January 21st, 2019-  Here is the beautiful skyline with a full moon.  I didn't see the eclipse last night, but I hear that it was pretty cool.   I enjoy hearing the church bells ringing and playing songs each hour.  Maybe it comes from the bell tower I included in the pics the other day.  

I woke up at 1:45 am and laid awake for too long!  I need to find the off switch for my brain!  After a few hours of sleep, I wake up and then start rolling all the things I need to know in my head.  UGH!!
​

I am doing ok with around 6 hours of sleep, but need a bit more to be sharp in the simulator.  So much is going on and a lot of information coming at you at once.  Please pray that I can sleep through the night.  I make it until about 1-2 am and then struggle to fall back asleep.  

Today was fun and I did some things well and some things that really need some work.  We did 18 kt direct crosswind takeoffs and landings, steep turns (I need to work on these), my approach was excellent and balked landings (a go-around when we are close to the ground) needs work because my 1st one I didn't fly well, but made the right calls and the 2nd one I flew it well and messed up the calls.  Good grief!  I need to put them together!  I was the guinea pig and flew 1st today so we will switch tomorrow and I can observe Brad doing stalls, low visibility takeoffs, rejected takeoffs and terrain avoidance maneuvers.   Looks like a busy day!  

We covered the electrical system tonight and that is probably the hardest one.  Brendon said I know more than I think and to keep working on it.  Told me today, "We haven't had too many physical education teachers come through this program.  Probably prepared you well as you managed the chaos in a gym."  He also told me, "You would not believe how impressed I am with your notes."  Everyone talks about this heavy notebook I carry around.  I am not trying to impress....just trying to learn the tons of material IN that notebook!  Seems like I could study forever and still not know it all.  

I asked Brad if we could go get something to eat.  I haven't had a meal in 3 days and starting to get hungry.  I have fruits and veggies in the room, but I need something that will stick to me.  Several days is my limit and I was hungry!  Planned on bringing my leftovers home.......I ate it all!  =)  I do miss having a car and driving myself whenever I want to go.  

Since we did our brief tonight we will catch the 5 am shuttle.  Time for sleep!  

January 20th, 2019-  We got about 6" of snow that passed thru last night and our instructor Brendon drove in from Louisville.  He arrived around 3 am this morning and we rode in his rental car at 7:30 am.  I don't know how he stayed awake all day.  

Had an amazing day in the sim!  Loved every minute of it.  Finally had some fun after this difficult journey.  So much to learn and it is so helpful to have buttons and switches to push and move and they light up and do something!  Brad was 1st officer and I was the Captain.  Nice to observe him flying and I still had a lot to do on my side.  Then we switched.  Here is where we will "fly" for 4 hours each day- 2 hrs as the Captain and then 2 hours as the 1st officer.  We brief for an hour before and an hour afterwards.  

Brad and I both had amazing landings.  So exciting and I came in right on the centerline and greased my landings.  Sweet!!!  I was smiling and the instructor was impressed.  Even more so that I did it 2 times in a row.  

I need to work on my go-arounds and will practice them in my head as I turn off the lights tonight.  It is called "chair flying" and now I know what it looks like in the plane.  Much more realistic.  We did normal takeoffs today as well as climbs, descents, landings and then go-arounds.  I will start as 1st officer tomorrow and will be flying 1st.  Crosswind landings tomorrow.  =)

We had 1 hour when we got back to the hotel so I ate a salad and then we went over the fuel system for 2.5 hours down in the lobby.  I am starting to fade and time to sleep.  Thankful there was food in my fridge.  Not much free time today.  I need some quality sleep to recharge.  I will get up at 3:30 am.  

Tony flew out this morning from Cincinnati and went to Chicago and then caught a flight to Reagan.  Finally got him home.  Great to see him and spend some time together.  Several of my classmates flew in today and are starting CPT or the sims.  They all asked about Tony.  Pretty cool how they connected with him when we were in Appleton.  

Thanks for praying for me.  I will keep you updated.  

January 19th, 2019-  Mom is 75 today and I love you so much!  Thanks for being the best mom any daughter could ever ask for!  I hope you enjoyed dinner and a movie with Rosalind and Bill.  You have reached out and made new friends and I am so proud of you.  

