Pointless

In reply to one of the job applications that I sent...

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If your availabiliity is so deep in the future, there is no point in submitting you for at least another three weeks, particularly in the case of entry level jobs, where there are so many applicants.

Please remind me in a few weeks and we can then submit you.

Right now, it would be pointless.

Jane
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So mean...
No flying today.
Only ONE flight today...
What was the point of having an operation ready for one flight...

The roof is 3/4 done.

Bad Landing

I solo'd in the 1-26 for the first time.
Landed like a sack of shit.
And bent the crap out of the nose skid metal.

Luckily the FAA inspector/club president was there.
And we fixed the stuff in about 2 hours, and I got to test flight it.
And everything was OK...
I guess...

I'll write a report on what exactly happened so other people won't make the same mistake that I made.
The problem is that I don't really remember exactly what happened.

I remember I came in pretty fast around 65 mph.
And I might have had the wheel brake on when I touched down.
Which forced the glider to nose down and bang on the skid.
And jump in the air about 5 feet.
Made about two more touch downs and dragged on the tail and came to a stop...

Roof

I've been painting the roof of the hangar for the last two days.
People ask me about my job situations a lot.
I can feel that some people think that I'm a dumb shit for not finding a job, but I don't really give a shit.
I'd rather be doing this than working for some shit that I don't even care about.

A friend came and visited me yesterday.
He got to go up w/ one of the members.
Good deal.

Three kids (18, 19?) came by to the field today around 4pm.
They didn't get a ride cuz it was late in the day, and I suggested that they come back next weekend earlier in the day so they can stay up longer.
They were just kids (high school?) who wanted to go up in a glider.
One of the members wanted to charge them $90 instead of $85 cuz it was late in the day, but I think he just wanted to get rid of them cuz he didn't feel like waiting for them.
I think it's really expensive, especially for kids who just want to go up in the air.
It's only for the rich people.
I know we have a lot of things to pay for to keep the club going.
But I feel like shit that we have people like that in our club.
So I've decided to get my license as soon as possible.
Cuz I don't want these kids to get detered from the sport by these inconsiderate rich mother fuckers.

Loop

The weather didn't look too good in the morning.
But it got clear around 2pm.
Still a bit windy from the east about 8knots.
Some of us landed on 09.

Took a flight in the L-23 with Jim.
Did the routine maneuvers and on the way back to the field, found a huge thermal.
I was about 1700 ft, but started thermaling and went up to about 3500 ft.
We chased around the 1-34 for a while, and Jim showed me a loop.
It was really cool.
I was expecting to be hanging from my straps, but the centrifugal force had kept me in my seat the whole time.
This was the funnest flight that I ever had.

How Things Will Work Out

It's been pretty busy around me recently.

Did several more solo's in the 2-33 the last couple of days.
I've been practicing no spoiler landings.
I can do them, but I still come in pretty fast.

I didn't go up today.

Got a call from a recruiting company in Chicago.
I guess they do some temp jobs.
I looked them up on the web today.
I'll give them a call tomorrow.

A cop came by the other day and asked me bunch of questions.
Nothing happened though.

But a day later, one of the members told me about a murder that took place couple of years ago just to the south of here.
I guess a cop got shot in the head.
Since then I've been extra nervous about noises I hear during the night.

Bumpy

Drove to Hampshire to do laundry.
I was gonna get pizza at the place across from the laundromat, but I forgot my wallet...
But as I was clearing out the pants pockets before I them in the washing machine, I found $15 that I won the other day playing poker.
I had never played poker for money before, but I kicked ass.
Anyways, I bought a pizza w/ that money.
Kind of felt very lucky.

As I was sitting on a bench outside of the laundromat and ate the pizza, I noticed how nice the weather was.
And I noticed how quiet the town was.
No cars, no factories, it was like 9 p.m, but it felt very comfortable sitting on a bench cooling off from the hot day and eating pizza in a quiet little town in middle of nowhere.

Took one flight today in the Rainbow (2-33).
It was the worst flight ever in terms of air turbulence.
I was getting rocked everywhere during tow.
Even when I got off tow, it was very bumpy.
Lots of lift too, but lots of sinks also.
I kept 50mph all the way cuz I didn't wanna get bumped around into any weird attitude.
I stayed up for 1 hr and 11 min.
It was the longest I've been up, but it was the worst flight I ever had.
But I thank the designers of 2-33 for building such a sturdy glider.

