First installment: I've always enjoyed flying, but the things that go with it.... can be tiring at best. Manual updates are the bane of every pilot's existence. And trying to understand the new Delta Air Lines method of organizing things in "One Place - Right Place" is more like "Some Place -or No Place". We'll all get by.

So yesterday, after nearly (Very nearly!) napping through my check-in for my rotation (read pairing, or trip schedule) I made it with 0 seconds to spare and managed to get the flight out late, due to a late inbound aircraft. I'm flying with Frank, which is good, because he's good at what he does and seems to get my weird sense of humor. The weather is crap... snowing and deicing, low ceiling and vis at destination. We make it there and back, and switch aircraft. No problem, we're back on time, looking forward to a long layover in Appleton WI (woo hoo?) and we're closing in on the end of an already long day. Just deice again, and find a place in Appleton that has hot wings and cold beer. Not so fast! The normally reliable DC-9, has a minor maintenance problem. We can't seem to start the right engine. Now I've been flying this thing for 18 years... and it always starts. Almost. No one seems to think it's a good idea to take off with just one engine, so it must be fixed. My dispatcher Vicky thinks I am very funny for suggesting that she work on the performance data for single engine takeoff.

Two hours later, we reboard our 'happy' customers, go deice and fly to ATW (Appleton). The control tower is closed now, but the weather has improved and we arrive uneventfully. The nice thing about the people who go to ATW...they're pretty friendly and are generally just happy to make it there the same day... so I didn't get bitched out just for doing my job today. They actually thanked me. This was nice, but that doesn't put hot chicken wings and cold beer in my belly. And being that we're so late, nothing is open to solve my dire need for this sustinence. I am denied of this basic pleasure, but tomorrow is another day. I will continue my quest.

The best part of my day is knowing that Connie will be there to share my wings, if I were able to find them. Second to that... Stu from Canada finally got his ball caps from me. I sent two separate packages to the Netherlands in less time than I could get one package through customs and up to Canada.

To see my flying pictures go to pilotballcaps.com and click on the random flying link.