Stop by and fly

  My last weekend in Jinja is turning out to be the best so far. The team was able to depart a bit early for the three and a half hour trip allowing us to arrive to Jinja during day light hours.  Like most land based travel in this country its bumpy as all get out, my neck is killing me!  There is never an opportunity to relax while operating a vehicle here you just don’t know what surprise is just around the next corner.  Could be kids, cows, goats, monkeys, a broken down truck or another vehicle going too fast on your side of the road headed straight at you, yikes!!  Most of this weekend will be spent relaxing and recharging, that’s army talk for lounging around drinking beer.   Priority mission for me is to do my last bit of shopping for family and friends back home.  The challenge is selecting stuff that I think will, one make the trip, two fit into my bags and three still make weight.  For the most part I am using guidance I learned from my mom, gifts should fit into one three categories, they are, “Eat it, Drink it, or Spend it” kinda simple when you think of it. 

  A thought just crossed my mind no where in these postings have I told you where in Jinja we have been staying, the hotel Triangle.  You can check it out on the web at www.hoteltriangle.co.ug it’s an old establishment with modern amenities all in the African style, (I will let you figure that one out).  Breakfast is included in the room cost and a full restaurant is located on the premises.  All I can vouch for is the breakfast; if the other meals are the same I would rate it as average for Uganda.  What really makes this place is the staff, there are many of them and all are friendly.  They know the white man has money and they want it.  So a smile and graciousness is the norm but no direct hand is jutted out for a tip.  Drop one however and you have made their day.  Again Americans tip more than most Europeans and they have figured this one out and trust me they know how to tell us apart.  After a few rocky starts with room assignments in a loud area of the hotel I finally convinced the management that a more quite section of the hotel was my choice.  From then on it’s been pleasant. 

  If you have been keeping track for the last few weeks you might be asking “Mason where are all the photos?”  They are coming soon.  After I get home this weekend and settle in some, you can expect to see a new folder titled Uganda.  Not just sure how many will be included but rest assured they will be interesting.  Pam and I have been talking about spring chores, spring on the farm is a busy time and this job landed smack dab in the beginning of spring.  My list is already two pages long and I am just getting started and I have not seen Pam's yet.  I used three broad categories, Farm/House/shop, The Party and our fleet of Vehicles.  Some where in there is time for Pam and me to spend together riding, taking day trips and of course entertaining you.  

  Well its getting time to pack for the trip back to Lowerro and our base of operations for training. This will be my last posting from Uganda the next will be from the farm.  

Till then,

Remember take a kid flying,

Mason

  Third weekend for the weekly R&R trip to Jinja, two more and my initial dabbling as a Military Professional Consultant is complete.  As I look over Lake Victoria not too far from the source of the Nile a bit of sentimentality creeps in.  Last night during dinner conservation I expressed how reading glasses are sometimes thought of as trophies, trophies for making it to this stage of life.   Those of us who are drawn to the military have all experienced the loss of a good friend early in their life who will never need reading glasses.  After my comment the table fell silent thinking of the friends we have left behind long ago.  A toast was proposed then we resumed eating and talking, some how I just could not reconnect as my mind began to drift into my past.  So now its morning on Lake Victoria and I still have that feeling that I should be doing something, something more and I just can’t figure out what I am suppose to do with this.  I feel the energy that I am tapped into when I see the faces on the officers and NCOs’ in class.  I ask many questions, personal questions, but not really sure the answers I get are the actual truth.  There is this British mentality about the Ugandan’s.  It’s their pride showing, because they are battle tested professionals, not modern soldiers, but all the same tested.  And in the end are we any better with our million dollar weapons when a machete in close will get the same results?  Just trust me there is a lot going on over here and at many levels.

