Somewhere over the Florida Straights: 26 JAN 2006

So Zach what did you do today? Well if I was working in a cube farm I would have told you I would have had the power lunch with some business clients and sealed the deal on some big contract. However I am not in the cube farm and well life is a little more exciting! My day started or ended if you will at 0200 am when I got off watch in combat and went to bed. I woke up at 0800ish to the sound of T-45 jet trainers being launched from the catapult above my stateroom. Kind of cool but then again kind of a pain. After taking a quick shower, I finished packing my gear, doned my flight suit and headed to the “office” to check some emails and show my face. I linked up with my buddy Brian, got a cup of coffee and hand some cereal for a quick breakfast snack and wandered up to the Air transfer Officers (ATO) office to check the status of our COD flight off the boat. All appeared to be going as scheduled, after all this is a super carrier we are talking about and schedules are all this ship is about. At the appointed time, 11am Brian and I showed up with our gear to the ATO office popped a seat and watched the jet pukes land and take off and we graded their landings as they did so. Some were good and some were a little scary. The COD was orbiting patiently for its slot time to get aboard and all was good with the world. Well time ticked by and the COD never appeared in the camera showing the landings, kind of disappointing. We waited and waited and finally, an hour and a half behind schedule, the COD landed and we were most happy. Unfortunately the air boss had other plans for us, and the COD. So another delay and we were released to go get lunch which indecently on Thursdays is surf and turf. I had a nice “T” bone steak and some shrimp. A nice meal before getting on the COD. As we were finishing up our lunch, the ATO cruised thought the wardroom and said there was another change, the air boss ready to get the show rolling and get the COD off of the ship. Se we hustled back up to the ATO office and got our gear on and boarded the COD.

Now for those who are not familiar with naval aircraft, the COD is a C-2 cargo plane. Built in the late 60’s to early 70’s it is a two engine turbo prop that can carry about 25 passengers and cargo. Our flight had 7 passengers and cargo. We were whisked out to the flight deck and into the COD boarding through the aft ramp and seated facing aft, looking out the aft ramp. The aircraft stared up and we taxied out to the catapult. The aircraft was hooked up by the deck crew, the pilots powered up the engines to a screaming roar and WAAAAAH.. off we went screaming down the bow of the carrier accelerating to around 130 knots in just about 2 seconds. F=MA. I am sure I could work some physics equation to tell you exactly the amount of G forces I experienced but I wont bore you all with the technicalities. Let’s just say it was a fantastic “flat” roller coaster ride. Better then demon drop at cedar point. A real kick in the pants. Oooh talking a kick in the pants, something has me giving a little heresy squirts special to the blue flush gods. Hope Sebring does not get a blue meteor through a roof tonight?? I think that is about where we are now. Hence I have once again digressed.

Ok so the COD launch was pretty darn cool and another first as was the squirts on the plane, a day of firsts!

The COD trip was short and sweet for Key West Naval Air Station was only about 50 miles from the ship or should I say the ship was only about 50 miles from Key West. I should know this information pretty well for I have been looking at it on our radar screens for the past few days. The COD landed, we checked in for our next flight, A C-9 essentially a civilian DC-9 going to Norfolk which was leaving out of Key West at 10pm. As how it was 3pm when we finally landed in Key West, what are 3 officers, two pilots and a dentist to do???

Brian, Margret the Dentist and I changed into some civilian clothes and caught a cab to Key West proper, Duval Street in particular for a little fun in the Conch Republic. Of course we started our afternoon at Sloppy Joe’s where the beer began to flow and of course some shrimp and conch fitters. Good times. After a few cold ones it was down Duval Street to the southern most point for a few quick pics. Now it has been a while since my last trip to Key West, my last trip being when I was a freshly minted second lieutenant in the Army coming down as a ”chaperone” for a cadet trip. Good times. Things have not changed much. Men who like men and some who are dressed in drag still roam the streets. I had a hard time keeping Brian off of them. Just kidding I did see a good T-shirt, “HOMO DEPOT”, pretty funny. All of the usual joints were still around; Fast Buck Freddie’s the Turtle Karrals and others. Most of the places had a little bit of damage from hurricane Wilma. I was just mentioning to the guys on the ship that it was just four short months ago that I was down in this area chasing hurricanes around the gulf.

You know the old saying that it is a small world and you should treat everyone the way you would want to be treated? Well this rang true for me tonight. After we snapped some fotos at the Southern most point, you all will have to wait a little on these pics, for I forgot my digital camera in my helmet bag at the airport so I had to revert to the old stand by disposable camera. Anyhow were in another bar drinking beer. I of course brought a cigar I got for Christmas with me to enjoy while on the beach. I noticed a dude across the bar smoking a stogie. As how I did not have a cutter for my cigar I wondered over and asked him for a clip. Anyhow I did and we go to talking. Me being a young punk kid and this guy and older gentleman, maybe mid fifties who was with a group of buddies playing golf wanted me to play a joke on one of his friends who was trying to “pickup” some younger women. Yeah this guy, who was trying to pick up the younger women was not having a whole lot of success and these 50 something ladies were not taking the bait. I was supposed to pretend to be a bounce and ask the guy for his ID and sort of throw the ladies a life ring. To peal this old geezer off of them. So with nothing to fear, I did just that. I played my roll and it worked, anyhow after my bluff was called and the laughs subsided, it was actually a group of old friends from Alabama down in the keys golfing and fishing. They were kind of curious to chat with a couple of navy pilots and a dental doc. It just so happened that the guy I was to “rough up” in my roll as the bouncer is the brother of Admiral Natter, a recently retired 4 star admiral. Who, with all respect of 6 degrees of separation has a daughter with whom I went to flight school with! Pretty darn small world. So just be careful out there, have fun and meet some new people when you can.

After some our Red Stripe, it was back up Duval Street where we came across Margaritaville. As it was dinner time we stopped and got a bite to eat before heading back to catch our plane. A good joint and not too expensive. I had the tuna don’t think I would order it again from Jimmy’s restaurant. Dinner was good and the cab back to the base was prompt.

We goofed off for a bit and the C-9 arrived early. We bored the flight with one other passenger to Norfolk. So, do the math, there is a crew of 6 and 4 passengers on a 90 seat aircraft. Cool, we all have our own 5 rows to ourselves.

Brian is passed out to my right, Margret is to my right and behind me, also comatose. As for me, well I am listening to a little Jimmy Buffet, tapping away at the key board and dreaming up ideas of frozen sewage meteorites. Sleep well my kiddies, I will be back in the “View” in about 45 minutes.

NUTZ @ 36,0000 ft