Drove to Rose Garden and had a 10 oz rib eye steak.
It was really good.

nice

Been busy recently.
I need to get ready for the written exam.
But haven't done much.

Flew today.
5 pattern tows to 1000.
and one more to 3000.
All solo in 2-33.
Stayed up for about 45 mins on the last one.
I'm on my way to my checkride.
Sawed on some clip-on straps onto the canopy cover of the 2-33 last night.

Nothing in the job front these days.
Am I just too stupid, or is there something else...
I write this now and maybe I'll regret it.
But I'd rather get paid 10$ an hour that's somewhat related to what I like than get paid 30,000 a year for designing cup holders for cars.

Indianapolis

Drove to Indianapolis to have my fingerprints taken for my citizenship application.
There were only four steps to the direction from Champaign, IL to Indianapolis, but I messed up on the second step and got lost.
But luckily people were nice and I got to the place right on time.

Walked around the city for couple of hours afterwards.
Well...
I liked the city.
I'd fit in here more so than in Chicago.
I think Chicago is somewhat snobby at times.
Maybe I should work as a mechanic or something in this city.
The place kinda feels like the army.
It'll accept anyone because it's where all the desperate and miserable people come to live.

Indianapolis reminds me of Angel Manfredi.
Like how people talk and act.
Transplants' "Haunted Cities" goes well with this city.

I read some travel guides about Iceland at Barnes and Noble by the circle in downtown Indianapolis.
I've been having this weird fantasy about me working as a field engineer in Iceland for a wind turbine company.
I guess the things are expensive there.

Quit Now

I feel like I should stop looking for a job as an engineer.

Maybe it's true that if you majored in aerospace engineering and your GPA was less than 3.3, you're not going to find a job that'll let you work as an aerospace engineer.
It makes sense.

Fuck them.

I used to think that it's meaningless to try to prove that people are wrong about me being useless.
But I'm starting to get pissed off at the world again.
Maybe that's the only way that I can be motivated to do anything.
I wanna prove them wrong.
But I don't wanna be used.

Better Days

Sometimes, you will fly for 300km.
Sometimes, you will land out.

That's part of taking a risk.
And it's probable that you will never know your maximum potential when you don't take that chance.

More risk is needed for more fun.

I should land out too one of these days.

Beautiful Night Sky

The most beautiful night sky that I've ever seen was in Haiti.

Got an email from a guy from college.
I guess he's saying that I fucked everyone over cuz I don't talk to them anymore.

I get tired of being misunderstood.
I don't explaining what I do anymore.
People will have different opinions about what I do.
It's not up to me.
So I'll just mind my own business.

Race

1. I find a job
2. I get my private glider rating
3. Money runs out

Which one will come in first?
I don't know about the first two, but I will run out of money in October...

Things will change significantly in the next month or so...

Cross Wind

Wind from the south about 10 to 15 kts.
One tow to 2,000 and one to 1,000 w/ Jim in the backseat.

Did not do so well on the first one.
Intended to have the left wing down into the wind, but I came in crabbed.
The second one was better, but came in too high and subsequently too fast.
Turned into base too early.
And I didn't get to slip properly for some reason.

But I'm ok on the tow.
I'm pretty smooth on tow, or so I think I am...

There was a rope break while someone else was on tow.
The glider never took off, it moved for a few feet and the skid got stuck underneath a patch of grass and rope broke.

That was the end of the day.
Tomorrow doesn't seem so good neither.

Before I Find a Job

I wanna get my private glider rating before I start working.

I want to transition to the 1-26 soon.
Need to get the feel for L-23 and make one of the instructor to show me a spin recovery.
I should be able to accumulate more time if I could get hold of the 1-26 more.

L-23 is different than 2-33.
Lighter on the controls.
The pitch attitude is different than the 2-33, and I felt like I was going 50, but the airspeed indicator read like 35...
Need to watch out...
I need to keep the nose lower.
Also, the glide slope is better on L-23 than 2-33.
So I have to be careful not to come in too high on landing.

Sent my resume to Quest Aircraft Factory.