ATC First 6 Weeks

Well not much is happening in school, I have taken my first math test. Human factors test is on Wednesday, and I have a mid term in Tower Operations next Tuesday or Thursday. In my intro to ATC class we have just started going into the simulators. I would have to say that these are really life like sims. We are in a 360 sim as everyone around here calls it. You can actually watch your plane being pushed away from the gates with a little tug, and you watch you plane taxi to the runways. We are working on ground control and have ground control pass the planes to the tower. Tower is responsible for just the runways, both arriving and departing airplanes. This sim is really detailed, you can see the logos on the planes themselves. I will have to get a picture of this sim and place it on my blog. All of the aviation buildings are connected by "skyways" and on one of the "skyways" you pass over the 360 sim. You are able to look down in to it and watch the students working in there. Well that class is just basic stuff, getting to know all of the equipment that we will be working with. In my actual tower class we are working on reading the ATIS (automated terminal information system, weather) and reading clearances to airplanes based off of the departure strips. Will are going to get started in the sims after the mid term and I am really looking forward to that.

Well Cole and I decided to get out of the house for one of the last times before it really starts getting cold here. I know that it does seem like that is close right now since it was 92 here today, but forecasting in the 50's the next couple of days will change the feel in a hurry. But here is a couple of pics of the trains that I have been trying to get Cole to see.

On the way back I spotted some butterflies and tried to get a pic of Cole with them but he wasn't having any of that. The orange and black butterflies were huge.