This month lead to a surprising announcement involving the next era of space exploration. The Constellation program, which proposed taking humans beyond low-Earth-orbit and returning back to the moon, was officially cancelled by President Obama at the beginning of this month. So what’s next for the new decade? No one is for certain what our next destination will be or when we will return to the lunar surface, let alone low-Earth-orbit. Those of you who follow along with all the space news are most likely familiar with Obama’s new proposal. If you are interested in finding out more, I wrote up a post, NASA’s New Future, on my online blog with my thoughts on the subject along with a few website links that give informative outlines and analysis regarding the newly imposed budget. I’ll end here on this subject before I start to rant on about this matter.

This semester is going extremely well thus far. I’ve become more involved with campus clubs and out of class projects. It’s demanding but nonetheless a blast. This past week, ERPL (Experimental Rocket Propulsion Lab), one club that I am a member of, performed a hydro-burst test on a liquid propelled rocket engine. Hydro-burst is a type of test which determines the amount of pressure an object can withstand. Basically, the rocket engine is filled up with water and sealed off to a pump. This pump steadily increases the amount of pressure buildup on the engine and will keep increasing until the pressure is too great. Thus, the end result is a rupture or ‘burst’ in the engine.

I like to conclude with the way I started out my Monday morning today (February 8). I woke up at 3:55AM this morning and headed out to the campus flight line to see another beautiful shuttle launch. An Embry-Riddle Alumnus and five other astronauts hitched a ride on space shuttle Endeavour (STS-130) for a two week mission to the International Space Station. I can’t describe the emotional impact it has on me; it is an overwhelming experience that I wish everyone could watch. You see this brilliant orange glow spread over the Florida horizon and you know there are people on board that are heading to another world beyond our own. It is truly astounding and even though humans have being doing this for more than 50 years, it never gets old. One of my friends recorded the launch and put together an awesome video. I invite you all to watch and get a glimpse of this awesome sight that lit the early morning sky: STS-130 Launch

Until then folks, see you out there!

Now that the semester is in full gear, I realized that I have a lot of free time during the week. So I’m looking for a job off campus to earn a little extra money and, at the same time, do something interesting. My classes are Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday and I have off Tuesday and Thursday.

I have just completed Stage One of Instrument Training here at ERAU. I’m progressing rather quickly and I’m very happy about that. I had my first no-show since being here; I was scheduled outside my flight block, with a different instructor (for the day) and forgot all about it. That was a busy day, in addition it was Friday night. No worries, I went to the deferment seminar and it was wiped clean from my record.

Many organizations opened their doors to me at the activities fair this spring. I’m interested in joining the Air Traffic Controllers Organization, International Society of Air Safety Investigators, and NBAA Official Student Group.

I just found out I got an 85 on my first SF 210 (Intro to Aerospace Safety) test, which I’m very proud of because it is the first test of the semester. Hopefully more good reports to follow.

The weather here in Florida is still warm for the most part, but some nights are chilly and some days I wish were warmer than others. No biggie, I could be covered in snow.

The last ever night shuttle launch was the other night and I managed to get some sweet pictures of it, even from Daytona it’s an amazing sight. It’ll be sad to see the shuttle program go.

The upcoming Daytona 500 race has got this town on its feet. Many tourists and car enthusiasts are arriving by all means of transportation. It’s going to be jam packed. I’ve never been here for the races but I hear the aftermath (traffic) is a disaster.

Over and Out.

What a great weekend for ERAU athletics! Embry-Riddle basketball’s Coach Ridder achieved the 500th win milestone, and baseball started off their season with a big win. Following his 500th victory, Coach Ridder said a few words, “I hope that the students know that these are not athletes on this team, they are student athletes.” In nearly every class I have this semester, there are several fellow students who play for Embry-Riddle. Unlike big schools, you’ll get to know many of the student athletes here, making the cheering more exciting and the games more enjoyable.

