Monday, January 30, 2006

Quick update...I received the statement from my primary ophthalmologist, and he agrees with the Neuro-ophthalmologist in his letter that it was an anomaly (did I spell that right??), and it is unlikely to recur. I turned all his paperwork in last week, and will have the Neuro's latest and greatest on Wednesday when I return home (visiting my Mom in Chicago Sat-Wed...her 85th Birthday tomorrow), and will drop it off at the FAA AME office who will forward it to Oklahoma City. Hopefully, over the course of the next several weeks, the FAA will see that it was transient in nature, not disease caused (stroke, vascular related, thyroid caused, etc) and will grant the medical.

Thanks Sarah, Jill, Anne and Paul...comforting knowing you guys are pulling for me. Paul, learning to fly and earning the license is hard work, takes time, and is a challenge, but one you will always cherish as an undertaking, be so proud of completing successfully, so go for it!! Lots to see out there from the sky!! Nothing like it. I flew Friday, January 27th, to Gadsden, Alabama as my last trip before it expired, and it was a super ride... I promise to let you all know what happens as it happens. Say a little prayer for the FAA to see the right way on this, and to see it QUICKLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you, all!!

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Sometimes, things we know are soon to come upon us are like that ol' crazy Aunt in the basement...everyone knows she is there, but no one wants to talk about her. As you know, flying small airplanes has been a lifelong dream and passion. As well, you know that I finally got the chance to pursue my Private Pilot's license, with a lot of help from BD, and successfully flew a checkride last March to achieve my dream.

Along with the Private Pilot's license goes a medical certificate that must be renewed every 2 years. Mine was obtained on January 2, 2004, and expires on January 31, 2006. It is required to renew the medical each 2 years in order for me to legally exercise the privileges of my Private Pilot's license...no medical, no flying (by myself as Pilot in Command). I went to take it this past Tuesday and unfortunately was disqualified from renewal. I am now in a "holding" pattern for who know how long until I receive from the FAAs Aviation Medical Evaluation center a clearance for the AME (Aviation Medical Examiner) who administered my physical for the renewal to re-issue my medical.

Soon after I started lessons, I had an event that caused my vision to "double" out of my right eye. It was not due to any disease, stroke, or other neuro-cardio-vascular malady...I just got mad at a couple of things at work, grew ever more angry over them, and apparently stemmed the flow of blood to the nerve that controlled the muscle that kept my left eye in synch with my right (works backwards...). And for the next 3 months, I couldn't fly. The tests I had to take (MRI for stroke, HyperThyroidism scans, Carotid Artery scans, migraine headaches exams, etc) were all negative, and it eventually cleared up and I have been fine.

But double vision is a disqualifying condition when it comes to FAA flight physicals, so as of January 31 I am grounded until the FAA makes a decision...kind of disheartening to say the least.

Sunday, January 08, 2006


Friday brought a neat Sun rise...you can see the layer of clouds coming in above the Sun. It stayed pretty gray and cold for several days last week. Friday night I went flying, and though the evening started okay, the winds jumped up to a 50 degree right-of-nose cross wind at 10 knots, gusting to 20 knots...the demons of new Private Pilots made sure that each time I tried to land the Skyhawk (I needed to perform 3 full stop landings to gain night currency), the wind was gusting at its full 20-knot capability. Stopped after 3, as much from my not enjoying the fight I had with the airpilane on every circuit to keep it aligned and set up for a proper cross tornado landing, but also after the second one where my Instructor said he too had had enough of the rough weather. One of the few times I was glad to land and get out of the airiplane for good for a while...

Gertie is now prepared for January, that cold, dark day month that gives Winter its reputation...some days it is almost like Spring, and folks around town wear shorts and t-shirts to revel in the 60 degree temperatures...then the next day we are dusted with snow or the victim of a mid-Winter ice storm...its never dull at Red Top in the Winter!

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...hoping for more candy and stuff to carry us through the upcoming year!

Isaiah had a super Christmas, in spite of getting locked inside a room for which we had no key! At 5AM, I was outside helping Dave skinny into an unlocked window to open Isaiah's bedroom door...he was good baby all of his visit, and he and his sister Ellen, and my Grandson Hoss made Christmas for us adults!

You can barely see the ridge by the lake...

Had a pretty misty, dreary day...the sun coming up through the fog was a sight to see...

A few pictures left over from Christmas...we had a full house...including "Chicken Elmo" who came to visit prepared for the cold December temperatures!

Hoss and Ellen became pretty good friends. Ellen jumped right up with him to help him figure out how to use his new "Batman Winged Laptop." He had a ball with it, and they really got along pretty well..