High and Low

A few weeks ago I was in Fredrick, MD, and unfortunately, had been here longer than I'd like. There's nothing wrong with the location, except for the fact that I should have been home. Instead of a two day trip, it turned into 8.

We landed there because of a issue with the airplane, and 3 days later, we were still waiting for the issue to be resolved. The glamorous life of a pilot.

While I was stuck, I did what I've been "trained" to do. Make the most of my time while I was there. Call me a workaholic, or obsessive compulsive, or a busybody. I have a hard time just sitting, or relaxing. Maybe I'm being responsible. whatever it is, I sat at the airport every day, all day, and taking care of various projects, checking up on the status of the aircraft, and doing whatever I can to facilitate the best interests of the aircraft owner and the management company.

I've gotten to the point where I keep my bag packed and do my laundry on the road. When I am home I spend my time with my family and take care of everything else on the road (bills, etc).

Out of the past month I have been home 6 days. This is not exactly the ideal situation for a husband and a father. Right now I'm thankful for a job, but at some point I have to believe my experience will qualify me for a job where I am more accessible to my family.

I think every job must have it's high and low points, so I'm trying to focus on the high's right now. Some of the situations I find myself in are pretty comical. The places. The passengers. Oh yeah, and I get to fly!

For instance, on a recent trip we were told by the charter broker that the flight we were assigned to next was very time-sensitive. Our passenger had a meeting that he would be late for already and needed to get to the destination as quickly as possible. Isn't that our job to get people as quickly (and of course, safely) as possible?!

So the other pilot and I started thinking about this...If our passenger going to be late, would we be able to come up with a "Time-Travel" package where we not only take them to their destination, but we arrive in the past (or future)? This could be HUGE!

This post has taken a while to make it to the interwebs, but by the time anyone reads it, i will have completed my reccurent online training. man, 3 weeks was enough...

I've been enjoying reading the muses, thoughts, and reality that is posted on Jenn's blog, booksarepeopletoo.blogspot.com check it out if you havent. I think it give a good idea of the other side of a pilots life, and how it affects others. of late I've been busy, and its been hard on me, my family, and possibly my friends. It's like that commercial for Cymbalta. You know the one, "who does depression hurt? everyone...". substitute depression for charter aviation, and you've got a good start. Ok, maybe I'm being a little over the top here, but I'm sure Jenn feels this way at times ;)

I'm thankful for the various avenues of communication i have at my fingertips, whcih allow me to stay in touch with friends, to catch up on shows, movies, or sports, and to see and talk to my family even if I'm across the country.

I think it's time to wrap this one up. I've been rambling far too long. Here's to schedule and work enviroment that allows me to spend more time with my family and friends. keep the faith!

Enjoy the day!