So two weeks ago was kindof a rough week at work. Two diversions in the span of 4 days is pretty bad, considering in my 2 years of airline service I've only done a total of 5 diversions. We departed Minneapolis for Chicago on Friday night with 47 people on board and lots of gas due to the deteriorating weather in Chicago. We made it as far as the Janesville radio beacon (JVL for you pilots), which is a fix on the Janesville 4 arrival into O'hare. About 50 miles from JVL we were told to expect holding. (Again for you pilots, here's what the ATIS at ORD reported at the time: 260/12 1/4sm +sn fzfg vv100) The captain and I groaned, copied our holding instructions, and went to work figuring out how much fuel we could afford to burn while turning circles in the sky. A few mental gymnastics later, we determined that we could afford to waste 20 minutes in the hold before being banished to an alternate airport. 20 minutes later, we were banished to Green Bay. As stupid as your average traveler is, most of them know that Green Bay and Chicago aren't the same place. This makes them angry. After all the passengers had deplaned there was one man who waited until everyone else was off the plane then came up to the front to "speak" to us pilots. To quote this individual, "You two are incompetent. I can't believe this, your job, your number one priority is to get us to Chicago. What good are you people?" Before we could overcome our shock, he walked off the plane. My number one priority? Unbelievable. I have exactly 4 priorities at work, and they come in the following unchangable order:
1. Everyone that gets on my airplane gets off my airplane alive.
2. The airplane does not get bent.
3. We get where we're going.
4. We arrive near the time we advertised.
These priorities are non-negotiable, iron-clad, and no circumstance will ever supplant the first two priorites.
"The best safety device in any aircraft is a well trained pilot..." - Flight Safety Intl. Motto
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Monday, January 30, 2006
Quote of the Week
"Superior pilots use their superior judgement to avoid situations where they might have to use their superior skills." - Anonymous
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Help Wanted
I'm applying for work flying bigger airplanes for more money, so anyone who reads this and is inclined to pray is requested to include my plight for career advancement in their prayers. Thanx!
Monday, January 23, 2006
Quote of the Week
"Now the trouble with trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed." - C. S. Lewis
The Warrior
I was sitting in my hotel room a few weeks ago watching "Inside the NFL" on HBO. Hotels are my only oppurtunity to view the show, since I don't get HBO at home. Each week there is a special feature story. This week, the special feature opened with a scene of a large, young, black man hobbling down the stairs in his house. He grasped at the railings on either side and looked as though he could lose his balance and topple down the steps at any moment. It was Monday, the day after game day, and the man was Jerome Bettis.
Bettis, "The Bus," is the reason I'm rooting for the Steelers in two weeks during the superbowl. Not blessed with Bo Jackson speed or Barry Sanders agility, "The Bus" has used what gifts God has given him to square up his shoulders, run straight ahead, bury opposing defenders, and become one of the all time leading rushers in NFL history. Simply put, Jerome Bettis earned his yards the hard way, pounding the football for 13 seasons.
Over the course of those 13 seasons he has endured countless injuries, surgeries, and rehabilitations. Through it all, "The Bus" came back. Now, at age 32, Bettis can hardly walk the day after his game. The week leading up to game day is one long rehab project preparing him for 60 minutes on Sunday. Why does he do it?
He does it because he is driven. He is driven to help his team win, and he must have more guts than any man in the NFL. He will almost certainly suffer the long term effects of the physical beating his body has absorbed in 13 years. So will his opponents. Players who play defense pride themselves on hitting, but the fact of the matter is; you don't hit "The Bus." "The Bus" hits you.
You do not read about Bettis in the newspapers, criticising teammates, complaining about not getting the ball enough, ripping on his coaches. You do not see Bettis in the endzone doing silly dances. There is no sharpie, no cell phone when "The Bus" finds paydirt. He pumps his fists, celebrates a few high fives with his teammates, and relinquishes the field to his field goal unit. Of all men with reason to tout their own exploits, this man does not seek extra attention. Neither does he look for excuses when the job does not get done.
Jerome Bettis is a warrior who loves his game. When he steps on the field despite all the aches and pains, it's his heart that keeps his legs churning forwards. In all his courageous 13 years in the NFL, "The Bus" has yet to earn a Superbowl Ring. It's about time he did. Go Steelers.
