Well, Doug's done with training except for 2 days of Transoceanic Navigation classes...he finished his sim type rating this morning and they had him flying over the equator to equador and south america. that's a really tough leg to fly apparently cuz doug said the ATC guys don't really understand you, nor can you understand them that well (he said they kept saying "roger" all the time), you have majorly high mountains, jetstream turbulence because your hitting opposing jetstreams (thunderstorms from that - rainforest type stuff) and radar isn't all it's cracked up to be down there.
apparently, the airport in equador, or was it bogata?, is inside a volcano, so it's pretty tricky taking off and landing.
after hearing all that, i'm not even sure i want to fly down there..
haha
but he passed with flying colors and can now call himself an "international" pilot. YAY!!
now he has to do one domestic IOE and 4 transoceanic IOE portions which will probably keep him in training until June. but at least he'll be flying and not sitting in ATL studying for hard core FAA exams and sim instructors trying to kill him!
here he is in front of his new gig
