First, a reminder that you may send your aviation questions to me at support@fromthecockpit.com with "Aviation Question" in the subject. Be sure to check out this week's Ask Cap'n Meryl question & answer about: You Dirty "Rat"

This week’s chapter, entitled “Keep Your Pants On, Please!” may be recognized by some who have been reading my blog for a couple of years. It was first published in March, 2005, in response to several inquiries regarding funny incidents that happened during my flying career.

Published in two parts as always, keep in mind the funniest sections are in the next installment. All chapters of my sequel may be found here as they are published:Table Of Contents .

Stories like this really take me back. When I first moved to Alaska, people who had been there for awhile told me people either love it or hate it almost immediately. I had no doubt whatsoever that I would love it, and I did.

I remember first learning about Alaska after the huge 9.2 earthquake there on Good Friday of 1964. I was in elementary school at the time and thought (other than that whole earthquake thing) it sounded like the most wonderful place, and that I would like to live there sometime. I was just sure I’d wind up there at some point.

My wish came true and I did live in Alaska for a period of ten years, moving there in 1981 to fly for Wien Air Alaska, and commuting from San Francisco for another five years after I was hired by United.

During my time there, I flew the B-727 and B-737 for Wien Air Alaska, but was often laid off for stretches of months at a time. During one of those breaks I was hired as Chief Pilot for the Nondalton Indian Tribe, whose Chief, “Jim,” thought it was just “way cool” to have a female pilot in charge. I thought it was pretty cool, too, and wrote a little about it in my first book (Chapter 25 – “Wing Walker”).

Colorado, where I now live, is a lovely state, but Alaska holds a special place in my memory and in my heart both from a career and personal standpoint. It’s where I got “up close and personal” with a moose or two, stood under Northern Lights so brilliant winter nights sometimes turned into day, stood on the north shore of the state in oil camps with nothing but the endless white arctic plain in sight, flew by steaming volcanoes, petted a friendly Beluga whale from a jetty right in Anchorage Harbor, stopped my car on the way home from the airport once to let a hot air balloon bounce right in front of me on the street and become airborne again, and had countless other wondrous experiences.

It’s why I’ve included so much about it in Part Two of “The World At My Feet.”

"The World At My Feet" and "Flights of Whimsy" is now a
permanent offer in our Gift Ideas area at
fromthecockpit.com. Just $25 for both books,
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Click here: Gift Ideas

And with that,
Until Next Time,
Maintain Airspeed,

Cap'n Meryl

First, a reminder that you may send your aviation questions to me at support@fromthecockpit.com with "Aviation Question" in the subject. Be sure to check out this week's Ask Cap'n Meryl question & answer about: What's In A Name?

This has been a pretty slow couple of weeks. What I’ve discovered is, the more I’m earth-bound, the more I’m feeling comfortable with it. I miss flying for a living but am enjoying life here on the rolling prairie outside Denver. Our deep snow has retreated leaving damp earth and gushing rivers in its stead under blue skies and temperatures of over 70 degrees.

Had I still been commuting to Chicago to fly trips this winter, I don’t know how I would have managed it and frequently wonder how other pilots were able to get to work. We were snowed in so many times I lost count. I could not have even backed the car out of the driveway, let alone drive the 50 miles to the airport.

Cap’n Al and I had the opportunity to meet with one of United’s dispatchers (flight planners) when she passed through Denver last week. I had previously spoken with her on the phone from Tokyo (Narita) when she was working Pacific flights and I was flying them. I met only a few dispatchers face-to-face while a pilot and it was a nice opportunity to put a face to the name.
Sporadic meetings such as this, along with emails to and from other pilots, are pretty much my only remaining contact with airline life. Even after more than a year since my last trip, it’s hard to believe it’s been more than just a few months since I last flew across any oceans or countries.

As I said, though, I’m not uncomfortable being home for now with Al and all our various critters. When I first had a cat, I seriously considered taking him with me on my flights. That was when I lived in Alaska, in the early 1980’s. Obviously, taking a cat along was out the question, but I missed him terribly and never did understand how parents could manage being away from their children so much.

These days, the thought of leaving Al, the Puffer (our dog, Coco-Puff), the Ferret Brothers (Petey and Charlie), Miss Bunny Bunée and Houdini (our Chattering Lorrie) is just too painful to even consider. New readers can meet all of them and see some of our views along with some gorgeous sunsets from our rural Colorado home here in our At Home Album.

The latest installment of “The World At My Feet” sequel, Chapter Three, Part II,” may be found here: Table Of Contents

Sorry about the short time notice, but Lufthansa is having a sweepstakes to win a VIP tour of the A-380 when it makes its U.S. debut on the 19th. The deadline is tomorrow to enter, and you must answer some technical questions about Lufthansa’s Airbus 380 fleet. You must enter by midnight on March 12th.

Lufthansa Sweepstakes