The road to my wings
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| Date | 17-10-2008 |
| Location |  |
| Message | (Friday 1340) Today we had the memorial for the two airmen that we lost last week. The whole base was present, all in formal uniforms. Their families were there too. I must admit that the ceremony was very moving and affected me more than I had expected. It was hard to sit there and see their wife and children and I could only imagine what they were going through. Anyway, two of the five F18's that were here left at noon today. I could see them parked on the apron from my shack so as soon as I saw and heard them atarting up I grabbed my camera, jumped in the car and went to the end of the runway to take a couple of pictures of them taking off. It's always motivating to see jets flying, and the beautiful F18 is no exception. Later on this afternoon the actual funeral will take place just outside Moose Jaw and I think that the remaining three Hornets will make a fly by over the cemetary to pay their respect. /GEA |
| Date | 16-10-2008 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Thursday 1355) I was contacted by the Aerodynamics instructor this morning and he said that I was right so I got the added points. More important is that I know that I know my shit. The Snowbirds did their show today and it was quite good. Unfortunately it was cloudy but I still got some good pictures. Next on the programme is a couple of lessons in Meteorology. We haven't had this subject since the first week of the course, so it's going to be a challenge to start remembering the stuff. The instructor's here, so I'm off... /GEA |
| Date | 15-10-2008 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Wednesday 2050) As you know we had our Aerodynamics final exam today. It went ok as I got 98.44%, having answered one question wrong. However, I argued that the answer that I wrote was correct and after a few good arguments and a little while, the instructor gave in and said that he'll discuss it with the other instructors and will let me know of their desicion. When I know that something is right I'll fight it. It's not about getting the extra few points but the principle that I answered correctly. The question was about Aspect ratio and Induced drag in relation to the wingspan and wing area, which is something very fundamental in gliding. And being an old glider pilot myself, I knew what I was talking about. COM, who also is an experienced glider pilot, answered in the same manner as myself. Anyway, I'll let you know about the outcome. Tomorrow the Canadian aerobatic team, the Snowbirds will perform their "End of season" display for us at the base so today they had their practise session. I took quite a few pictures and will upload them when I get some time. Unfortunately they were basically all against the sun but you have to take what you can get, I guess. Tomorrow I'll be taking more pictures. My friend PLA will be flying his first solo on the Hawk (lucky bastard!), so we've agreed that I'll take a few pictures when he takes off. Everyone seems to be celebrating that Aerodynamics is over - which is understandable! /GEA |
| Date | 14-10-2008 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Tuesday 1825) The weather is really cold today. temperature wise it's above freezing but the cold wind gives a nasty chill factor. Tomorrow we have our final exam in Aerodynamics so tonight it's deemed aerodynamics reading only. Apart from that I am the duty officer in Bandit flight tomorrow, which means that there's a few duties I have to do in order for everything to run smoothly. Anyway, my first priority tomorrow is most certainly the final exam. I uploaded the decompression chamber video on to my Youtube channel so you can take a look if you want to. This week there's night flying here at the base so there's quite a few aircraft taking off now as the sun has disappeared behind the horizon. It's going to be comforting to lay in my bed and hear the jets in the background - that's what I call quality sleeping! And there's nothing better than leaving the building in the morning to the smell of jet fuel. That only happens when it's blowing from the South, which hasn't been the case for the last 10 days or so. Southern wind has several advantages - one of them being the jet fuel smell and the other, more obvious, being the warmer continental air. However if the wind blows from the South East, you'll get more than what you gambled for. There's a pig farm a short distance from the base in that direction and the stench is intolerable... Stay tuned! /GEA |
| Date | 13-10-2008 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Monday 2210) The extra long weekend is over and tomorrow it's back to business. It was such a beautiful day today. The landscape was all white and the sun was shining with very clear and fresh air and not a breeze of wind. So I had to make a couple of flights with my A4 Skyhawk model aircraft. It was great and really good fun to land it on the snow. I've uploaded three new pictures from this morning and if you go to Youtube.com and search on F16GEA you'll find a video of my A4 flight from this morning. I'm also putting a video together of the rapid decompression chamber that we were tested in this summer. It should be up on my channel before too long. The Snowbirds arrived home today for the last time this season. This weekend they were performing at San Francisco. I suppose it was a hard end of the season for them considering that they lost on of their Tutors and its crew last Thursday. They arrived at sunset and made a formation flight past before landing - it looked awesome! This Thursday they'll be making a performance for us marking the end of the airshow season. I'll have my camera and lenses ready... /GEA |
