Although this blog was created purely for personal reasons, I feel fortunate to have made many friends through it and am honored that it has many followers.
Life has been very hectic and that is the reason for the delays. Lots to say, stories to share, promise to be back very soon.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It's been a while since I've posted. The last year has been intersesting. More to come soon.
The snowplow/dumptruck is towing the broken fuel truck (on ice) to the aircraft to refuel. Only a photo will do here.
This is the Fairmont Hotel in Cairo
Part of the welcoming party upon arrival in Sana'a.
The view East from my flat. Even though the elevation here is 7.200 feet, the terrain and vegetation looks a lot like Phoenix and the Sonoran Desert.
View from my room. This is a garden with a lot of different vegetables sprouting. 
This is the company's very well equipped training center. Computer based training, cockpit mock-ups and whiteboard. Very nice.
The first week of "New Job" has wrapped up - and - I'm still in North America. Yes, another delay has ensued.
The call came Tuesday morning. I was to head to Toronto Tuesday night instead of Wednesday because of flight scheduling. That gave me only Tuesday to get packed, tie up loose ends and have a really good lunch with my good friend, and former co-worker, Dan. We met him in Lawrenceburg, IN - a nice little town on the Kentucky-Ohio-Indiana border. Lawrenceburg's biggest claim to fame used to be a huge Seagram's factory. Now it is Argosy Casino. Anyway, we met at a great restaurant called Whisky's. It's in a building that has been around since the mid 19th century and has a great menu. Recommended. Dan is about the join the US Army and go to helicopter flight school. So Tuesday was the last chance for us to get together for at least the next year. Good luck Dan and thanks.
The rest of the day was spent getting packed and spending as much time with mykids as possible. We treated them to dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings on the way to the airport.
I was the first of the group to arrive late Tuesday night. A few other guys came in Wednesday morning. The remainder of the crew was to come in Thursday morning when we would all head to Goderich, ON to pick up the newly painted and appointed aircraft from the paint shop. Five guys, with 2 months worth of bags, plus a driver. Sounds like a job for a 12-15 passenger van, right? How about a Chevy Uplander. There was no way that everyone, even with just a carry-on would fit. Luckily, two of the guys inbound flights were delayed and the van made a second trip to pick them up.
Have I mentioned that I don't care for Canadian weather? Yeah...no. I completely understand why the US is full of Canadian geese. I don't blame them. On top of bitter, below zero cold, the trip to Goderich was complimented with sudden intermittent snow squalls, lake effect snow, icy roads and sudden onsets of zero visibility. It took us all afternoon to get there. I do have to say that, even covered with snow, Canada is truly a beautiful country. Every small town we passed through was clean and charming.
When we arrived in Goderich, we went straight to the airport. The aircraft was out on the ramp and it looks great. They did an excellent job. This paint might actually avoid stripping and peeling for the first month, unlike the lower than lowest bidder shop contracted to paint the Comair fleet.
The plan was to do some take offs and landings for the guys that needed currency and then leave Friday morning. Well, like before, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. The weather was intermittent squalls, gusts to 39 knots and 500 foot ceilings. Not the kind of weather for pattern work at a non-towered airport with no navaids, not to mention a lack of proper deicing equipment. There would be no flying.
The FMS needed to be updated. The update was in hand, but the data-uplink computer was supposed to be coming in on another CRJ coming to the paint shop. There was no way it would get there either. There would be no departure for Friday.
One issue created another and now the new departure date is Tuesday, with pattern work to be done on Monday. The good news is that at least I'm being paid. The bad news is this town is so small that, due to a hockey tournament (go figure), there are not enough rooms for us this weekend and we have to go to another town 15 kilometers aways. It's not that big of a deal. It's just inconvenient.
I have to take a minute to talk about the little motel we've been staying at, The Maple Leaf. It's not a fancy Marriot or Hilton, but it has something they'll never have: Jeanette and her staff. What The Maple Leaf lacks in polish, it more than makes up for in personal, caring service. Jeanette went out of her way to make sure that every unique need we had was taken care of. I wish we could have stayed.
The new place is in Bayfield, ON. This place is too weird to describe. The closest description I can give is The Overlook Hotel (Come and play with us, Danny...REDRUM) and a Lawrence Welk Show rerun. There's no phone in the room and the Electrolux COLOR TV has KNOBS! The place is too weird for words. I really expect to see Danny riding his Big Wheel through the hall when I open the door or this...
