Saturday, March 6, 2010

FLYING WITH SCOTT











Well, finally back home for three days before I head out again. Got a call from the training department a couple of days ago and they decided I needed to get qualified to fly to Eagle (EGE), Colorado......otherwise known to the rich and famous crowd as "Vail". I'd flown to Vail back in 1989 with my best friend Pat Mooney, when I worked for US Customs. We flew some "VIP support" in the Blackhawk helicopter for the Department of US Treasury. Anyway, I got the pleasure of flying my qualification ride with a guy I'd known back in 1983, in the US Air Force while stationed at Sembach, Germany, Scott Butcher (he's the one in the photo with just a little less hair than me....LOL). This was the first time we've ever flown together, but it's neat to know that after 27 years you can fly with someone you knew from a "previous life". Scott is a stand up guy, AF Academy graduate, F-16 pilot, and one of best check airmen at our airline. He's always one to help whenever help is needed. He has such a great personality and is so well liked by the station agents that they let him use their car, and set up anything he wants to do like skiing, sightseeing, etc. before he arrives. They even know his schedule of when he's arriving so they can all get together. Pretty neat! We all got together for a "sightseeing" trip in the Vail area, and then went out for a nice Italian dinner, and Scott bought dinner for everyone. Here's a couple of shots of my trip: arrival reflection, Scott and I, view from my hotel room, and Ada, Carol, the EGE station agents with Scott, and I. Thanks for a great trip Scott, it was a pleasure flying with you!

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