28 Dec 2007 - Winding up 2007: I guess many of you are thinking the same thing. "Is it really almost 2008???" So, I figured I'd better get an update out there before the new year gets underway. I've got some more pics from the line like this really nice shot from Montana. We found a funny no smoking sign in Des Moines. And, I wanted to share this one for the majority of the public out there, just to show you the truth about this job. I've been able to get a lot of work done on the Meyer Trucking site lately. I'm still working on a new email form for this site. I was able to catch a Corner Gas show on TV a couple nights ago in Detroit! I've been watching my awesome X-15 DVDs I got for Xmas. Shelley found a great cooking site for engineers. And, Big D wonders if anyone else has seen a dog's nose this close before? And, we wrap up with a fantastic article by the great Capt Patrick Smith about the realities of Airline Flight Crews. Enjoy! See you in 08!
7 Dec 2007 - Happy Landings: I was recently asked the question of how many landings I've performed. (Just a few weeks earlier I had run across an article on just that same topic.) I also think "performed" is a good word to use. So much value is placed in the landings when people judge a pilot. Even though they are a small fraction of the skill needed to be a good aviator, they are the most important thing to the average passenger. Landings are odd things. In order to perform one, you really have to juggle a tremendous amount of variables, few of which are constant during the landing, and every input you make will change several parameters at once. All the outside variables are never all the same. Winds are always different, runway length and width, density altitude, engine power output and spool time, crab angle, gust factor, terrain and aircraft weight and balance are all different each time. You can get good at them, but there is certainly an aspect of luck involved. That aside, someone asked me how many landings I had made. So, today, I started counting. The current answer is 1,064. That seems like a lot at first, however, in the grand scheme, it's not very many. I am still wet behind the ears compared to most of my fellow career aviators. In other news, the Zoltar machine from the Tom Hanks movie, "Big" was found. I decided to share some pics from "the line." And, I recently spent nearly $300 on a Purdy Neat. I never would have imagined spending that on a piece of luggage, but for the airline pilot, a good rollaboard is truly worth every penny of that. I highly recommend one to any other 121 person out there. And, with the help of Shelley I've been elf'd. Feel free to elf yourself, too!
27 Nov 2007 - First flight in the CRJ: Today was my first flight in the CRJ. All in all, things went pretty well. My OE Capt is really helpful. He doesn't expect me to have everything down. I may have passed my checkride, but there is TONS more to learn about actually flying the line. So, I'm playing quite a game of catch up. And as luck would have it, the final leg took us right over Indianapolis. I was able to spot old KEYE from 34,000ft. The airport I learned to fly at. Pretty cool. And, as an follow up to the previous post, about the iPhone commercial, the great Shelliance has sent me an excellent video clip!
26 Nov 2007 - iPhone Pilot Commercial: I first saw this pile of crap a month ago or so. Needless to say, I shook my head when I watched it. Even though I'm quite new to the airline industry, I still know much better than to actually think that some nutsack with an iPhone is all it takes to replace all the details of airline flight planning. Well, Capt Patrick Smith has put together a very nice commentary on this commercial.
22 Nov 2007 - Happy Thanksgiving: I hope everyone eats lots and gets to relax. Mesaba was nice enough to allow me to stay home for the holidays. This morning I went for a run. Maybe that will make up for all the food I'm likely to eat as the day continues... or maybe not. Shelley's folks are in town spending the holiday with us. I've also learned a new method of processing online emails from working on the Meyer Trucking site. This method of form validation uses javascript. It's waaaay cooler in my opinion. So that's what I'll put into use here. Maybe in the next few days or so.
18 Nov 2007 - The CL65 and me: Even though Shelliance beat me to posting this news, I was finally able to get back and finish my RJ training. It was cool to catch up with a few of my fellow classmates from ground school. Things were not easy having gone all the way through training for 2 months straight and then to be sent home right before the checkride. After that, I sat at home for 2 more months. Then the call finally came and I was off to CAE in Denver, CO. After 3 warm up sessions in the sim, it was time for the checkride. I didn't feel as good as when I was in Montreal, however, I didn't have much choice. I just had to suck it up and do the best I could. It wasn't perfect, but it was close enough. On the 16th, I passed my ride. I now have a CL65 SIC type (with Cat II cert) added to my license. Dustin and I were able to catch a bus to downtown Denver and visit the Denver Firefighter Museum. Some old POC buddies even stopped by! Mike, Ari and Jessica swung down into town so that we could catch up. For now, as Bear Grylls might say, "It's definitely time to be heading home."
