Downward Dog and Other Perks

There are many things to get used to living on an Air Force base for the first time, but I’m beginning to learn that there are plenty of perks as well. I rarely drive, and when I do, a tank of gas can last for weeks. The commissary and Bx are across the street and are tax-free. (Also really cost-effective!) The library is also within walking distance and, though small, the librarians are friendly and even pull books aside for me when my favorites come in. The park is just a walking path away and a favorite of H’s. I love the proximity of friends and the built in support network of spouses.

We love the base park!

One of the services that I’ve come to value the most is the fee-free base gym. My friend, M, and I have made fitness one of our goals during pilot training and have been taking advantage of the facilities and classes available to us. We started in our comfort zone with cardio machines and weights, but this week we decided to give the Monday morning yoga class a shot. Despite now having muscles that feel like they’ve been pulled behind a truck, the class was fun, effective, and best of all – FREE! I may not have mastered downward dog yet, but I think I’ll be giving it another try soon.

Okay, so this isn't me (as if I would post myself doing this pose!), but it COULD be
Picture: alaskaartguild.com/Yoga

M and I have the good fortune to be going back to the same base together after pilot training, so I’m thrilled to have her as a constant, but I’m also nervous about the prospect of losing the camaraderie and convenience of base life. Where will I connect with other spouses? How will I afford groceries? How will I stay in shape? Yet as these questions haunt me, I also remember that we have nearly a year left to go, so these luxuries remain mine and my fears can linger for another day.

No More Monkeys Jumping on the Couch

Last night I went into forbidden territory, the restricted area, the inner sanctum: into the flight rooms (by invitation, of course). C’s squadron held an orientation for student spouses (all 5 of us) to give us a glimpse into what our loved ones face while they’re away from us. I had a chance to meet several instructors as well as the squadron and flight commanders and their wives. It was a good chance to put faces with names and actually meet the people responsible for my husband’s long absences. It was also nice to see the room where C spends so much time, complete with the couch on which students are not allowed to sit – a comfortable seat is a privilege to be earned – and the flight mascot: a python.

They put together a presentation – PowerPoint, I know, you’re shocked – detailing a “day in the life” of a JSUPT student. Here’s the gist: Upon a bright and early arrival, students are not allowed to enter their flight rooms until precisely the appointed time. Once admitted, they start the morning with a formal brief to discuss the weather, runways, and other pertinent information for the day. This transitions into “stand-up” - an oral emergency procedures quiz – and shotgun questions pertaining to any and all relevant aircraft information.  If scheduled for a morning flight or sim, they would then proceed to the preflight brief, flight, and debrief, taking about 3-4 hours for the whole process. They have academics or CAIs scheduled intermittently, various other duties, and infinite studying. These tasks can occur in any order and, while they currently can only be scheduled for one actual flight per day (that will change after solo), they could have both a flight and a sim on the same day. Each flight (or sim) is its own lesson, taking ample preparation. The last 10-15 minutes going over the highlights (and screw-ups) and learning moments of the day. Twelve hours after they began, they’re then formally released to go home and do it all again the next day.

It was actually pretty informative to hear C’s day summarized like that. I also learned that I, as a spouse, am allowed the occasional trespass to do nice things like bring C lunch, but it was also pretty clear that he may or may not have time to eat it.

Here at home, we’ve also fallen into a routine of sorts, albeit, not a very satisfying one. C gets home around 7:00, we eat dinner together (I’ve been doing a lot of crock pot meals since I’m never sure exactly when he’ll get home), he heads into “the cave” (his office) and I get H ready for bed.

This is how C spends his evenings

And this is how the dog spends her evenings

I’m usually asleep or reading by the time he joins me around 11:00 and he falls asleep almost instantly. C leaves in the morning before either of us is awake and we start the routine all over again. Friday nights and Saturdays are, by far, the best part of our week.

There Must Be Something in the Air

Something strange has been happening to me. It all began with this.

