Flyin' around the sandbox.

[adrianspeeder]

Trip 134, Summer 2016, Bahrain

276 - “Can you leave for another flight? It’s with a reserve crew, and their crew chief had other commitments.” Turns out the copilot did as well, so call up a favorite copilot from the Japan trip to ride along reservist and active duty rainbow mix style.



277 - Back to the desert. Again.



278 - Something big hit there.



279 - Non OCD desert farming.



280 - Random abandoned airport with not a thing around.



281 - Aww dick. “Chief!” “Relax, all right? My old man is a television repairman, he's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it.” Actually, it’s not that big of a deal out in the system. I have a pin kit that isn’t that hard to disable the thrust reverser and its opposite paired motor on the other wing. Then the engine that has the problem I put 14 bolts in all three thrust reverser cowlings to physically keep the doors from moving. Only penalty is a longer stopping distance having to rely on only two engines and more brakes to stop after landing.



282 - Beachfront Gulf property.



283/284 - Fancy with money in the bank.





285 - Picture in picture!



286 - Aperture Priority, f/4.0, 28mm, ISO 100, 2sec



287 – Ready to load on a hot sticky night.



288 – Fueled and waiting on cargo.



289/290 - Stunning sunrise.





291 - Full service window licker.



292 - Windows cleaned, gas in the tank, let’s go fly!



293 - So even though I still have a flip phone, I’m moving into this era with an Ipad Pro. Laptop had died, and I replaced it with an Imac at home, but still would like to have something out on the road with me, so let’s see if I can learn a touch screen. How do you make this thing work?



294 - Decent picture taker too.



295 - Headin’ home, and I wonder what the next trip will be?

[adrianspeeder]

...

[adrianspeeder]

Had a day off today to knock out the next few trips worth of photos from last summer, but also worked on some new material as well. Switching gears for a minute for a current observation.

The Bagram Bowl. Few other places in the world test men, or machine, on both sides of the trigger, with one of the most challenging approaches and departures for heavyweight airlift. Millions of years of terrain with thousands of years of fighting stack into that one possible shot being a golden BB. Everyone staring closely at the view looking for a smoke trail of a rocket with the motors at max fighting for every foot to get as far above as fast as we can. Sharp eyes looking out mix awe inspiring views with threats to livelihood, but our greatest risk is also own doing. The greatest safety of a crew driven airplane is when the sum of the parts equals greater than the whole. “Hey man, will you double check that …” “Where are we on completing this …” “Can you remind me for …” “How can I help you do …” “What do you think about …” And the possible scenarios list on to get one more load in and out and over the mountain. Ya know, this place wouldn’t be bad for a ski resort, but gotta stop 4000 years of fighting first. ‘Till next flight, - Adrianspeeder

[adrianspeeder]

Trip 135, Summer 2016, Djibouti

296 - Well big surprise after a day off to mow the lawn, and pack the laundry up, lets head back to Africa.



297 - Copilots pushing buttons! So many to choose from, so we watch closely.



298 - It’s like herding cats.



299 - 2 out of these 3 are broke.



300 - C-17’s sexy sister the MD-11.



301 - Training in progress.



302 – Paid to watch the world go by.



















311 - “Good safety RACM. Punch it!”



312 - Launch the fleet!



313 - After almost 10 years of wearing the same Casio watch, I was swimming in the Mediterranean at our crew rest stop in Italy, and noticed it filled with water. “Hey copilot, when was the last shuttle from the beach back to the hotel?” “No idea chief.” “Screw it, let’s keep drinkin’.” Ended up having the bartender drive us back at last call, but I still need a time piece on the airplane for all my paperwork. Preferably one that shows two times at once for local and Zulu. Only thing an Italian watch shop the next morning down the road from the hotel that fit the bill was a throwback to 1993. “Hey, I won’t have to divide fuel quantity numbers in my head anymore back at the refuel panel. Win!”



314 - I was asked on another page how we can do 24-hour duty days, and this right here is where it happens. Top bunk is for the augmented loadmaster, bottom bunk is for the augmented pilot, and I’m left with the floor of the crew rest area behind the flight deck at the top of the stairs down to the cargo compartment. Not too bad of a spot with a small air mattress, but just don’t step on me!



315 - One more homebound ocean crossing sunset. Where are we going next? Aperture Priority, f/3.5, 28mm, ISO 1600, 1/15.

[adrianspeeder]

...

[shipwrecked]

How many flight hours you have? I know pilots like to count theirs... our coastie air crews count theirs...

We sea faring folks count our sea time in years, not hours.... I have 9 years.

[ThinLizzy13]

Nice pics man. I spent some time running around in the hills of that Bagram bowl. Felt bad for those pilots flying in and out - one combat type landing was enough for me lol.

[adrianspeeder]

How many flight hours you have? I know pilots like to count theirs... our coastie air crews count theirs...

We sea faring folks count our sea time in years, not hours.... I have 9 years.

One week ago when I did my last batch of post-mission paperwork I was at 2432.3 hours.

Nice pics man. I spent some time running around in the hills of that Bagram bowl. Felt bad for those pilots flying in and out - one combat type landing was enough for me lol.

Thanks for your work! The less people that can shoot at us, the better we are over the hills.