| Date | 12-10-2008 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Sunday 1950) We went to the cinema in Moose Jaw and watched a movie this afternoon and when we walked out everything was white, covered with snow. It's still snowing and I cannot quite find my car out there - but it's there somewhere. I'm just happy that I didn't take my own car downtown as I'd probably still be skidding inevitably and unintentionally around the parking lot right now. Sports cars don't cope too well in the snow here, especially when they have summer tires on and are rear wheel drive...and not to mention that they don't plough the streets here in Moose Jaw. As you probably know we're off tomorrow as we have an extended weekend due to Thanksgiving. Have a good one - and keep 'em AGL. /GEA |
| Date | 11-10-2008 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Saturday 1410) Thanks giving dinner went well yesterday. It was held at the Dane bar. If you haven't heard of the Dane bar yet; well, one of the Danish guys has a bar in the basement of his house. This house has been rented by Danish students for quite a few years now and every year when the new students come, the house goes over to a new Dane. Since we are in NATO we can get very cheap alcohol (tax free) at the Liquor store downtown. We're allowed to buy 12 bottles (each!) per month and that way the bar is always stocked up and ready for a party or two. Anyway we ate some "bird" yesterday. Almost all the Danish students and instructors were there and we had a great time. We talked about what had happened and a whole bunch about flying of course. We didn't really talk about thankgsgiving as such. For us I think it was more of an excuse to get together and eat some good food and have a few drinks. But thinking about it, 2008 has been a good year for me so far - my birthday could have better though... Otherwise I've been to Norway, Sweden, three time to the Netherlands, Germany, USA and now I'm living in Canada. Had my centrifuge and decompression chamber training, bought a sports car, graduated from Officer Academy and got promoted to Second Liutenant. And soon I'm back in the air flying my first turbo prop powered aircraft with a full glass cockpit. It's going to be good! So with regards to thanksgiving: I'm thankful  /GEA |
| Date | 10-10-2008 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Friday 0915) As I mentioned yesterday we had a plane go down and unfortuntaley both crew members got killed on impact. It was a very tragic event and everyone was abit down after the accident. On the base we have a tone alarm system. When the tone rings three times it means that there's an exercise simulating some kind of an emergency. When the tone rings twice it means that an aircraft has experienced an emergency and is on its way back to base. When there is only one long tone it means that a plane has crashed. I had hoped never to hear the single tone, but yesterday I did. Anyway, today's exam and programme has been postponed and we're going to start the day at 1000 with a briefing from the base commandant. Tonight, all the Danes will be meeting up at one of the senior students for a thanksgiving dinner. It's something that's been planned for quite a while now and has nothing to do with yesterday's unfortunate events. We're gonna eat some stuffed turkey and afterwards we'll probably go to the mess to get a TGIF beer as tonight the Germans have the yearly Octoberfest in the mess so it should be good. /GEA |
| Date | 09-10-2008 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Thursday 1655) Unfortunately we lost an aircraft today. All I can tell you for now is that it was a Tutor, the same aircraft type used by the Canadian aerobatic team, the Snowbirds. It went down about one mile South of the base. I will write more information when it's released to the public. /GEA |
| Date | 09-10-2008 |
| Location | |
| Message | (Thursday 0955) Yesterday there was no flying at all as we had winds blowing at over 80km/h. But apprently they're making up for it today. There's been quite a feq low passes over the airfield. At one point a four-ship Hawk diamond formation flew over the field quite low and minutes after they cam back in two formations of two aircraft line abreast, really low and fast. It was nice! At 1130 I have an appointment at the base hospital where I have to get my stitches removed. To be honest I don't look forward to it but I do look forward to when they're out. This weekend I need to learn the remaining check lists as it seems that I'll be having my first CPT1 (Cockpit procedure training) on Tuesday. The CPT is basically a ride in the simulator where you show them that you know all the checks and where all the switches are in the cockpit and that you know all their functions. You get three CPT's so that you get properly acquanted with the enviroment before they put you in the real aircraft and you waste too much time trying to find your way around the "office." I should start taking some pictures soon but they're really strict about what to take pictures of and where so that's why I haven't had my camera out yet. /GEA |
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