That inspired me to make this.

Which, in turn, made me haul out boxes to unearth these.

And since the atmosphere was becoming so festive, we had to make some of these.

And then…I started wishing for snow. (Which I have yet to receive)

Is this what Christmas spirit feels like? I thought that being away from family and being so busy (mostly I mean C) might dull the usual effect of the season, but it seems that festivity lives in the hearts of children – as long as H revels in Christmas joy, I suppose I will too.

Simple Math

Can you solve this equation?

Declining weather

+

Excessive stress

+

Being cooped up in a room all day

-

Adequate sleep

=

If you said a bunch of sick pilots, you’re right! ‘Tis the season to get a nasty cold here at UPT.

So what is a student-pilot to do when he or she is hit with illness? Previously, I thought that getting sick was forbidden or something – I mean, who has time in their jam-packed schedule to add in a virus? After C spent the weekend feeling worse and worse, he was told to report to the flight doctor on Monday morning. There, after waiting two hours to see the doctor (yep, that tells you how rampant this stuff is), he was told he had a virus (a.k.a Nasty cold) and was declared DNIF – duties not to include flying. Fortunately, he was able to go back to attend classes, but he’s not allowed to fly until he is cleared by the flight doctor. He is starting to feel better already, but it is definitely not a good idea to fly with a cold – head congestion and altitude just don’t mix. The good news? The weather has been so terrible this week there hasn’t been a lot of flying going on anyway!

Giving Thanks

They say that you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. This is especially true for family, which is why it was such a treat to have my family together to celebrate Thanksgiving. It reminded me of the importance and permanence of familial love, no matter the boundaries of time or distance.

So how did we spend our Thanksgiving?

We feasted.

We enjoyed a little togetherness.

We kicked back to watch America’s favorite pastime. (In case you were wondering, I mean football, not Dancing with the Stars) 

We goofed…

…and monkeyed around.

We crafted.

We found a little Christmas spirit.

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.  ~Thornton Wilder

The Untouchables

www.surferjerry.com

Recent discussions with friends (by no means hostile) have brought to light semi-political views that I wasn’t really even aware I harbored and made me examine my beliefs a bit. It seems that I hold my husband’s career on a figurative pedestal. I don’t dismiss other careers, even my own, as unimportant or somehow lesser, but I hold the military in an entirely different category – in fact, I think I always have. Even before becoming a military spouse, I attributed much of the success of this country to the actions of a strong and dedicated armed force. Throughout history, in peace and in war time, the presence of a unified defense has signified the freedoms that we now can’t envision life without. The fact that I can openly share my opinion in this forum is directly attributable to the men and women who serve that defense.

When I read a recent article about potential pay freezes and other cuts to military benefits it pained me for reasons beyond my personal finances. I can now say with some authority that we (and by we, I mean in the collective sense – not just C and I) give up certain freedoms to ensure the freedom of our country. To think that those who serve could be compensated less than they already are is appalling to me. Our society is so backwards in that we reward outlandish behavior with fame and money, yet want to cut the pay of those who provide the very path to providing such liberties. Do I think that anyone deserves a pay cut or freeze or any other monetary pitfall? Absolutely not. I also know that people do not join the military because of the glamorous pay. But when considering where to cut funds, I strongly believe that military members and families ought to reside in a category labeled “untouchable”. 

Good and Bad are Perpetual Companions

The anticipated dreaded exciting big day has arrived: Day 1 of the “15-day program”. What does this signify? Well, for starters, the exodus of my husband…but also, it means it’s C’s first day on the flight line! He is thrilled to be back in the cockpit for his dollar ride today. As a longtime pilot, he’s itching to get up in the air again after so long a hiatus from flying. The daily grind of the program also begins today, meaning he’ll finally get into a steady routine that he can get used to – something he’s been looking forward to.

