Chance of a Lifetime--December 30, 2009

 

Woke up at 4:40 A.M.  Whoa!  Had I fallen asleep last night?!  Sure enough!  Still had my jeans on!  Went back to bed.

Woke up at 7:20 on my own!  That hasn't happened in a long time!!!  I had slept 12 hours!!!  Kind of funny, too...I woke up to a dream of me having an egg...a cooked egg.  But it was beating.  I opened up to find a small chicken...with batter on it.  It was certainly cooked!  But dead now that it was open.  I love dreams.  I also remembered one of my mom opening up a letter back home...it turns out Delta had hired me.  Hmm.

Grabbed breakfast at Denny's in the hotel.  Didn't come with the hotel...that's my fault!  I should have checked that.  Went out to the airport to fly.  Skies were looking pretty good.

And sure enough, they were!  Fly, fly, fly!!!  On station at 9:45 A.M.  One of my flight plans took me right up to NASA's restricted airspace.  I couldn't get in.  We don't have clearance until January 1.  Bummer.  I moved to another flight plan.  I finished that one up.  But before doing so, I called up Cape Control.  I asked if it would be possible to get in there today...after all, we had GREAT weather.  Clouds were starting to pop up, but so far, I was staying out of them.  He granted my request?!  No kidding?!  Really?!  SWEEEEEEEET!!!  I called up Matt to let him know.  We were granted access into the Restricted Areas over Cape Canaveral!  Woo hoo!  We were so going to finish this project today.

I finished the plan I was on, then headed up to finish the one that I had to leave due to the Restricted Area.  I finished those four lines, then headed down into the middle of the Restricted Area to finish one more flight plan.  Matt and I tag-teamed that one.  I was flying just a few miles west of the Space Shuttle landing site...and the assembly plant.  Pretty neat.  Not many pilots are allowed in here.  What a fun time!

Well, Matt finished his four lines, then went in for fuel.  I grabbed the remaining six, turning just a few miles south of NASA's huge assembly building.  So beautiful.  I finished, thanked the guy for letting us in there, then requested a lower altitude for my own picture-taking.  My camera was not working earlier in the day, and I was sooooo frustrated!  Here I was, having the opportunity to fly over Cape Canaveral, and my camera doesn't work!  I had needed to charge the batteries and even mentioned that to Matt this morning after Denny's, but I just didn't have time.  Agggh!  I had searched everywhere for batteries.  I replaced the ones that were in there.  I tried different combinations of batteries.  I pulled out an old GPS from my flight bag searching for batteries.  Nothin'.  Grr grr grr!!!  Oh well.  Such is life.

But it started working as I flew over the Cape.  I was more than thrilled!!!  I couldn't believe it!!!  It seriously did not work all morning...and now it was!!!  Woo hoo!!!

Well, I dropped down to 2ooo and took a couple more pictures (I had already taken several from 4500 as I made my turns).  Then I headed back for Space Coast.  But I couldn't shake the thought.  I owed it to myself.  I HAD TO.

"Control, 151, it's probably a little too much to ask for a touch-and-go on the runway, isn't it"?

<chuckled response>  "Yeah, I can't let you do that, but if you want, you can fly over the runway at 500 feet."

I couldn't believe my ears!!!!  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!  I seriously didn't believe what I was hearing and had to verify it for myself a couple of times.  Sure enough, I was granted the honor of flying over the 15,000-foot NASA Shuttle Landing Facility runway.  I immediately took him up on it.  He joked that if my partner called in, he would have to deny any such acknowledgement of such a request.  ha!  What a privilege.

It was seriously an honor.  So I turned around and a made a base for the runway.  I aimed right towards the assembly facility and dropped down to 500 feet.  This was simply spectacular!!!  I grabbec my camera and started snapping shots.  What a privilege!

I actually was so consumed with taking pictures that I nearly overran the runway!  I turned sharply and tried to line up.  A bit embarassing!  Oh well, it wasn't by much.  I was able to line up before the actual runway, but I missed a great shot of the approach lights and all.  Agggh!!!!  Oh well.

And just like that, I was seeing a view that I would imagine VERY few other pilots have seen.  I was staring down the 15,000-foot runway where the space shuttle comes to land.  Who else can say that?!  And I flew 500 feet across the ENTIRE runway.  It all happened so fast!!!

I thanked the guy profusely.  That's a memory I'll cherish for life.  Frankly, it's nothing spectacular.  And yet, it's everything spectacular.  I certainly enjoyed it!  As I flew along the runway, he asked where we were based out of.  I told him and just had some small talk.  As I turned off the runway, he said I must have a pretty sweet job.  Next only to his, of course.  I simply couldn't argue.  As a pilot, I am getting opportunities that I will never have the rest of my life.  Stories to remember!  Not always good, but certainly memorable.  How many pilots can say they've flown down the NASA Shuttle runway?  Ok, yeah, them.  But they are ASTRONAUTS!!!!

Headed back to Space Coast.

Landed, called the boss, found out we are going to Lakeland, Florida, next.  Matt and I weren't necessarily thrilled, but oh well.  We had just finished a project in two days.  Awesome.  I flew 4.1 hours today.  Then about 20 minutes later, I received another phone call.  Scratch that.  Head to Alexandria, Lousiana.  ha!  What a job we have.  I later learned that we will be heading to Daytona Beach tomorrow where I will get an oil change and where Matt will hopefully get new radios.  Then from there, we (plus Jeff) will head to Alexandria, Louisiana.  We have a VERY large project awaiting us.  I think we have 105 flight plans!!!!