30 Oct 2007 - CFI, REI and the return to Chalone: I just finished my CFI renewal program. If anyone is looking for a way to renew their instructor ratings and you don't feel like going to a weekend-long seminar, I highly recommend American Flyers. It's a bit more expensive than some other online, self-paced programs, however, you only pay for the course one time! You pay the paperwork filing fees when you renew in the future, but that's only $25. One of the most awesome stores, REI has opened up in Marina! Just 20 mins away! I could spend hours in there. And, I finally returned to the Chalone Peaks. We did a hike there a while back, but just went to the north peak. This time, we continued on past the north peak along an unmaintained trail to the south peak! Pics will be coming along soon! UPDATED AT 8:14pm: I just felt my first earthquake!! Wooohoo!!!!
25 Oct 2007 - To all that have emailed in recently: If you didn't get a reply back, it's not because I am mean and antisocial. There was a bit of php processing code which is no longer viable. It worked great on the previous server(which ran a previous version of php). However, since the site has moved to a new provider this issue has surfaced. I had figured that everyone who emailed in lately just didn't want to include their name and/or email address, which is perfectly fine if that's what you want to do. But, as it turns out, people WERE including it, yet the processing of the email form wasn't passing that info along to me. The code is now repaired. So if you haven't heard back from me, email again! I received your email the first time, I just didn't have anywhere to reply to!
22 Oct 2007 - Data Being Taken: Mike here. I've been implored to take control of the updates section. I guess the guy we hired to do them before kept slacking. So, for better or worse, here I am! OK, I'm here to announce the beginning a new study. You know how when someone cuts you off or just acts like selfish bastard on the road, it seems to be a driver of either a Lexus, BMW or Mercedes. I sure have. So, rather than just leave it at that. I decided to take some data. Starting today, anytime that I see someone doing something I would call a-hole-ish, I will record of the make of the car. Now, to be recorded the offense must be something that's really bad. I'm talking about things that REALLY cross the line of "courteous driving." We'll see how it goes, and I'll make some periodic updates on how it's turning out. Maybe I'll even make a pie chart. Stay tuned!
16 Oct 2007 - Some Catching Up: We've slacked a bit on getting some things posted here. First bit, from last month, is that the Blue Angels were in town for the Salinas Airshow. Mike and Shelley went to the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield, CA. As expected, no pictures were allowed during the tour. And, we are continuing work getting all the picture galleries back up. Thanks for being patient with us on that. Mike and Shelley got engaged recently as well!
24 Sep 2007 - Mike is Home: After 2 months training, Mike has finally returned home. At some point, he'll have to return to finish up his checkride and LOFT. Due to all kinds of scheduling craziness, the FO's that were in Montreal, weren't able to get their checkrides in due to sim and instructor availability. The Capt's did get theirs done. So, it's a day by day wait at this point to see when he'll have to fly out, likely to Denver, for a few days to finish up. After that, he'll get scheduled for IOE (Initial Operating Experience). Then, he'll be on the line and should get settled into how things will be in the future. Mike and Shelley stopped into visit Brenda at her parents house in gorgeous Chualar Canyon. It's fantastic to see Brenda doing so much better each time they visit.
14 Sep 2007 - Status Report: Mike has completed CRJ training (including Cat II ILS training), however his FAA checkride is up in the air. It looks like there is a shortage of check airmen. He was scheduled to have the ride this weekend, but that's been tentatively canceled for now. They might send him home to Shelley with plans to go back to Montreal or even Denver to complete the official ride. The oral portion of the exam is already completed. They might try for Monday/Tuesday. It's all up in the air for now. (no pun intended) Either way, Mike called to tell us he was extremely lucky to be paired with Capt Frank Dotson. They've worked very well in the flight deck together. As for other news, it has been nice to have the website back up. We are indeed still experiencing some issues. For instance, the picture galleries aren't up yet. Please bear with us while we get those back in order. The XML/RSS feed has now been repaired for those who subscribe to the site. Mike was recently spotted in South Park! You might notice a new cool link or two. And some new aviation links are down in the lower left sidebar. As soon as we get some more news on where things are going from here, we'll let you know. Happy B-day to Lynne, and Happy Anniversary to Steve and Andrea!