My team is now into phase three of four, training the two battalion staffs that are designated for the African Union mission in Mogadishu, Somalia call UGABAG 4.  The soldiers know that other Ugandans have lost their lives in Mogadishu, but most if not all have seen more action than most of the guys on the team, including me.  This is action in Uganda fighting the LRA in Northern Uganda, or other action in the Congo and other regions in Africa I am talking close hands on kind of fighting.  For the most part this is a battle tested bunch who are eager to learn what the team is teaching.  As can be expected from time to time the BNs are visited by the BDE CDR conducting personal/informal evaluations, (if there is such a thing), of his units as they progress thru this training.  The commander just completed the same training so it is still fresh in his mind.  My team leader is convinced that this bunch is the best he has ever seen, (he said that last week), but some how I think I see it too.  Like a basket of apples this is a mixed bunch, the commander is sharp, his staff has its bright shinny nuggets and a few dull stones.  This is no different in the US military.  Bottom line they are absorbing this procedure just like any US Army staff would for the first time. 

Finally saw some of the unique African wild life on the morning commute this week.  A troop of monkeys were on the road eating a fresh hatch of white ants.  I counted 18 of the little skinny little buggers scampering all around eating the ants.  As our convoy passed they headed for the trees screaming as they ran, hopped and swung for the trees.  The monkeys are not the only ones feasting on the morning hatches.  Where ever the ants hatch the locals are not too far behind with their cups picking them up.  From what I gather the ants are rolled into a ball cooked then eaten, sounds good actually.  These are plump ants about 1 to 1.25 inches long full of juices after they pupated into adults.  I have been looking on the road side stands for an ant ball but as of yet I have not been able to find any, a good indication that they are good to eat?

How are you feeling you ask?  What is the food like?  The proof is in the belt line!!!  I coined a saying, “every night is a cook out”!  The dinners in Lowero are fantastic, that is if you like Bar-be-Que on a wood fire. Most if not all the cooking at this hotel is done on wood.  (I will post a few photos of the kitchen when I get home).  Most nights there is chicken, (just wait till you see the photos of the live birds), the open grilled bird is fantastic the pork on a stick is as well, (no photos of live pigs but I still have a few weeks to get those).  These are staples for each dinner, along with rice, spuds, and beer.  Yes there are vegetables like cooked greens, cold-slaw, fresh fruit.  The Ugandans are especially proud of their pineapple, so it’s a staple at each and every meal, along with bananas.   Lunch during the week is taken at a small shack in the nearest town from the camp about a 15 min ride.  It’s the same everyday, rice, beans, chopats, some kind of meat and sliced avocado.  It’s a self serve buffet kind of affair with the priced based on how much of what you put on your plate.  (Oh I forgot the ketchup and hot sauce).  Lately most of the staff trainers, my team, have been skipping this break and are content with a banana from the breakfast meal or nothing and just sit and relax over the break.  The weekends in Jinja are anarchy, as we all hit the town.  I am actually quit happy because this country is full of Indians and I love Indian food.  Jinja has many decent, (remember this is Africa, so it’s Africa decent) Indian food establishments, look like hell from the outside and not much better inside.  For get the restrooms you just don’t want to go there.  I normally ask to see the kitchen before I order, if they say no I leave. Next weekend I will address this more.

All my gear is beginning to be covered by a red dust, just like Iraq but red, it gets into everything.  Most of the dust is from our daily 1.25 hour commute to and from Singo Military Training School.  The weird part is how it makes everything kinda sticky, say for instance my finger pad on the lap top its like its is covered in a kind of glue, weird.  I have started to dry brush my bags and equipment but really don’t expect this to be over until I get back to the farm on DELMARVA.

Mason

Training of the brigade staff is completed for my team, the staff will now continue with training on their own, hopefully.  My hope is that the BDE CDR has taken his experience with our train up and taken this material to heart.  One in particular is that his staff and his battalion staffs need to include his sergeants during these train ups.   I also fear that with out some more mentoring, say just one guy imbedded with them, the process will slowly be forgotten.  No I am not building a job for Mason just making an observation based on facts learned from my time in the US Army.  And we that have done this business for any length of time know “Soldiers are Soldiers” where ever you go.

  This week starts the battalion training where I will begin to stand in front of the classes.  I know the material well I have been using this stuff over my 27 years in the military.  I say 27 but in actuality its far less than that since the majority of my time has been as a Guardsman/reservist.  The majority of my full time experience has been since 1999 when I started volunteering for deployments.  Guess I am still doing it now with MPRI, the volunteering I mean? 

