On Sunday, Berck took Nathan and me flying. We did stalls and negative G’s and all sorts of manner of stuff that made me throw up. Nathan enjoyed flying so much that he wanted to go again today. I wasn’t sure I should tag along again in the back seat. But Max’s advice is to eat a box of gingersnaps while you’re flying, and never try to conquer air sickness with an empty stomach. He should know; he flies KC-135’s. So this morning I ate a full breakfast (pumpkin pie and eggnog–hey, it goes down smooth … shouldn’t it come…
Airman Flight School, where Berck attended in Norman, Oklahoma, is closed. Students who’ve paid and employees who haven’t been are suing the owner and two principals of a management company. According to the Norman paper, the leasing company obtained an order of possession Aug. 3 and gave the school until Aug. 15 to move out. The date of the article is Sept. 9, by which time the doors had been chained shut. You’ll remember Berck finished his last check ride on Aug. 10. Aren’t we glad he didn’t get a job at Airman teaching! Aren’t we even gladder that he…
Berck got his flight suit today! Now he looks like a very cute janitor.
I gave my first lesson today. My student was a glider instructor for the academy, so as my flight commander poitned out, “He has more dual given than you do.” He’s almost done with the program, and flies well which is why they gave him to me. A hundred hours or so instructing in a glider helps. It’s weird being called sir. Incessantly. The word “sir” showed up at least twice in every sentence. At one point I point I pointed an RJ that was crossing above us because it was a pretty cool view. “Very cool sir,” he said.…
My flight commander printed my name up on a bunch of magnets for the big magnet scheduling board in white flight’s ops. After flying with me today, he’s optimistic that I’ll pass my acceptance ride on Monday and start working for him quickly. He’s in pretty desperate need of instructors, and plans to give me some lieutenants who are nearly complete because they’ll be easier. I can’t decide whether I’m more worried about the acceptance flight or my first ride with students. One of the guys I’m working with quit today. He doesn’t like Embry-Riddle, and doesn’t like the Air…