13 Sep 2007 - We're Back: We apologize for the disappearance of the site over the last handful of weeks, however, there were some server hosting issues that were completely beyond our control. The first-rate skill of Dave Haughs allowed the site to be saved, moved and restored. We thank you for your patience while we make sure everything is back in working order. There's lots to report, don't worry!
4 Aug 2007 - Week 1 is complete: Howdy everyone! Mike has finished the first week of his training here at Mesaba. Of course, there is much left to do, but the first stage is complete. The whole class was running thin on sleep as the week was winding up. Coffee consumption increased noticeably as the days went by. Yesterday the first exam was passed and last night was filled with sleep. In fact, a full 12hrs was achieved by Mike! Now, he's just looking forward to relaxing over the weekend, doing a little studying, but sleeping more while he can. On Monday, the General Subjects module begins. After that, it's onto Systems. Of course, there will be more exams to sweat out as well, but that's fine. Once all this ground school is done, it looks like Mike will be headed back home to CA (and Shelley!) for a little while to wait for his Sim training slot. We'll just have to wait and see how the details of that all work out. In other news, Mike has been Simpsonized! Click here to see the result! And, you really should check out the awesome B-day cake that was made for Mike.
18 Jul 2007 - The Galaxy Zoo: Want to help the advancement of science? Want to be the very first person in the world to lay eyes on some of the most distant galaxies yet found? Get on over to GalaxyZoo.org and start helping scientists to classify 1,000,000 galaxies!
17 Jul 2007 - Mike goes Part 121: We didn't think we'd see the day either, folks! Mike was pretty intent on staying in the corporate arena, but as fate would have it, that hasn't worked out. It started well, but between the King Air 200 he flew being sold, and the insurance companies really strangling the industry these days, it just doesn't look viable for Mike at this time. Things were great while they lasted, though! Now, Mike is off to the airlines! Mesaba Airlines (NorthWest Airlink) to be exact! He's really looking forward to getting tons more experience and flying very regularly. Not to mention, flying a CRJ-900!
16 Jul 2007 - Where to begin: The old HP laptop has finally given up the ghost. Mike is now the semi-proud owner a new Gateway laptop. Yes, as you may have guessed, it's running Windows Vista. (*barf*) We'll give it a chance, just to be fair. Seems 1/2 OK for now. It indeed has some typically annoying "features" that are all too commonplace for Microsoft. Maybe Mike will convert it to a dual boot system so that he can have the stable dependability of Linux and still have the windows interface for work. Mike's Mom will soon be coming to town for a visit. Mike ran into Reggie Jackson ("Mr. October") at a local favorite restaurant. He also did a little more climbing at the Pinnacles. Mike and Shelley both lead 5.7 and 5.8 routes and started work on another two pitch 5.8/5.9 route. Didn't get it this time, but they'll be back! Our friend Brenda is doing much better these days and heading home very soon. She's come such a long way from her accident just 12 weeks ago. And, we've got some fun new Cool Links!
11 Jun 2007 - Will it Blend?: If anyone hasn't been to the www.willitblend.com website, you are really missing out on some seriously good stuff. We highly recommend checking it out. :-)
10 Jun 2007 - Lots going on: Been a while hasn't it? Well, this doesn't mean that things have been stagnant. In fact, there has been lots going on. Brenda, a cycling friend of Mike and Shelley, was involved in a very serious accident about 5 weeks ago. She's recently been coming out of her coma, and has really been progressing extremely well for someone diagnosed with brain injury. Mike and Shelley have been visiting her and it's been great to see her progress, even though we're sure she still has a long road of recovery ahead. Mike has been wrapping up the design of a new website for his employer, Meyer Trucking, Inc. There was also a neat visit to the home of Capt Steve Randall and his wife, Dr Andrea Goodnight. Andrea was kind enough to arrange an awesome behind-the-scenes tour of the Oakland Zoo! There was also a recent kayaking trip out on Monterey Bay. And, we ran across a really great site that is very valuable for anyone out there considering making the career move to an airline. www.willflyforfood.cc Most important is the layout of the payscales for just about every airline. It's VERY important for people to see that getting started as an part 121 FO is not easy from a financial aspect. After a few years, you'll be doing OK, but you'll barely be in the 20k/year range when you get started. For real. (some of you more clever readers might be able to predict a future update now......)