  The weekend in Jinja has been average, really only have last weekend to gauge by.  Things got off to a rocky start with my room assignment that found me in the nosiest hall of the hotel and next to the bar.  It was an unrest full and thoroughly miserable night.  Saturday Greg and I walked to the source of the Nile River, we took photos of the area talked to some vendors then I headed back to the hotel for work and Greg went into town.  The rest of the day I worked on my classes rewriting some but mostly reviewing and practicing. My first class on day one is “Create a Secure Environment” this relates to Peace Support Operations and how units support the population, government, NGO’s and the UN Mandate which is the mechanism by which the operation gets its legal authority.

OK that’s enough for now, if there is some topic you want to hear about just drop me an email and I will get back to you next weekend.

Till then,

  Another chapter in this wild ass ride has started as life has taken me to Uganda.  How in the hell did I end up in Uganda?  That’s an easy one, money, or really a lack of it.  With the way the US economy is spiraling down to a socialist’s abyss as the leadership and under the control of the liberal machine there is no where for me to find work, at home at least.  Oh you can find it but in my area one needs to speak spanish, no lie.  The flying school closed as a result of over regulation and over taxation, both by our federal government.  Not only to me but to my students, we just don’t seam to have the extra money like we did in the past to apply to our passions.  You can thank carter, franks, clinton and the likes of those liberal/socialist thinking leaders in the government. 

Ok nuff of my venting guess it’s the heat, bugs, the runs or mud and dust getting to me back to Uganda.  This all steams from the United Nations, (UN), mandated peace keeping mission in Somalia.  Uganda has been sending troops to Mogadishu for almost two years now.  Their efforts have not gone unnoticed as they are a fair people, funny/happy yet strong all at the same time.  For the first few weeks of my trip I will work with a Brigade Staff.  They will come together just like any other task force, from all corners and units.  My team will help them to learn how to conduct the complex mission ahead of them at the same time weld themselves together as a functioning staff.  It’s very rewarding to see them improve as they proceed through the process.  Funny part is I have been in the vary same predicament of building a staff so having been there helps me to guide them along.  After the BDE Staff has completed a five day Command Post Exercise, (CPX), they will go back to their headquarters building and two of the Battalions, (BN), in the BDG will start the same growth process.  There are UN driven classes on Aids prevention, Rule of Law, and others.  Then there are mission related classes that are selected to expose the Ugandans to methods of leadership and organization that are currently used by the US Army.  For the staff a large part of the training is focused on what we call the Military Decision Making Process or MDMP.  I will not go into the process here.  While this staff and leadership training is going on there are other teams working with the soldiers exposing them to tactics techniques and procedures that will be the meat of what they will need to be able to do in the execution of their mission.  oh yah and to hopefully help to keep them alive so they can come home to their families. 

OK look for a few more postings as this trip unfolds.  I only have internet access on the weekends while we are in Jinja.  But my phone is on if you want to call the number from the states is dialed 011-256-783-170-481. 

Remember take a kid flying,

From Uganda,

Mason

“What’s coming down the run way”?

That question is probably being pondered by a lot of people, ‘what’s going to happen in 2009’.  One can sit and wait to see or one can develop a plan, make goals, execute the plan and then conduct follow up. 

What do I see happening in my little corner of paradise?  Well my list is localized only for here on the farm and that’s it, no worldly mission day dreaming.  So here are some of the things I have been thinking about;

1. Work with the animals more, June Bug and Flicka mainly.

2. Conduct a cross country flight requiring an over night and several stops.

3. Second annual pig roast some time June or July, (keep posted) (tie downs will be available if you want to fly in, and you can camp in the Walnut Grove).

4. Do the upgrades to the trike that I have been putting off.

5. Fly my hang glider more, maybe even the paraglider.

6. Tell Pam “I love you” more.

Sounds easy right?  Just a short list, that way there is room for other things to pop up.  If you want too come by and visit and stay a while, eat drink be marry.  Ok that’s it for now hope to see you soon.