There is a group, called The Flock, that rallies behind and cheers for Embry-Riddle athletics. It is one of the approximate 140 organizations and student groups here at Embry-Riddle. Aside from being a flock member, I am a member of Embry-Riddle’s Collegiate Entrepreneur’s Organization, where students with business ideas can get advice and tips for starting their business. In addition, I am active in the Airport Management Club, and I will be sure to share photos from our upcoming tour of Tampa International Airport.

Classes are progressing fairly well, but they are challenging. Yet the professors do a great job relating the classes to aviation and its industry. My introduction to aeronautical science class, meant for those non-flight students, is taught by a former military pilot. My speech class is taught by a pilot. The professors are top quality, and they possess the background and credentials that give a feeling of assurance and reliability in what they teach.

Later this week I will have an opportunity to head home and visit family and friends. Yes, I am escaping the Daytona 500, but we have next Monday off. The Spring semester does not have as many breaks as the Fall, so I’m trying my best to make the most out of the few we have. We do have a week off for Spring break, and our last day of finals is May 5th – an improvement over some schools up north.

Until later,
Jonathan

Lions, tigers, and bears…Oh my! This past weekend I went to the Jacksonville Zoo with some of my friends and we saw lots of animals. I hadn’t been to a zoo for awhile, so I was excited to see some animals and leave Daytona for the day. The zoo was surprisingly large and was divided into sections—South America, Africa, and Asia. I got to see a giraffe up close and watch them being fed; they sure have long tongues. There were plenty of birds at the zoo! You could walk into a caged area and they would fly around you or land on your shoulder. I enjoyed the trip and seeing all the animals!

We are heading into the third week of school and I think I have gotten back into the groove of going to school, work, and studying. My classes are going well and I think it’s going to be a good semester. For undergrad classes, I have Airline Management, Social Responsibility and Ethics, and an Air Force class. Airline Management is going to be interesting, I think, because we get to learn about how the airlines make their schedules. We are still going over an introduction to the material, so we haven’t covered a specific topic in-depth, yet. In my Ethics class, we have to come up with a sustainability project that will have an impact on Embry-Riddle and my group is considering something to do with paper consumption. My two graduate classes are: Aviation Law and Insurance and Global Information and Technology. The Aviation Law and Insurance class is like the insurance class I took last semester, but I’m enjoying it more so this time. The class is divided into parts and we cover insurance with one professor in the beginning and then we cover law with another professor. I’m looking forward to the law part! Global Information and Technology is going to be the harder one of the two because technology confuses me most of the time. I had a similar class my sophomore year; however, I’m hoping that this time the material will be more understandable with a different book and professor. All in all, I’m enjoying each class and hope that this semester I won’t procrastinate so much (this always seems to be my goal)!

The weather has been up and down for the past week. Most days, the sun comes out and we have blue skies. However, we did have a big storm roll through the area and it brought a cold front along, which caused tornado warnings. I looked out my window and the rain was just pouring from the sky—thank goodness it didn’t last for too long! The other day it was warm enough for shorts and the next day I needed a sweatshirt…I hope it decides to get warm soon and just stay warm! My favorite place to go study when it is warm and sunny is the dock my apartment has over the lake. The view of the water just makes it feel so peaceful.

Daytona is starting to gear up for all the races at the racetrack and every time I turn on the radio I hear about a chance to win tickets to one race or another. I can’t get over how many people come to the area to watch the races! I’ve heard the airport has begun having meetings to discuss how they are going to deal with the increase in traffic. It’s interesting to see how businesses prepare for the influx of customers and it makes you realize how volatile the tourist industry is from year to year. I’m looking forward to the Daytona 500 because Tim McGraw is performing! Maybe, I’ll be lucky enough to work the infield and get to catch a glimpse of him. Well, time to go study and I think I’ll head out to the dock!