Talked to Sandy for 45 minutes tonight.  That was nice.

Had some Waffle House for supper.  I still want to own one of those.  I have a perfect spot for it back in Illinois.

Went to bed at a respectable 11:15 P.M.  I haven't seen that in way too long.  I'm looking forward to being fresh in the morning.

Moving On--December 29, 2009

Woke up at 7:30.  Much, much earlier than I had wanted.  But Matt and I were to meet "window open" up in Melbourne.  I just went through the motions this morning...I did what I had to do.  I wasn't sure how today was going to be.  I was tired.  Again.  I HATE this.  I need to stop doing this!!!

Matt and I were ready to go 8:15...but we had to wait on the other guys.  We ended up leaving around 8:35, I think.  We weren't going to meet our "window open."  But I took off a bit after 9:00...I had about 120 miles to get to the project.  The first hour wasn't too good.  I had downed half a cup of coffee...enough to hopefully keep me awake...but not enough to make me pee in a half hour.  I hoped it would work.  But it really didn't.  Grr.  I really needed this to be a good day.  We had the absolutely most perfect weather we have had since I have been in Florida.  SEVERE CLEAR.  Not a cloud in the sky.  Anywhere.  I could see everywhere!!!  Well, ok, as soon as you hit the coast, there was clouds.  Right above the ocean.  But the earth had NO cloud.  I could easily see 60 miles in every direction!!!!  100?  More?!

Flew up to Melbourne and started mapping.  I was "on station" at 10:21...about a half hour late.

The first flight plan was routine.  Smooooooooooth air.  No problems.  But my next flight plan put me over an airport that had skydiving going on.  And a whole lot of it.  Crap.  I talked to Approach about it, but they just informed me that they were doing ops all day long.  Hmm.  I went over to the advisory frequency and got ahold of one of the Twin Otters doing the skydive ops.

"151, doing aerial survey, will be passing over the airport, you guys out here all day"?

"Yes, sir, all day."

"Um, is there any way of coordinating this?  I will be over the field just a couple of times, then out of here for good."

"Two Twin Otters in the sky all day, skydivers, that would be REALLY dangerous."

"Right, I know.  Is there any way of coordinating with you"?

"I don't know.  There are two of us.  I'm dropping now.  Then again in 3 minutes.  Another guy is on his way up dropping right behind me.  If you stay 2 miles away, you won't be a problem."

"Um, I will be mapping over the field.  10 mile lines. North and south.  2 miles south of the field, 8 miles north."

"That will be dangerous."

"RIGHT.  ARE WE ABLE TO COORDINATE THIS SO I CAN GET IN THERE"?  I was a bit frustrated.  I know what you are doing, now here is what I am doing.  Let's work together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Peoples' lives are literally at stake here.  We don't call them "meat rockets" for no reason.

But I was getting nowhere.  I had been circling south of the field about four miles.  With not much help from them, I went east of the field to at least complete some lines.  I had wasted 15 minutes already.  Maybe more.

I kept making radio calls.  But I was getting no help from them.  They HAD to be hearing me.  The other guys on frequency were.  I could hear them making their calls when they were dropping the meat rockets.  But they weren't really talking to me.  I was so frustrated.  So I listened for them...when they made their drops.  And I based my flight around that.  Frankly, it was aggravating.  And not 100% safe.  I didn't like it.  I made my radio calls very frequently.  5 miles north, southbound.  3 miles north of the field.  Over the field.  North, south, whatever.  I let everyone know.  They did not.  Whatever.

At one point, I just wasn't comfortable with one of the lines.  A drop had been completed from 14,000 feet about 10 minutes earlier.  Maybe 8?  I didn't know when the chutes would be deployed.  How long are these guys staying up?  Free-fall for how long?  It made me nervous.  I broke off one of the lines that put me just east of the field.  I didn't want to risk it.  I circled around, finished the very eastern lines, then came back.

I finally finished that flight plan...45 minutes later than it should have taken.  I was sure glad to get out of there.

I landed at Melbourne (again!) for fuel.  Ate a little, then headed back up.  A quick 20-minute turn-around.

I was able to finish one more plan and half of another one.

Matt and I landed at Space Coast Executive Airport...just five miles west of the Space Shuttle station.

I was pretty tired.  I had made it all day...certainly not the most tired I've been while flying, but I certainly wasn't feeling great, either.  I focused on my landing (which was fantastic!) and taxied in.  Again, I was thrilled to be on the ground.  It was a great day for flying...so smooth and clear...but sometimes the days just get long.  I had logged 6.4 hours.

The airport was simple.  And that was nice.  Actually, the whole day was nice.  Approach was quiet (unlike Ft. Lauderdale and Palm Beach) all day.  The airport was a simple Class Delta.  No fancy FBO.  Just a small little one.  I felt at home.  Matt was more than thrilled to be out of Banyan.  Too busy.  We were just another number.  I understood his viewpoint.

Grabbed a car, went to our hotel,  then headed out for some food.  We drove and drove and drove.  Not much.  We finally settled on a small bar and grill.  Bad decision.  It was pretty sad.  I would call it "depressed."  In every sense of the word.  Financially, mentally, etc.  It seemed to be a place where people came to get away from it all...in alcohol.  A dark, quiet bar.  It took us over 30 minutes to get our food after we ordered.  And we were so tired already...and hungry.  We were happy to put that one behind us.

Came back to the hotel, then laid down on my bed.  It was 7:20-ish.

I never woke up.