Friday, September 30, 2011

On an Observation Flight !!!!


Friday 30 September 2011
On an observation flight

I had the opportunity to do an observation flight today. The idea of such a flight is to give someone like myself the opportunity to “watch the show” as we do what we do thruout the country every day. Although I dispatch the aircraft and crews, I track them on monitors at our home base as they move about the country via tracking tools, monitoring how the flights are progressing.

Going on an observation flight enables me to see the fuelers fuel, something I task them to do, to see the “loggies” (logistics people) loading and unloading the aircraft, to see maintenance teams interacting with crews and other support personnel at their actual tasks. It’s a great eye-opening experience. My dispatch rating demands that I do x hours-per-year at such a task, and fortunately, AAR encourages me to do so. Of course, due to personnel scheduling, it’s done on your day off.
Oh yeah, and cool, I get to sit in the jumpseat with the crew and fly around for a day !!

The type of aircraft I had the chance to fly in today was a Casa 212. The Casa 212 is a twin engine, 2 pilot aircraft which AAR uses as a cargo aircraft. AAR flies a variety of cargo for its client’s thruout the region. When you mail a letter or a package to a soldier serving in Afghanistan, we deliver it.


We visited several “FOB’s” today ….. Forward out bases. We deliver cargo and transport either cargo, like an aircraft engine we did today, or soldiers returning stateside for some R&R. We remember to thank them for their service. I keep a bunch of $10 and €10 McDonalds cards in my pocket that I give to our soldiers returning home. It gives them taste America on their stopover on their way home and is a small, very small thank you for what they do!

This is a FOB …. Can’t tell you where though …. Security is the master key here.

For the most part, Afghanistan is a mountainous region. I’m told that 30+ years ago Afghanistan was an agriculture nation but the Soviet Union, trying to conquer, blew up the underground aquifers and canal system, allowing the desert to quickly reconquer the nation.
Flying overhead you can spot green in the river valleys, but little other green in the mountains




Flying overhead, you’re able to observe mud rectangular triangles which surround where the people live. Houses in Afghanistan are traditionally made out of mud, and have a series of rooms located around a private rectangular courtyard where women and children play, cook and socialize. Married sons share the same house as their parents, although they have separate quarters. Some Afghan houses contain a special room where men socialize with each other. 


Of course, being a Muslim nation, we saw several Mosques. Acft in the region are not allowed to fly over or near them.


The end of an 8 hour day bought us back to our home base in Bagram. A great day. Our crews and all support staff work hard 7 days a week fulfilling our mission of support to forces based here.
I’m proud to be working for AAR Airlift.


Friday, September 23, 2011

the doo.....

9/23/11 pm ... the aforementioned "once around with the #1" cut....
last time Linda was my barber, we borrowed Reuben's shaver (good boy ...miss you !!)

Yes....Steelers Nation is alive and well in Bagram !!

Pogs !!!!!

Fri 9/23/11
Today when I was at the PX buying something, I went thru the checkout and realized that I have completely bought into a weirdity of everyday life here at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan ...although transactions happen in USA $'s, there are no coins.
Instead, we use cardboard pogs. Pogs of all different values, but cardboard none the less.
 

I went onto Wikipedia, that absolute source of all that is known, to look up Pogs. I remember my daughter Danalisa used to play and collect pogs growing up. sure enuf, Wiki tells how indeed pogs are used on military establishments as real coins weigh alot and to ship them would be expensive. The pogs claim to be "gift certificates" rather than currency .... I think I'll try to collect them all and give them to Danalisa !!

I had the day off today. I went an got a haircut ("#1 all around please") so i'm handsome once again. There's a shuttle bus that runs around the base, so I went on an explore to the east side of the base. I ate at a different DEFAC (dining facility) for lunch. Had a nice walk, read . I had the chance to go to Mass @ 1130. The priest officer here is an Air force officer. I enjoy his homilies.

There was a good wind today, kicking up alot of dust. Hopefully, that'll mean good visibility tomorrow, and I'll be able to snap some pictures of the nearby Hindu Kush mountain range.

I hope everyone is well.
Take good care of you.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

~25% ....


9/21/2011
Greetings from Bagram … btw, those of you following along wanting to see the aviation weather here, you can look at the TAF’s and METARS for OAIX & KQSA. A "K" code all the way over here …. Crazy !

I’ve been in-country for about 2 ½ weeks now and I’m really starting to get a good feel for what’s going on here. Life on an active military base in a war zone does indeed have its interesting moments. Our living quarters are very close to the flight line, and some very loud planes fly 27/7 here !! Interesting how you easily get used to it. For me, having grown up right under the final approach for Newark Int’l, its just the same old thing all over again.

There are troops from several different nations here, all eating together, walking the same streets … I wasn’t aware that military from other countries salute officers from other nations. I sometimes am following officers and notice they have to salute back several times a minute !!! Seems like their arms must get weary. 

The weather here continues to be warm and sunny, temps in the high 80’s and low 90’s … constant clear skies. I’m told winter kicks in late November.

I stopped in to visit with the USCG based here. My brother Pat is a Captain in the USCG. Although a land locked nation, the USCG does container inspections and works with Customs officials here. Pretty impressive group.

My work rotation has us in country for 60 days and home 30. As a math head, I’m constantly doing %’s, so, being here 2 ½ weeks already, I’m more that 25% done of my 1st rotation. The department I work in, Flight Operations, see’s people coming and going thru their rotations … people are always psyched to leave, but come back refreshed and ready to take on their tasks. The sense of mission is quite a positive thing here.

