I was on vacation during the month of July. I ceased all work related activities.
I also didn’t…
- Read a USATODAY
- Eat airport food
- Shave
- Tell a passenger their flight cancelled… just for the fun of it
- Turn my back and walk away from the TSA while they attempted to explain the rules
- Make small talk with a new hire pilot about what they flew before this
- Set an clock alarm with a pencil so as to not touch the buttons with my fingers
- What CNN Airport News Network
- Wear a tie
- Watch sailboats from the cockpit of jet wishing I was down there
- Iron anything
- Get excited about finding a People, US Magazine and OK! in the same seat back pocket
- Ride in a hotel van telling horror stories about flying with my crew while one non-airline person cries silently to themselves in the back
- Send my phone through an X-ray machine with the “Get me out of this bag!” ringtone set to fire in T minus 10 seconds
- Drink an emergency shot of airplane coffee
- Wear a five point harness (almost though. Considered racing a go-cart)
- Use outlook for email
- Touch a thrust lever
- Do a checklist (making a list now. Close)
It was a blissful month away from the airport. I return to the cockpit tomorrow. I just hope they didn’t move any of the buttons around.