With the good, of course comes the not-so good. As of today, C is on formal release. This means 12-hour days every day for the first few weeks (or months). So if his first scheduled activity for the day is at 0800, guess what time he gets home? That’s right math whizzes: 2000 (aka 8:00 p.m.). In between scheduled trainings (be they flights or sims or classes) he stays in the flight room, buried in books and study materials. When he gets home, it’s more of the same – a quick bite to eat, a kiss for the wife and kid, and back to the books.

Obviously, the schedule is a hectic one. I’m already starting to see his eyes swirling with the heaps of information being thrown at him. Yesterday, he compared his day to being doused with a fire hose from three different directions. I’m not sure which one of us has been more anxious for both the beginning and ending of the 15-day program. Even when H and I are missing him though, we’ll look up in the sky and know that one of those planes we see might just be him and that he’s one day closer to becoming a USAF pilot!

Okay, so this isn't actually C's flight - but the point is it COULD HAVE been
Thanks to K for the great picture!

A Storage Unit Full of Optimism

When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Some days are tougher than others. This is the first training that I’ve attended with C and sometimes I’m not sure if H and I are more of a burden or a help – are we one more thing to juggle or a built-in support system? On the tough days, I know that I’m right where I should be.

C is still doing excellent in ground school. He continues to excel on his tests and is thriving in the sim. But some days the magnitude of it all settles in and is simply overwhelming. He has so much to accomplish in the coming months that sometimes it feels like there’s no good place to start.

C in his "study chair"

So what can I do during these moments? I reach for my key and unlock my internal storage unit, brimming with optimism. Sometimes we all just need to be told we’re on the right track and remember that we have a fan club of our very own. I may not be able to create more hours in the day or memorize endless amounts of information for him, but I can remind C why he’s here and how hard he’s worked to get here. Sometimes a simple “I’m proud of you” is all it takes.

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.” 
Abraham Lincoln

Over the hill or just starting the climb?

Even with our hectic schedule, we have to work in some time for fun eventually and what better occasion than my “special” birthday? That’s right, this weekend it was finally time to wave so long to my twenties and begin the trek up the thirties hill. It was surprisingly less painful than I thought it would be, especially since I got to celebrate surrounded by friends and family.

On Friday night we had a great time bowling with some of the guys from C’s class. It was nice to finally meet some of his classmates and see everyone relax after a tough week.

Saturday, C threw me the first birthday party I’ve had in quite some time. We were joined by a house full of good friends, and even my mom and sister flew out to join the festivities (a special thanks to them for coming out and to my dad for “going Irish” to get them here). We all had fun sampling delicious food and wine and getting to know new friends.

Also, on the good news front, we welcomed to the neighborhood (and to the party) some friends from our home base that we’ll not only get to know better here during the next year, but we’ll also get to go home with!

C with our friends, B & M

 If I had to pass another decade, I’m glad I got to do it in the company of such great people!

The Elimination of If

To be successful, in pilot training or anything else, you need to have confidence tempered with a positive attitude. For this reason, I have officially banned the word “if”. There is no more: “if I pass this test…” or “if I make it through T-6’s…” or even, “if I graduate…” All “if’s” are replaced with “when”. (In fact, I’m thinking of implementing an “if jar” – you know, like a swear jar.)

Sometimes it’s not easy for C to have the confidence of “when” in the midst of challenging tests and endless studying, but he is handling it all with excellence and is even able to juggle in some family time.

One of many study sessions that help the guys prepare for the next hurdle

Here are the hurdles of ground school, all jam-packed into 6 weeks worth of instruction:

Q  Systems test 1 (100%)

Q  Systems test 2 (100%)

Q  Aerodynamics test (100% - hey, if the wife can’t brag, who can?)

Q  Flying fundamentals test (tomorrow)

Q  Contact test (next week)

Q  Weather test (2 weeks out)

Q  2 simulator sessions so far, 4 more to go in ground school, and countless more throughout the flight line

Q  Weekly boldface tests

H and I are so proud of C, his accomplishments and his work ethic. Graduation is going to be a very sweet day.

