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!