Well, today after being earthbound for 8 months, I finally got a taste of the air. It was great flying the C-17 today. I was to go second, so I sat in the ACM seat first. Our show time was 6:45 am and we did out walk around about 8. Our loadmaster student took a little longer than usual so we were a little rushed to takeoff so that we would meet our low level entry time. So we took off and flew a tactical departure to our low level, VR 190. Then we descended down to 300 feet off the ground and started following a highway. ( to give you some perspective, our airplane is about 200 long and has a 200 ft wingspan, so at 300 feet speeding along, that is pretty big) I'm sure so people not from around here were pretty surprised. Any way, on part of the low level we pulled up, then pushed the nose over and got negative G's. It was alot of fun, because everything that wasn't strapped down, went flying ( and I do mean everything, not just bags, food, dozens of papers, but also dip spit, and in the bathroom, the blue sanitizer in the toilet. It was hilarious.)
Anyway, we went back and practiced traffic patterns learned a lot and had some nonstandard things happen ( but I won't mention those.) I then got in the copilot seat and did a couple of patterns. The plane reacted alot faster and more precisely than the sims I've been doing the last couple of months. It was alot of fun. My instructor was very good, Capt Ponn, and said I did really well. We then departed for our second low level and we got a little fast on the climb out, and let me tell you, when she gets some airspeed, the C-17 really climbs. We did the low level and then did some backing and cargo offloads. All in all I think I did really well, and the instructor did a really good job. It was the most fun I've had in a while. The C-17 is really growing on me, and I'm glad that I have the opportunity to fly her and I'm looking forward to intense moments in the future.
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3 comments:
Ok, you sounded way more EXCITED on the phone. I am so glad that you are finally happy with your plane. I am so proud of you. The only part you didn't tell me about on the phone was the blue toilet water going everywhere. That is pretty gross.
At first I was thinking Liz Ann got to fly. I wasn't aware that you were not contributing, Anthony. have fun with it all...
Sounds like you had a fun flight. Peter loves the C-17, I'm sure you will too when you get to fly missions and see what you do that others don't get to (and the things you don't have to do that they do - which make the C-17 even better). No flying in circles for you!!! And the trips you'll take...Peter's at a really cool place right now. One I'll probably not go to in this lifetime, although I would love to!
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