Until next time,

Kaleigh

What a busy first two weeks! I returned back to Embry-Riddle on January 12, and classes began the next morning. As I’ve written in past posts, this semester will be a challenge, as I am taking on six classes (18 credits). Only one of these classes, advanced computer systems, is business-major specific. The good part is, every class counts towards the degree.

From my experiences in studying and working within the business environment, it is imperative to have strong communication skills. The business administration degree requires students to take a humanities course, as well as a variety of communication courses. From my experiences so far, I’m leaning towards a minor in communication.

Last semester, and throughout winter break, I developed an interest in airline revenue management; a fancy name for ticket pricing. Selling seats, at different prices, to ensure maximum profit and a full plane sounds like a giant puzzle – the same goes for other interests of mine, like flight scheduling, or aircraft sales. The aviation industry is a multi-faceted, complex industry, faced with a variety of ever-changing external and internal factors – making it challenge; one of the reasons I’m fascinated and intrigued by it.

While the homework load is still fairly light, I’ve had the opportunity to spend time reading and blogging. Additionally, I drove around Daytona with a friend – just to explore and get-to-know the area better. I’m taking advantage while I can, since school will soon retake part of my weekend and life.

Last blog post I mentioned Florida’s frigid temperatures during winter break. Upon returning, temperatures began to rise (as they should) – it was 80 degrees F here at one point! It’s strange driving with the windows open in January, but I like it.

Lastly, I do not believe I have ever shared photos of my room. I live in the student village, commonly referred to as “the village,” at Adams hall. Here are a few pictures.

Until later,
Jonathan

This weekend was quite unusual and entertaining… I was amongst several students chosen to participate in Embry-Riddle’s Emerging Leaders Program. All of us were elected by our engineering professors to take part in the event. The retreat allowed for us to learn the variety of roles and responsibilities a leader possesses and explore the different behavioral relationships and styles from which leadership derives. Aside from leadership, we also defined our current goals and dreams along with solutions to the obstacles that we were likely to face.

I think I learned more about myself this week than I have since my freshmen year at RIT. I guess it is events like these that allow for self-reflection where normally you do not get asked such questions pertaining to your life dreams. It is interesting to share your thoughts with people and then realize how many similarities you share with one another. I can recall being at RIT, always talking about outer space and no one really acknowledged any remarks. But here at ERAU, I am surrounded by it and it sure is a fascinating feeling. I’m not quite sure how to put it into words. I am always imagining that ultimate day, the day when I am on the wings of a legacy heading towards the heavens. And now I start to think how fortunate I would be to share in that experience with a few of my colleagues who have the same desires.

Perhaps I’m getting deeper into my emotions than I expected to when I started writing this. Perhaps my mind is trying to simply state that I am in high spirits after a weekend filled with unyielding thoughts. I can recall two year’s back of only dreaming of such adventures. But here I am now actually living it.

Until next time, see you out there!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! A little late, but it’s always the thought that counts. I’m back in Daytona and even though it’s in the low 50s it feels like a heat wave. My plane arrived yesterday afternoon, so I’m still trying to get unpacked and ready for the semester. Today is the first day of classes, but my first class (Aviation Insurance and Law) isn’t until 5:30 p.m.; however, it does last for three hours. I will be sure to let you know all about my first graduate class in my next entry.

Look out grad school because here I come! The GMAT wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be and I didn’t have to stay for four hours. First, you have to write two essays after being given a prompt and that took about an hour. After that I took a break to clear my head and give my eyes a break from staring at a computer. Then, I did the math portion and then the qualitative portion. I think from start to finish it took about three hours. I was so happy when I answered the last question and got to leave! Overall, I did a pretty good job and I’m satisfied with my scores. My application has been submitted and I’m just waiting for my recommendation letters to be turned in, then the application packet will be complete.

