On second thought, maybe I won't shut down this blog site. There may still be too much to share as the Lord continues to guide this sometimes rocky but amazing path of my life.
After being laid off from my Chief Pilot job in Cairo, Egypt in March, due to the fallout from the Egyptian Revolution, I was blessed (although it didn't feel like it at the time) to have over six months at home to gather my thoughts, spend time with my kids & my parents, catch up with friends & deal with the sad reality of the divorce I could not avoid.
Two thousand and eleven has been an interesting year to say the least, but I continually praise God when I look back at all the grace, mercy & guidance He has provided. I searched hard & long for jobs both in & out of aviation. Nothing outside of aviation turned up & it looked as if my only options in aviation would geographically take me away from my kids. Then the Lord clearly provided the right job at the right time. In early August I interviewed with Southern Air Inc. (headquartered in Norwalk, CT). By late August I was offered a First Officer position on the 747-200 (The Classic), flying freight for various contracts Southern Air holds all over the globe. Although I will still be gone for many days each month, Southern Air was a great fit as they offered a schedule & the ability for me to live anywhere in the continental US, allowing me to stay close to my kids. Southern Air also offers the adventure of worldwide & nearly unlimited travel as they haul nearly anything you can think of for many different freight companies, airlines & governments around the world. Southern Air originally made a name for themselves in the 60's by flying under the Air America name in Vietnam & Laos during & after the Vietnam Conflict...for more interesting facts, visit the company website at: http://www.southernair.com
The following pictures are just a few of the great times I was afforded with my great kids this summer during the longest stretch I've had away from work since junior high.
Fishing on Clear Bottom Lake near Rockford, MI.
Jasmine never fails to entertain with her many expressions!
Kayaking on Upper Herring Lake near Elberta, MI.
Biking over the Grand River in Ionia, MI.
Our class of 24, after completion of company initial training in Norwalk, CT (Oct. 7). From here we split into 2 groups with 13 of us heading to Miami, FL to start initial ground/flight training on The Classic & the rest of the group heading to Seattle for initial on the newer 747-400.
Most of our new hire class met at Bertucci's to celebrate completion of indoc & to say good bye before we split up for flight training.
Logging those long hours of aircraft systems training for The Classic, before they ever let us fly the simulator.
The old 747-200 sim. This thing probably has more hours on it than 20 retired airline pilots combined!
Five of us over achievers got offered a little sim time early in the course when we were found studying together in the classroom the second Sunday we were in Miami.
"Hey guys, change of direction here at Southern Air", was the announcement in class on the Wednesday afternoon before our Friday written exam on the 747 systems. Even though we had already spent over 2 weeks in training for the 747, the company now needed 8 of the 13 of us to begin 777 training ASAP (changes in the company's plan to park old 747-200's & replace with 747-400's & new 777's dictated this decision). Now we all had a quick on-the-spot decision to make for ourselves, as we were informed that we could either volunteer or they would have to assign us by seniority to fill the 8 necessary 777 training slots that Southern Air had available in November. I was fortunate (I think :) to be one of the 8 allowed to move to the 777. Although I would loose 2 weeks of progress on the 747-200, I felt very blessed to have the opportunity to receive a Captain's type rating on one of the largest, most advanced twin-engine jet airliners in the world, not to mention an aircraft that is still in production. I pray that the Lord continues to provide me the tools & talent to meet the task for which I have been chosen!
Here are a couple of the various paint schemes that Southern Air operates the 777's under.
...and in the end, if it doesn't work out, we learned another important life lesson in 747 training!
Just kidding! Joshua & Jasmine, if you're reading this, know that I love you both very much & that it is important to accept responsibility for your actions before man & God. Do the best you can with the talents He has blessed you both with & don't make excuses when you fail. Always learn from your own mistakes, or those of others first if you can.