7 Apr 2007 - New Contact Form: Alright! We finally got our new email contact form up and running! The old, and somewhat lame, "mailto:" setup has been replaced by a dedicated form which also utilizes "captcha" technology to prevent bots and spam. Got something to say? Let us know!
31 Mar 2007 - FlightSafety and Point Sur: Mike is back from his official King Air 200 training down in Long Beach at FlightSafety. Many thanks to John Mahany and Peter Demesmaeker for nothing short of first-rate instruction, and to Heather and Jessica for all the fun conversion during downtime. On the drive home, a quick trip was organized for the next day. First stop was Limekiln State Park, and then it was onto a tour of the Point Sur Light Station. And, we've also got a few pictures up of Tanimura and Antle's brand new King Air 350 that Mike got to fly along in. Can't believe it's almost Monday already...
22 Mar 2007 - IE Bug Fixed, Cool Links Added: Anyone still using Internet Exploder 6.0 can now properly view MM.com. Turns out, it was a simple css coding issue that both Firefox and IE 7.0 have no complaints with. We think coding for cross-platform browser compatibility is the single most reason most web designers are insane in today's day and age. Anyways, with that fixed, we'd also like to announce a few new Cool Links for you to visit should you have a spare few mins during your day. Here's an interactive Boeing 777 Flight Deck, a self-exam on global warming, and a great Xmas idea! The only other news that Mike has been seen running more lately, not to mention biking up Robinson Canyon Road. It might only be about 10 miles round trip, but Mike didn't quite catch the part where Shelley mentioned the constant 10% grade...
9 Mar 2007 - Mike in the Citation II: Mike did a lot of smiling yesterday. And he's still doing lots more today. He's fresh back from his first flight in a Cessna Citation II. For those of you keeping score at home, that's the jet he was type-rated in late last year. Huge thanks to Chris and Martin at Dole Foods! Mike is very much looking forward to joining them again soon. What a plane!
25 Feb 2007 - Big D and the Eclipse 500: First off, a BIG happy birthday today to Dave Haughs, also known as the "Big D." We also want to share pictures of an aircraft sighting in Yuma, AZ. Meet the Eclipse 500. While not yet in production, this is the actual flight test aircraft that Eclipse used to gain FAA certification.
10 Feb 2007 - From the Admin: Some of you may have noticed some spam postings in our picture galleries over the past couple weeks. Those responsible, are now being tracked down and turned over to the authorites. Anti-spam measures have now been implemented. Just an FYI. Thanks.
9 Feb 2007 - It's about time: Wow... We really have gotten behind here lately. The good news is, that we're all caught up now! Sooo much has been going on. We've got pictures of the awesome Sopwith Triplane up. Mike's been very busy in the left seat of the King Air 200. While on his way back from a recent Mexico trip, Mike got to visit the Titan Missile Museum, outside of Tuscon, AZ. He'd been wanting to see that for about the last 10 years. Mike and Shelley were also recently sited hiking up North Chalone Peak and Cone Peak, as well as around Partington Cove, McWay Falls, and Point Lobos. They even got to visit with some old pals from the POC, Paul and Saesha, as they sailed their way down to Mexico, from Alaska! Hope you enjoy all the pictures, and hope we can keep up here. After all, it's only February...
1 Jan 2007 - Welcome to Oh-Seven: To help kick off the new year, we decided to kick out a new logo up at the top of the page. Needless to say, the plan is to stay nice and busy with flying this year, as well as still making time for various adventures. Mike just got back from a quick holiday visit in the midwest, where he got to catch up with a few old pals and even got to see some folks back at the Indy Zoo! (Including Nereus!) Mike also got to check out a Sopwith Triplane, so watch for pics soon!
