Bellingham Daytrip

Andy has overnighted in Bellingham twice this week. The first time he flew into town in the morning, so Pyper and I visited him for lunch, a walk, and ice cream. The next trip up was on a off day where he left just as we were getting ready for bed and returned before we got out of bed. That trip was at 200% pay, not a bad turn for a couple of extra hours.  

Pyper making some friends in town.

Out for a chilly walk around Lake Padden.

Picking up the beat while walking down the street.

Unforturnately, our trip up to Bellingham wasn't without casualty. Pyper came away with some bruised and scrapped up knees from the "crash" flying/running she was doing on the graveled trails of the lake. The other was from an older little boy giving her an unexpected push down a big slide. She got to the ground and started dramatically yellling "don't do that, don't do that!" to the boy. Yup, it got him into trouble. After she got a very insincere apology, she says to the boy, "Don't do it again...big kid!" That's our girl!

Seattle Based, Finally

I finally got the keyboard out of the "tech" box. My fingers can do the thinking now, it feels more like an extension of my brain, which is less choppy than trying to finger type on the phone. 

I've wanted to do an update on Andy's Horizon progress. And I think now is a good time, as many things have come to pass in the last three months.

The first month, back in August, Andy finished his ground school training out of Portland. It was a long month of learning and studying, but he survived it. In his class, we was the second oldest, which meant for a higher seniority number within the company. Age and experience seemed to help Andy get a step ahead of some of the other new hires during this phase of training.

The "Q-400" - training to fly this.

The following month was based in Seattle doing simulator training. At least he was home, but it wasn't easy leaving for "work" before dinner time and getting off at the wee hours of the morning. His simulator partner was upgrading to captain, so he always had a lot of experience to draw from. 

Once "sim" training was complete, Andy started his initial operating experience, also known as IOE. This was based out of Seattle. 

Getting ready for work never looked so good!

In the right seat, looking very pilot like.

Andy's "desk."

During this time Andy was paired up with a training captain, flying the real deal. Andy just finished up on IOE on Tuesday, and starting Saturday afternoon, he will be a "real" Horizon First Officer Pilot. 

To sweeten things up a bit, we got the call today we've been waiting for since he started working for Horizon. Starting December 7th, ironically being his birthday, he has been granted Seattle as his permanent base assignment. So he will be starting and ending his Portland base assignment till then.

So proud of Andy and all the hard work he has put into his career and keeping his family a priority. We wouldn't be in Seattle otherwise. So good to be home!

48 Hour Daddy Stretches

One negative thing that came with the move back home is lack of Daddy presence due to a high training load. This has been a tough month, but in all honestly, we would probably see him less if we were just visiting Seattle. I guess it's not too bad for this time of year. One more week in Portland and training will move to Seattle, then we will see Daddy more. 

Love it when we are all together.

Cougar Mountain "Stick" Walk. Okay, it's always a stick walk. 

Working out the moves to get to the top, or at least the side, of the mountain. 

During our 48 hours, we always manage to get in some negetive ions (nature time) by means of a hike. Other than that, it's study time for Andy with the occasional break for a meal. It's nice having our Pacific Northwest woods again. Yes we have the occasional prickly thing or stinging thing, but most of the time you can avoid it.

BBQ time with a "thumbs up-shooting star" move. Check out that tongue working. 

Just like her Daddy! Brunch at the Country Club. 

Coming and going...the anticipation of seeing Daddy, and big girls don't need to say good-bye. 

What's on the Horizon?!

He got "the call" last week while we were having lunch with Gramma before heading out to camp in North Carolina.  The call we were hoping to hear from, Horizon Airlines. 

Right now, he's two plus hours into interviewing in Portland, Oregon. Horizon Airlines, which is branded now as Alaska Airlines, conducts a four part interview for its prospective pilots. The first one is a standard HR interview, second is an interview with the Chief Pilot, third is the technical "do you know your stuff" question session, and fourth, a simulator check. No pressure or anything.  

The time between the call and interview was a week, and this fell on an "on" work week for Andy. Lots to do, so little time to get together all the parts. Obtain interviewing attire was the highest priority, knowing that a suit would need to be bought and altered. Then the string of paperwork, which involved updating his log book, getting items notarized, studying for the technical interview and simulator test. Compound this with getting enough, or not enough sleep, all while working 12 plus hour work shifts up to the day of flying out. 

Of all the days to possibly get stuck out for the night, you guessed it, his last day of work. He got stuck in Boston. It was crunch time by the time he got home the next morning to pack, drive to Atlanta, and fly to Portland. 

I've had nervous energy all day. So exciting are the possibilities of moving home, very soon!  I shouldn't even be writing this in case I'd jinx the whole thing, but I need to express this overwhelming rising emotion that is inside me.  With each passing minute, it gets closer and closer to knowing what does lie on the horizon, career wise, family wise, everything.  If it doesn't work out, I'll be a little bummed. But we are in a good spot, and it will be just another opportunity away from something even better. 

