Flying Tigers flew me back and forth to Germany in '74 and '75. I felt like cargo.

 

Gotta agree, krusty!

 

My last class of kids, whom I spent three years with, are graduating tonight. It will be great to see them all together one last time. What a great group of kids they have been, and it has been a joy watching them grow from 4th Graders into young adults.

 

36 years later, I was just glad it was over. First 10 years went pretty good, then got the first paycut in the industry...

Friend of mine did go to Memphis, flew jumpseat several times, to several countries, said the DC10 had the best seat, sat right next to that big side cockpit window. I never flew up front in one of those. Best for me was the little 9's, seat was slightly above and behind and between the pilots, could see out front better than they could. Boeing jump seats were cramped and not much view, tucked behind the pilot's seat. Flew over the Grand Canyon once with the three of us and two women stuffed in that little cockpit, was pleasantly crowded. DC9 flight attendants weren't always careful handing coffee to the pilots, but a boob in the face never bothered me anyway.

Woulda liked to do a jumpseat in an A330, but by then the fooking nuts had run those airliners into buildings and no more jumpseats. Guess that was the least of our problems over that...

Strangest jump seat was when a Vietnam chopper vet flew into the runway, tower said 500' ceiling and the co-pilot didn't call out altitude like he was supposed to (was looking out the window, thinking he'd see the runway), made a real solid 3 point landing, more like 50' on the runway. Everybody decided the best thing was just keep quiet about that one, everybody was in the wrong. At least he did an almost perfect zero visibility landing in an unqualified plane. When I saw the runway a split second before hitting it, was a feeling of disbelief; that wasn't supposed to happen! Surprising how many goofs I've seen pilots do in airliners, some of them just shouldn't be there. Most are really good, though. Despite how downhill the job went, had some interesting times.

 

I've been more comfortable in cargo planes with no seats than the sardine cans we endure today. Ain't about to pay for first, and only got it twice non-revving. Only reason I don't just spend a day or two in Hawaii or Europe occasionally, ain't gonna squeeze in one of those economy seats that long - and it's at least a couple hunnert bucks a day away from home. If it ain't on a motorcycle, traveling ain't much of a thrill for me.

 

Back from The King....then a ride around..a trip to the post office...then another to the autoparts store....lookin pretty dark out there now so I came back home. Gotta go out again inna bit...prawly go with the OL in her cage....That is an adventure in itself!!!!!

 

I don't care if I ever get on another airplane.

 

Spent a couple of hours this morning washing the roof of the RV. First the power washer, then soap with a big brush, and finally the power washer again. It lives under an oak tree, and the the roof was mighty disgusting. It is all pretty now, so I'll park it back under the tree so it can get grimy again. I am too wore out to do the rest of it yet.

 

There's a car washing service in Chris' parking garage at work. She had the guy do the whole deal on the CRV yesterday. The guy even buffed that baby up. Darn thing looks as good as new, and I am not kidding. I have never done that good of job on any vehicle. It was worth whatever she paid the guy, even more so since I didn't have to do it.

 

Not having to do it is the best part!!!!