San Diego's Dog Beach

Boomer retrieving his toy at Dog Beach in San Diego.

Last week, I officially finished with the Airline Career Pilot Program with ATP. I passed my double check ride, and I am now legal to teach people how to fly in single-engine and multi-engine airplanes, and I can teach them how to fly by reference to the instruments only. I did a phone interview with ATP and was offered a job as a flight instructor for them, as long as I am able to do well in their standardization course at their headquarters. Please pray that God will provide for me to be able to do well in my time when I'm there.

Erin is doing well at her job. She finally got to switch over to working in the day time. It's amazing the difference that it can make when sleep happens at night! She's been a huge support, and I know that I wouldn't have been able to make it this summer without her unwavering love and encouragement.

We decided that we really wanted to spend some time at the beach before I had to start working at ATP with no time off, so we picked none other than San Diego's Dog Beach, in the Ocean Beach area. It's about a 6 hour car ride from where we are here in Arizona. Here are a few pics and videos from our trip there. Yes, it's true - we did plan a vacation around the silly, wet, stinky, lovable pooch. But I'm not sure who had more fun...Boomer or us!

Nathan, Boomer, and Erin at Dog Beach

People and dogs enjoying the sand and surf

Boomer bringing it in

Did you say "Give?"

The love of a dog displayed

Boomer getting beat out for his toy by another dog

Boomer soaking it up in the sun and surf in Southern California

Boomer and Nathan in the surf at Dog Beach

Boomer and Erin looking very "Southern California!"

Sweet old golden retriever that kept hanging out with Boomer, wanting to chase the toy but just couldn't.

Nathan and Boomer on the beach

Boomer retrieving his toy, and then giving a shower to anyone in his vicinity.

Boomer at the beach when we first arrived.

What a great place! We definitely enjoyed our time there! We needed the refreshment before another long time of having our nose to the grindstone in pursuit of what we believe to be God's will for our lives. Praise Him for His energy and provision through this intense time!

Arizona Sunset on the drive back to Phoenix. Notice the sliver of moon above the clouds. Sunsets may be the biggest redeeming grace of the desert. It's been tough here in our wilderness (being that neither of us are desert rats), but it's been amazing to see God's hand in moments like these.

We took this shot about a week before we went to San Diego. She's not exactly an "outside-loving" cat. But she sure was curious when we let her wander around a little on our balcony. Boomer thought it was the greatest thing that she was so close to him! Little did he know that she just really couldn't see him through the glare of the glass. Pets! You've gotta love 'em!

MEII

Howdy all! This is Nathan.

I just got my Multi-Engine Instructor Instrument Airplane rating this morning. I'm excited and exhausted, but I only have one more (double) check ride to do. I have to earn my Commercial Single Engine Land Airplane certificate, and then I have to earn my Flight Instructor Airplane Single Engine Land certificate. That check ride is on September 7th.

Thank you for your prayers, and please lift me up to the Father early in morning on the 7th!

Certificated Flight Instructor

As a word of news, I just earned my initial CFI rating in a Multi-Engine aircraft up in Las Vegas. It was a crazy couple of weeks trying to cram in all of the knowledge necessary to be able to teach aviation, but I'm finally a CFI!

It's a quick program, and the plan is to be finished by the first week of September with the remaining CFI ratings (Single engine and Instrument). It'll be over soon!

Thanks for your prayers, and we just wanted to let you know that we're doing fine. It's really hot here in Phoenix, but we know that this is where we're supposed to be for now.

Thankfully, Erin got a day position at the hospital where she's working right now, and the travel company that she is with is helping us in a very generous way with our living expenses. We sold our condo in Colorado, and we are now in a position to be able to go wherever it is that God leads us.

Please keep in contact! We'd love to hear what's going on in your lives as well!

Also, sorry about the old picture of us! This is from when we moved down to Arizona from Colorado...just thought you'd like to see that we're all still truckin'!

Cross Country Flights

We saw some great weather when we were flying back from Florida in the Seminole. These two shots are from Meridian, Mississippi. We were treated to some great southern hospitality, as well as to two great and very powerful storms. One storm moved in, and then about an hour later a second storm moved in. We were supposed to make it to Dallas that day (we had started in Jacksonville), but the weather prevented us from making an early departure from Meridian. We were on our way to Dallas when another weather alert came up and it advised us that there was a wall of thunderstorms between us and Dallas. Clint and I ended up diverting to Shreveport, Louisiana and spending the night there.

Here's a great shot of our plane that Clint took as the second storm was moving in at Meridian, Mississippi.

The southwestern part of the Grand Canyon from 12,000 feet.

Flying over the desert of the Western part of the US.

