A Good View From the Catwalk

Oregon International Air Show

The last time I was at an air show, it has been reported that I spent the time crying from the noise and wanting to leave.  I don't remember so I must have been very small!  As you can guess, I wasn't too excited to go to the air show going on this weekend...and I wasn't too sure how much the kids would enjoy it either.  But, as the wife of an Air Traffic Controller, I think it is a kind of requirement to attend these things (I am already more knowledgeable about airplanes than I care to admit).  Anyway, there are perks, and one of them was that we got to watch the show from the catwalk that wraps around the top of the control tower!  It felt a little like royalty up there, like I should wave slowly and methodically to everyone down below and maybe throw a kerchief.  Later in the evening, the kids were even taken into the tower to spy on the airplanes with binoculars.  They had a blast pretending to be controllers and practicing their foosball techniques (a common past time in between shifts at the tower).  We also had our own personal beer garden and BBQ out on the lawn.  I'm definitely going again next year, and this time no dragging my feet!  No Blue Angels to report, but, there were fireworks, ice cube fights among the kids, and parachuters.

This summer is just flying by with too many fun things to document!  Next week, we are heading out into the deep woods for some primitive time with our cookstove and tent building skills...should make for some more good photos.

This Post Dedicated to: My Almost Air Traffic Controller

According to Urban Dictionary...


Air Traffic Control:
1)     a very complicated job in which a few choice select very brilliant individuals tell all so very dumb pilots what to do so as they dont fuck over the whole continent with delays and mid air collisions. therefore being the most important job in the world (doctors are not the most important) because you only need doctors if there are no air traffic controllers to provide the safe orderly and expoditios flow of air traffic.

dude your so smart that you should be an air traffic controller... you know the smartest people in the world.

2)     Quite possibly the most important job in ensuring safety across the world. Making sure dumb ass pilots do not hit each other and making sure that passnengers can arrive on time regardless of what the pilots try to do to mess it up.

Wow, thanks to my great air traffic control skill, I helped 10,000 people take off and land safely and on time today.

US Air Traffic Map

Air Traffic Controller:

1)     A person who directs pilots from the ground in order to ensure the safe, orderly and expeditious flow of air traffic through his/her airspace.

The air traffic controllers at high volume airports and enroute centers have one of the most stressful jobs in the world and are often unfairly blamed for airport delays. A given airport can only handle a certain number of flights per hour, and the airlines frequently schedule more flights than that number, causing delays that even the most skilled controller could not avoid. Furthermore, each controller is allowed three losses of separation minimums between two aircraft every two and a half years. One more and he/she gets suspended - and many of them are controlling around a hundred planes per hour. Think about that before you blame them for your late flights.

You land a million planes safely, then you have one little mid-air and you never hear the end of it.

2)     One who keeps the little blips from running into each other.

The Air Traffic Controller is the one who "really" flies the planes in his or her airspace...NOT THE PILOTS.

Matt passed his first exam today at the academy and I am super proud of him!!  Believe me, it's not an easy thing to accomplish, he had to watch as some of his classmates failed.  Tomorrow there is one more exam but I know he can do it.