Wednesday, February 28, 2007
I am in Panama!
I just want to say that I am alive and very well in Panama! I love it here and might not come back for a while. I need a change of pace and this is it. The people here are nice and today we went to the Panama Canal! It was amazing...pictures are coming up when I return to Puerto Rico. My friend Mitch has to leave tomorrow, but I think that Stratton and I are going to be here for a few more days. Adios y cuidate.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Panama
(In case I never return)...
Tomorrow me and two buddies are flying to Panama City, Panama on Copa Airlines direct from San Juan. We are going to try and return on the 1st of March. I'll tell you all about it when I come back!
I also plan to visit North Dakota on Friday through Sunday...I'll tell you all about that too!
Adios!
Tomorrow me and two buddies are flying to Panama City, Panama on Copa Airlines direct from San Juan. We are going to try and return on the 1st of March. I'll tell you all about it when I come back!
I also plan to visit North Dakota on Friday through Sunday...I'll tell you all about that too!
Adios!
Friday, February 23, 2007
No Internet!
I am in my last few minutes of access to highspeed internet and it may be a few weeks until I have again at home in San Juan...everything here takes forever. I'm leaving in a bit for another four day trip and the last night we will be in Canouwan Island, I know that nobody in the states has ever heard of this place so I found the official website for the island, it is pretty interesting! We stay at the Tamarind Hotel and there is a link to that on the top right of the page.
Look for more pictures in a couple of weeks!
http://www.canouan.com/flash.asp
Look for more pictures in a couple of weeks!
http://www.canouan.com/flash.asp
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Moving, St. Maarten, and a Leaky Roof...
Well I am finally about out of this horrible place that I have been stuck for the last 6 months or so. I woke up yesterday after my last night sleeping in "Cape Sea Village" with water dripping on my forehead from the rain outside! I can't wait to get out of her, I think I have about two more car loads to move.
I got back this morning from an overtime St. Maarten overnight. I know that I have told people before, but I really love St. Maarten! You would have to go there to understand why.
Here is a picture that my roommate Mark took in the airport I guess a couple days ago. By the date on the photo I would imagine that Shaun and I had just gotten back from an overnight in Nevis...and you can see our energy level after spending time in Nevis!
I got back this morning from an overtime St. Maarten overnight. I know that I have told people before, but I really love St. Maarten! You would have to go there to understand why.
Here is a picture that my roommate Mark took in the airport I guess a couple days ago. By the date on the photo I would imagine that Shaun and I had just gotten back from an overnight in Nevis...and you can see our energy level after spending time in Nevis!
Monday, February 19, 2007
More Pictures
This is a huge oil refinery in St. Croix that I have been told has the most capacity for production in the USA.
"Ladies and Gentleman, below and to the left, the famous Pitons of St. Lucia"
Hope they don't fall off! Two C-17s from Charleston, SC in St. Croix.
Waiting for ATC clearance to Canouwan Island...a 20 minute hop from here.
The now empty Roosevelt Roads Naval Air Station.
Maybe I'm going overboard with posting pictures, but I will not have highspeed internet much in about a week when I live entirely in a new apartment. These pictures are from this last four day trip. Lots happened on this trip, good and bad. A "resolution advisory" from our TCAS (a mid-air collision avoidance system), we were in heavy rain and clouds at night departing from Tortolla when the airplane said "traffic, traffic...climb! climb! climb!". Not what you want to hear...we never did know who we almost hit. We also had an electrical system in failure and had to return to San Juan...all good experiences to have.
"Ladies and Gentleman, below and to the left, the famous Pitons of St. Lucia"
Hope they don't fall off! Two C-17s from Charleston, SC in St. Croix.
Waiting for ATC clearance to Canouwan Island...a 20 minute hop from here.
The now empty Roosevelt Roads Naval Air Station.
