“Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.” That quote from Adlai Stevenson is probably one of my favorites. Obviously September 11th affected all of us in our own unique way. One positive thing it did bring about (at least for a while) was a surge […]

The military loves acronyms abbreviations and special lingo unique to themselves. The aviation community loves to use them too. But everyone likes to be special and have their own. Have you ever heard someone talking about something obviously technical but using so many terms, acronyms and such that it almost sounded like a foreign language? […]

If you’re an instrument pilot, you’ve definitely got to have a sense of humor when you look at the approach plates and notice the different names for fix points at airports across the United States. If you’re not a pilot that statement may sound like geeky humor. And perhaps it is. But since I hope […]

I’ve been asked a bunch of times about what do Aircrewmen in the Navy that is different from what airline flight attendants do? While there are some similarities in training, Navy Aircrew are subjected to a lot more in-depth training due mostly to the environment we spend a lot of time operating over (trans-oceanic flights). […]

Because of the great distances we cover over the ocean, all flight crew members (pilot, flight officer or enlisted crewman) must be trained in survival swimming and water egress as well as general aviation physiology. All Navy Aircrew go through Naval Air Crew Candidate School (NACCS) in Pensacola, FL and are required to go through […]

So I get a lot of questions about my job in the Navy Reserve, what the missions are like, etc. So I decided to cover the questions I get asked the most. So you’re in the military right? What do you do? I’m a Crew Chief on C-40A aircraft and fly people and cargo all […]

The carpenter prefers to use the right tools. The surgeon won’t perform an operation without the right instrument, and a professional road warrior makes sure that his/her gear is going to hold up for the long haul. Its important to make sure you have the right equipment for the right circumstances. I don’t mind spending […]

Another drill weekend has come upon on the calendar and now is where I get to show what its like (or rather practice what I preach). The time line actually started last night…so let me start there: Thursday 19:10 – Checked in online with SWA (cheapest flight from KC to SD) to get my ticket. […]

Most of us work a regular 8-5, 40+ hour a week job for our civilian employer. If your job is like mine is that 40+ quickly turns into 50+ at the blink of an eye. While that can be stressful, in itself, throw into the mix family obligations, school, and reserve duty and you’ve got […]

That is the most common question I get asked. The answer isn’t so simple. Since my background in the Navy is in aviation, the answer would be “not here in Kansas”. There is a local reserve center but it is comprised of reserve Surface Warfare, Intel and Naval Construction units. No aviation jobs (especially no […]