UCAP Meetup - Nashua, New Hampshire

Had a great time on Saturday with some old and new pilot friends. There is a podcast I listen to religiously called The Uncontrolled Airspace Podcast (UCAP). It's 3 knowledgeable aviation guys sitting around discussing interesting topics weekly. The show has a fairly large audience and the web site also has an active forum community. This has lead to a number of gatherings of the listeners to the podcast with one or more podcasters. One such meeting took place this past Saturday. We had 10 listeners and Jack Hodgson, the moderator of the show, who lives in New Hampshire.

This is my second such gathering, but what made this one special was being joined by my new friend and newly minted pilot, Rick Felty. I met Rick at the first UCAP meetup just prior to his taking his PPL checkride. I follow him on Twitter (@rfelty) and have enjoyed his many videos posted on Youtube. I agreed to fly to Norwood, MA (KOWD) and pick Rick up and he agreed to photograph and video the entire adventure. Since it's an hour up to KOWD from my airport, I asked another new pilot, Michelle Judice to ride along. Michelle is also a budding video maker, so I thought she would enjoy meeting Rick as well.

Here is Rick's record of the day: http://jhwellington.shutterfly.com/513

A video of our trip from Norwood, MA (KOWD) to Nashua, NH (KASH):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHepdOdeTGI

And a video of our landing at Norwood, MA:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdnP1XsNzc0

A Ride in a G550 - This Ain't No Simulator!

My friend Milt H., the Director of Corporate Aviation at my Fortune 500 company, sent me the following e-mail last Wednesday:

Just got the G550 out of maintenance and need to take it on a check out flight. What are you doing Friday?

My immediate reply: Taking the day off, of course.

Readers of this blog might remember, Milt is the friend who got me the ride in the G5 Simulator, but he had always said he would take me in the real thing if he had a chance. Well, true to his word, the chance was this past Friday and I jumped at it. All I can say is, "Awesome!!" Just the three of us in a $60 million jet that can hold 16. Thirteen minutes to 37,000ft -- we were past Albany in 15 minutes. What a ride!

It was a great way to start the weekend.

The Eagle Has Landed

After weeks of preparation and many levels of approvals and signatures, my son Jack began his Boy Scout Eagle Project a few weeks ago and we completed the construction phase this past Sunday. A Boy Scout Eagle Award Project must benefit a non-profit organization and be permanent or sustainable -- it must provide on-going value.

Jack's project is to winterize an outdoor kennel for our local Adopt-A-Dog shelter. The director wanted to cover the opening between the roof-line of the kennel and a surrounding fence by installing removable roof extensions. By covering this gap between the roof and the fence, it formed a wind barrier which they believe will raise the temperature in the kennel by about 20 degrees. This will allow the center to use the outdoor kennel year-round. These extensions need to be removable so the kennel will not be too hot in the warmer months of summer
Boy Scouting tries to teach leadership and communication skills to teenage boys. The purpose of the Eagle Project, in addition to it's community service benefit, is to give the Eagle candidate the opportunity to demonstrate effective leadership and communication. The scout can not perform any of the work on the project himself, but instead must plan the entire thing, organize a group of volunteers to help, show them what needs to be done, and then guide them through the process. It's quite a lot for a sixteen year-old to handle.With the construction now complete, Jack must next finish the fund raising to pay for the materials used. That should happen in February and March. Then he must write up the entire project for a review by a Board of Adult Boy Scout leaders. The hard part is behind him, but the next two parts are not without their challenges.

Click here to see photos of the project.

Settling In

Mary Beth and I visited Kelsey at the University of New Hampshire this past weekend for Family weekend. We all had a very nice time. We left on Friday morning -- we both took the day off and we took Lizzie out of school -- headed for Rochester, NH to see a horse that Mary Beth was interesting in possibly buying. We arrived at the barn in the late afternoon and the girls took turns riding the horse. She was big and good-looking, but there was clearly something wrong with her right hind leg, so Mary Beth decided to pass.

We arrived in Durham in time to take Kesley out to dinner. Even though the food is excellent at UNH, most students crave an off campus meal. We went to Applebee's in Newington for a fine dinner of "comfort" food. We learned that Kelsey is settling in; she has 4 or 5 good friends, a job two days a week, and a routine and rhythm to her life. Her classes are not as overwhelming as she once thought, her first few quizzes have proven to her she can compete academically. All is well except that she desperately misses her high school boyfriend Dave Flynn. Boy, does she miss Dave!

