Monthly Archives: February 2013

Nothin’ but AVgas & Sunoco Green E15.

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POSITION: Daytona Beach, FL

Whew! What a week it’s been! It’s been pretty stormy on campus lately. I’m hoping this weather will clear up soon. So far, school’s going great. I’m only wondering- WHERE is the time going? It’s flying by my seat like the NASCAR drivers were today at the Daytona 500! The USAF Thunderbirds were in town for the race, but unfortunately could not perform today.. so the flying part wasn’t as realistic.

POSITION: Embry-Riddle Flight Line

Lots of blimps have been invading our Class C airspace recently because of the race. As cool as they are, I’m happy I don’t have to watch out for the traffic on takeoff anymore. 😉

Toyota Camry relaxing on campus.

For the many reasons, this is one in which explains why I love my school. While we aren’t going fast in the sky (ha ha) we’re into speed on the ground!

Photo from today at the Daytona 500 here in Daytona Beach.

Here’s a quick snap from today’s race! I was rooting for Danica Patrick and Dale Earnhardt! Such an awesome race- full of intensity and a few mishaps. Needless to say there was never a dull moment! These fields are bred for risk takers. Totally inspiring.

RNAV Circling Approach RWY 25R

My friend, Dane, took this as I was on a circling RNAV approach to RWY 25R. This is what is awesome about having observers. You get to re-live your hallmark moments when you can’t seem to get a free hand to grab a camera. I think this photo sums up my Instrument training.. a concept that is, at first, hard to grasp because everything is vision beyond sight, but once you get it- it’s the coolest thing you’ll ever want to do with a partial view. I am currently finishing up my Instrument Rating and will soon be onto my Commercial Pilot’s License. So far, NOTHING beats shooting an ILS to minimums and breaking out of the clouds to grease a landing. That’s what fuels me.

You could say my life has been pure speed these past few weeks. When you love where you are, what you do and who you are doing it with- the time seems to fly faster than you can catch it. To be honest… I don’t see it slowing down any time soon. After all, what’s wrong with a little RPM in life? See you at the track.

Update: I am now a sponsored pilot; sponsored by SCHEYDEN Precision Eyewear! I am so excited to start this new journey!

Keep squawking the blog!

Blue Skies (and black oil tracks)

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Welcome Back!

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Welcome back, readers!

I apologize for not writing in a while.  Before I knew it, the semester ramped up and I was swamped (happily) with activities and studying.

This semester I am serving on the executive board for two different organizations.  I am the Parliamentarian for ERRSA (I handle the constitution, bylaws, and order of the meetings), and I am the News Editor for the Avion Newspaper.  These positions are both exciting for me because I am very passionate about both!  There will be more details to come in later journal entries…

For classes, I am moving on with my physics and calculus classes, but I’m taking on a lot of new stuff as well.  Last semester I took EGR120, the class for drafting and CAD, but this semester I am taking EGR115 and learning another fundamental skill: programming in MATLAB.  Although it is a lot of work, programming is actually really fun.

My favorite class this semester, however, is Survey of Meteorology.  I was so excited to be able to start working on my minor in meteorology this semester and I have completely fallen in love with the subject.  Surprisingly, my weather textbook is the first textbook that I can sit down and read cover-to-cover and actually enjoy.

My professors this semester are really cool, especially my PS160 (Physics 2) professor Dr. Sanders.  He uses a lot of demonstrations to teach the information, which is good because, unlike in PS150, which was mostly kinematics and motion equations, PS160 covers topics that are not as easy to visualize, like fluid motion and waves.

Another cool class that I am taking this semester is Technical Report Writing.  I like writing, and although it takes a lot of work to churn out a technical report, we are getting to research topics of our choice, such as mechanical exoskeletons and cloning, which makes for really interesting research.

Over winter break I started applying to more internship opportunities, and I even got an interview with a local company.  I haven’t heard anything yet, but even if I don’t get the position I am glad that I’ve had the experience of going through a real interview.

In my next entries, I will be updating you on all the fun and exciting things I have been doing in my extracurricular activities.  Stay tuned!

My fourth week of the Spring 2013 semester

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January 2013

I am in my fourth week of the Spring 2013 semester here at Riddle and operations are in full swing. I have been very busy with my classes. I’m taking 16 credit hours this semester which means I spend a lot of my time studying/doing homework during the week. What has worked out so well this semester is the fact that I was able to set my schedule and pick my own classes. I was able to stack four of my classes together on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I go right from one class to another without having much down time (other than an hour lunch break). Last semester I had class from 9:45-12:30, then I had to wait around for a class at 3:45 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Other than the fact that I could take a nap after lunch, I didn’t really like that schedule; I just didn’t feel very productive. So this semester should be better from a schedule standpoint.

As I briefly mentioned in my last entry, I really like all of my professors this semester. All of them are so knowledgeable in their subjects and passionate about what they are teaching. For example, my Introduction to Rhetoric Professor spent 20 years working as an award-winning journalist for the Daytona Beach News Journal, while my Instrument Pilot Operations professor spent years flying the DC-10 for Hawaiian Airlines. It really makes each class engaging and I feel like I can take away a lot from each of my professors.

ROTC is also in full swing. We have been having Physical Training (PT) on Monday and Friday mornings and Leadership Laboratory on Wednesday mornings. I have been working hard at PT getting ready for our Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) which is graded based on sit-ups, push-ups and a mile and a half run. Your PFA score is important in determining scholarships, rank and Officer Potential so it is important to me that I do well.

Ever since coming back to Daytona Beach in early January, the Daytona International Speedway, which is adjacent to the Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach Campus on the other side of the airport, has been alive with action. This past weekend they held the Rolex 24 race, where race teams compete for 24 hours around the track. It is a test of endurance and skill for the drivers and their crews. My Air Force ROTC program sends cadets each year to volunteer at the Speedway and help with the races. This past weekend, me and a couple of friends worked for 11 hours on Saturday helping load and unload trams that would shuttle fans from one side of the track to the other. The best part of the job was taking a break for dinner, where we were able to watch part of the race right on the track. It’s amazing how fast (and LOUD) those cars are. It was a great experience.

Dylan's blog, Watching the Rolex 24, ERAU, Daytona, Admissions

Watching the Rolex 24 as the cars speed by

Also, my friends and I have taken up a new hobby: surfing. All of us have really wanted to learn since coming down to Florida in August, but we didn’t really know where to start during the first semester. About two weeks ago, we did some research, drove down to a local surf shop and purchased some surfboards. Ever since, we have spent almost every minute of our free time at the beach learning how to surf. Let me tell you, it is not as easy as it looks. Like any sport it takes a lot of practice and determination (not to mention an amazing amount of core strength) to master. But after last weekend, I feel like I’m starting to get the hang of it.

Driving down the beach, ERAU, Daytona, Admissions

Driving down the beach on a sunny Sunday afternoon, ready to surf.

More to come on surfing, flying, and Embry-Riddle in my next entry, stay tuned!