The first week of flight is over and I have been having an incredible time. This week seems like it has gone so slowly. We began with all the usual introduction and expectation talks and then got right down to flying planes. It has been over 90 degrees for almost every flight. There is nothing quite like sitting in that little oven. You would think that for a cool 150,000 dollars we would have AC. Nope, just a big fan on the front, and believe me, if that stops spinning it gets real hot in the cockpit. The only glitch in the week was that I came down with the flu right before my first flight. It probably was not some of my best flying but I survived and as soon as I returned to terra firma it was off to the couch back at home. I am all better now and I can't wait to continue on next week as we move into stalls and slow flight. More on that later.

Yup, this is still Spokane. My parents came out for the weekend and we took them around to some of the pretty places in town. This is Manito park near our house where Les and I sometimes go to feed the ducks and smell the roses.

Welcome to my office. This is what it looks like at 6:00 in the morning when I arrive for preflight. Moody is working hard to make sure we have the most complete and safe checklists in the business. I have greatly appreciated their attention to detail for safety and precision. I successfully completed my first Simulator flight today and tomorrow morning I will be taking my first flight. It will be mostly an introduction flight concentrating on basic maneuvers and following correct procedures. Nevertheless, I can hardly wait!
(Thanks for the flash, Dad.)

First Day of School! I survived my first day of Flight School. It was like drinking from a firehose. We had a blast and my class was very encouraged to get started on these very busy next two years. It was apparent right from the beginning that we are going to recieve an excellent and thorough education here at Moody. The first few days we will be spending a lot of time memorizing checklists and going over the basics. Then we will spend some time in the simulators and will be up flying by the end of the week.

Back at home, Leslie has been working on her garden stand to hold our wonderful collection of plants. Yeah for garage sales. We will show you the finished product when she is done.

My parents' cat, LB, was also anxious to be a part of the festivities.

Over Summer break we went home to celebrate Fathers Day! We had a great time with both of our families and had quite the party. Here is one of the highlights as my Dad tried to cut the cake. The frozen cake would not yield and in case you ever wondered, like buttered toast, frozen cakes when thrown into the air will also land frosted side down. :) Happy Fathers Day!

I know, pretty scarry right. What is even more terrifying - that face is now certified by the United States government to work on planes. I finished up A&P school and graduated earning my AA. Yahoo! More importantly I passed all my A&P tests issued by the FAA earning my A&P license. It is a big hurdle to jump and I am very excited about the next step. Flight School. But first...Summer for a whole week!

Leslie's Dad Bill stopped by last weekend on his great Harley Adventure 2006 to take a quick tour of the school and spend some time with us. It was a great weekend.

Here we are playing with the ball turret

Once we got back from Chicago I had my 8 hour Powerplant test. Look who showed up to distract me. This B17G flew in to surprise us and offer rides to the public (for a mere $450). The guys at school got to go down and wash it and help out with an inspection. I had to stay back and finish the test which I passed. Pheww! I have to pass the written test in two weeks and then I will be a certified Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic. Almost there!

Here is a close up.

Downtown we discovered the "Bean." Probabloy one of my favorite large modern art works.

We even had a chance to go on the first sail of the year on Lake Michigan with Pops and Tom.

We had a wonderful trip to Chicago to visit Nanny and Pops Hoover. We saw Evanston, walked Chicago, ate great food and enjoyed memorable conversations. It was a very relaxing time before my Powerplant test.