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| My handsome hubby, Stephen Clark Soloing the T-6 at Laughlin AFB, Del Rio, TX |
The runways were busy this week, scorching heat rose from the tarmac, hot winds blew through propellers every which way, and planes were weaving in and out like a perfectly choreographed dance. I'm sure the airport here at the Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio is usually rather busy, as I heard it may be one of the busiest in the nation due to the high volume of students being trained on a daily basis. They pump highly trained, ambitious pilots from this base like a well oiled machine.
I had the opportunity this week to witness and capture a praiseworthy accomplishment and milestone for many of the students in my husband's flight as they solo'd in a T-6 for the first time. The look of anxiousness, wonder, awe, and excitement painted their faces, and I tried to tell the story as true as I could, despite the bright sun and heat. This truly is an accomplishment for these men and women of valor, as I had just a small glimpse from the outside in at the trials these students face day in and day out, though I know I could barely scratch the surface of it all. Memorizing binders full of information, constant quizzing, checklists, citing emergency procedures one right after the other, and bearing the 110 degree heat outside on the pavement in a full G-Suit just to name a few.
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| Dan Schasser's Solo, high fiving his instructor before heading off on his own |
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| My Hubby, Stephen Clark's Solo |
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| getting ready for take-off |
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| Stephen getting dunked...he tried running...as if they make it back to their room before getting caught, their flight mates buy him beers :). |
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| You can't tell, but this water was soooo nasty, there were about 5 wasps living in it before hand :( |
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| He's so happy it's all over! |
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| Ben Pietrykowski's Solo |
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| Taking off |
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| His wife came out for support :). |
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| Trevor Leeming's Solo |
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| Getting a pat on the back for a job well done :). |
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| He knows what's coming next... |
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| Dunked! |
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| Andy Willard's Solo |
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| Greeting his wifey |
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| And he tried to run free! |
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| But he got caught....and DUNKED! |
Candace, these photos are so incredible...I think I actually started tearing up just looking at them! And I LOVE, LOVE your new blog format :) XO
ReplyDeleteOh good! Thank you, yes I think This time away has really helped me to hone in on my personal style and purpose. It's always a work in progress, but I feel like I'm learning more about myself and what motivates me :).
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