Happy New Everything!
It has been a while since I had a moment to dedicate some time to write a blog. Honestly, I should be studying right now, but that'll be a future Olivia problem...
I hope the new year is bringing in new and exciting things in your life! It certainly has been an eventful few months for me and I am thrilled to tell you all about it.
After getting my CFI (Flight Instructor certificate), I did some research on where I would like to start instructing. Being the environment that it is, the aviation industry is always looking for CFIs. But, it is difficult to find a good school for a plethora of reasons. Without triggering my bottomless aggravation against certain governmental agencies, the CFI industry is riddled with low-pay, high-risk and extensive turnover. Let's just say getting paid $20/hr to fly with people who don't know/respect/understand the machine they are learning is not very appealing to me, personally. However, being a CFI is one of the quickest ways to build flight time, which is all the airlines care about. Bottom line: tough it out as a CFI for a year to a year and half and then move on to a charter carrier or regional airline. Easy, right?
I was extremely lucky to find a flight school in Lapeer, MI, which paid much better than any other school around. I immediately hit it off with the owner and thought this particular atmosphere was something that I could manage. Additionally, this flight school had a complete aviation maintenance and avionics (aircraft instrumentation) shop which I would be allowed to work in as well. Building wiring harnesses and turning wrenches on airplanes seemed like a good time to me. Here's one of the biggest harnesses that I made for a B58P Beechcraft Baron (multi-engine hoss) and another one for an audio panel upgrade. It was heavy.
For sake of brevity, my instructing has done my character great justice. I truly believe the best type of character-building comes through teaching and working with people. It is not easy, but to see my students walk away from a lesson more confident and more knowledgeable about aviation makes it worth it.
As for working in the back, I have learned a great deal of wiring basics that I'm sure will come in handy down the road (I'm looking at you, future race car...). I have been upside down in cockpits of planes I have never seen before and gotten half my body into the 15" x 15" baggage compartment in the back of a Vans RV-10 (no, not my dad's). Nothing is ever easy to reach.
After committing to the CFI life, I was contacted by a local cargo carrier for a position on their Boeing 727. Previously, I had discussed opportunities with this company at their booth at Oshkosh back in August, but had not heard much since. Now, I'm sure you can imagine the differences between a 2300 lb Cessna single-engine airplane and a 195,000 lb three jet engine cargo aircraft. They may be about the same age, but that's about it. This position is not a flying position. In fact it is arguably harder. Some of you may remember the term 'flight engineer.' Simply put, the flight engineer monitors, controls and runs the entirety of the aircraft systems. Think hydraulics, fuel control, electrical, climate control...basically everything that has been automated now. Flight engineer = flight computer. Thus, this position has been done away with at most larger companies because the aircraft they fly aren't 60 years old! While the captain and co-pilot sip coffee, eat their snacks and stare out the window, the flight engineer frantically balances the fuel tanks, taking in his never-ending view of gauges and circuit breakers. Sounds fun, right? Here's a look at just one of the engineers' panels...
Now, this position would seem undesirable to most of the young aviation community because "where are all my fancy screens?!" Also, the flight engineer doesn't actually do any of the flying. He just wallows in chaos, a slave to the demands of the manic machine. But let me tell you a fun story about this particular job.
Back in 2001, when my dad was applying to large airline carriers, being a flight engineer was common. More airlines had 727s and other aircraft which required this role since technology was not like it is today. Lo and behold, my father was accepted as a flight engineer at FedEx, where he still is a pilot today. And as many of you know, this is also where I would like to fly. Even better, he was a flight engineer on the 727! Now, because FedEx (and basically everyone else) has upgraded their aircraft, they sold many of their older 727s. Three of those airplanes ended up in Pontiac, MI, at the aforementioned cargo carrier. After doing a little digging through my dad's logbooks, we discovered that my dad had been the flight engineer on the exact aircraft that are now in Michigan.
