March 20, 2012

It is with GREAT delight that we can say…Dorothy is going to be a big sister! We are all excited for the arrival of this little one, due March 20, 2012. Just in time to meet you all during our furlough. :-)

Flight Following

It is Saturday. Joey is gone on a flight (actually multiple flights, but for the same group) all day. It is a bit unusual for him to be flying on a Saturday, so there is no regular Flight Follower scheduled. So, I’m doing it for a change.

Here is how a typical radio “conversation” goes…

Fox, Fox. Charlie Alpha Uniform.

Fox, Fox. Go ahead.

Good afternoon. We are 1+5. 245 Fuel. Ngilima for Dungu.

1+5. 245 Fuel. Ngilima for Dungu.

Alpha Uniform.

(A minute later)

Fox, Fox. Charlie Alpha Uniform.

Fox, Fox. Go ahead.

Yes, we are airborn 1023. Estimating Dungu 1034. Level 040.

Airborn 1023. ETA Dungu 1034. Level 040.

Alpha Uniform.

(If it is a longer flight, you will also get a position report at some point.)

Fox, Fox. Charlie Alpha Uniform. Position.

Fox, Fox. Go ahead.

Position. November 0157. Echo 3003. Level 055. Ops. Normal.

November 0157. Echo 3003. Level 055. Ops. Normal.

Alpha Uniform.

Yeah, it sounded like a bunch of gibberish to me too the first time I sat in on a radio session. However, I was patiently guided through what all these things meant, what order they usually come in (which helps when you are trying to decipher the pilot’s voice from the static), and what to write down. Also, I learned all the to do’s in case of any unusual circumstances or emergencies. All very interesting and I enjoy this job when it is just Joey flying. Not so much when there are a bunch of planes up and it gets complicated. :-)

So, here is the same conversation with English translation…

Fox, Fox. Charlie Alpha Uniform.

[Flight Follower (aka Kathleen)? This is 9Q-CAU (aka The plane Joey is flying) calling.]

Fox, Fox. Go ahead.

(I’m here. Give me your info.)

Good afternoon. We are 1+5. 245 Fuel. Ngilima for Dungu.

(Hi! I have 5 passengers, 2 hours and 45 minutes of fuel in the plane and I’m on my way to Dungu.)

1+5. 245 Fuel. Ngilima for Dungu.

(OK. Got that.)

Alpha Uniform.

(Bye!)

(A minute later)

Fox, Fox. Charlie Alpha Uniform.

(Kathleen? It’s Joey again.)

Fox, Fox. Go ahead.

(Hey.)

Yes, we are airborn 1023. Estimating Dungu 1034. Level 040.

(I’m in the air now and will be getting to Dungu around 12:34pm. I’m 4000 feet above sea level.)

Airborn 1023. ETA Dungu 1034. Level 040.

(OK. Did I get that all right?)

Alpha Uniform.

(Yep. Talk to you later.)

(If it is a longer flight, you will also get a position report at some point.)

Fox, Fox. Charlie Alpha Uniform. Position.

(Kathleen? This is Joey. Can I tell you where I’m at?)

Fox, Fox. Go ahead.

(By all means.)

Position. November 0157. Echo 3003. Level 055. Ops. Normal.

(If you take out the chart with all the grids on it you can find me by intersecting lines from North 0157 and East 3003. I'm way up high. Everything in the plane is working like it should.)

November 0157. Echo 3003. Ops. Normal.

(OK. Got it.)

Alpha Uniform.

(Love ya. Talk to you later.)

See?! Fun!

I'll Never Use That!

If you were anything like me during your childhood at school, you probably said at least one time if not more, “Why do I have to learn (insert school subject here) ? I’m never going to use this in real life!” For me it was usually math related—word problems, algebra, trigonometry, geometry, etc. Well, to my high school math teacher (also known as “Mom”), I am here to say that I was wrong and am sorry for complaining so much!

As it turns out, I use most of these math subjects every day. I use some basic algebra every time I calculate how much fuel I need for the next flight. I use geometry with navigation, angles for intercepting my course between airports, flying a nice rectangular pattern in the airport traffic pattern, and visualizing my angle of descent to the runway. I’m guessing there is some trigonometry mixed in there somewhere, but apparently that wasn’t one of my stronger subjects. :-)

The best of all were word problems. Did anybody in school actually think that word problems would one day be useful in real life? Not me! But here’s a type of word problem that I work through about 10 times a day:

Problem: MAF’s Cessna Caravan will leave Bunia this morning at 8:00am with enough fuel to travel the following route: Bunia-Dungu-Dingila-Doruma-Bunia. The pilot plans to take an extra 1.5 hours of fuel in addition to the fuel required to fly the route.

Using the information below, calculate the following:

-How many liters of fuel will the pilot need for the flight?

-After fueling the plane, how many kilograms are available for the passengers and their baggage?

Bunia to Dungu = 156 nautical miles

Dungu to Dingila = 150 nautical miles

Dingila to Doruma = 116 nautical miles

Doruma to Bunia = 242 nautical miles

Average speed = 145 nautical miles per hour

Fuel used per hour = 340 pounds

1 liter of jet fuel = 1.78 pounds

Weight available for fuel, baggage, and passengers = 3400 pounds

1 pound = 2.2 kilograms

So as it turns out, my Mom was right after all. It really was important to learn all of that stuff and I really do use it in real life. Mom was right. Imagine that! :-) Now if I can just figure out a practical use for my very least favorite thing that I ever studied in high school geometry—proofs.