Bettis, "The Bus," is the reason I'm rooting for the Steelers in two weeks during the superbowl. Not blessed with Bo Jackson speed or Barry Sanders agility, "The Bus" has used what gifts God has given him to square up his shoulders, run straight ahead, bury opposing defenders, and become one of the all time leading rushers in NFL history. Simply put, Jerome Bettis earned his yards the hard way, pounding the football for 13 seasons.
Over the course of those 13 seasons he has endured countless injuries, surgeries, and rehabilitations. Through it all, "The Bus" came back. Now, at age 32, Bettis can hardly walk the day after his game. The week leading up to game day is one long rehab project preparing him for 60 minutes on Sunday. Why does he do it?
He does it because he is driven. He is driven to help his team win, and he must have more guts than any man in the NFL. He will almost certainly suffer the long term effects of the physical beating his body has absorbed in 13 years. So will his opponents. Players who play defense pride themselves on hitting, but the fact of the matter is; you don't hit "The Bus." "The Bus" hits you.
You do not read about Bettis in the newspapers, criticising teammates, complaining about not getting the ball enough, ripping on his coaches. You do not see Bettis in the endzone doing silly dances. There is no sharpie, no cell phone when "The Bus" finds paydirt. He pumps his fists, celebrates a few high fives with his teammates, and relinquishes the field to his field goal unit. Of all men with reason to tout their own exploits, this man does not seek extra attention. Neither does he look for excuses when the job does not get done.
Jerome Bettis is a warrior who loves his game. When he steps on the field despite all the aches and pains, it's his heart that keeps his legs churning forwards. In all his courageous 13 years in the NFL, "The Bus" has yet to earn a Superbowl Ring. It's about time he did. Go Steelers.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Quote of the Week
"If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment." - Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
A Glimmer of Summer
Baseball. Say the word to yourself a few times. Close your eyes and repeat it over and over. Before long you'll realize you might as well be saying the word, "America." In the over 200 years of our country's existance there has always been baseball. Our nation and our national passtime grew up together and today the game is as intregal a part of our society as freedom of speech or the right to vote. Throughout all the upheavals, the contraversies, and the unrest our society has navigated, baseball has stood by our side and reminded us of what is still good and pure. It is something that we as Americans can call our very own.
The game of baseball is captivating. It is, after all is said and done, a simple game. There are only two lines on the field, and never more than 13 players walk that field at one time. There are no rigid time constraints, no yellow flags to enforce obscure rules, and no need to distract the patronage of the game with a 15 minute show in the middle of each contest. It is, however, the intricacies hidden within the simplicity of the game which make it so alluring. The mystery of pitch selection, the alignment of the defense, the strategy of the bunt, the sacrifice fly, and the intentional walk. All of these sideplots and asighs in a game that looks so simple on the surface are what make it so great.
Baseball is more than a game, it is a sensation. Or rather, a mix of sensations. In these cold dark winter months I miss the game, but what I long for are the sights and sounds and smells. The fresh cut, emerald grass, the smell of the concession stands, the sound of hard leather meeting harder wood. All of these things blend together to form the perfect experience that is a day at the ballpark.
Above all other things, baseball is a bond. It brings our nation together, it brings our communities together, and it brings our families together. Forget the multi-million dollar athletes, the expensive uniforms, and the enormity of the baseball stadium. Baseball is about family. Your dad taught you baseball just as his dad taught him. When you were a kid you'd play catch in the backyard with your old man, not because you were preparing for anything, but because you got to enjoy a piece of the game together. Your dad, or your grandfather, or your uncle took you to your first game. He patiently answered your questions, he explained the game to you, and then he sat back in his chair, watched the wonder that was surely present on your face, and smiled to himself.
Baseball will be back soon...
The game of baseball is captivating. It is, after all is said and done, a simple game. There are only two lines on the field, and never more than 13 players walk that field at one time. There are no rigid time constraints, no yellow flags to enforce obscure rules, and no need to distract the patronage of the game with a 15 minute show in the middle of each contest. It is, however, the intricacies hidden within the simplicity of the game which make it so alluring. The mystery of pitch selection, the alignment of the defense, the strategy of the bunt, the sacrifice fly, and the intentional walk. All of these sideplots and asighs in a game that looks so simple on the surface are what make it so great.
