These pictures are taken on the last trip I flew. I still have one more trip to fly before wrapping it up with this company. Remember, this is the good part of the job. I omitted the pictures of the hotel rooms, airport food kiosks, 18 hour overnights, commuting, etc. I also omitted pictures of my wife and dogs and family at home without me.
I like to say that the flying part is about 20% of the total lifestyle. Its the other 80%, coupled with my looming displacement and furlough and the lack of silver lining for this company that leads me to hang my hat on the airlines for now. The door is still wide open.
Me in cockpit!
The cockpit. N804HK.
Me looking fine.
No hat this time. Just chillin’.
Snapped one at night too.
Cabin
Deice bucket applying Type I fluid
My home away from home (aka Crashpad). Many nights in that bed living out of that suitcase.
View from the doorway looking in.
December 9th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Nice photos. It makes me want to get up right now and fly again. My father flies a DC-9 for Northwest Airlines.
December 14th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
If I could put my pictures up they’d be something like this… Dinner (something that took no effort to prepare) on the couch with the dogs starring at me hoping a piece will fall, people looking at me astonished when I tell them I haven’t seen my husband but 4 nights in the last (almost) 3 weeks, attending family functions alone and having to explain where you are 500 times, going to sleep and waking up to an empty bed most nights of the week, having NO clue what city you’re in tonight or exactly when you’ll be home again or if you’ll even make it home on your next commute, wondering who you’re eating with tonight (just the flight attendant?!?) and being perfectly ok either way because I trust you, watching you live out of your car and suitcase when you’re home…yes, those would be a few of my pictures. All in all I’ve found an inner independence and the ability to find beauty in the downsides of being a pilots’ wife!
December 30th, 2008 at 5:29 am
It’s a tough lifestyle and a rough road at times, especially during the holidays. My wife has to explain the same thing over and over and over… I digress. On the plus side when he (we pilots) have days off, they are totally devoid of any form of “work” for the airlines. It does also get better with time and seniority, however there are bumps in the road. Furloughs (been through two myself…), displacements, etc… but in the end, we all like flying airplanes, and we actually love our jobs (just not the time away from home.)
Nice photos!