Cross-Country (Finally)
Click for a larger image. I don't know if it's because I left Amy or the camera at home (just kidding honey *ducks*), but today, the weather finally cooperated and I was able to complete my first dual...
View ArticleClass D Solo
Click for a larger image. On 3/8/04 I soloed up to Kenosha (ENW), which is in Class D airspace. This basically means that it's busy enough to have a control tower. In order to fly into the airspace...
View ArticleClass C Ops
Click for a larger image. The morning of 3/9/04 started out with threatening snow clouds blowing through the area. By the time I was supposed to have my lesson, things had cleared up a bit, but were...
View ArticleNight Ops
Click for a larger image. I knocked out 8 takeoffs and landings tonight. It was very cool, but as I said to my CFI: "That was fun. I'm just glad I know where the airport is." I could see...
View ArticleUnder the Hood Again
Click for a larger image. Today, I had my most frustrating lesson to date. I took advantage of a double-block of lesson time to try to knock out a lot of the required 'hood time.' As I mentioned in...
View ArticleFirst Solo Cross Country
Flight #37 was my first solo cross-country, C81->RYV->C81. 1.6 hours on the Hobbs. 116 nm round trip. If I have one bit of advice for future first-timers: when planning, PLAN ENOUGH NON-FLIGHT...
View ArticleWhat's a Beezer?
A while ago, I started looking for a way to keep track of and post my flying experiences online. All pilots keep logbooks of their flights - it's a requirement for various things, mostly relating to...
View ArticleCheckride Scheduled!
I'm way behind on updates, and just keep getting further behind, but I have to post this one. My checkride is scheduled for May 27, and today my CFI signed me off! That means he thinks I'm set to go...
View ArticleCheckride Postponed
When I got up this morning to try to throw together the last stuff I needed for my checkride, it was clear and beautiful outside. We were scheduled to meet at 09:00 CDT and I was supposed to call the...
View ArticleA Different Perspective
While looking over my logbook yesterday and contemplating my checkride being rescheduled to Saturday the 5th, I realized I might have a problem with one of the recency of training requirements, namely...
View ArticleI Am a Private Pilot!
I guess the third time's the charm. If you've been following along, you know that I've been frustrated lately by the weather keeping me from taking my practical exam for my pilot's license. Well on...
View ArticleFirst Vict. . . er, Passengers
The plan was to take my wife, Amy, up as my first passenger on Saturday morning. I had reserved one of the Warriors for 10:30 a.m. Then my sister had her baby early, and the weather went to pot, and...
View ArticleWhere the Hell Have You Been???
It's been far too long since I've written anything here. Time and attention never seem to coincide. Here are a few things in no particular order: If trying to upgrade the firmware on a Linksys WAP11...
View ArticleNight Time
I finally got some air-time last night. Went up just before sundown, launching right around 6:15p.m. Did 3 trips around the patch, then got gutsy enough to leave the pattern. I say gutsy because it was...
View ArticleWeekend Update
It was a busy but fun weekend. It started on Friday when I headed out to Campbell Airport to meet up with a friend from ground school and go for a ride in her and her husband's new used airplane,...
View ArticleGood Weather and Long Days
I went flying on Sunday and yesterday. First time in a few months. I went up with an instructor so I could get checked out to fly the club's 152s, which are just 2-seaters (as opposed to the 4-seater...
View ArticleFlying Puppy!!!
While dodging raindrops today, we took Martini for her first airplane ride!!! Even though we have a harness for her, Amy sat in back with her and she did GREAT! More pictures here. She was having fun...
View ArticleCatching up.
I suck. Way behind on posting. A few things: Going to Alaska soon. Woot! I need more Compact Flash memory. I met Drew of the Dawn and Drew Show podcast and took him for an airplane ride. We recorded...
View ArticleFlying With Drew - Part 2
I know I'm blowing my wad here with a third audio post in four days, but I've been stashing up this stuff for a while, so now I want to get it out. Today's bit of audio is actually...
View ArticleFireworks!
Last night, we got to a good spot to watch our local fireworks display just in time as they were starting. The whole show lasted about 25 minutes, and for a small city, I must say we represented. This...
View ArticleFlying to Alaska
My latest audio post is a collection of recordings I made on the Alaska Airlines trip to Anchorage a few weeks ago. The recordings were made on the iRiver iFP-899 which was plugged into the aux out on...
View ArticleFlying to Hahn's Part 1
Last Thursday, I went flying again for the first time in several weeks. This was an evening flight from Westosha Flying Club at Westosha Airport (5K6) to Hahn Sky Ranch (2T5) to try to meet up with...
View ArticleFlying to Hahn's Part 2
Last Thursday, I went flying again for the first time in several weeks. This was an evening flight from Westosha Flying Club at Westosha Airport (5K6) to Hahn Sky Ranch (2T5) to try to meet up with...
View ArticleGoing to Oshkosh
My wife and I are going to the EAA Airventure, Oshkosh this weekend. Oshkosh is a HUGE flyin/airshow - I think the biggest in the world. There will be plenty of photo ops and I'm sure more than a few...
View ArticleEAA AirVenture, Oshkosh - 2005
eaa_airventure_oshkosh_2005.mp3 - 20MB - 57:42 Rose and I drove up to Oshkosh, Wisconsin last weekend for EAA AirVenture, a large, week-long fly-in/airshow/pilot convention. A main theme of AirVenture...
View ArticleFlying with Art Part 1 of 2
flying_with_art_part_1_of_2.mp3 - 21.5MB - 62:55 More notes to come - this post has been too long coming to hold up for notes. I took my friend Art for his first general aviation airplane ride. Art is...