Baseball is more than a game, it is a sensation. Or rather, a mix of sensations. In these cold dark winter months I miss the game, but what I long for are the sights and sounds and smells. The fresh cut, emerald grass, the smell of the concession stands, the sound of hard leather meeting harder wood. All of these things blend together to form the perfect experience that is a day at the ballpark.
Above all other things, baseball is a bond. It brings our nation together, it brings our communities together, and it brings our families together. Forget the multi-million dollar athletes, the expensive uniforms, and the enormity of the baseball stadium. Baseball is about family. Your dad taught you baseball just as his dad taught him. When you were a kid you'd play catch in the backyard with your old man, not because you were preparing for anything, but because you got to enjoy a piece of the game together. Your dad, or your grandfather, or your uncle took you to your first game. He patiently answered your questions, he explained the game to you, and then he sat back in his chair, watched the wonder that was surely present on your face, and smiled to himself.
Baseball will be back soon...
Monday, January 09, 2006
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Quote of the Week
"What you are is God's gift to you. What you make of yourself is your gift back to God." - Fr. Tim Daly
What is, was, and has yet to be...
The New Year was ushered in while I was soundly asleep at the Hilton University Place in Charlotte, NC. In reality, New Years never meant that much to me. Everyone seems to think it's this great time of renewal, a time to set goals for yourself, and a time to think about how you could be a better person. Shouldn't that be all the time? And I'm sick of New Year's resolutions. Let's face it: The lower you set your goals, the less dissappointed you'll be when you don't achieve them.
I'm just kidding...
2005 was not a remarkable year in my life. I did add a nephew, which was awesome, but aside from that, nothing of great importance occured. John Henry (the new nephew) was by far the high point of the year, as his arrival marks the second nephew I will have the oppurtunity to mold in my image. The low point of the year occured on October 19th, at Busch Stadium. When Yadier Molina flied out to center field he ended the hopes of Cardinal Nation for a repeat World Series appearance. It was a bitter sweet moment, as I can now say I was at the last game ever played at the "old" Busch Stadium.
2005 was also the first full year I have spent as an airline pilot. Due entirely to the fact that I did not flight instruct at all or spend much time in small airplanes, it is the first year I don't need both hands to count the number of times I nearly died in an airplane over the course of the previous 12 months.
So what for 2006? I have set but one professional goal for myself: To get hired at Continental Airlines. I wish to find my aviation home for the rest of my career, and Continental is not only hiring pilots, but they appear to be on the verge of a very successful next couple of years. Please don't misunderstand: I'm not trying to leave Eagle because I don't like it there. Very much the contrary in fact. However, I want to fly bigger airplanes, longer distances, and make more money. As for personal goals, well, those are personal.
I'm just kidding...
2005 was not a remarkable year in my life. I did add a nephew, which was awesome, but aside from that, nothing of great importance occured. John Henry (the new nephew) was by far the high point of the year, as his arrival marks the second nephew I will have the oppurtunity to mold in my image. The low point of the year occured on October 19th, at Busch Stadium. When Yadier Molina flied out to center field he ended the hopes of Cardinal Nation for a repeat World Series appearance. It was a bitter sweet moment, as I can now say I was at the last game ever played at the "old" Busch Stadium.
2005 was also the first full year I have spent as an airline pilot. Due entirely to the fact that I did not flight instruct at all or spend much time in small airplanes, it is the first year I don't need both hands to count the number of times I nearly died in an airplane over the course of the previous 12 months.
So what for 2006? I have set but one professional goal for myself: To get hired at Continental Airlines. I wish to find my aviation home for the rest of my career, and Continental is not only hiring pilots, but they appear to be on the verge of a very successful next couple of years. Please don't misunderstand: I'm not trying to leave Eagle because I don't like it there. Very much the contrary in fact. However, I want to fly bigger airplanes, longer distances, and make more money. As for personal goals, well, those are personal.
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