Brad and I enjoyed having a mental break yesterday.  We needed the time to recharge and prepare for the next difficult part of our journey.  2 of his classmates have a car and took us to the REI store.  I felt like I was let out of jail and we got to go somewhere else.  We passed the Bengals stadium driving into Cincinnati.  

I was excited to see Tony when he came to visit.  I am thankful for his flying privileges.  We went to the pool and he said the water was too cold to get in and decided to sit on the side of the pool while I did my aqua jogging.  Tony decided we would go out to a nice, fancy place to eat last night-  White Castle (hamburger joint).  His choice and not mine.  I knew that he would enjoy eating out.  He recognized the sketchy neighborhood we are located in and agreed with Brad that I should not leave the hotel.  

Bruce agreed to meet with Brad and I this morning to give us tips for the sim.  I am surrounded by so many supportive and hard working folks.  Left to right is Brad (my sim partner), Bruce (my 1st sim partner) and Tony with his handsome dimple!  

I rode with Tony to the airport and he was going to try and fly back home today.  The ceilings were dropping and they cancelled his flight.  I was waiting for the shuttle to pick me up and I noticed a bag sitting in the road by the curb and in the rain.  I rain across the parking lot and across the jersey barrier to flag down the van.  He didn't want to stop or even look at me, but decided to come back around.  I asked if the bag belonged to anyone since I saw 2 pilots and 2 flight attendants get into the shuttle.  A lady said "Yes it is mine!"  She was so thankful.  I put it inside the van and said, "I would want someone to do the same for me!  I believe we should do unto others as they would do unto us.  God bless and have a great day!"  All of them were smiling and I was thanking the Lord for making their day.  

I called Tony and found out he was coming back so my 2 hour wait for the shuttle worked out and we ended up taking a taxi.  The hotel agreed to reimburse me since nobody ever came to get me and I called 3 different times.  3 planes did a go-around and did not land because of the fog, so I wasn't surprised when Tony didn't make it out. 

Brad and I studied to prepare for our 4 am-10 am slot in the morning.  Our instructor sent a text and said he was not going to make it in tonight from Dalles.  I wasn't surprised with the weather.  He said let's do the 7:30 am shuttle instead.  I am thankful for the early shift and we will see if he makes it in somehow.  

Tony is looking at flights tomorrow and we will see if he makes it out.  Nice to have him here for another day.  

January 17, 2019-  Brad and I earned our sign off to the sim this morning.  What a grueling and exhausting week!  Brad and I worked so hard together and I thank the Lord for helping me have the strength to conquer this hurdle.

I got locked out of my room for the 3rd time today so they gave me a free breakfast voucher.  My reservation now goes until February so I will be here for a long time.  I enjoyed getting back in the pool again today.  The water was warm again so I enjoyed the workout and a mindless activity after the last few days.  Thanks for the swimsuits Julie!  I have used them a lot the last few months.  =)

Brad and I needed fresh air and wanted to get out of this hotel so we walked around town in the rain.  We are in a pretty sketchy area.  I now see why I haven't got outside.  We had 4 people ask us for money and one guy followed us.  Thankfully we were close to the pizzeria we wanted to visit and we ducked in.  Looks like the next 3 weeks will be filled with sleep, study, working out, being at the hotel and the early morning flight center visits.     

Here is our schedule for the next 3 weeks:
Off- Jan 18th and 19th (a much needed mental and physical break)
Day 1 thru 4 in the sim Jan 20th to Jan 24th - 4 am to 10 am
Off- Jan 25th and 26th
Day 6 thru 8 Jan 27th to Jan 29th- 4 am to 10 am
Off- Jan 30th and 31st
Day 9 thru 13 February 1st thru Feb 5th- 8 am to 2 pm

I love the sim times compared to my previously scheduled times which were 8 pm to 2 am.  That was not going to be good for my sleep schedule.  It is 6:30 pm now and I am already in bed so I am fine with early times!  The shuttle doesn't go that early so I don't know how Brad and I will get to the flight center.  Hopefully our instructor will contact us in the next few days to tell us about those logistics.  =)

Brad showed me the walk around trainer which shows pics of the aircraft and all the pieces/ parts I need to know for the pre-flight inspection.  I will curl up with my iPad (oh joy!) and read until I doze off.  At least I know where to find it buried in the iPad.   I woke up at 1;30 am this morning so I am praying for a deep and restful sleep tonight.  There was a barking dog at 2 am this morning so hopefully it will also be quiet.  

