Back On The Line

It was mid January when I last set foot inside a cockpit. It's a good thing we use checklists! It's amazing how much you forget in such a short time period.

I gave my first officer fair warning about my absence from work these past two months. He seemed envious that I had been off for so long. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that we went on a cruise while I was off work status! I asked him to keep an eye on me and if I goofed up anything to please speak up. Although I would expect that from anyone I fly with no matter what the situation. I always do the same for my crew mates.

This would be an easy trip to get back in the flying world again. It was only a turnaround from DFW to San Jose and back.

DFW was packed with spring breakers headed for all parts of the globe. It sure doesn't seem as though the demand for air travel has decreased at all considering the state of our economy. All of our available seats were full this day.

Good weather was forecast all along the route. The westbound leg took us over the Texas panhandle, then the four corners region.


Monument Valley was looking very monumental this day.




Lake Powell looked pretty good too.



Then came the Sierra Nevadas and finally an arrival routing over Modesto and a straight in approach to SJC from the south.


The freight guys were taking a break today...it was a Saturday.



We picked up a fresh load of passengers and headed back to DFW. The routing this time would follow the road trip I just took a couple of weeks ago. We flew south towards Edwards AFB then turned east towards the Colorado River, then across northern Arizona, New Mexico, and finally Texas.

By the time we set the brakes back at DFW it was just like old times. I was back on the line once again..... When is my next vacation??



For a look at some more of my photos, please aviate over to Plane & Simple