July 2010

Last month I started a trip from Anchorage, Alaska. We flew troops (who started out in Hawaii) to Leipzig and then they went on to Pristina, Kosovo. That was the original plan, anyway.

All flights are required to carry more fuel than is needed to complete the trip. This contingency fuel is used if the weather is bad or if we can't land at intended airport, and have to proceed to a different airport. The amount of extra fuel needed depends on weather or not we fly in the US or internationally (or to an island with only one airport). What is important to remember is that the more reserve fuel we have to carry, the closer our destination airport must be; so sometimes, we use a re-clear flight plan. This allows us to carry less reserve fuel and fly farther or carry more payload; the only down side is that sometimes if things don't work out just right we have to land somewhere short of our intended destination and put on some gas.

Thats just what happened on our flight to Leipzig, because of stronger than anticipated winds over Greenland (and a very forward c.g.).

We had to land in Manchester, UK. We did get a great view of Thule AFB. If you look closely, you might see the treeless, grassless golf course adjacent the runway.

The picture of the C-172 is for insurance purposes. It was parked right off our left wing in Kosovo. I had to make a 160 turn right in front of it to taxi out of the ramp. It wasn't tied down, so I thought it might be blown away.

Sunrise and moon set over Iraq, on our way to Al Asad AFB. We did the Al Asad turn two times - with out an APU.

Kris alway says I don't take enough pictures of myself. This is a picture of me checking into the Penta Hotel in Leipzig, Germany. Pilots checking into the bar - always makes me smile.