Thanks for those prayers!  Keep them coming.  I have a lot to learn and prepare for in the next few weeks.  My radio communication skills are poor and need serious work as well as my confidence.  Let's get to work on those weak areas!  

January 16th, 2019-  Woke up at 3 am again today, so I laid in bed and ran profiles thru my head.  I have my quiet time each morning and then head off to the shuttle.  Had just enough time this morning to make up a fruit parfait bowl and ate it on the way.  Our instructor drove us to the center instead of the shuttle.  

Today was another stressful day.  I about lost my cool.  Regained my composure thankfully.  It is hard to push me to that point, but I was there today.  Brad told me this evening when we studied that he almost reached over and tapped me on the shoulder to say it would be ok.  We have been able to help each other this week.  Our last "flight" finally went well this afternoon and I was encouraged to finally hear "That was really good Cindy."  I have felt like I was in a blender all week and just shredded to pieces.  What a difficult journey!  I don't need a lot of encouraging feedback, but something once in a while is helpful.  

The iPad has been such a struggle for me to learn since I got to Appleton in October.  Everything we do, I mean everything is on the iPad.  Buried deep in the layers of this digital book is everything I need to reference, know or find.  We found out this morning that our huge emergency procedures book and immediate action items list cannot be used and so we have to use.....you guessed it- the iPad!  Ugh!  Right out of the gate this morning I reached for the book and list and nope....had to find it in the iPad manuals.  I have never researched on an iPad before starting this training and I find a hard copy book so much easier to find things.  I have improved so much, yet so far to go.  This curveball this morning is what set me off.  Here we are running an emergency engine fire checklist and I can't find the right page in my digital book.  Made me so frustrated.  I will continue to work on it.  

Got back to the hotel today and I couldn't get in my room.  They said my checkout date was for today.  No.......I will be here until mid February at the earliest.  Brad and I took off for an hour to just chill and rest our brains.  Started up at 2:15 and worked until 4:45 pm.  We had a breakthrough today and just hammered out these profile calls.  They have to be automatic and I finally felt them sticking in my brain.  About time!  We need to have a good evaluation for each of us to get signed off tomorrow. It would not have happened yesterday or today.  We start at 6 am in the morning.  Each of us will fly about 5 takeoffs and landings, do several 1st flight of the day tests and answer questions about the autopilot system.  

After we studied, I couldn't get in my room again.  Went back to the front desk and they said your checkout date is today.  Told me I needed to contact headquarters.  This was 5 min before 5 pm at headquarters so I didn't know if anyone would respond.  I called and left a message and sent a text message to my instructor.  I asked if I could at least get back in my room.  The guy at the front desk said yes, but we need an answer before midnight so nobody comes during the night to basically kick me out of the room.  As if I don't have enough stress.  Thankfully Tracy at headquarters called back and said she would take care of it.  Said my reservations goes until Feb 6th and can be extended.

I went up and walked on the treadmill to get my 10,000 steps.  Haven't been in the pool for several days.  I hope to get back in tomorrow afternoon.  

Time to sleep!  I need to rest this brain and body so I can be charged up and ready to go in the morning. Thanks for praying for me and Brad.  We make a good team and can help each other be successful tomorrow.  
   

January 15th, 2019-  Whew.....what a day!  Brad and I made mistakes from the beginning and it went downhill throughout the day.  When can do the profiles and calls by ourselves, but we struggle when we get in that room with our instructor.  Tomorrow needs to be a better day!

We worked until noon and then we went immediately into the simulator to observe.  I was thankful for the opportunity to finally observe and it was 2 of my classmates.  Nice to watch from the backseat and not have the responsibility.  We were listening to the debrief and the shuttle came so we had to finish at the hotel.  It was 4 pm by the time we got to the hotel.   Long day...

