My wife, the Captain!
06 November 06

After 3 years of flying for Frontier Flying in a Beechcraft 1900 as second-in-command, Kristin finally began flying as first-in-command and single pilot in a Piper Navajo. This transition likely would have occurred several years earlier, if I had not been dragging her around the world and getting her pregnant instead of letting her focus on flying. But in any case, after her first 100 hours of flying the Navajo with a back-up pilot, they finally turned her loose today on her own. Turner and I followed her around on her pre-flight to take some pictures.

Heading to work with the new epaulets. Note there's four bars now instead of three!

Kristin: "They want me to go where with a broken what?"

Kristin: "You fellas using this one, or can I borrow it for a while?"

Fortunately the preflight started inside, as it was cold outside.

The Navajo has two of these spinny thingies.

It's a bit smaller than the 1900.

Turner: "Stop screwing around Dad, or the Captain going to start yelling at us"

The preflight means making sure everything is still attached and working, like engines.

Kristin: "OK, who's been heating their hot dogs on the exhaust again?"

I guess it's normal to hug the engine during preflight.

Or at least its normal if you're short and trying to check the oil.

Piston engines burn oil.

But hopefully not more than you put in...

Matt: "That's the left aelerion. The right one moves the opposite way to this one."

Nope, no illegal immigrants...

Traffic jam in the hangar.

Open the doors! 36 MB

Tow me to the tarmac! 19 MB

It's show time!

Upgrading at Frontier apparently means flying a smaller plane by yourself.

Kristin: "I know I left my CDs in the visor last time"

Kristin: "Well, just have to use the radio I guess"

Here we go!

Starting the engines -- 13MB

Taxiing out to the runway -- 9 MB

Ready for takeoff! -- 8MB

My wife's a Captain!