Deployment

1LT David Benning deployed this Sunday to Afghanistan as part of the 101st Airborne Division. He will be deployed for a year.

Be safe buddy!!!

Out and Back

Had my first cross country trip this week. I flew two legs (one there IFR and one back VFR) to Alexandria, Louisiana.

This airport had the nicest FBO (fixed base operator) I have ever seen!!! We stopped their for gas and food and went to a local BBQ joint (not the best we have ever had, sadly).

When we got back to the FBO to plan our return VFR leg my flight instructor started talking to a nice older lady who had just gotten dropped off by a very nice Gulfstream 4 private jet. Turns out she OWNED that jet and just got back from a week long vacation with her daughter (who isn't single). This old lady ended up being the OWNER of Murphy oil...kind of a big deal.

So the return leg was VFR, which means we navigated using our eye balls and large ground references. It was fun, as I had never really navigated VFR at 9,500 ft before (thus LARGE ground references). My flight instructor took me right over his hunting cabin and pointed it out after we descended to a more sporty 3,000 ft and took a scene tour of what I believe was the red river.

"Grumpy Check." "Two!"

Well had my first formation ride today. What a rush! Flying ten feet (yes...ten) from another T-6 going well over 200 knots.

It was pretty epic to say the least. Using a combination of hand signals and voice communications between the two aircraft we went out into the MOA (Military Operating Area) and messed around. The instructor pilots would help out a lot since this was our first time (self preservation comes to mind), but I did a lot of flying as well. It's crazy, scary, awesome, and exciting all at the same time.

Then we got to go into a formation called "fighting wing" where basically its a crazy game of follow the leader. The trailing aircraft (called: two) goes 500-1000 ft behind lead (one) and then lead is free to do whatever they want!!!

Our IP's demoed this and it was awesome! Immediately lead rolled 130 degrees and pulled down and right (I was in two) and my IP followed. We popped the speed break to slow down and dropped about eight thousand feet into a lower MOA. After a couple more barrel rolls and tight turns (about 4 G's) we knocked it off and my IP gave me the aircraft back.

From there it was a series of different wing work, turns, formations, etc. It's all tricky, the hardest for me was probably a fingertip turn (where I am only ten feet away) and lead turns so that I am on the outside of the turn. I need to keep the same position on his aircraft so that means I need to accelerate, climb, and roll to stay in the same place relative to his wing.

Anywho, off to bed! We are flying every weekend for the rest of the month.

Guess thats why you guys pay me the big bucks!

The Future

Will this be it? The more and more I think about it the more I like it (CV-22 Osprey).

Here is a good link of the training I would have to go through for the ole girl:

http://www.mapsociety.net/Rotary.html

Area Solo and Nav Test

So today was a BUSY day!!!

I double turned (two flying events) in the morning. Had a dual flight to get back current from Thanksgiving weekend then flew my area solo after.

The area solo was awesome! Unlike the the local solo, I got go out to the MOA (military operating area) and do aerobatics and the like...all WITHOUT a pesky instructor in the back seat.

It felt like the scene from Braveheart when Mel Gibson shouted, "FREEEEEDOM."

The airplane always seems to perform better when there isn't anyone in the backseat.

Following the two flights I had my Navigation test. I was, frankly, pretty apprehensive about this test. I ended up doing very well, with a 95%!!!

No complaints here. What a day!

Solo Boy

Some more Solo pictures...

Seeexy!!!

Yea!!!

Nough said.

In my Friday get up (note: the awesome t-shirt)

Rocking the Illinois moral patch.

In to the solo dunk tank.

COLD!!!

Still COLD!!!

My roommate and I in the 41st. He helped me try and sneak back into the flight room (Trojan Horse style) but it didn't work. The promise of 16 cases of beer is a strong motivator...

RSU

RSU = Runway Supervisory Units

Basically, since Columbus AFB (CAFB) has three parallel runways the actual control tower only "controls" one of the runways. The center runway (the big one) remains under tower control an

d the other two (one for the T-38s and the other for T-6s) are "owned" by their respective RSU's.

I got to work in the RSU today and it was interesting. The crew is made up of two rated officers and two students (three today since I was training). I got the position of "spotter" in which I need to call out tail numbers for landing and departing aircraft, confirm the aircraft configurations when they are landing (gear down, flaps up/down, full stop, etc), and keep a running tally of the number of take offs, landings, and aircraft in the pattern.

The other non-rated job is the recorder, who basically punches all the info I get into a computer as well as has to take notes as directed by the two rated officers.

The two rated officers are basically air traffic controllers, granting aircraft landing and take off clearances.

Anywho, fun day!

Here are some more images from my solo:

That's Mo (nickname) our resident Jordanian exchange pilot. He is a hoot.