And remember "Take a kid flying"

Mason

I am back from Iraq and ready to get DELMARVA Sky Adventures moving.  Look for some renewed activity around the air field by mid April.  I am expecting to be in full swing by late May however I still need to get my CFI rating in order to sign off on training endorsements.  Look for this new rating by mid summer. 

I am planning my first Fly In this summer, keep posted for the details and date.  Looking forward to a fun 2008 flying season so stop on by the Farm and stay a spell. 

Take a kid flying!

Mason

Been in theater for over a month now and in Iraq for just over two weeks.  This is quite the operation.  Lots of units with lots of equipment and many many soldiers.  Some of the places I have been to are kinda nice while others are just crappy and over crowded with US soldiers.  The weather is turning cooler so evenings are only in the 80s.  Days can still get past 114 degrees but that is not the norm for now, more like 105 thru 109.  Every so often I am reminded that there are certain people over here that want us dead.  Mortar and rocket fire is common.  So far only one was close enough that I could feel the shock wave from the blast.  Exciting.  Good thing I live an exciting life and am used to this level of intensity.  Some of the guys are not dealing all that well with it and we don’t have it all that bad.  Just watch the news.  So all and all this trip is off to an interesting start just nine more months to go.

Mason

Ok what can I say, its cold windy and wet, Yep winter is here.  Here is the deal, if the fields are real wet you can forget flying.  Sounds silly I know but safety drives this one folks.  If a bail-out field is needed and it’s too wet then the landing is well not optimal.  If its dry well that’s a different story lets just pray for light winds and cold temps.  Other than that I am real busy with my military duties.  I am enrolled in a professional school which meets one weekend a month.  This is on top of my normal duties as the Executive officer for my Cavalry Squadron.  So that leaves me with two weekends free.

  Where am I going here?  Its simple, if you want to fly with me, (on weekends), either discovery flights or instruction you need to coordinate dates early, besides checking the weather two days out. 

  Take a kid flying

     MASON

  Well took me long enough to post this.  I passed my Sport Pilot test.  Terry was through but fair.  The hour of flying prep was helpful for a few reasons; let Terry see first thing my ability to fly the aircraft, we also talked various procedures and practiced most of the tasks for the FAA test.  Then it was back to the hanger for book stuff.  Again this was prep for the oral portion of the test.  Terry and I talked over various portions of the oral subject matter.  This helped to settle my nerves, as I was a bit amp about this part.  After a working lunch of MRE’s at the hanger Terry decided that he would go home for his testing tools and we would conduct the test that same day.  Oh did I tell you that the weather was perfect?  Light winds, clear sky, mild temps and the beautiful air space of Lynchburg, Virginia, oh and Terry’s killer Airborne XT912 trike.  The test was a non-event and after a few minuets of paper work I had my temporary pilots certification in hand. 

  The mid Atlantic area is lucky to have a DE and instructor like Terry in our region.  Terry has a great set up at the Lynchburg airport with a new hanger that has rest room facilities, meeting room and his personal office right there with his hangered XT912.  Virginia Aviation, (VA) is also in the prep stages to be a certified school for us to earn our maintenance certifications.  This is going to be the premier school and testing facility in the area.  And I think we have Terry to thank for this.  It was very easy to tell that the support staff of VA as well as the airport control tower staff respected Terry, as he is a true professional.

Take a kid flying

Mason

Holly Cow BATMAN!!!  Yes folk’s holly cow its over, the summer of 2006 is history.  That’s both good and bad.  The good?  Cooler temps for flying, yes there will be some early morning fog to deal with as well as increased chance of rain.  The evenings however are wonderful for glass off flights with beautiful sun sets.  The bad?  Lets talk over a beer about that.

9 thru 11 October I head to Precision Windsports Inc. in Lynchburg, VA for my sport pilot check ride.   Terri Sipanizi, head cheese at PWI has assured me that we will fly some hours to evaluate my skill, pre-test, to insure I know my stuff prior to the test.  But all coaching stops when he states, “the test has begun”.   Let’s hope for good flying weather!!

