First Flights!

Me in my flight suit
So, I should have written this last week, after my first ride in an F-16, but I was just excited at the time. AWESOME! You know, I was so worried about this first ride, from horror stories from other people: Getting sick all over the cockpit, GLOC, pushing buttons you shouldn't push.... so, I was pretty much freaking myself out to the point of psychosis. I think I was even making other people nervous. Thank god my squadron is full of cool guys, and gals, who have sympathy for me and actually took the time to make me feel more comfortable with the whole situation. Even though i was still nervous as hell, I took to the backseat of my first F-16D on Tuesday, Oct 16th. Rip was my pilot, and showed me around his "office" with special emphasis on what not to push or pull, sts. We taxied onto the runway, snaked the tower, and we were up and off. It was a beautiful day (rare!), very few clouds, very sunny. We did a few cool aerobatics and Gx's before heading back down to 500 ft off the ground, to start our low level ride at 500 kn, zooming over the countryside (reminds me of Trogdor, the burninator) and ridge crossing across the mountains. Pretty frickin cool. After about 1.5 hrs, we landed, headed back for refueling (this was a pit-and-go, 2 sorties for the price of one!) I had a little trouble with my own "de-fueling" mechanism, but thats a whole other story.... anyhoo, round 2 was just as great. We landed, taxied in, I got all unhooked on my own, and then back to the squadron. I think when i got off the car i was running about mach 1 to get to the nearest bathroom, bladder fullness hurts! But I survived, didn't get even close to sick, and I had so much fun! Which is the best part. I was mostly worried that I wouldn't like flying, because that would make this year very long and painful. No problem there though!

My second flight was yesterday, wed the 24th. More of a tactical mission which means I really had no idea what the hell was going on. Its pretty frustrating being so naive about the whole situation. Makes me feel very insecure and inadequate really, kinda a cut into my self-esteem. Its kinda like being plopped into the middle of rural china and expecting to find your way around, not knowing anything about the language, culture, lay of the land, just that they like rice. And same thing if you think of injecting a pilot into the middle of a complex surgery, having him/her be 1st assist, asking his to clamp the inferior mesenteric artery. He wold be like "clamp the what? The "heun-yaker or the howyadoin?" Most of the guys are again actually really good about answering my dumb questions. Hopefully it will get a little less muddy with time!

Not much else is new thus far. I'm trying to get some word on if my TDY for a course in December is going to work out. That will be 2 weeks in Texas, and then 1 week before that in South Carolina, and maybe a jaunt over to Milwaukee for a baby shower if leave is approved. :) Time is going fast!



Dillard (35th, the Pantons's flight doc, my collegue, and friend, and crisis counselor!)


Some scenery around our base, Kunsan, not much, but its actually a nice day!


I wish I could say these were our dorm, but they aren't.... the people who will move into these have really, really, really bad dorms now. Ours are just bad.



That is the gym in the backround, actually its pretty nice, has a climbing well... i will get some pics.