I thought this was an interesting picture. In the middle right at the top of the picture you can see a small black dot (if you click on the picture it will expand and you can see it better). This is actually a Chinook. Brian is coming down in an autorotation check. It is fun to watch from the ground because the aircraft pretty much drops straight out of the sky. We do this check after adjustments to the blades to make sure it can still descend in a controlled manner if both engines quit (controlled being relative). It is just about my least favorite thing we do as a test pilot. This picture was taken on the third day of a very extensive evaluation Brian completed a couple of weeks ago. A test pilot from the standardization division back at the home of Army aviation (Ft. Rucker , Alabama) came over here to test Brian and after passing with flying colors he is now the Army's newest CH-47 maintenance examiner (he is like me in that he now gives check rides to other maintenance pilots). So now anything I do to him on his check ride he can turn around and make me pay for it on my ride which I am going to have to take in a couple of weeks.
Monday, March 31, 2008
I thought this was an interesting picture. In the middle right at the top of the picture you can see a small black dot (if you click on the picture it will expand and you can see it better). This is actually a Chinook. Brian is coming down in an autorotation check. It is fun to watch from the ground because the aircraft pretty much drops straight out of the sky. We do this check after adjustments to the blades to make sure it can still descend in a controlled manner if both engines quit (controlled being relative). It is just about my least favorite thing we do as a test pilot. This picture was taken on the third day of a very extensive evaluation Brian completed a couple of weeks ago. A test pilot from the standardization division back at the home of Army aviation (Ft. Rucker , Alabama) came over here to test Brian and after passing with flying colors he is now the Army's newest CH-47 maintenance examiner (he is like me in that he now gives check rides to other maintenance pilots). So now anything I do to him on his check ride he can turn around and make me pay for it on my ride which I am going to have to take in a couple of weeks.
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From your comments...are we to understand that you fellows (and women? but I think there are not women Chinook pilots in Iraq or if so, they have not had narrative mention) are not completely serious and business-like in these check rides? Could it be that there are attempts to fake each other out? (: Any stories you have to tell...would be welcome. (: I mentioned this before but I think my request was lost in my own words...my own confusing words. (: Someone did a great little mock battle scene outside one of the buildings. You had a picture posted of this arrangement. Does this still exist? (Not the picture...the scene) Has it been re-arranged? Added to? Does the artist need more materials? Another rat? (We have one actually.) More troops? Has the artist lost interest? I made an excellent (to me at least) door hanging with some Camel cigarette boxes and empty shell casings and a small rhino and a Dale Gun Club patch...among other interesting objects. Kind of a small scale faux Hemmingway motif. (Of course, I think the real Hemmingway was entirely false but you know what I mean (: a gun, hunting, drinking motif. Which was totally unlike the Dale Gun Club but no one knows that. As a motif, it works. Enough of this. I am keeping David hours. It is 4am or thereabouts and I am going to bed. (: Alice shows up today. Landing in Pendleton. I hope Alice likes naps. (:
For the most part the check rides are serious business. A lot of it depends on the working relationship between the evaluator and the one being evaluated - that is to say what the check ride is for and how experienced you are. For a pilot just out of flight school or someone taking their pilot in command check ride it is quite intense and usually takes place over several days (like Brian's was to be signed off as a ME). In a situation where IPs are giving each other a check ride or Brain and I evaluating each other it is more a check to ensure you are doing things the same way and to challenge each other so you don't get complacent. In that example it is very rare for someone to fail but you always learn something and ensure that procedures are standardized.
As far as the battle scene - I didn't forget. I told Steve about it and he changed it up a couple of weeks ago but I forgot to take a picture and our recent sand storms have done a number on the troops - it's more of a post battle scene. But I will get a picture posted. I like the sound of your Hemmingway motif - I look forward to seeing it. What are you doing up at 4AM? No wonder you have to take naps :) Please give Alice a hug for me (and Wendi). Love you guys.
PS There are women Chinook pilots over here just not any in our company.
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