Five days before I left home we had a snowstorm; it left about eight inches and thirty-five mile per hour winds that created some big drifts. This picture is of a storm we had just a few days before the big one. Very dreary skies and unbelievably cold! It was too cold to go cross-country skiing, but I did get to shovel our driveway several times. I love watching the snow fall and turn everything white, but I don’t like having to shovel it! I just hope that the Air Force doesn’t station me in North Dakota or South Dakota; if they do I’m definitely investing in a snow blower. Maybe next Christmas I will get to try cross-country skiing again.

One last thing I did over my break was remodel my mom’s bathroom with my aunt. We had a good time! My mom didn’t know that we were going to do it, so she was pleasantly surprised. The bathroom is really small and at some points I thought I was going to end up painting my aunt! After painting the walls, we tackled the floor and laid new tile. I learned all about the placement and cutting of tile, which might come in handy one day. Overall, I think it turned out really well!

Well, off to my first class! I think everything is going to start picking up in the next few weeks but for now I’m relaxing and still in vacation mode. In the next entry, I’ll let you know how this semester’s classes are shaping up.

Until next time,

Kaleigh

Yesterday it snowed a few inches, which was enough to cover the grass and allow me to try cross-country skiing for the first time!  I think I was down in the snow more than I was on the skis, but I had a great time!  My aunt bought the skis last year but we didn’t get a chance to use them because it never snowed again.  When I saw the snow start to fall, my sister and I both hoped it would be enough to let us try out the skis. The only thing I wish I could have changed was how cold it was—in the low 20s with crazy winds.  We couldn’t be outside for long because even with two pairs of gloves my fingers would start to freeze!  I can’t wait to try it again!

By the time I write my next journal entry, I will have taken the long awaited GMAT.  I’m scheduled to take it on January 6th and from what some of my friends have told me that it’s going to take about four hours .  I’ll be glad to have it done and over with!  I have to put the finishing touches on my essay for the graduate application and then I’ll just have to submit it and wait to hear back.

Over break, I’ve started working on a scrapbook for myself that begins when I was a freshman three years ago.  I’ve enjoyed looking back at the pictures and seeing how much things have changed (the new College of Business building) and how some of them have stayed the same (the Wright Flyer is still outside the Library).  I’m hoping to be caught up to the present by the time I go back to school.  I have two weeks left of my break, so I think it can be done!

Sometime this week or next week, I’m going to go shopping online for the textbooks that I’ll need next semester.  Then, I’ll have them shipped to Florida and they will be there in time for classes.  The weather forecast is saying that there is more snow to come later in the week…Yippee, another chance to hone my cross-country skiing skills!

Until next time,

Kaleigh

It’s a time for family, friends, and loved ones to get together and celebrate. It’s also a time of reflection and goal setting, as we move forward into the year 2010. I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday.

During my first week of winter break, I did a lot of traveling. On the day following the official close date of the fall semester, I flew back to Philadelphia, where I was home for a mere day. Then I flew to Tucson, Arizona via a stop in Atlanta, which proved to be somewhat pointless, as it only added to the total trip time. In Tucson, I spent time with family, including my new niece.

After a few days in Arizona, I flew back to Philadelphia. In the past few months, I’ve flown on a total of 14 flights; more than I’ve ever flown in an entire year. Although my passion for the airline industry is endless, traveling is a hassle. Yet, after a full night’s rest (12 hours), I’m good to go.

After settling back at home, I’ve begun to work more vigorously on winter-break goals. I promised myself I’d study for the FAA private pilot’s written exam, and I’ve done so; though, not as much as I’d like.

Writing wise, I have picked up the pace. I have spent more time keeping up with the latest in aviation news, and I have added more blog posts to my blog at aviation-buzz.com, and my blog (entitled “JetCheck”) hosted by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (PI).

With New Year’s around the corner, it’s time for goal setting and reflection. It’s difficult to stick to a new year’s resolution, but unexpected events throughout the year come-up, and we adapt. Yet I encourage you to set a few short-term and long-term goals for the future; sticking to your goal can take you extraordinary places.

Wishing you a happy new year,

Jonathan