Maybe I'm going overboard with posting pictures, but I will not have highspeed internet much in about a week when I live entirely in a new apartment. These pictures are from this last four day trip. Lots happened on this trip, good and bad. A "resolution advisory" from our TCAS (a mid-air collision avoidance system), we were in heavy rain and clouds at night departing from Tortolla when the airplane said "traffic, traffic...climb! climb! climb!". Not what you want to hear...we never did know who we almost hit. We also had an electrical system in failure and had to return to San Juan...all good experiences to have.
Soccer in Jamaica?!?
I just want everyone to know that I'm going to be playing in a soccer tournament in Jamaica in March. I think it will be fun! The captain that I am flying with this month organizes an international soccer tournament each year in Jamaica. People from airlines all over the world come to compete. I can't wait! I just hope I can still play soccer...
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Anatomy of an arrival...
I am home for an hour break or so from work...I think that it is really cool that I live 5 minutes or less from my driveway to walking out of the parking garage to the terminal...I updated this blog with more pictures so enjoy! I really love my job...
Here are some pics and one video. The video is of a landing today on runway 11 in Santiago, Dominican Republic. The runway there is long and the taxiway off if far down the runway so we are not using our short field capabilities whatsoever. The landings are this morning in San Juan returning from Anguilla. Both times the captain was flying and I was doing to duties of non-flying pilot. The pictures show you what I love most about landing in San Juan...getting cleared for a visual approach and hugging the bridge in on the way to landing on runway 08...
www.youtube.com/v/B1gwyeAhFHw
Here are some pics and one video. The video is of a landing today on runway 11 in Santiago, Dominican Republic. The runway there is long and the taxiway off if far down the runway so we are not using our short field capabilities whatsoever. The landings are this morning in San Juan returning from Anguilla. Both times the captain was flying and I was doing to duties of non-flying pilot. The pictures show you what I love most about landing in San Juan...getting cleared for a visual approach and hugging the bridge in on the way to landing on runway 08...
www.youtube.com/v/B1gwyeAhFHw
Friday, February 16, 2007
Thursday, February 15, 2007
What a person does when flying over two hours of water...
Today and yesterday I did lots of flying and finished a book my mom gave to me about people who survive extreme circumstances and emergencies (plane crashes, mountain climbing, sinking boats etc.) Anyway, as I was flying over lots of water today I came across a chapter about a guy who survived being alone in a liferaft for 56 days in the open ocean...he was picked up around where I was flying over. I came across a quote that said, "Each year we all celebrate an anniversary that is unknown to us, the anniversary of our death" This made me think alot and I thank my mom for giving me this book, it is called "Deep Survival...Who lives, who dies, and why" by Laurence Gonzalez.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Monday, February 12, 2007
Quick Story...
I just have to share a special moment that I had today...it may only mean something to the readers (if there are any) that are pilots, but here it is...
This morning I was landing the airplane in St. Lucia (Castries), and it is always so fun to land there. Short runway, mountains ahead, and always people watching. My captain this month and I have a going challenge to see who can stop in the shortest distance. This morning I went back in the lead! The first taxiway (of two) that leads off to the very small ramp is a huge challenge to slow in time to make, this morning I got the airplane stopped completely just before the taxiway...the great thing is that there was a LIAT Dash-8 (which is half our size) waiting to backtaxi for takeoff in that taxiway...the guys were amazed! We routinely see them come to a stop in a additional 2,000' than we took today. Over the radio they told us in an antiguan accent..."impressive guys". I shouldn't have, but our reply was "that is to show you guys how to do it!". Even a guy preflighting an Islander for a short inter-island hop was amazed to see the ATR come to a stop that short.
I don't know why I am posting this, but it was just a special moment today that made both me and Shaun realize that we have the most fun job in the world! I think our total ground roll was around 700-800 feet max. Last week the captain landing and had to do a 360 on final because a sailboat with a tall mast went through the channel at the wrong time! We routinely do go-arounds for Iguanas, sailboats, heavy rain showers, or goats or sheep on runways!
