HOOKED!

Is the best thing you can hear coming across the headset from your ground crew when you’re doing a retrieval and the only visibility you have is what you see on the computer screen inside a little metal box. I’ve done about 6 retrievals, or landings, so far and about 50% of them have had me on the edge of my seat. Praying that this retrieval isn’t going to be the one where the bird bounces off the rope and hits the dirt. So far my prayers have been answered and I haven’t had one quit on me. The adrenaline isn’t just reserved for retrievals though, launches are just as hair-raising for me as one of the “new guys.”

A number of things can really screw you on a launch. One of the other new guys had a launch go bad and a bird hit the dirt. We’re not sure exactly what happened during the launch but by the time it came back to the site it wasn’t in one piece anymore. I’m trying to avoid the situation because I’d be pretty hard on myself if that happened, even though nearly everyone has had at least one crash. Mistakes are easy to make if you’re not diligent during your preflight, especially when you’re getting hammered over the radio by 3 guys trying to push you to get the bird off the ground. I’m usually pretty good about keeping my cool and doing all the initial prep work and knowing what to skip and where to skip to save time.

Missions are pretty easy. I’ve been fortunate enough not to have had any emergencies during flight yet. So it really is just like playing a video game. You just have to make sure that it doesn’t screw itself in one way or another, like flying into a mountain or something…. You’re aircraft does what you tell it to do from your little metal control box in the middle of the desert.

I have to say that this is probably the best job I’ve ever had, as promised by everyone I spoke to before taking it. We function independently from the corporate world, in our own little microcosm, sharing stories from past deployments, experiences in the military and experiences back home. We talk about what we miss, everything ranging from food and beer to women (all the operators here are male.) I could really go for a pizza and a pale ale right about now. Although having some girls around couldn’t hurt either…

I’m about a quarter of the way through the time before my R&R. The first thing I want to do when I get back is to go get some Black Thorn pizza, a pitcher of Schlafly Pale Ale and talk about normal life for a while. Although I’m sure I’ll be unhappy until I get to come back out here. Life out here is great, despite knowing that at any given time you’re time could be over, but that’s an awesome feeling in itself.