Just getting to feeling better: I haven’t taken the time to write anything because, quite frankly, I’ve been under the weather for a number of weeks.
Injured knee led to cellulitis from the knee on down. It was pretty serious by the time I got back from a four day trip. I went to the local ER quick-med place, and they punted immediately. I ended up at BeeBe Hospital ER in Lewes, DE. Those folks were awesome, and had me triaged and on an IV within 20 minutes of my walking in. I had to stay on strong meds for another 10 days, which knocked my allergy treatments aside. That led to an infection in my chest, and I’m just now getting through all that. I’m just now starting to feel good – a full six weeks after this all started. yuck.
PA30 Maintenance Test Flight: I deferred a planned flight Tuesday just before this trip. I have personal minimums for post-maintenance test flights that require VFR. I do bend that at times, depending on the work performed. In this case, I also wasn’t feeling well as yet, so I made the tough choice to cancel the flight.
Since those same personal minimums don’t allow me to take passengers on any first flight after maintenance, I’ll have to do that when I return from this trip. I will get it done before the wife comes along, that is for sure.
Developments at work: Two bases are closing and a new one in Philly is opening. The Jets are coming and the jet pilots will be coming from the existing population. I don’t think there is enough of us, so this will be interesting. Spell that opportunity.
Piemont sent me a letter talking about reducing the hours requirement for upgrading to Captain from 3000 hours down to 2500 hours. I sent in my numbers, and I was already at 3700 hours when I first got here last year. That can only be good for my opportunities to upgrade.
There may be an opportunity for me to fly the jets too. Not sure how many existing pilots would take this option, but the jets and philly both appeal to me. Salisbury as a base is just fine too.
Annual Recurrent Training – CQ: My training is definitely going to be scheduled in August now. Just don’t know the actual date yet. I’m studying more now, but not yet in ernest. I’m hoping I will be able to fly less and not more once training dates are added to my bid schedule.
Preparing for Oshkosh: Bev and I are going next week to Oshkosh. My schedule has me flying five days in a row, right up to my leaving for Oshkosh the next morning. We hope to leave early the next day so we can arrive before the field closes (2:30pm), but will not get an ulcer if it doesn’t work. Our backup plan is to land in Ohio, get a room, and continue next day.
We really need the time and want to get there, but fitting it in is tough.
CFI Renewal is Due: My flight instructor renewal is due in August as well, so I’ll have to do that in the same month as my CQ. When it rains it pours.
ADS-B Resolution: I think my ADS-B hopes and dreams are coming to fruition. Foreflight now also works with Garmin’s connext and the FlightStream 210 device. I’ll get weather and traffic on the Garmin 530Waas; as well as two ipads on yoke mounts. Two way flight plan entry and update feature as well, which is a very nice feature to have. Since I must make this investment, I might as well get something cool out of it. Oh yeah – I also get a backup AHRS on the ipad that actually works, so Now is the time to get synthetic vision I guess as well.
….. Haven’t been working on my book for all of the above reasons…. but I am flying allot.
Fly safe.