Catching Up on the West Coast

Its been a while since I've updated the blog but the time sure has gone fast. Since my last post we've finished the golf season down in Atlanta and are now into doing football every Sunday. We've also taken Snoopy 2 from the east coast to the west coast for the winter via Nashville, Houston, Phoenix, Oakland and San Diego. Taking the airship across Texas, through the desert and over the mountains into California is always a challenge. Its also one the of the most fun transits we do. With proper planning, some patience with the weather and a few long days for the entire crew, we completed yet another west coast transit (the 3rd such transit I've been a part of).

Above are some pictures I took of Nashville, TN while we were there to cover a Tennessee Titans game back in September. I've also flown the games we covered in Phoenix, Oakland and San Diego over the past month in case you caught any of our aerial shots from those games.

Kickoff the Football Season

Well the NFL season kicked off this weekend and so did our aerial coverage for Metlife in Snoopy 2. I had the pleasure of flying over an exciting game in Baltimore on Sunday. The Ravens went on to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 38-24 in beautiful downtown Baltimore. Check out the couple of pictures I took of the stadium and the inter harbor.

A Day Walking Around Beantown

For the day off, a couple of us decided to go up to Boston for the day. We took in all of the sites along the Freedom Trail including the USS Constitution, Paul Revere's house, the Old North Church, The Custom House Clock and the United States' oldest tavern, The Bell in Hand. We even made it over to the "original" Cheers for some dinner. All and all, a nice day taking in the sites.

NYC in the Summertime

I did some flying last weekend over Manhattan. In the pictures you will see a number of New York landmarks including the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, Time Square, Central Park and of course the MetLife Buildings. Always a pleasure to get to fly above NYC during a beautiful summer day!

A Milestone Accomplished

Well I just caught up on my logbook tonight and realized that I have now flown over 1000 hours in airships. Kind of a cool, notable accomplishment. Of course many of the pilots I have worked with probably have over 10,000 hours in airships. Like in just about everything no matter how long you've been doing it, there is always more to learn from your peers. I'm just fortunate enough to get to learn from such experienced pilots.

Indy is Quite Friendly

We are in Indianapolis,IN this week for the Senior Open Tournament. On our way back from flying over the tournament today, the camera guy spotted the above message written in what looked like golf balls at the local driving range. It was one of the coolest things I've had the opportunity to see from the air. When I got back on the mast at the airport, I was sure to show all of the crew the friendly message that was laid out for us. I don't know if you may find your way to my blog here but in case you do, thanks from all the crew! We always appreciate the hospitality we receive across the country. That one is going in my favorite blimp memories for sure!

The Windy City

I flew the transit down from Chicago to Indianapolis this week. On my way down I had the opportunity to fly past downtown for a few pictures. You can really take in all the sights flying down along the coast of Lake Michigan. The highlights include the building formally known as the Sears Tower, Soldier Field which is home of the Bears and the site which use to be Meigs Field Airport. I had the opportunity to fly into there for a memorable day in downtown Chicago back when I was still in college. Within the following year, the mayor of Chicago took advantage of post 9/11 fears and sent in trucks overnight to begin tearing up the runways at the airport. It was a landmark that held a special place in the heart of any pilot who had the opportunity to fly into there. It is now just a park.

Breweries, Bicycles and Baseball Stadiums

Well after catching up with Snoopy 2 in the Quad Cities we made our way to Milwaukee, WI to do a few flyovers and some other engagements this past week. Included in the highlights are the downtown skyline, Miller Park baseball stadium, the Nascar track and the Miller Brewery. Also included in the pictures are some of the bicycle race I flew over today and the Boerner Botanical Gardens.