Brad and I studied from 4:30-7 pm and I was starting to fade.  Tony took dinner down to my folks and visited them and it was nice to video chat with all 3 of them!  I only had 3,000 steps so I walked on the treadmill to at least hit 5,000 steps for today.  Time for bed.  I need to rest my brain and body to recharge for tomorrow.  

January 14th, 2019-  I woke up at 2:30 am this morning and just ran thru profiles in my head.  A profile is a picture of what the plane is doing and what calls I need to make, when I make them and what my partner needs to do.  There are 15 of them and we have to have them all memorized.  Depending on the scenario, I have to immediately recite every word exactly as it appears on the page.  Here is an example of one of them.  Just a few things to memorize memorize on this one!  

Had another good day and I was the Captain first and then the First Officer.  I made a few mistakes this afternoon and was mentally getting tired.  

Came back to the hotel and swam for 30 min, did aqua jogging for 30 min and then went up to the workout room.  Bruce was on the elliptical!  So good to see him so I sat down on the recumbent bike and we talked for about 30 min. He had 2 days off and is starting his late shifts.   He starts with a new partner today and they go from 8 pm-2 am.  Ugh!!!  What an awful time slot!  He said he was exercising this afternoon to try and help him stay awake.  I love my 6 am slot.  

Brad came up and sat down beside the workout equipment and we went over profiles like the one above.  I was the First Officer and walked for 3 miles on the treadmill.   I was tired by the time we finished and I have over 14,000 steps.  Walking and saying these callouts at the same time helps me stay focused because it would be hard for me to just sit still and practice.  We took off a few hours and will practice again after dinner.  Brad will be the First Officer and I will be the Captain.  Nice view from the 16th floor and the workout room. 

When we go to Flight Safety each day, we spend 6 hours in a tiny room with a "paper tiger" which is a mock cockpit.  I finally remembered to take a picture during one of our short breaks this morning.   Motivation to get signed off and earn my way to the simulator!  Even harder, but we get to learn how to fly the jet after all this training!  

Here is an encouraging scripture for today:  Philippians 3:13-14  I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection.  But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.  No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing:  Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus is calling us.  

I love each one of you and appreciate all the support, love, encouragement and prayers.  I will continue to work hard and do my best on this challenging journey.  

FYI-  My mom's birthday is on the 19th so if any of you read this, you can shower her with love since I won't be home.  =(  Give her a big hug, smile and make her day!  75 years is quite a celebration!  

January 13th, 2019 -  I woke up at 3:15 am this morning so I am thankful for early class since my sleep schedule is still really early!  Read my Bible, studied and we caught the shuttle at 5;30 am.  The roads had about 5" of slush and snow on the interstate.  Interesting commute and I was in the front seat next to the driver who kept dropping the F bomb and talked non-stop.  We made it safely to the flight safety center.  The snow is beautiful and we got about 7" of snow.  Sounds like home in Virginia got even more than we did in Ohio.  

I was the First Officer today and Brad was the Captain.  He is retired Navy (24 year career), instructor, jet pilot and an excellent partner.  We will work well together.  Very structured, disciplined, wants things to be right and he is intense.  Know anyone like that?  =)  We will switch roles tomorrow.  It was so nice knowing what I was supposed to be doing today.  A lot less stress.  I just need to keep improving everyday!  

We finished up at 12:30 pm and our instructor Steve drove us back.  He offered to take us to the grocery store so that was a HUGE blessing!  I stocked up on fresh fruits and veggies.  

Got back to the hotel and swam in the pool for an hour.  So nice!  Then I went up to the workout room to walk on the treadmill.  I sent a text to Brad and he decided to join me.  Said he was not working out and just stood on the treadmill next to mine.  Told him I didn't care if he worked out or not!  I got to walk as we worked on profiles and callouts for almost 2 hours.  I have 17,000 steps!  We just kept firing practice calls to one another and the repetition is perfect for my learning style.  

Came back to the room to eat and Brad sent a text to see if we wanted to switch.  So we met again and he was the First Officer.  So much studying today and we will do this each day.  We will both be ready for our evaluation!  

Time for sleep and signing off.  Thanks for praying for us!   