Four Months

Dorothy is now four months old. Joey and I are amazed how much she has grown in that short time span. She now can hold her head up on her own and is sleeping through the night. She is very alert during the day, smiles A LOT, “talks”, and loves to wiggle around. She continues to remind us daily of the goodness of God.

Wearing the hat her daddy brought back from his trip to Kenya.

~Kathleen

He said, She said

He: Slept great last night! Only up once to change Dorothy’s diaper around 5 am.

She: Didn’t sleep at all. Dorothy fidgeted, fussed, and cried all night.

He: 6:45am—Got up, cleaned up, shaved, ate breakfast.

She: 6:45am—Got up, made breakfast, packed lunch, said goodbye.

He: 8:00am—Heading to the airport. What a beautiful day to fly!

She: 8:00am—Hanging up laundry. Are those clouds on

the horizon???

He: Airborne and on the way to Doruma. An hour and forty minute flight. Great visibility, smooth air, nice and cool. Overall just perfect! Upon arrival all passengers waiting and ready to leave. Great!

She: Dorothy’s up. An hour and a half later she has been fed, changed, changed again, bounced, carried, cuddled and played with. Nap number two has arrived…for Dorothy. I realize I don’t have all the ingredients I need for tomorrow's potluck dishes. Uh-Oh.

He: Landing in Dungu, unloading passengers, reloading, and off to Bunia. Right on time!

She: Working on notes to send out of country with our next Stateside visitor. Dorothy is wide awake. Already?!

He: Leg number three of the journey—still nice weather. Spend some time chatting with my “co-pilot” passenger about their time in Doruma and the security situation there. Fly around a thunderstorm near Bunia and we’re home free. Yes!

She: Round number three for Dorothy—fed, changed and napping, but not for long. She’s up again. As I tell her, in my baby talk voice, how today is not going as I would like, she smiles…then spits up all over my shirt, arm, and herself. Sigh.

He: A successful emergency evacuation of seven humanitarian aid workers from Doruma. 30 minutes later I’m headed home. Can’t wait to see my girls!

She: Dorothy’s happy to sit and watch while I do dishes. Twenty minutes later it gets quiet and she’s asleep again. Almost two o’clock. Can’t wait till Joey is home.

He: Great flight today—good reminder of why we’re here. Home now, volleyball this afternoon, and Easter celebration tomorrow—the best reminder of why we’re here.

She: Realized I washed only one of Joey's uniforms instead of two; still don’t know what to make for the potluck, and only a few hours left to get my mind (and heart) right before Easter arrives.

He: Just one of those days. :-) (Two thumbs up!)

She: Just one of those days. :-( (Sigh.)

“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” ~Lamentations 3:22-23

30 Things

Ten years ago today, I was sitting in the SDR (Student Dining Room) at Moody with Joey wishing him a happy birthday. We’ve been friends for almost 12 years now and I appreciate him more each day. In celebration of his 30th birthday and in no particular order…

30 random things I love about him.

1…He makes a killer pizza.

2…His walk with God is a real relationship and affects how he lives his life.

3…Any time he is home, he changes all Dorothy’s diapers…even in the middle of the night.

4…He never goes to sleep without kissing me goodnight.

5…He quotes movies as much as I do.

6…He loves his job.

7…Random details stick in his memory—Like the birthdates of elementary school classmates.

8…He loves EVERYTHING I cook.

9-10…He appreciates a good joke. (Though most would agree that his own jokes are pretty bad…but I love that too!)

11…He has turned above mentioned “Daddy Diaper Time” into a such a fun time that Dorothy now smiles, coos, and wiggles all over every time the changing pad appears.

12…He always know the definition for any new word I come across…and he can spell it correctly.

13…He loves my family as much as I do.

14…He can turn his Alabama accent on and off in a heartbeat.

15…He is a stickler for never going to bed angry.

16-18…He fills out March Madness brackets, gets up at 2am to LISTEN to an Auburn game online, and keeps track of baseball game schedules and stats even though we are thousands of miles away from all three sporting events.

19…He doesn’t mind watching “girly” movies with me.

20…He’s a good driver.

21… He cleans the bathroom. (Thanks, Pops, for setting such a good example!)

22…He is tall enough that he can reach the top shelf of all our cupboards. (I can barely reach the second shelves here.)

23…He doesn’t mind awkward situations, which makes them less awkward for the rest of us.

24…He plays the piano beautifully.

25…He’s easy to talk to.

26…He’ll bend over backwards to help someone out.

27…He has a sweet tooth as large as mine, but knows better than to touch my stash of dark chocolates.

28…He's great at explaining stuff.

29…He remembers our “date-a-versary” each month.

30…He is kind, patient, thoughtful, hopeful, supportive, and wise!

Happy Birthday, Joey!

She's sleeping

Today our precious little one has been fighting sleep. Actually, she is willing to sleep if being held and never put down. At this direct moment, however, she is peacefully asleep on the couch. So I thought it was about time to update everyone.



For those of you who haven't heard yet, Dorothy Marie was born right on time January 12 at 1:35 am. She weighed 5 pounds 2 ounces. She has brown hair, brown eyes, and a smile that melts her parents' hearts.

Over the last 6 weeks she has spent a lot of time eating, sleeping, and getting to know her extended family. We just arrived back in Bunia this week and are settling back into normal life again. Dorothy made the trip successfully and seems to be adjusting well to her new home.

Well, she is up again. More later!

~Kathleen