The Sim-Mobile returns to its natural state

Posted by admin on Jun 19, 2013 in Flight Training | Comments Off

Dana and I have had a very good run with our mobile flight simulator, but with Alex home from the hospital, the time has come for our beloved Honda Odyssey minivan to revert to its intended design purpose. The middle seats have been permanently re-installed and now hold our daughter’s car seat and diaper bag. The Elite simulator (or, using proper FAA terminology, the basic aviation training device or PCATD) now lives in our home office, where we will continue to use it to maintain our own IFR proficiency. One day when we run our own flight school, the Elite will once again be a great training resource for our students. Thank you to all of the pilots who have used it to learn or refresh their instrument flying skills. We truly appreciate your business!

Book Signing at Smithsonian Air & Space

Posted by admin on Jun 16, 2013 in Book | Comments Off

It was only fitting that Alex’s public debut occurred yesterday at the Smithsonian Udvar Hazy Air & Space Museum’s annual Become A Pilot Day event. Dana and I brought her, along with my parents, to the museum so we could autograph copies of our book, Fly The Airplane. The museum was gracious enough to host us and agree to purchase a few dozen copies of the book for their gift shop inventory. Thanks to everyone who came out to see us!

Fly The Airplane: Volume II

Posted by admin on Jun 14, 2013 in Book, Mer and Dana's Baby Blog | Comments Off

Yesterday at 1:35 pm, Dana and I walked out through the thick double glass doors of the neonatal intensive care unit at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC for what we hope is the last time. Our daughter, Alexandra, spent the first 97 days of her life there being treated for a rare and life threatening birth defect known as congenital diaphragmatic hernia, or CDH. With only one functional lung at birth, she was on life support for 18 nail-biting, sleepless days and nights before her hernia was surgically repaired, allowing her lungs to begin to grow. Then, after suffering a rare post-operative complication that compromised her respiratory function and recovery, she had to play catch-up and learn how to breathe and eat on her own. Last week she endured another relatively simple surgery to help improve the quality of her life, which we hope will be a long and healthy one.

Every day for the last 14 weeks we’ve driven downtown to visit with our daughter, riding a roller coaster of emotions as we wondered whether she would ever come home. It has only been within the last few weeks that she’s been alert enough most of the time to even know we were there. So we were in sort of a daze as we drove up 16th Street yesterday afternoon with Alex tucked safely into her car seat, sucking on her pacifier, blinking her big blue eyes, watching the world go by, completely unaware of what she’s been through, or what wonderful adventures this world has in store for her.

I wrote in the last chapter of our book, Fly The Airplane, that I had just one wish for Alex: that she would find her inner strength and fly her little airplane to safety. I think Dana and I can both say with great pride and joy that she’s done just that, and we look forward to watching her blossom into a beautiful young woman.