Smokey Takes Me and My Mom Flying

One of my parents' neighbors, Smokey, was a part of the original crew (aka plankowner) of the USS Belleau Wood which was my last ship. So he and I have reminisced about our individual experiences with the ship as well as flying stories. He's a civilian pilot and flight instructor and while I was home he offered to take my me and my mom flying. We flew out of a small airport not far from our neighborhood called Twin Oaks. It was a great flight and a really good time. And now my mom is the only one in my family who has been in an aircraft I've been piloting!

BACK IN SAN DIEGO!!!

I got the great opportunity to head back to San Diego for a week of flight simulator training. There's nothing better than getting a week in San Diego on the Navy's dime unless it's also getting a week off after that to spend in the States seeing family and friends. Here are a bunch of pictures of my "Easy Day Saturday" at Lahaina's which is a very cool hangout spot in Pacific Beach, San Diego. Pictured are my friends (t-b) me & Serge, me & Sona, me w/Serge & Sona, me & Steve. There were several others with us there but for some reason they never made any of the pictures on my camera! Send me some guys!