So proud of all of Andy's hard work as a pilot, as well as keeping his family's interests in the forefront.  He's the man!!! 

I got a photo and news that things were going well mid afternoon, and he was done with all but the simulator check. 

Of all the photos to send! At least you know sugar is handy for the interviewee. 

Okay, it's 7 and a half hours later...should I be worried?! This is officially killing me slowing.

It's 7:10pm, so 4:10pm in Portland. He got picked up from his hotel at 7am. Either way, what a long day! At least he's not done early, that would mean he failed some part and was asked to leave, I'm guessing.  Hopefully this long of a day is a good sign.  

At exactly 7:19pm ET, I got the text that he "nailed it!!!"  

Andy in his new suit in Greenville on the left.  Andy still looking sharp and excited after a long day in Portland on the right. Lucky shirt and tie did it again.

Of the five guys interviewing today, two were asked to come aboard. One of the candidates missed it in his last minute of the simulator check and two left earlier.  

Looks like we will be heading to the Pacific Northwest soon, see you all around, Gypsies on the move!

Hangar Rats

King Air 90 and Cessna 172 on the ramp today

We headed out to the airport after picking up a pizza for lunch. She loves her airplanes and her Daddy. She especially loves visiting all the aircraft on the ramp with her tricycle. 

Pyper was quick to notice and comment "that's not Daddy's airplane." While the Greenville King Air is down for maintainence, "405," as the backup plane is called, is sitting on the ramp. 

Nothing like a full belly and a little exercise to tucker her out. Luckily she found a comfy spot to nap.

Checking out the non-flying life an EagleMed Pilot

As we left the hangar, the skies opened up on us, "what is rain?" Pyper asked. I responded with "the air's inability to hold all the moisture." That left her thinking and no more questions were asked for the moment. But the rain situation did leave us in a pickle as we were on our way to burn off some 2 year-old energy.  Fortunately the down pour opened up to blue skies ahead. Time to put on rain gear and find some puddles quick before the 80 degree heat dries them up.  

We pretty much have a local puddle map and know where the closest puddles can be found. Afterall, we are professional puddle jumpers.

Hangar vs. Hanger

The word hangar is a noun that denotes a large building with an extensive floor area, which is typically used for housing and maintaining aircraft. 

The word hanger is also a noun that denotes an item used to hang things (usually clothing). It can also refer to a person who hangs things, but this is not a common usage.

Night Shift: EMS World

Andy is on day six of eleven night shifts. He just finally got home around 10am after flying the plane to Greensboro, NC, and driving a rental car back the three hours to the hanger, then driving home. The plane needed routine maintenance. He had been on call at 6pm the night before and on duty at 8pm. Andy feels and looks tired. He made a quick sandwich for Pyper and himself, then hugged and kissed her goodnight for the day.  

A normal shift would be seven days, 8 to 8, days or nights. This is an odd long hitch, while he covers for a coworker.  Andy doesn't always work nights, but every other shift is a night shift. You wouldn't think that working nights for a week out of the month would be any big deal until you see the effects of it first hand physically and mentally.  It's the same reason jet leg can throw someone off for a whole week when traveling, sometimes even longer. It's not natural. Andy has been doing EMS flying for over two years now, essentially "jet legged" that whole time. 

There's a reason why your body has a circadian rhythm; it regulates how your body functions. Andy's a good sport about it even if he comes home with a raging headache, sand behind his eyes, and sore kidneys. He's chronically fatigued like everyone else in EMS.  

Think about having to switch your whole eating schedule, or not even being able to eat because now your digestion is all off.  Or maybe you should be sleeping, but you can't because your circadian rhythm is off.  Or you finally get off your shift, your family misses you and you them, but you just can't do anything but lay down.  Working and living around night shifts isn't "healthy" no matter how much exercise or good foods you eat, but we do our best anyhow. 

With all that said, there can also beauty in night shift. There's the still energy of the sleeping world around you and of course Andy gets both sunset and sunrise in the summer months. 

Andy's sunrise flight from Donaldson Center to Greensboro, NC this morning. 

Aircraft Lesson 1 & 1.1

I want to learn more about aircraft, and so does Pyper.  So now that I have the blog, I can take it one at a time. 

Today we headed to Donaldson Center Airport to visit Andy. He ended up getting stuck in Naples, Florida last night due to weather, and us girls missed him too much to wait for him to get off work.  When we arrived, there were a couple "new" planes on the ramp.  

Us, and Pete the Cat, taking shade under the Short 360 wing.  The next time I introduce an aircraft, I'll be sure to take a picture of the entire thing.

I immediately recognized the silhouette of the larger of the two visitors.  It looked very similar to a "Sherpa" airplane used to deploy smokejumpers out of Winthrop, WA.  Andy informed me that it was probably a Short 360.  I've done a little research now, and the "Sherpa" is a military variant of the Short 360.  

