then this post probably means nothing to you. I’m just trying to say that Science tells us how the Earth is going to end. In about 5 billion years the Sun is going to run out of energy. Before it does, it’s going to expand into this giant ball and swallow up everything from where it is now, and engulf the earth. Finding a way to get to mars may be a temporary solution but the sun is only going to become a white dwark and cast no further energy.

I am planning my life beyond the holiday season of 2012. There’s so many things that I havent experienced yet and I am not letting this apocalypse hysteria stop me at all. I wonder how many people will try to get away with not filing their income taxes in 2013?

Shakeup at WTNH in New Haven

This deals with the shakeup of a local ABC affiliate that reports the news in CT. A few days before the blizzard two weeks ago, it was discovered one of our meteorologists was leaving WTNH for radio work on WPLR. At the time it sounded like Gil Simmons left on his own terms. Then last night it was discovered that a long standing institution known as Geoff Fox was leaving WTNH because higher up won’t renew his contract. What a bunch of hooey this is all turning out to be.

I have known Geoff Fox my whole life and I’m sure many others in the Southern CT area can vouch for the same. Isn’t it funny how many employers return the favor by giving you the “oh sorry we don’t want you anymore so fuckoff”

Geoff Fox is WTNH and it will be vastly different without him. There’s this new guy Steve Villanueva who does the weather for Matt Scott. Who the fuck is Steve Villanueva? His bio isn’t even up yet on the WTNH website. I determine he’s not even from CT. If WTNH wants to keep me as a viewer, then they must do some promoting from within in the weather department. The one who should be shitcanned is that Steve Villanueva dude. Hire Sid Starks as full time evening meterologist and move Gil Simmons to the weekends.

Oh and here’s a little tidbit on the traffic lady Terrsa LaBarbera. From a single guy standpoint she is definetely a hottie but she’s another annoying perky lady in the morning. Tom Michaels does a better job at reporting traffic.

If anyone reading this wants to do their part to save Geoff Fox’s ass, there’s a fan page that can be searched on facebook.

Some WTNH personnel follow me on twitter. If they are reading this, I suggest they forward my thoughts to WTNH and the assholes at the LIN TV Corporation.

Around the World in a DC3

Some of you who have been following my life knew that I was hoping for some cash for Christmas to be able to procure a new Flight Simulator and a Joystick. That became a reality on the morning of 25DEC when my father and my mother were able to give me the funds neccescary to do that. So on 26DEC2010 before the big blizzard, I trekked out to a Best Buy in North Haven, CT. I bought the standard version of FSX and a Logitech 3D Pro twistable joystick. I also took the time to get a headset for the computer so that one day I might be able to pick up Skyping again. After all that and a new iPod touch headset, I spent $101.75 and came home after a breakfast stop at a nearby Dunkin Donuts. I was pleased to see the DC3 back in FSX and itd brought back memories from a few years ago. back around 2004 ish i belonged to two virtual airlines. DC3 Airways and Bluegrass Airlines where I’d fly DC3 routes all the time.

So the thought came to me that I should fly around the world in a DC3. Well heres an update so far. I started at an airfield about 15NM North of my homefield which is Tweed New Haven Regional Airport in New Haven, CT. I started at Meriden markham Municipal Airfield in Meriden, CT. From there I flew a short hop over to TF Green Airport in Providence, RI. The next morning I flew from Providence to Halifax International Airport in Nova Scotia. From there I wondered how to get across the Atlantic without spending 8 hours lulled in front of a computer. I had to cheat of sorts and take jets from there for my next two legs. I went from Nova Scotia to Greenland and Iceland.

Im sure you all remember the shilacking of snow the Eastern seaboard got on 26-27DEC. That weather seemed to follow me all the way to the Faroe Islands. From the airport I used in Iceland to the Faroe Islands, I hopped back in the DC3. And this morning I just finished up flying into Glasgow International Airport in Scotland. Now that the Atlantic Crossing is done, flying through Europe should be easy until around Turkey ish. There are plenty of NAVAIDS and airports to choose from.

I was happy this morning flying to Scotland to be blessed with clear skies and no buffeting winds. You think I wouldnt fly any legs at night or with fake weather? Hell no. Thats not part of my challenge. I always use real world time and real world weather because you never know what mother nature may throw in front of you. Before I leave Scotland, I must do some planning as to where I want to go from here. Going over Russia could be boring, but If I go southeast enough, I could end up over the Himalayan mountains. For a DC3 that could be challenging. I dont want to fly over water much anymore so I plan on entering the USA again in a few weeks via Russia.

I am doing this on my own time and at a nice slow pace. Sure i could just fire up a 747-400 and be around the world in like 5 legs, but wheres the fun in that? My flying tweeps on twitter may understand where im coming from. The DC3 has very primitive Navigational equipment dating back to pre WW2. Thats also part of the challenge is to stay away from the flightsim GPS as much as possible. Theres no real autopilot on a DC3 that can track a GPS course automatically. The autopilot on the DC3 is only a heading hold and a pitch hold. I tried it over the Atlantic crossing when the weather was real crappy but I didnt like it too much. So from here on forward, I will try to handly the DC3 as much as possible. I can hold altitude in calm weather much better than using pitch hold.

Well thats all for now. During my trek I will be posting pictures randomly to facebook and twitter of my challenge. I have no idea how long this trek will take. if anyone has any city pairings they want me to fly, give me a shout. Id like to keep my flights to between 400 and 600NM so I dont rot out the computer chair.

Some other thoughts on Bridgeport, CT

So im sure youve all seen the Family Guy episode where Stewie makes fun of Bridgeport, CT. In case you havent seen the video, here it is one more time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozepC0AI9Sg

But anyways bridgeport isnt a stranger to making the news. A few months ago there were two firefighters who died in the line of duty. In 2003 there was a Bridge Collapse. And we CT folks certainly dont forget the 2010 Election day debacle. But theres more to Bridgeport. The air lovers should know that Bridgeport owns an airport in Stratford, CT. And if you love the slow and agonizing way to travel, a ferry will take you over to Long Island Sound. it terminates in Port Jefferson, NY. Theres I-95 which takes you right through the city. Supposedly the speed limit is 50 through Bridgeport on I-95 but thats a load of BS. People routinely do 60-80 when rush hour traffic hasnt set in. if you want to escape Bridgeport to the North, CT-8 (a limited access highway) will take you just north of Torrington, CT. Oops i think im getting away from myself but w/e.

Bridgeport has probably the 2nd best hospital in the state of CT as it is affiliated with Yale in New Haven. Theres no farmland to worry about and at least from an outsiders point of view, downtown Bridgeport seems real nice. (coming from many drive by’s on I-95). Minor league Hockey and baseball reign supreme in Bridgeport. And the Arena at harbor Yard also hosts Monster Truck competitions. Oh and we mustnt forget that President Obama had put bridgeport on the map on 30OCT2010 when he made a campaign rally here. As an aside I was hoping Air Force One and the C17 from Dover AFB all wouldve came into HVN but thats another story if you wish.