26 April, 2003,

     It’s a Saturday afternoon here and we start on the Flight-Line this Monday.  We have 4:30am showtimes all week long, so that should be fun.  The T-1 is planning intensive so any flights that are scheduled early in the morning require crews to be in early.   I don’t imagine it will be too bad because it could definitely be worse….I could be working for IBM again.

            Academics have been good.   As I alluded to before, the T-1 is complex compared to the Tweety-bird.  Systems (broken down into 5 different blocks), consisting of the Fuel System, the Hydraulic System, Environmental Controls (ie pressurization), Engine Systems, and Electrical System have been the basis for our academic instruction.  They are long classes and I am prone to zoning off sometimes, but the stuff is generally pretty cool.   It has been tough to go from Tweet formation (6-8 hours a day) to long academic classes and simulators.   The simulators are very fun, the T-1 is pretty amazing, but the entire simulator ordeal takes about 5 hours start to finish and even longer if you get an instructor who likes to talk.  But I really don’t mind because I am enjoying the flying. 

            I will write more when we get into the actual jet.   But for now, I am excited and ready to get started (finish up UPT).   Oh and by the way, there was another track select party this Friday for the class behind us…….it didn’t even compare to the bang-up smashin’ party we threw 3 weeks ago.  Slippin.