My girl friend Pam and I took the Profi out for a 1.5 hour late mid day flight yesterday.  Thermally air, mixing air masses the Profi cut thru it with smooth subtle control impute.  The electric trim allows for trimming the wing for a varied range of airspeeds and man its sweet.  This is the first time I have done 85 MPH in a trike, yes it’s fast. 

Some recent DSA students are buying trikes in preparation for solo flight.  Nothing is more exciting than your first solo.  Good luck guys.

Take a kid flying

Mason

  Looked at the weather forecast for today and decided to put some hours on the Nano-Trike as conditions were predicted to be perfect for thermaling.  And it was a perfect day for thermaling, even without a vareo, all I had to do was hang with the buzzards.  

 Lets back up some here and describe what a Nano-Trike is.  This type of trike normally is less than 100 pounds and uses a true hang glider wing.  The hang glider wing must be reinforced to handle the increased weight and stress factors of triking.  But it is still a hang glider and can normally still be used as such.  The trike unit usually has a small two-cycle engine that produces from 20 to 40 horsepower.  The Nano-trike I use is called a Freedom Machine or Light Trike, they were developed by Matt Taber of Lookout Mountain Flight Park, (LMFP).  These trikes are just about as simple and bullet proof as you can get.  The trikes are now being built and distributed by Mike Teeke who operates out of the Marian County Airport in Tennessee just a few miles West of LMFP, check out Mikes site at flyhard trikes.  

  Ok back to the flying!  Total time was a little bit over three hours with about 15 landings.  I am not sure of my total altitude gain but from experience know I was at least 1,500’ at my highest gain.  This thermalling is done just little bit over idle in a fat thermal or 4,000' to 5,000' in less formed thermals.  I flew over to Sugar Hill twice for some touch and goes and one pit stop, hehehe.  All the while using the buzzards as thermal markers to mark the heading to my destination with the most amount of lift.  Was it rough or bumpy?  I would say maybe at times but the Nano goes slow enough so you don’t feel the sharp edge thermals as much, but that’s why you go out mid day right? 

Remember to take a kid flying

Mason

Man what a weekend, calm conditions, cool temps and clear sky’s’ the only thing mission was you!  With only one student this weekend I did lots of free flying and it was great.  Mornings and evenings are turning out to be great so far this summer so if you want to train try to pick these times. 

See my video postings on YouTube.  Go to WWW.YouTube.com in the search window type in CAVGUY1158 then hit search and enjoy the show.  I will add some new ones very soon so keep checking my blog for updates. 

Ok students, some of you have been asking me where to get the manuals I want you to use well here are links for all the books.  Grand total is $82.85.

From United States Ultralight Association;

1. USUA - log book, $8.00 http://www.usua.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=USUA&Product_Code=PAALARG&Category_Code=

2.  Curtis Hughes - Ultralight Pilots Flight Training Manual, $29.95

http://www.usua.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=USUA&Product_Code=UPFTM&Category_Code=

3. Mark Phillips – Trike Flyer’s Manual, $17.95

http://www.usua.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=USUA&Product_Code=TFM&Category_Code=

4. Dennis Pagen – Understanding the SKY. $26.95 (This book is for those nights you just can’t fall asleep, but hey folks it’s a well written text that is a must for us ultralight pilots, just get it and struggle thru it.)

Saturday the 11^th was the first day of operation for the 2006 season.  I logged 4.5 hours with lessons, first time flights for new students and test flights. 

Wayne had me test fly his BB Gibbo trike.  I liked the BB trike set up just fine, but will hold my comments on Mark Gibbo's wing design till I fly it some more.

Pam is a new student for 2006 season.  Wayne and I flew to her house and landed in an adjacent field where the prearranged switch was conducted.  Fuel was pre-positioned so after a quick refuel we were off.  We over flew some of her friends houses then did a few touch and goes at Eagle Crest Airport.  Then it was off to Cape Henlopen for a flight down the beach to Indian River Bridge.  A quick turn to the West and up the Indian River to Millsboro and then back to CR’s Field, (My home field)

Sorry I don’t have photos of Wayne’s trike or Pam but rest assured I will soon enough.