TOUCH OF SPAIN

My girlfriend Maria, always gets excited when anything to do with Spain pops up. So here's a shot of some visitors arriving from Spain! This Airbus was flying over South Beach in Miami, when I took the shot. It's always nice to be reminded of home, isn't it? Well, back to work for four days. See you then !

MORE CLOUDS

Here's another shot from our flight going to New Orleans (MSY) a couple of days ago. It was hard to fly the plane with such beautiful photo opportunities popping up so often. It's too bad the passengers can't experience the beauty we enjoy from the cockpit, but I'll continue to share these incredible views with you. Sometimes we have some extremely long days sitting up front, but sights like this certainly make those tedious days worthwhile! Click on the photo to enlarge it and enjoy!

STORMS AROUND NEW ORLEANS

Finally made it home for three days. Here's a shot I took during our flight into New Orleans (MSY). It was an absolutely incredible view flying past these cumulus cloud buildups. We got in right before the storms hit........whew!!! The glint of the rainbow was an added bonus.

CONTINUATION OF SAN DIEGO ZOO

All the video wouldn't fit in the last post, so here's the other video of the "killing bird". Enjoy!

SAN DIEGO ZOO

On my most recent trip to San Diego (SAN), I had the opportunity to walk to the San Diego Zoo, which is considered one of the best zoos in the world. I had a great time and got a few nice shots of some of the animals and the funny things they do. I've added a few clips along with some photos for you to see. The parrot was singing Old McDonald (took him three years to learn it!), and the other bird is showing how he "kills" his prey by literally body-slamming it on the ground till it's dead. I had a great time at the zoo and hope to go again soon. If you ever get the chance to go to this zoo, don't miss it!

CHARLEY RAE'S TATTOO.........

The other day when we were leaving San Diego (SAN), one of the agents came and told me about one of our passengers with one of the most "interesting" tattoos she'd ever seen. When told about it, it got my attention, so as the young lady boarded the airplane, I had the flight attendants tell her I wanted to see her. She was a bit surprised, but my co-pilot and I were intrigued about Charley's tattoo. Seems she actually had a plate surgically inserted under her skin so the "stars" in her tattoo would be three dimensional and stay in place. They are actually about 1/4 inch high (maybe just a bit higher), and sparkle beautifully. She smiled and said she had been "bedazzled". Charley was a friendly as she could be and loved talking about her "look". All I could think of was.........THAT'S GOTTA HURT! Thanks for flying with us Charley and being such a nice young lady! I hope you enjoyed your flight.

VIEW FROM THE COCKPIT

Sometimes the view behind us is better than the one in front of us. (There's that whiny pilot syndrome.....LOL). Every now and then as we head east in the evening, an incredible sunset is occurring behind us. Here's a shot of a recent sunset that I thought deserved to be photographed. Unfortunately, at 37,000 feet, we can't open the window to get a better view, but I think you can see what I mean. Off tomorrow for a four day trip, so I'll be back on Tuesday. See you then.

WHAT CHRIS HAS TO LOOK FORWARD TO!!

My girlfriend's sons tennis coach, Chris, recently got a small "companion". A teacup chihuahua. He's a might tyke, and all 1.5 pounds of him is solid muscle. His name? BRUTUS!!! Really fits the little guy well. ;-) Anyways, I was at the beach today and saw a lady with a teacup chihuahua, and she said she loves the little thing with her heart and soul. She also said Chris was going to have a nice time with vet bills since these little guys are VERY expensive to maintain. Hmmmmm..... Chris has never heard Brutus bark either, so I'm downloading a clip so he knows what to expect. Have fun with Brutus, Chris!

SOUTH BEACH FASHION POLICE.....HELP!!

One of the neat things about South Beach in Miami is the wide variety of beach goers and their apparel. This guy apparently didn't want to generate any looks with his "ultra retro hat, Elvis sideburns, ring on every finger, and cool belt". :-) Even the lifeguards noticed his ultra sleek beach wear. You have to admit, he does look a bit cool with the cigar and everything.....and at least he wasn't wearing a thong. ;-)

OMINOUS CLOUDS

I get a chance to see some pretty awesome weather every now and then. Here's a shot I took of some pretty mean looking clouds as we were flying to San Diego the other day. Luckily we can fly around stuff like this in a matter of a few minutes. The light going through some of these clouds produces some incredible shots. But one thing I've learned through my years of flying through and by weather like this is that you can't win over Mother Nature.

B737 REFLECTION

While sitting and waiting for our push back in Houston (IAH) at the E terminal, it's always neat to see the reflections of aircraft taxiing behind us in the giant windows above and in front of us. Here's a shot of one of CAL's B737's that had just landed on runway 27 and is taxiing behind us to park. Reflections offer some great photo opportunities if you're ready.............which I usually am. ;-)

CALM SEAS

It's not often you see the ocean so calm that the clouds actually reflect off the water. Here's a nice shot the other day of that happening. The rainbow in yesterdays post was on the right side of the plane and this shot was taken out the left side of the cockpit. The view I have is one of the best perks of my job as an airline pilot. Sometimes the sights really prove to you there's a God!

RAINBOW!!!

Well, I'm finally back home for a few days. My last trip was a long and hectic one, but productive too. Here is a shot of an incredible rainbow that I took during our descent into West Palm Beach (PBI). It had to be one of the brightest, most brilliant rainbows I've ever seen. Everyone in the back of the plane was amazed at its intensity too. Once again, seeing sights like this makes me realize I've chosen the right job! Beautiful, isn't it?

NICE HOTEL ROOM

Every now and then we get some pretty nice hotel rooms. Here's a shot of one from my last trip to LaGuardia, NYC (LGA). It was at the Holiday Inn, LGA. I almost thought I had entered a businessman's residence. ;-) It would certainly be nice if they were ALL like this. Otherwise, a hotel room is just a hotel room. Another good thing about this hotel was its location to the US Open; it was right across the street. Now if I could only afford the tickets to go! Hopefully in a few years, Jimmy, my girlfriends son, will be playing there and get us FREE front row tickets. ;-)

POURING IN MIAMI

This morning I FINALLY got to come home for ONE day. I had to fly into Miami (MIA) since the Ft. Lauderdale (FLL) flight was oversold, and the flight deck jumpseat was taken by a more senior pilot.......RATS!!!! But.........my girlfriend saved the day and came to pick me up. My best friends from Albuquerque, NM (ABQ), Pat and Debbie Mooney, arrived this morning too, so we're all getting together tonight for a little fun in Hollywood. Then back to Newark (EWR), to morrow to start another four day trip. So, I'll be gone AGAIN and my blog will be dark for a few more days. :-( At any rate, here's a shot I got during our landing in Miami this morning. A couple of HUGE thunderstorms were in the area and it started pouring only moments after we landed.