This morning I was landing the airplane in St. Lucia (Castries), and it is always so fun to land there. Short runway, mountains ahead, and always people watching. My captain this month and I have a going challenge to see who can stop in the shortest distance. This morning I went back in the lead! The first taxiway (of two) that leads off to the very small ramp is a huge challenge to slow in time to make, this morning I got the airplane stopped completely just before the taxiway...the great thing is that there was a LIAT Dash-8 (which is half our size) waiting to backtaxi for takeoff in that taxiway...the guys were amazed! We routinely see them come to a stop in a additional 2,000' than we took today. Over the radio they told us in an antiguan accent..."impressive guys". I shouldn't have, but our reply was "that is to show you guys how to do it!". Even a guy preflighting an Islander for a short inter-island hop was amazed to see the ATR come to a stop that short.
I don't know why I am posting this, but it was just a special moment today that made both me and Shaun realize that we have the most fun job in the world! I think our total ground roll was around 700-800 feet max. Last week the captain landing and had to do a 360 on final because a sailboat with a tall mast went through the channel at the wrong time! We routinely do go-arounds for Iguanas, sailboats, heavy rain showers, or goats or sheep on runways!
Saturday, February 10, 2007
I'm in Nevis! (well, it is Saturday)
This is Mount Nevis...I am making this post from my weekly overnight here. We land at 5pm and takeoff at 7am back to San Juan. Right now I am by the pool making this update...I have a cold now and don't feel too great, but here are some pictures!
This is me and Shaun, he is from Jamaica and lives there most of the time, we are having a great time...minus the flight attendants!
The old Church is the first church in the Caribbean that slaves and their owners were allowed to worship in together...or so the sign says! If I wait here for awhile not making any noise the monkeys will come out and play in the church...reminds me of Jungle Book!
This place is so lonely! There are very few people on this island. Being here makes you appreciate the wild side of an island and how the Caribbean must have used to have been. I do have a few friends here that work at the airport on the ramp...they usually drive me around the island to hang out near the medical school...yes, I guess there is a medical school here!
This is me and Shaun, he is from Jamaica and lives there most of the time, we are having a great time...minus the flight attendants!
The old Church is the first church in the Caribbean that slaves and their owners were allowed to worship in together...or so the sign says! If I wait here for awhile not making any noise the monkeys will come out and play in the church...reminds me of Jungle Book!
This place is so lonely! There are very few people on this island. Being here makes you appreciate the wild side of an island and how the Caribbean must have used to have been. I do have a few friends here that work at the airport on the ramp...they usually drive me around the island to hang out near the medical school...yes, I guess there is a medical school here!
Friday, February 09, 2007
Away from home again...
I'll be out of touch for the most part until Monday afternoon, I'm leaving on another four day trip today! Adios! I plan to bring my computer with me to Nevis and hopefully post pictures of the wild monkeys that I hang out with at an old abandoned church...yes they are my best friends that I have in Nevis. Adios!!!
Thursday, February 08, 2007
The Rainforest
This afternoon my roommate Matias and I went hiking in El Yunque...I love it and will never get tired of it...we ran all the way up a long trail and then almost passed out!
We saw the Iguana on the way standing in the middle of the road taking the sun...we got out to take pictures and this STUPID puerto rican lady came along and AS WE WERE LOOKING AT IT, she ran it over on purpose! Sometimes I get so mad...
We saw the Iguana on the way standing in the middle of the road taking the sun...we got out to take pictures and this STUPID puerto rican lady came along and AS WE WERE LOOKING AT IT, she ran it over on purpose! Sometimes I get so mad...
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
ATR Article
http://www.airliners.net/articles/read.main?id=17
I found this article online today about flying the ATR series of aircraft...it is an interesting read that describes what we do multiple times per day...
I found this article online today about flying the ATR series of aircraft...it is an interesting read that describes what we do multiple times per day...
Friday, February 02, 2007
Going to work...
I am starting work today for February, I'll be gone from Friday through Monday. I'm doing "four day trips" with overnights in Anguilla, Nevis, and Canouwan. So I'll be out of touch for awhile! It will be nice to spend time kayaking and sailing at my overnights...in Nevis if you catch a lobster in the ocean, there is a restaurant that will cook them and prepare them for you...for free! I'm bringing goggles to do just that...
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