Long Time Coming

Well, the title says it all. This post has been a long time coming. The last year or so has been difficult at times but, as always, persistence pays off.

To summarize the last eighteen months, there have been highs and lows (seemingly more lows) travels abroad, job changes, job searches, interviews, job offers and finally employment that is suitable for the needs of my family.

Yemen was an interesting country to spend time in. I have many photos and experiences to share from my time there. Flying in Yemen made me a stronger pilot. Spending five months straight in Yemen nearly made me lose my mind. The main contract was canceled and I was offered a local contract with no rotation home. Due to scheduling for a required proficiency check, I was forced to remain away from home for five months to the day. Being away from my family for that amount of time was one of the most difficult experiences of my life. The negative impact it had on my family was inexcusable and never again will I let a contract employer stand between my family and I.

There were many positive experiences in Yemen. I made life long friendship connections with the guys I flew with. I've never had the honor of serving in the military, but I can say the camaraderie that develops between men in a situation that only you as a group can relate to/understand must be comparable. I can tell my family and friends in the US about the experiences, but only the guys I worked with truly understand what it was like.

I left for Yemen on a twelve month contract. Based on the pay, it was a good opportunity. When the airline canceled the contract between my employer in the United Kingdom and themselves six months early, it left myself and the others between a rock and a hard place. The job market was still VERY tight. Few of us could afford to stop working and go home. The airline knew that and offered us all "local" contracts at a much lower pay rate and zero rotation. Most of us had no choice and took it with the intention of leaving as soon as possible.

By the end of 2009, I could no longer stand to be away from home and decided to leave. There were a few opportunities around the corner. It was time to leave and be back with my family. I needed them and they needed me. After a wonderful homecoming, the opportunities on the horizon had dissolved. Hiring in the US was still stagnant and there was no where else to turn.

Due to the economy and the declining state of the industry, finding employment in my previous profession was impossible. With a resume heavy with flying for the last few years and the absolute desire to stick with it, finding employment was difficult. I was constantly told I was over qualified or that my eventual return to aviation meant poor return on investment for prospective employers.

After doing some temporary work, I was fortunate enough to find employment with Staples, Inc. working in a call center. It was a good work environment, the pay was livable, there were benefits and the company was glad to have my talent for the time being. They encouraged me to continue seeking employment in aviation while always encouraging me to grow within the company as well. I have nothing but positive things to say about Staples and what a caliber company it is. Thank you, Staples.

I interviewed at a few airlines while working for Staples, but just couldn't justify starting over at another airline and making my family suffer through first year pay all over again. It just wouldn't be fair to them. They have been through enough the past few years. I was also offered a job with a cargo/freight carrier that operates point to point delivery all over the country. The pay was better, but the schedule would keep me away from home too much.

The answer was there. I just hadn't found it yet. I continued working for Staples in to the summer, enjoying the time being home with my family. I purchased a motorcycle that my wife and I enjoyed immensely. There's nothing like a relaxing ride on a cool, Kentucky summer evening under the dense tree canopy of summer, sharing the cool breeze with millions of fireflies. I see a Goldwing in our future.

This was the beginning of an eventful summer, filled with promise, despair and ultimately a renewed lease on life.

Time To Catch Up

Before disclosing the current locale, I should probably spend some time catching up over the last 12-15 months. Many interesting things happened in Yemen both good and bad and overall it was a rewarding experience. In the end due to circumstances beyond my control, I ended up spending five months away from home. It was a sacrifice I will not let happen again.

Living and flying in Yemen was quite an adjustment. It is a country of very diverse geography, from hot and humid coastal zones to mountians in excess of 12,000 feet in height and the arid, sandy desert of the Wadi Hadramaut. All of the planes are/were based in Sana'a, the capital, which sits in an a very high valley (7,200' above sea level) surrounded by huge, jagged mountains.

Sana'a looks very much like Phoenix, my home town. With Sana's elevation, the temperatures there are more moderate than Phoenix. A typical summer day sees a high of about 32C (about 90F), but the weather patterns, vegetation and topography look very much like the Sonoran Desert. Prickly Pear, Cholla, Bouganvilla, Eucalyptus, Aloe Vera, Pyracanthia and a variety of other plants. There is the Monsoon like rainy season with afternoon thunderstorms that build over the mountains and roll in to the city in late afternoon. Those create some pretty white knuckle flying too.

The average American has one opinion when it comes to Yemen: terrorism. While there are undoubtedly extremists and terrorists in the country, the average person is kind, generous and willing to go out of their way to help you. Petty crime there is non existent and I was able to safely walk the streets of the city day or night. Here are a few photos of Sana'a:

This is a view of the Presidential Mosque as seen from an area called Hadda Street. It was built two years ago at a cost of $20,000,000

View looking south from Babel Yemen aka Old Sana'a

More to come about Yemen, it's people and flying experiences while there.

The End of an Extended Absence

Well, I think I've really dropped the ball on something I worked long and hard at. Aviation is a tough business and has not been kind to myself and scores of others these last few years.

I spent all of 2009 flying in Yemen. Although I had a lot of interesting experiences there (which I will start writing about), it was very tough being there. At one point, I was away from home for five months to the day. I left Yemen in November, 2009 and decided to take some time off from flying and just be home.

I turned down several flying opportunities while waiting for a recall at Comair. I just missed the last round and was pretty upset about it. I decided to start looking at other opportunities again.

In late July, I went to a sim evaluation in Toronto. I was rusty and hadn't touched a jet since November. A few weeks later, I received a job offer from another overseas airline. This time with better terms and conditions.

I'm there now and hope to be better about adding to the blog once again. I've put too much effort in it to just let it remain dormant. Time to go flying again.

chirp...chirp

It's been a while since I've posted. The last year has been intersesting. More to come soon.