Sugar Rush!

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from Halloween on an air force base. My family celebrates Halloween like some families celebrate Christmas: big.  Every year, my parents throw a big Halloween party that has become a tradition for many. They deck out the house, inside and out, with everything from ghouls and witches to giant yard inflatables. I was a little disheartened that only one other house on our street on base had even gone beyond carved pumpkins. Then, we started getting e-mails about regulated trick-or-treating hours…needless to say, my expectations were pretty low.

Much to my delight, Halloween activities started almost a week prior, on Monday. H and her preschool class took a field trip (her first!) to the local pumpkin patch. They listened to a spooky story, learned about pumpkins, and got to pick out a gourd of their own.

On Thursday, the base had a big fall festival, complete with games, bounce houses, and free food for all.

Friday morning, we joined H’s class for a costume parade around base. The kids marched down the sidewalk, little princesses and ninjas, to trick-or-treat at several buildings and wow the crowd with a rendition of pumpkin songs.

Later that afternoon, we went to the administration building, where each office was festively decorated and offered treats to the kids. From there, we proceeded to the squadrons for more spooky fun. The student pilots had turned the quiet hallways and classrooms into terrifying haunted houses, complete with cobwebs and strobe lights.

Princess Belle

On Saturday, the day before the actual holiday, we drove several miles away to a popular local corn maze. We discovered that it wasn’t just a simple maze – there were 4 different mazes, a petting zoo, hay ride, pumpkin patch, playground, and more! H had a great time leading us through the mazes and petting all sorts of furry farm friends.

Enjoying a hay ride

Petting the pony

Navigating the maze

That evening, we hit up the base bowling alley for a bit of “boo bowling” in costume.

Boo Bowling!

C, H, and our friend, D

Finally, it was time for the big day. We spent most of the morning searching for a pumpkin-carving kit – which apparently was a hot commodity this year. (We never did find one – we painted our pumpkins instead) At 6:00 we hit the streets with every other little robot and fairy in the vicinity and garnered a whole new batch a sweet goodies. By 8:00 the fun was over and we were ready for bed!

As it turns out, Halloween on base is actually a pretty big deal. From base employees to commanders, everyone went to a lot of effort to make sure that all of the kids (and even the dog) had a great, safe time. 

It's Getting Hot in Here

Despite the cooling temperatures, the heat is definitely turning up in the world of pilot training. Long days in class are followed by longer nights studying. C has two tests this week (systems test 2 down – another 100% - and aerodynamics tomorrow), a sim ride, and two more sims next week – all of which take oodles of preparation. We’ve starting hosting study groups, giving me a chance to get rid of my baked goods, and giving the students a chance to collaborate.

It’s finally hit me that even though we cohabitate, I really might not actually see my husband for the next year or so. It’s difficult for H to understand that even though Daddy is home, we can’t bug him or hang out with him. (She’s desperate to show off her hourly princess wardrobe change) All of this is in preparation for the so-called “15-day program” – the first 15 days (give or take) on the flight line until every student solos. It’s rumored to be the most intense and time-consuming part of the program: basically, flight hell. It’s frightening to think that we might actually see C less than we do now, but it’s coming.

On Friday, last week, C got a chance to attend the graduation of the class a year ahead of him. He said it was really motivating to see the guys who were once where he is now, finished and leaving for their careers. It was a metaphoric “light at the end of the tunnel” for him.

H and I are focused on staying busy with our own hobbies. She’s warming up to preschool and has a busy week of Halloween activities, while I am working towards my writing and fitness goals and experimenting in the kitchen a lot. It’s been a tough week adjusting to C’s schedule, but I think we’ve found our groove now. 