Pyper checking out the back portion of the plane.  Andy making sure that you are learning something right now.

The Short 360 is an airliner with very good short takeoff and landing (STOL) performance, allowing it to be used in places with very small runways. The name Short wasn't given because of this, but because it was designed by Short Brothers, a company based in Belfast, Ireland which has been operating since 1908, making it the oldest aviation company in the world.  In fact, two of the three Short Brothers had been selling hot-air balloons since 1902, a year before the Wright Brothers made their first flight in a heavier-than-air plane. The Short Brothers even built six copies of the original Wright Flyer under license, and so became the first aircraft manufacturing company in the world.

Photo of the same plane found on the internet taken by Reinhard Zinabold

The Short 360 can carry up to 39 passengers, but is also operated as a cargo plane. The boxy shape of the plane makes it very practical for airline and cargo operation, but it does look quite strange, and the wings look far too small to support the weight of the plane.  Nevertheless, this has been a very successful design, exported to many countries and a modified version is still operated by the US Army and Forest Service as the C-23B Sherpa.  Short Brothers introduced the Short 360 in 1981 and produced a total of 165 Short 360s over 10 years.  

So there's the "Short" of it.  I hoped you enjoyed your first aircraft lesson.  

Pyper & Pete helping Andy "tug" their plane into the hanger.

Lesson 1.1 The difference between an aircraft and an airplane

The dictionary defines an aircraft as any craft that flies through the air, whether it be an airplane, helicopter, missile, glider, balloon, blimp, or any other vehicle that uses the air to generate lift for flight.

The term airplane, on the other hand, is more specific and refers only to a powered vehicle that relies on fixed wings to generate lift.

A Boeing 737 commercial airliner is both an airplane and an aircraft while the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter is an aircraft but not an airplane.

Everyday is Daddy's Day, Especially Today

Pyper loves being with her Daddy and checking out airplanes.

Daddy was working this fine Sunday, so we grabbed some lunch provisions and headed to the Donaldson Center Airport. We first gave Daddy a flower, a homemade card, and a Lego plane to build.  

The best part of giving a present is opening it and then being able to play with it.  She's already paying attention to the instructions!

Just as we were finishing up the little Lego plane, the work phone chimed and Andy was paged to head to Naples, Florida.  Pyper then said, "Daddy's going to fly naked!"  Naples, naked, I hear the similarities.  About 10 minutes later, as the crew was loading up, the flight got cancelled.  This is actually a regular occurance when we are visiting.  We are always disappointed that our visit was so short, but then super happy our visit is extended.  

We continued our visit with a tricycle ride to the different airplanes sitting on the ramp.  The first plane we visited was the Bonanza, which Pyper repeated back as "the banana plane."  It's actually funny because the plane was yellowish in color.  She next rode to the Lear Jet, then finally back to Andy's King Air 90.  It wasn't long ago those tricycle pedals were just out of reach for her little legs to get any purchase, but now she's the perfect height and strength to make that thing cruise.

Did you know the first Father's Day was celebrated in Washington State in 1910?  

Relatives in Route: Andy's Brief Wilmington Visit

Early morning departure from Donaldson Center Airport.

This morning Andy stopped off in Wilmington with his Eagle Med crew to pick up a 2 month old baby to fly him to Boston for surgery.  Because this was a prescheduled flight, Andy arranged to meet up with his Aunt Noel and Uncle Ronnie for a short visit.  They got a private tour of the King Air 90, and witnessed the crew in action on the ramp. 

Andy has been working at EagleMed for a little over two years. The company is based out of Wichita, but they have satellite bases all over the country.  Andy's crew includes a flight nurse and an EMT.  The base has four pilots. They work in teams of two, one for the day shift, the other for the night shift. The teams switch every 7 days. Andy is currently on his day shift. 

Another Year....

Holden Beach, NC in October

Okay, so it's been almost exactly a year since we last posted, which means that most of you are probably in or out of the loop at this point.  A lot has happened in a year, to say the least.  We'll just bullet point the highlights and call it good.

• Pauline Spent 3 weeks on a research boat in Kodiak
• We got pregnant ( we're due at the end of February )
• Moved from Kodiak to...the lower 48 ( I guess this will be the next blog entry )
• Took the Alaska Ferry for an entire week from Kodiak to Bellingham for the big move
• Andy got a new job with Emergency Air Lift based out of Klamath Falls, OR
• Super Sized the last mobile set-up of Subaru Outback pulling 16' Scamp Trailer to a Dodge Ram 1500 and 22' Travel Trailer
• We Vacationed with Andy's Parents at Holden Beach, NC
• Andy got a new dirt bike

I think that sums it up till I get motivated to really keep folks in the loop.

Andy looking good for interviews