Things are settling in with Mary Beth and me. We are becoming more comfortable with new patterns at home. I have my SUV back and get the luxury of choosing which car to drive in the morning. Meals for 4 are now the norm and clean up seems a tad bit easier. There is less competition for the home computers and less fighting over the TV. We speak to Kelsey every couple of days by cell phone and I see her frequent updates on Facebook and Twitter. Not quite the same as seeing her everyday, but it's enough to sustain me.

And even Jack seems to be settling in and taking his school work and chores at home more seriously. He wants a new computer and is willing to do more work at home to build his nest egg. He usually knocks off his homework before we even get home and seems more engaged in his classes. Only the report card will tell us for sure. He needs a 3.0 GPA to qualify for the "good student discount" from our insurance company. The discount is worth almost $1,600 and without it he will not be allowed to get his license. Carrots are better than sticks.

A new phase has begun for all of us and we all seem to be making the adjustment. Change is constant -- don't get comfortable.

Cowboys Stadium

This past Sunday, I was lucky enough to be invited to the inaugural game at Cowboys Stadium between the Dallas Cowboys and my New York Giants. All I can say is that it was an epic event. The stadium itself is beyond compare -- costing an estimated $1.2 Billion! No expense was spared and it shows. Everything is as nice as I've ever experienced at a sporting event.

Upon arrival, my first shock came when I discovered that mid-level parking was $60!! I was told that VIP parking was $150. After a 5 minute walk to the stadium for my $60 lot, I was ushered into a beautiful atrium which leads to the premium sections. I couldn't help but notice how well trained and friendly everyone was that I encountered. Mr. Jones has really worked hard on every aspect of the spectators experience. My seats were in a luxury box on the Hall of Fame level. That's the same level as the owners box and it's as good as it gets. There are a total of 6 levels with luxury boxes at Cowboys Stadium with one at field level (actually slightly below field level) and then 4 more higher than the Hall of Fame level. It's unbelievable.

The food and booze were fantastic. There were shrimp as big as your ear and a barbecued beef tenderloin to die for! I ate and drank like I was going to the chair! Once my belly was full, I took time to take in my surroundings. In a display of it's unparalleled technology, the stadium opened it's roof. Fireworks flared, music blared and the ever present Dallas City Dancers danced. What a spectacle. I remember saying to my friend, "This has to be what it was like when the opened the Roman Colessium." Game attendance was just over 105,000 which is an NFL record. What makes this number so amazing is that the stadium sells 25,000 tickets at $30 each for people to stand just outside the stadium in a courtyard with huge screens and watch the game standing up! There is a band and beer and food and mayhem, but the fans love it because they are "at the game."

Since our seats were in the endzone, I would watch the game on the field when it was inside the 50 yard line, but when it went to the other end of the field, I would watch on the largest high-def screen in the world. The only word to describe this thing is "gynormous" -- huge just doesn't get it done. The screen replays every single down and does it in a four-panel display! This thing has no equal.

The coin toss is done by the most famous Texans, George W. Bush & Laura, and the game begins. The Giants scored the first official points in the stadium, something that will bug Jerry Jones forever and they scored the last points of the evening -- a winning field goal with 4 seconds left on the clock! Yeah, Giants! It was a great game with an even better outcome and an experience I will never forget. If you get a chance to go to Cowboys Stadium, go! Run, don't walk! Go, as it's an adventure like no other.

Kelsey's Off to College

Mary Beth and I spent Friday taking our oldest daughter Kelsey to Durham, NH to begin her freshman year at the University of New Hampshire. It was an exciting and sad day for us all. We pulled out of the driveway at 7:15am for the 4 hour drive up to New England. The suburban was completely filled with items to decorate and outfit her room that she and MB had bought over the previous 10 days. Here's the math: Full car = empty bank account. (I didn't budget this into my college cost calculations!)

We arrived on campus around 11:30am and the move in process was in full swing. Police directing traffic, upperclassmen helping carry things into the dorms, sign-in sheets, key distribution and finally arrival at the room. Her room as a corner room which meant two windows and an "L"-shaped floor plan. No sign of the roommate, so Kelsey was free to pick which side she liked and the unpacking began. What started as a fairly stark, institutional space, finished up as a rather cozy and attractive dorm room. Kelsey's roommate Gabby, (they found each other in June on Facebook, so are already friends) arrived when we were mostly finished, so we relinquished the space to them so Gabby could settle into her side.

We had a very late lunch (3:30pm) at the closest dining hall -- the food at UNH is very highly rated for good reason! Kelsey had a dorm orientation meeting at 4:30 and during lunch, she began to cry as our departure crept closer. It took everything Mary Beth and I had not to join her crying, but we both knew if we fell apart, she would get even worse. So, we helped her recover, kissed her goodbye and left.