The Pumpkin Patch - One of this week's many activities

Like a Concert in my Living Room

Living on an Air Force base requires you to become desensitized to a cacophony of sounds. Of course there is the ever-present roar of jets as they soar by – three different aircraft means three distinct sounds. Morning is, by far, the most raucous time of day when all of the engines are starting up at once and the aircraft line up for their turn on the runway. The rest of the day is a symphony of jet noise, but I find it goes largely unnoticed once you’re used to it.

Another din we’ve been introduced to is the far more clamorous on-base shooting range where security forces hone their skills. Perhaps I just haven’t noticed its use during the day, but the percussion-like thunder is more than obvious in the early morning and late night hours.

There is one melodious sound that occurs, literally, like clockwork three times a day. The reverberation of reveille, retreat, and lights out is like the toll of the dusty, old grandfather clock that keeps time in your home. At 7:00 a.m. sharp, the flag is raised and honored by the buoyant tune of reveille.  At 17:00, the flag is retired for the day to the refrain of the Star Spangled Banner. During both of these occasions, those who are outdoors must stop what they’re doing and acknowledge the flag (military members in uniform must salute; civilians and members out of uniform stand at attention) and those who are driving on base must pull over and stop. I was somewhat unprepared for these ceremonies when I moved here, but I’ve come to think of them as 1) a good source of time keeping, and 2) a good reminder about why we’re here - C’s job will be to protect the freedom that our flag signifies and that makes me proud. The final ritual of the day is the playing of Taps at 21:00. The intended purpose is to signify the beginning of “lights out” or “quiet hours”, but I also think it’s a good time to remember those who have been lost or are missing.  Personally, the song always reminds me of my veteran grandpa’s funeral and gives me a chance to think about him.

Your location on base determines exactly how much resonance you’re going to encounter. For example, the jet engines are much louder, of course, as we walk to preschool in the morning since we are walking towards the flight line. In our house, with the doors and windows closed, you can barely hear reveille and retreat unless you’re listening for it. But, the closer your home is to one of the loud-speakers, the more noticeable it becomes. Much like the “smell of jet fuel in the morning” (which is truer than I realized), the base’s daily chorus is just another feature to which I am becoming accustomed. 

Bright lights & zip lines...You call this studying?

Though ground school is filled with a lot of reading and staring at computer screens, it hasn’t been all dull. Here are a few of the fun things that C has been up to lately:

Flares

One morning at 6:00 a.m., C hauled himself out of bed and into an empty field for flare training. They practiced launching both signaling and smoke flares so that they would know how to use them if the need should ever arise.

Flare training

Parachute Training

While jumping off of platforms may not be everyone’s favorite pastime, it certainly spiced up ground school a bit last week. C started by climbing 2-foot and 4-foot platforms and jumping off of them to learn how to land and orient his body to prevent broken bones when landing with a parachute. Then, he moved to the zip line, which he again jumped from to simulate the moving fall of a parachute. He was then suspended from a 15-foot tower and the instructors slowly lowered him, as if he were floating, again to practice his landings. Finally, the class practiced parachute drags. Each student was strapped in to his/her parachute harness and the classmates pulled them along in the grass. The goal was to successfully unstrap themselves as if their parachute was being pulled by the wind and they needed to release themselves.

T-6 Training Device & Walk-Around

To provide a little exposure to the cockpit, rather than strapping in blind, pairs of students were assigned instruction time in the T-6 training device. The device is basically a cockpit mock-up, similar to a simulator. The goal was to learn the various switches and to introduce systems and emergency procedures.

T-6 training device

The students also got the chance to tour the real aircraft in the hangar to familiarize themselves with the body and size of the plane, as well as getting a look at some of the major systems. It’s much bigger than it looks in pictures!

T-6 in hangar

T-6 walk-around

Systems Test #1

Though not necessarily the exciting part, studying for the first systems test has taken up most of C’s time this week. It’s been the first time (of countless to come) that he’s really had to lock himself away for hours at a time. All of that studying must’ve paid off though since he came out of the test with 100%!