Adrianspeeder

[adrianspeeder]

Trip 136, Fall 2016, Colorado

001/006 – Next trip was a nice change of pace to a training line out in Colorado. High altitude practice of low level terrain following is a tricky bitch sometimes, but gets some great pictures and views. First stop was in Kansas for Army Guard training of loading vehicles at Manhattan Regional Airport.













007 – A favorite character from a dollar rider flight a while ago is back with me again, but he’s sharper now, and harder to trick.



008 – What is this? The WMCA?



009 – C-17 groupie? I actually don’t remember her story, as she wasn’t on our crew, but hung around the jet for loading and engine start.



010 – The fire department showed up for training, and I’m always happy to show egress and entry operation of the jet to all that could someday have to pull my ass out in an emergency. He was asking about fuel fire load, and eyes got big when I said a full tank of gas could be 36,000 gallons.



011 – Four turnin’ up tight. Let’s go earn money!



012 – Back to high altitude training while out of breath in Colorado.



013 – The mission and metal is meaningless without the men to make it happen.



014/017 – Colorado mountain views.









018 – “Attack the mountain with flying knife hands.”



019 – This didn’t come out as cool as it looked from the air.



020 – High altitude low level terrain following training time! Pull them ‘belts up tight.

[adrianspeeder]

021/022 – “Copilot’s aircraft.” Take ‘er down Lt!





023 – Middle of nowhere somewhere.



024 – Tricky approach and departure of Gunnison – Crested Butte Regional Airport. Elevation of 7680 foot has a painful slow spool up of the motors on a go around.



025 – “You got this friend!”



026/030 – Later that day at Colorado Springs there was a forecast of skies partly sunny with a 100 percent chance of aluminum overcast.











031/035 – There’s a storm brewin’ up!











036/040 – Gassed up and back to VFR in the Rockies.

[adrianspeeder]

041 – Tall pointy thinger in sight. Official tech speak.



042 - 600 feet above the ground at 8500 feet in the air.



043 - Low level views of beautiful country.



044 – Beauty of a view.



045 – Watch out for that tree.



046-050 - Low level views of beautiful country.











051 – Watch out for that bunny hill at 12000 feet. “Powers in. Visual.” At this altitude the motors take over a half a minute to spool up, so the power has to be planned ahead of time, or else we don’t have it available.



052-054 - Low level views of beautiful country.







055 – Next trench to go dive down in. Gotta be a kickass show on the ground screamin’ by at 500 feet.



056 – Dropping by for a BBQ.



057 – Do good work Lt, we’re counting on you.



058 – Just li’l bit of angle of the dangle. More to come.



059 – Kickass views.



060 – Chase and taste the rainbow.

[adrianspeeder]

061 – Boss man driving time.



062 – Damn rainbow just seems to keep out of reach.



063 – Mostly sunny with a chance of aluminum overcast skies.



064-065 – Back down in the ditches. Nice that we don’t have people shooting at us here.





066 – Rocky Mountain High.



067 – Terrain. Terrain. “Wooooeeeee! Here we go.”



068 – Finally getting around the rainbow.



069 – Hold on to your butts, she’s gonna dance!



070 – To the moon!



071 – Hold on to your butts, she’s gonna dance!



072 – Put ‘er on the floor.



073 – Back to the moon!



074-075 – With the Sun setting, we are done for the day.





076 – Seems legit.



077 – Preflight for takeoff time.



078 – Hi friends!



079-080 – Alright CO, it’s been real.

[adrianspeeder]

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[adrianspeeder]

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[adrianspeeder]

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[adrianspeeder]

Highs and lows.
I was happy to have left working in the desert, but sad to have left work still to be done. I was thankful to have gotten a rest in Germany, but regretted to not have met with all my friends there. I was excited to hear of an unscheduled early flight that would directly to Dover, but somber to find out the priority cargo was a Dignified Transfer of a fallen Navy Seal. I was proud to have worked the airplane's issues for an on time takeoff, but emotional to tears as his friends carried the flag draped transfer container down the ramp. Combat aviation is like nothing else in the world. We work the sum of all skills for the safe landing, but then curse the ground for holding us until the following time in the air. Looking to the next flight saying, "Best job I ever had."

Home after a 106 day trip to the beach with no water.



Adrianspeeder

[adrianspeeder]

Half way, equal time point, mid way, half time, middle of the road, straddling the fence, or all downhill from here. Anyway you say it, 10 short years have been racked up today answering the question of, “What do you do?” with, “I’m in the Air Force.” While I’ve had the most epic trips around the world 100 plus times to 44 states, and 56 countries on 6 continents, more importantly there have been countless friends I’ve made working C-17s. It all started on May 15 2007 with flight 413 and 414 coming together to kick it off. I’m honored next week to be able to reenlist again.

Adrianspeeder

[adrianspeeder]

Ten years was last week, and this was the third time I put the hand in the air. Hope to be able one more time in four years.



https://youtu.be/N-2Tr7uurKA

Adrianspeeder

[adrianspeeder]

After some tech difficulties, got a second angle. Going on camping NASCAR vacation this week, so I'll be back to posting the next batch of edited photos when I return to the land of internets.





Adrianspeeder

[adrianspeeder]

Well friends, hit a goal on today's mission of 2500 hours in the air. I'd like to thank all the crews that have driven me this far.

Adrianspeeder