Warbirds and Veterans

Just got back to my crash pad after a 4 day trip up and down the west coast. My First Officer and I didn’t talk much until today. We found something in common. Warbirds and honoring the Veterans of WWII.

Bill, my FO grew up in an aviation family and next to an airport in the bay area. In the 60’s and 70’s, when he and I were growing up, the bay area was home to alot of WWII vintage aviation. Bill developed an intense interest in flying from those days and I could tell he was an expert on all the great aircraft of WWII. We talked of the TBM, AT6, B-17, B-24, B-25, Bearcat, Tigercat, PBY, B-29, B36, Stearmans, Champs and on and on.

He told stories of flying with some buddies in a B-24 and helping show the public these magnificent airplanes. He told a touching story of a elderly lady wanting to see the navigator station on a B-17. The reason, her brother was shot down over Germany in 1943 in a B-17. Bill was the one to show her the navigator station of the B-17 he was volunteering on. He was able to sit quiety with this woman as she had closure after 50 years of her brother who never made it home.

He told me about when he went to the Royal Air Force Duxford airfield to visit and see one of the many airfields that the brave RAF fought off the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain. He mentioned how to him it was “hallowed ground”. I could not agree more and hope some day I am able to travel to see these airfields.

I hope we never forget these Warbirds and the men and women who flew them. They definitely rose to the great menace of the day and fought and won over valiantly. I just hope we can meet the challenges of our day as well as our grandparents did.

In Portland

In my hotel room on day 3 of 5 day trip.   Went to the Bay area and LA area today and back into Portland.   Working on the post production editing of the Learning to Fly…Together Podcast.  Hopefully will have it posted by tomorrow morning before I have to fly to Denver and back.

Rob

On the Road Again

Out for a 5 day trip. Up and down the west coast mainly and then home on Sunday. Then I have vacation and don’t have to go to work until May 18. Standard spring work planned and work on the grounds. Have the laptop with me so will be able to blog and do the post production on the podcast Tina and I recorded last night.

Brought along my new mic also to give it a test while on the road. It is the MXL D.R.K which is mainly a MXL 990 Condesor mic in carrying case, portable mic stand and multiple cable for hooking up to mixer/mic preamps to computer sound cards. Tina used the mic for the first time last night while we recorded the podcast last night. Want to listen to it you will need to go listen to Episode 5 of the Learning to Fly…Together podcast.

May try to do some voice over work while in the hotel room this week.

Rob

Posted a new episode of Learning to Fly…Together

I felt good enough to give a ground lesson to Ryan and Tina.  We covered more of the preparation for solo by covering regulations.  We recorded and posted it as a episode of  our Learning to Fly…Together podcast.  I told a story of when I dropped a dummy out of a plane when I was in high school at a pep assembly.   Go to the podcast and listen in if your interested.  If you want to go right to the story go 19:30 minutes into the Dummy Drop episode.

Rob

Split the feed for Learning to Fly…Together Podcast

While I am nursing the flu, I have got my laptop and able to get some computer housekeeping done. Tina and I launched a new podcast a few weeks ago chronicling our attemps at teaching her to fly, along with trying to be the best parents and spouses we can be. The listener breakdown looks like some were interested in the human story of our podcast and others were interested in the actual technical lessons on flying. So in an attempt to serve both type of listeners I split the feed depending on the content of the podcast.

The Learning to Fly…Together feed covers the general family, kid, couple, life podcast.

The Learning to Fly…The Lesson feed covers the acutal flight and ground lessons that I give Tina and the kids.

Both feeds are served by the Learning to Fly…Together Blog.

Feel free to subscribe and listen into our fun as a flying family….The Flying Fishers.

Sorrow while in Mexico City, I learn of the Virgina Tech Massacre

I woke up in my hotel room in Mexico City after flying all night on April 16th. I turned on the TV as I got dressed, I learned of the Virginia Tech shootings. It was somewhat similar to the morning when I woke up on September 11, 2001 in a hotel room on a layover. I made a recording of what I was thinking that morning and thought I would post it here. Click on the link below and take a listen if you like.

Sorrow while in Mexico City

Home!

Just stepped inside the house after a 3 day trip to Mexico City. Spend most of the time sleeping trying to ward off an oncoming flu or cold. Need to go to sleep tonight to keep ahead of it. Made a audioblog recording while in Mexico City as I watch the coverage of the VT massacre. I will probably post it tomorrow. Sobering times.

Off to Mexico City

Not taking the laptop to Mexico so no posts until I get back on Tuesday. Only had day home and now it is off again. I can’t wait until I can get home and stay awhile. Two more trips this month and then 3 weeks off for vacation. I can’t wait.

Long and Tiring Day

Just got home after 13 hours away. Just starting to unpack and do my laundry so I can leave for a 3 day Mexico City trip tomorrow. I don’t think I will go to church tomorrow becasue I need to sleep all morning so I can fly all night. Today was thearter meetings all morning and the boys gymnastics all afternoon and evening. Finally home at 22:00. Off to bed and might not get to the rflog until I get back Tuesday.

Back home and survived another Friday the 13th!

Home late tonight, in fact it is early Saturday morning. Have been gone all week in recurrent training for work. Now comes the homecoming ritual of phasing back into the family. Have been disconnected this week because my mind has been on training. Makes it more diffucult to get caught up on what the family has been doing.

Been told tomorrow is a busy day. Take the kids to rehearsal and meeting for us parents. Then in the afternoon it is off to the boy’s gymnastic meet. Sometime tomorrow, or should I say today I will need to unpack and wash clothes. The reason being, I have to leave Sunday afternoon for Mexico City. I can’t wait until the 25th. Go on vacation for 2 1/2 weeks. Not planning to go anywhere but just stay home and do some projects.

I see that I don’t have the time difference set for the WordPress here so this timestamp for this post may be 7 hours later than what it is.   It is 1:30 am local time.   Set up right now so posts from now on should be good to go…..all systems green.