View ArticleFlight School Advice
022_flight_school_advice.mp3 - 12MB - 34:11 A neighbor (losely applied) found my website and e-mailed me, asking if I could answer some questions for him about the airports I did my flight training at....
View ArticleFlying Rose
023_flying_rose.mp3 - 13MB - 35:15 "Rose" and I headed out to the airport and the weather turned to crap. I had hoped to capture getting my preflight weather briefings on this one, but didn't have a...
View ArticlePissed Off and Inspired
024_pissed_off_and_inspired.mp3 - 8MB - 23:11 A beautiful sight. An unanswered message. A fledgeling pilot. I'm going to jump! Riffraff. Some URLs: JVonD Radio Comment_on_DSC-269.mp3 - My message to...
View ArticleWhat Kind of Airplane are You?
A little something silly: You are a DEHAVILLAND BEAVER. You loveadventure. You are a person of the outdoors,very in-tune with nature and your surroundings.You enjoy communication between people,...
View ArticleFlying Videos
I don't think I ever linked to this page of videos Drew Domkus took of me and Art dropping in to his R/C club's annual cornroast: Cornroast = Buttroast. Also, here is a video I took of Drew flying...
View ArticleBliv, Rose, and Junior - Mish Mash
031_bliv_and_rose_mish_mash.mp3 - 14.4MB - 42:00 This was delayed by a server crash. Please forgive. It's a ramble-fest. We went flying (Junior's first flight), but coudln't take you with due to a dead...
View ArticleBirthday Surprises
032_birthday_surprises.mp3 - 17.5MB - 48:30 I went for a solo flight in a C-152 on my birthday. The following Saturday, Rose and I went out to a meat-fest dinner at Fogo de Chão with a bunch of...
View Article1st Passengers - A Video
1stPassengers.m4v - 101MB - 16:52 - video This is a video of my first passenger-carrying flight from June 13, 2004. My dad and wife were onboard - very fitting, as they were my two biggest supporters...
View ArticleFlying with Drew - A Video
Flying_with_Drew.m4v - 8.8MB - 3:51 - video This is going to be the last video for a while, I promise. It's old footage Drew took when we went flying back in May, 2005. The audio is a mix from the...
View ArticleFlying With Myself
036_flying_with_myself.mp3 - 7.5MB - 21:27 I squeezed in one flight in March. The weather was marginal, so I just did some basic training. This is a shorter show than my usual becuase the battery went...
View ArticleShe's ALIVE!!!!
039_shes_alive.mp3 - 20MB - 28:37 I got the motorcycle running like a champ. BFR (two-year flight review) and Cessna 172SP checkout is today if weather holds - don't expect audio from that. 7 weeks to...
View ArticleBFR/172SP Checkout
UPDATE: Here is a Magnalox log of my fligt. If you haven't checked Magnalox out and you're into GPS/mapping geekery, you should really check it out. The logs can be viewed standalone, in Google Maps,...
View ArticleGrounded
044_grounded - 18.1MB - 25:46 At the title implies, I am currently grounded from flying. My 3rd Class Medical expired at the end of October, and I can't currently renew it. Listen for the details. I...
View ArticleI've Got Wings!
045_ive_got_wings - 14MB - 19:40 At the title implies, I am no longer grounded from flying! My 3rd Class Medical has been renewed! In just under 2 months, I lost between 10 and 15 pounds, got my blood...
View ArticleTakeoffs and Landings
047_takeoffs_and_landings - 33.6MB - 35:52 I went flying. I recorded it. Nothing too exciting, just trying to get back into the flow of podcasting. I left the silences in the recording so it is...
View ArticleAirbus A380 Heading to ORD
It's coming into Chicago today, the world's largest passenger jet. Although I can't really skip work to go watch it land in about an hour, I'm sitting here with my radio scanner tuned into ORD Approach...
View ArticleBulldog and Cloud Dancer
.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; } .flickr-yourcomment { } .flickr-frame { text-align: center; padding: 3px; } .flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } IMG_1408_edit,...
View ArticleRIP Jim Leroy and Gerard Beck
I recently posted about a photo I took in '05 of airshow performer Jim Leroy and his plane "Bulldog." According to Aero News Jim died en route to the hospital after a crash during the Dayton Airshow....
View ArticleBerk Snow - Model Human?
Want to be humbled by how one person can touch many lives for the better? Google "Berk Snow." For good measure, add "Burningman." Really too bad about that box canyon :(...
View ArticleNight Flight Debrief
The other night, I went for my first night flight in a while. The flight was uneventful in the good way, but while Monday Morning Quarterbacking it since then, I've come up with a few decisions that...
View ArticleAOPA Town Meeting Tuesday April 22, 2008
FYI, I plan on attending the AOPA Town Meeting with President Phil Boyer in Arlington Heights, IL on Tuesday, April 22, 2008. If any of youse guys are going to be there, send me an e-mail or let me...
View ArticleBoo!
Yet again, it's been far too long since I've posted here. Oh well. Blame Twitter and/or Facebook if you must. Quick hit-and-run run-down: A) Em's great. I love that little girl. Words and photos fall...
View ArticleEmily's 6th Birthday
A.K.A. "A brief (heh) description of the 6th birthday of the luckiest kid (and dad) ever." I woke up briefly to Amy saying goodbye as she had to leave wicked early (5:30-ish) for an odd day at work....
View ArticleI'm Safe
On my hot, frustrating, ride in to work today*, I was thinking about the similarities between motorcycling and flying, which I often do. Both require attention to detail, good traffic scanning and...
View Article