Mountains near Palm Springs, California

The critical instruments of the Piper Seminole. (From the top left to the right: Clock, Airspeed Indicator, Attitude Indicator, Altimeter (reading 12000 feet), Manifold Pressure gauge)
(From the bottom left to the right: 2nd VOR, Turn Coordinator and slip/skid indicator, HSI, Vertical Speed Indicator, Tachometer).

Jet Flight (Las Vegas to Jacksonville, FL)

The Citation Jet at Williams Gateway Airport

Flying by a storm

Flying high at 39,000 feet

Above the clouds

More clouds

Jet Flight (Las Vegas to Jacksonville, FL)

Here are a few pictures from the jet flight from Las Vegas, Nevada to Jacksonville, Florida.

Itinerary: Henderson Airport (Las Vegas) to OUN in Norman, Oklahoma (We flew over Clinton on the descent into Norman. We were in Norman 15 minutes after overflying Clinton); OUN to Craig Airport in Jacksonville, Florida.

I flew the jet from the right seat from Las Vegas to Norman. Clint, my flight partner, flew the jet from Norman to Jacksonville. What a rush!Clint, my flight partner, in the right seat on the way to Jacksonville...the founder of the company is in the left seat. In this shot, we are about to fly near the anvil of a thunderstorm that is in the dissipating stage. The lightning strike finder indicated that this cloud was a minimal threat.

Here's a shot of my turn to rotate and fly the jet out of Las Vegas. I'm concentrating intently on keeping the attitude indicator coincided with the flight director (fancy talk for just putting the airplane where it's supposed to go)

Derrick and me doing the before-takeoff checklist in Las Vegas at Henderson Airport

The classic "I'm really here in a jet cockpit" pic.

The Citation Jet on the ramp at Henderson Airport before we left.

Flight School Photos

Cessna waiting on a Boeing

Stratosphere in Vegas from the air

Piper Seminole in a turn over SoCal

View toward rear of cabin of Piper Seminole on a cross country flight

Biplanes at Williams Gateway airport here in Phoenix on a clear, early Saturday morning

Military cargo planes taking off out of Williams Gateway airport

Harriers on the ramp at Williams Gateway Airport

Starfighter (one of three in the world...this is the one that is privately owned)

Vought F4U Corsair on the ramp at Williams Gateway Airport (with Superstition Mountain in the background)

Here is the airport where I'm based and from which I do most of my training flights.

Multi-Engine Rating

On Friday I passed my multi-engine checkride. So I am legal to fly aircraft with 2 engines, instead of just one engine. Here is a pic of the type of airplane that I've been flying the past couple of weeks (Piper Seminole with 2 Lycoming, horizontally opposed, air cooled, normally aspirated, direct drive, 180 HP engines).

Thanks for your prayers! We still need them. Erin is enjoying her job (although she's ready to be able to work days as soon as possible), and I am starting on my instrument rating training. My next checkride to get the instrument rating is June 27th. Please let us know how you're doing!

(By the way, just so that I don't get into trouble, the photo above is from ATP's website at www.allatps.com)

This is Not Normal!

My number one engine...stopped...in flight. Ok, maintain directional control, pitch attitude, airspeed-check. Mixtures, Props, Throttles-full forward. Identify (left rudder is inactive), Verify - close throttle. Fix or feather-feather. Declare emergency and land at nearest airport. Engine failure checklist complete.

This may look like a problem, but it was all on purpose. As part of my training at ATP, I have to learn how to fly and handle a multi-engine aircraft in the event that I have an engine failure. It's actually quite comforting to know that I have a spare engine if I need it! Patrick, my instructor, took this pic this morning in my training flight.

Here's a cool, calm, and collected pilot...(actually, my back was sweating and my palms were soaked!)

To give credit where it is due, the above 2 photos were taken by my instructor, Patrick Stewart (no, not the guy from Star Trek!)

New Pilot!

Erin and Nathan after a soft touchdown in Pueblo, Colorado (wow, they must have had a great pilot!)

Nathan setting the radios while getting weather information

On short final, about to touch down on the numbers on 35R at Centennial Airport.
I (Nathan) just got my private pilot's license a couple of weeks ago, and we are now living in Phoenix so that I can receive more flight training. I hope to be an airline pilot soon, and I am now going to ATP to achieve that goal.

Trip to San Francisco

The last trip we took for fun was with our friends, Phil and Elizabeth. San Francisco was a blast to go to with them. Here are Phil and Elizabeth at the Cliff House.

The World Famous Bush Man at the Pier (yet another victim!)

Nathan and Erin at the Pacific near the Cliff House

Erin and Elizabeth at DIA, ready to go!

Our last flight on Frontier (for now...)