Food, good. Bed, comfy. Showers, could be warmer.

I have to note that Skype has to be one of the best inventions going !! I’ve been able to have video calls with Linda and our children ….

So, all is well here in Afghanistan.

Take good care of yourselves.

Deltafox ("Afghan-is-Dan")
 

Friday, September 9, 2011

H-O-T !!!!!

Friday 9/9/2011  2015 AFT (1145am East Coast time)

Greetings from Afghanistan.
Man, its hot here !!! and dry !!!  and dusty !!!!!!

Things are going well here for me.
I'm starting to settle into my job .... there are 3 shifts, each 10 hours with a 2 hr break midday.
We work 6 days a week.
There are some very interesting tasks that need to be completed .... the AAR Flight Ops office is a tight facility with alot of traffic and activity. These folks are a tight community and they go out of their way to intro themselves and ask about you. I know I'm going to enjoy working here. There are some pretty bright people here who really know their stuff.

I'm assigned to a "hooch", a large tent like structure with rooms built into it, air conditioned. The rooms are about 8x8. I'm not yet assigned my permanent room yet but will be within a few weeks.
I've been a tad sick since I got here .... the dust and the dryness tend to dry up your nasal passages and give you congestion like an upper respiratory infection. The solution is to nose-inhale saline a few times a day and drink alot and alot of water. I'm feeling alot better.

Life on the base is interesting. Of course, its loaded with soldiers, all carrying guns. There are big trucks everywhere. All places are off of a central street called Disney, named after the designer of the roadways here. The food is good. I've found the gym, and I'll start heading there once I can 100% breathe. I found the movie theater, free movies 24/7 with free popcorn!! I've found the chapel but not Catholic services. I've emailed the Archdiocese of the Military and asked them for info. Its and interesting, hot and very dusty place. I've taken to wearing a surgical mask walking around and its amazing how quickly it gets dirty.... dirt that would've gone down the ol' trachea.

I cant take pictures really in the event of compromising the "inside the wire" information. I think I've taken about 20 security courses since I began with AAR and they really drill into you the whole idea of "loose lips sink ships".

I'm based in Bagram, one of several bases in the country. It is a 34.9* N latitude, about the same as NC.
We are surrounded by mountains on the north and south.


The jet traffic is ever present .... they go all day and all night. My hooch is within 100 feet of the flight line, so I can hear the activity.



I hope everyone is well.
Later !!!




Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Greetings from Afghanistan

Wed Sept 7, 2011 : 0800 AFT ("Afghanistan time")
Hello:
I successfully made it to Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan. The good people of United flew me from Pittsburgh > Washington DC Dulles where I had a 7 hour layover. My USCG brother Captain Pat lives nearby and met me at IAD, took me to his home and fed me a delicious porkloin dinner... his thought was "you wont be having pork for awhile!!" Thank you Pat & Carlene & Patrick and you too Fred for your hospitality.
The 2nd portion of the flight would be from Dulles to Dubai UAE, time enroute 12.5 hrs. I had looked at the United route schedule and noted they had drawn their flight path across the Atlantic, across the Azores and across the African plains to Dubai. Instead, actual routing took us across the North Atlantic tracks (NAT tracks), across Ireland, where I waved to my daughter Danalisa and her family, across Europe, thru Turkey, then straight down the Iraq/near Iranian border and into the UAE. I was pretty surprised at this routing, considering the politics, but I guess the world moves on. I arrived ~ 8pm local and was scheduled to depart @ 0615 the next morning, so I didn't have time to explore fascinating Dubai, as did the "Sex in the City" ladies (or so Linda tells me !!). I will schedule myself in the future to overnight there a day or two to check it out.

Onto Afghanistan ..... Breakfast at Dubai Intl was at the Golden Arch Cafe'. Breakfast food isnt served, so I had the classic Big Mac. Due to ISO standardization  that Micky D's follows, I've had this Big Mac around the world, and you can always count on it to taste exactly the same. The only odd item on the menu was a Chicken Big Mac.


The flight from Dubai to Afghanistan took us down the Persian Gulf, hooking a left at the Straights of Hormuz, thru the Gulf of Oman and north on the Pakistan / near Iranian border and into Afghani airspace. I can imagine I was on many a US Air Force radar, so I felt perfectly safe.
Afghanistan is a geological fascinating country. High mountain and desert plains with zero habitation reminded me of pictures we receive from the Mars Orbiters. In some places, slim valleys of green appeared in the canyons. Evidence of dried up river flow was everywhere.


Of course, there was time for some meteorology enroute. Beautiful cloud formation formed by orographic lift as the winds blow across and up the mountains and form clouds



The flight took ~ 2 hours and we arrived at Bagram.

Bagram VOR, a radio navigation tool used by aircraft. "BAGRAM V-O-R..."

(you have to be a real nerd to take pictures of VOR's ..... I have several !!)

Once in Afghanistan, paper pushing took about an hour. I found my ride and reported to AAR Airlift HQ

I met several people, got a 20 minute quiktour of where to sleep/eat/pee, and was told to report in this am @ 0900 for my full day indoc. I took a quik stroll around last night, bought my reflective belt (a requirement to walk around at night ... no streetlights) I'll get my 511 Tactical boots today .... great ... the stones are killing my feet. Soon I learn what it is I'm supposed to do daily, where the gym is and the Chapel, so stay tuned.