I am beyond thrilled to announce that I, too, will be a slav...uh, flight engineer on these aircraft. It is one thing to follow my dad's career path, but it is an entirely different and utterly remarkable thing to literally walk in his footsteps.
After a short 3-4 months of being a CFI, I am back in the books, studying the many complex and complicated systems of a 727. It is also an entirely new segment of aviation, with much more regimented checklists and important standardization practices. Read: big airplane, big books.
The icing on the cake is that this company is in direct partnership with FedEx, meaning after I complete my 'tenure' with them, I am handed off right to FedEx. And that's when my dad will begin counting down the days until he gets to retire...
Another new life update... I am now a homeowner! While it is liberating, it has been the most challenging adulting task yet. Let's just say my Christmas present this year was a new water heater :)
I love my little home and it has a great garage and extra space for me to grow into. I won't share many details here because this is the internet. But, hopefully, it will start feeling more cozy once I finish unpacking. So check back with me in about a year.
Lastly, back in November, Garrett and I traveled out to Denver, CO, to visit his brother and sister for the holiday. We packed so much in our week out there including, hiking, museums, shooting, sight-seeing, and SKIING. Yes, you read that correctly. Having never skied before, I knew it was going to be sketchy based on my track record on land, much less frozen matter. But with the help of my very best friend Lydia, who also lives in CO, I managed to scale the bunny slopes and avoid any bruises or broken bones. I will admit, I fell off the ski lift at the dismount point and multiple times on the slopes after that. The bunny slope was located on the topmost portion and adjacent to one of the main runs. It had failed to occur to me that once I rode the lift up, I would have to go down the big slope. I am happy to declare I rode the main slope down without falling, but I was done after that.
It was the absolute highlight of my trip getting to shred with Lyds. She was the best ski instructor I could have asked for and we had an absolute blast! I told her I would teach her how to fly next. Here are some photos!
(Not so) Speedy Shenanigans:
I bought another car. And by the title, you can guess it is a slow car. It is not a race car by any stretch of the imagination, but it is my car. I acquired a 2003 Subaru Forester 5-speed in December as a winter beater car because I was tired of dirtying up the WRX. Well, with any old car, it had its problems. And still has, might I add.
The shifter was so bent, Garrett and I were surprised it even shifted into gear. The transmission clunks when you shift. The left side mirror is shattered. And it leaks. Real bad. As I continue to learn more about the car through what Garrett endearingly calls 'automotive archaeology,' I am reprogramming myself to accept the car for what it is. It is not perfect and it never will be. Was it the best purchase I could have made? No, probably not. But it will serve its purpose as a beater car and a learning opportunity for me in both mechanical work and car buying. I am not upset about this car and, quite frankly, I like it. It may feel like I'm driving a boat but that's okay.
Slowly, I am working on fixing the things I can. It certainly won't be anything special but I'm embracing it.
Recipe Roulette:
With it currently in the single digits here, I have been cooking up some cozy, filling meals! Here is one that I have enjoyed.
Baked Chicken Fajita Casserole
Apx 2 lbs thin sliced chicken breast (cut into strips)
2 Bell peppers
1 Onion
Spaghetti (you can use pasta or spaghetti squash)
2 TBS Taco seasoning of your choice
4 oz cheese
Olive oil or coconut oil
Directions:
If using pasta: cook as directed and drain.
If using squash: cook as directed. Once cooked take a fork and shave spaghetti strands off of the skin.
1) Slice peppers and onions into strips, add oil to the skillet and cook for a few minutes.
2) Slice chicken into strips and place into the same skillet.
3) Season with the 2 tbs of taco seasoning
4) Cook together for about 5 minutes.
5) Place pasta/squash at the bottom of a casserole dish and the fajita chicken on top.
6) Bake at 350 for apx 20 min.
7) Sprinkle cheese on the top and place in the oven until it melts.
Enjoy!
That is all for now... I'll be taking to the skies in the big plane around March. Hopefully another update will follow shortly after.
Stay warm and healthy!
Cheers,
Olivia Carter