January 12th, 2019-  Tony drove me up to Dulles this morning and I was able to get on my 12:30 flight with no problems today.  They scanned my boarding pass and a buzzer stopped me.  A new boarding pass was printed and I was upgraded to first class.  Whoa!  Never sat up there before.  =)  Comfy seats!  The guy next to me got the window seat and closed the window.  Why do people do that??  Give ME that seat and I will gladly look out the window.....the entire flight!  =)  He had his carry-on bag under both seats in front of us so my backpack didn't fit.  He says "Can I help you with anything?"  I was thinking.....yes you can move your bag that should be under the plane.  =)  I looked under my seat which was the last row of 1st class and there was room.  I got up and walked behind my seat and shoved it under my seat.  Once I got settle it was a nice ride with lots of room.  

We had clear skies at Dulles and snow awaiting us in Cincinnati.  Thankfully no delays.  We broke out of the clouds at 700' and I briefly got to look out the window as the guy finally lifted the shade.  My bag made it too so I had a great day!  I caught the shuttle to the hotel.  Bruce is here so we met for an hour and he gave me tips on training in the simulator.  What a huge help he has been along this journey!  

I walked to a nearby Chipotle to get some dinner and came back to unpack my suitcase.  I will be here until February.  Here is my schedule and I love the hours!   More inline with my natural sleep schedule.    

January 13th thru 17th- CPT cockpit procedures training 6 am-noon
Off-  January 18 and 19th
January 20 thru 24th-  Simulator training 4 am - 10 am
Off-  January 25th and 26th
January 27th thru 29th-   Simulator 4 am -10 am
Off- January 30th and 31st
Feb 1st thru 4th- Simulator 8 am to 2 pm
Feb 5th- checkride

Everything is subject to change, but that is the plan for now.  My partner is Brad Gilbertson and our instructor is Steve Majewski.  Steve is driving in from Buffalo, NY because the Skywest First Officer got off the plane this morning.  Steve decided to start driving.  Sometimes aviation has human factors that get in the way of travel.  

I am excited about going through this training again and ready to absorb even more info.  Thanks for praying for me!  

January 11th, 2019-  I have enjoyed a few days at home to unwind, regroup, study, sleep and prepare for what is next.  Today is the 1st day that I started feeling better, motivation is starting to return and I wake up without my eyes burning.  

Kyle and I did his instrument training together and we both love the beauty spread across the sky during a sunrise or sunset.    We will frequently share a spectacular pic with one another and these are the ones he sent me this week.  Always makes me smile and thank the Lord for His work!  

One of my aviation college students called me from Indiana this morning and wanted some encouragement and advice on crosswind landings.   We all have mentors that help guide our aviation journey and I am thankful I can help him.  I also talked with 2 students who trained with me this summer and are currently in Florida to continue with instrument training.   It was a busy day on the phone.  

Tony helped me study and has about a 30 minute window that he can focus and help me.  =)  I am appreciative of his willingness to play the role as left seat Captain and make the callouts as I make all the First Officer callouts.  

I needed a mental break so we decided to chop up a huge tree for some exercise and firewood before the snow storm hits tomorrow.  ​I can run a chain saw all day long, but if you put an axe in my hand......well that is a different story!  I will swing 10 times and have 9 holes in the log!  I consider splitting wood a form of torture.  I use the chainsaw and Tony splits the logs so Cindy can chuck them into the furnace.  =)  Great teamwork. 

I continue to enjoy cooking at home and having a homemade meal.  The phone range at 4:30 pm while I was making dinner and it was headquarters saying they had an unexpected opening tomorrow in Cincinnati for CPT and sim training.  I said I would take it and will fly out tomorrow at 12:30 pm from Dulles direct to Cincinnati.  At least I know where I am going (since I just spent a week in Cincinnati for training) and will be there for the rest of my training.  I never unpacked my suitcase anticipating that I might get called on short notice.  

Thankfully the material I was slow on is starting to stick and I will continue to review each day.  I am excited and ready to tackle this phase of my training.  Thank you for praying for me.  I need to continue to memorize all this information!  

I even had a snuggle buddy as I studied at home this week.  Nice treat that I don't get when I am posted up at a hotel.