Hi Kids!

Did you figure out where I was the other day? It was San Francisco – one of the most interesting and scenic cities in the country – full of history and culture, I really enjoy getting to spend time there.

My day started very early in the morning in San Francisco. Curious how a Pilot’s day starts out? We go through security and check the status board to find out which gate our flight is going to depart from. When we get to the gate, we are greeted by the Operations Agent who checks our IDs and gives us the paperwork (flight plan and weather) for the flight. Then we all go down to the aircraft. As I get the cockpit prepared, the flight attendants prepare the cabin, and the Captain looks through the maintenance logbook, weather, and the flight plan. Meanwhile, the Ground Operations people are loading the bags outside and preparing the aircraft to fly. When I’m done in the cockpit, I head outside to make sure the aircraft is safe to fly. Lastly, the Captain and I run through checklists, and after the aircraft has been boarded and we get our final paperwork (the weight and balance of the aircraft), we start the show!

We started just prior to sunset in SFO. (The Captain and I take turns flying and, since he flew the aircraft into SFO the day before, I flew the first leg down to LAX. I always like it when it’s my leg to fly, because taking off and landing are my favorite parts of the flight. The Pilot who is not flying will work the radios and run checklists. It takes teamwork for us to operate the aircraft safely.) The weather on the West Coast was beautiful, and we were treated to smooth rides and early arrivals for each leg.

Here are the legs I flew yesterday:

SFO     to         LAX

LAX    to         SFO

SFO     to         LAX

LAX    to         MCI

And here are the legs I am flying today:

MCI     to         BNA

BNA    to         MSY

MSY    to         BNA

BNA    to         HOU

HOU    to         DAL

DAL    to         MCI

Remember to draw out the legs and add up the miles. Also, since this is the last day of my trip, I want you to add up all the miles I’ve traveled over the past four days. I will be coming to class tomorrow (Friday) to talk to you about some of the great cities we get to go to and lots more of the sights I get to enjoy from my office 37,000 feet in the sky.

I’m really looking forward to hearing your interview assignments and seeing you all again! 

Have a great day!

Your Pilot - Gary