Wow -- end of an era. She is no longer ours to care for, to set the rules for, to watch over. We won't know what she is doing all the time and when she gets home at night. I cried the next morning as I realized I wouldn't be making breakfast for her that Saturday, or any other day in the near future. The dinner table is now set for 4 -- what do we do with the extra chair? Leave it as a reminder or move it to the basement until needed? We've spoken to her everyday and she is settling in. I know she'll be fine, and I also know the same is true for me and Mary Beth, but right now things feel out of sorts.

A Trip to Nantucket

A few weekends ago, on a gloriously sunny day, I took Mary Beth and Elizabeth to Nantucket to go to the beach. This was just a day trip - a luxury most can't accomplish - but with the plane, it's relatively easy. We left Westchester County airport at 10:30am and were on the beach by 12:15pm.

Lizzie sat upfront with me and Mary Beth seemed content in the back. We had a cooler full of lunch supplies and a boogey board for the waves. The beach was perfect and not too crowded. We left the beach around 4:30pm and were on our way home by 5pm. We arrived at Westchester County airport by 6:40pm and picked up Chinese food for dinner. Everyone had a great day!

This was Mary Beth's second flight in the airplane and this time the weather was ideal. She seemed to enjoy the scenery and took a number of photos from the back seat. It seems she may be warming up to the benefits of general aviation -- her Facebook posting that night read as follows:

Mary Beth Wellington had fun on Nantucket just for the day! I guess it's a little handy having a husband who's a pilot!

I hope this leads to many more adventures for her and me.

Quest for the Blue Tuxedo

My daughter recently attended her high school prom. She looked beautiful in her blue dress and her date wore a white tux and tails. Kelsey had been anxious because Dave's outfit was a surprise and so she was nervous as to what he might be wearing. I told her that it couldn't be worse than what I wore to my prom -- a powder blue, polyester tuxedo including a ruffled shirt. Of course she laughed and asked to see a picture, but unfortunately, I didn't have one.

At the same time as all this prom business was going on, I received an invitation to my 30th high school reunion in Lewisburg, PA. I only went to LAHS for my junior and senior years of high school and my family moved back to the metro NY area shortly after I graduated. I had a great time there in my 2 years, but since my family no longer lived in the area, I've never been back -- not ever in 30 years. I stayed in touch with only one person from LAHS, Mary (McKeegan) Norman and she called me to ask if I was going to attend. We got to talking about our prom and how much fun it had been and about my blue tuxedo. Mary did not have any pictures of me in the tux, but she was in touch with my prom date, Heidi Wulcyzn and would ask her for one. Within a few days, Heidi had written back to Mary with the following:

John did not wear a blue tuxedo to the prom, it would have clashed with my dress and his hair. He wore an off-white tux and I will bring a picture to the reunion to prove it."

This stumped me for a while as I know I wore a blue tuxedo to a prom, and then it hit me: the junior prom. My date to the junior prom was Kimberly Kirkland and I was able to find her on Facebook. I sent Kim a note explaining my situation and asked her if she had any pictures of me in the blue tuxedo. After a few anxious days of waiting for a reply, I got the following:

Hey John:

I can confirm for your daughter that you wore a blue tux, but unfortunately, I did not record that fashion faux pas for posterity.

Kimberly

So the quest had come to an end, but all the activity got me excited to go to the reunion and a picture of me in a white tux would have to satisfy Kelsey's curiousity. I arrived in Lewisburg around noon and met the Norman's (Mary and her husband Chuck and their two children Irene and Chas) at the children's park in town. Mary's parents were there as well and it was great to see them after so many years. We had lunch together at our favorite high school hangout, La Casa de Pizza -- Za's for short. The food at Za's tasted EXACTLY the same as it had all those years ago!

After lunch and Mr. & Mrs. McKeegan's departure, we walked around town. Lewisburg was as quaint as ever, but somehow seemed much smaller than I'd remembered. Many of the shops were the same, but a few were new. After an hour or so, the Norman's retired to the hotel and I decided to walk down South 3rd Street to see my old house. It looked about the same, yet again, smaller than I'd remembered. I didn't have the courage to knock on the door and try to get a look inside.

Next it was back to the hotel for some serious studying of Mary's yearbook (I couldn't find mine) to try and remember my former classmates. Heidi Wulcyzn arrived a few hours later and presented me with the following:

Spring of 1979 - What were we thinking?!?

The three of us left for the prom leaving Chuck in charge of 3 kids -- his two and Heidi's son -- thanks Chuck! We were all a little concerned how everyone would look and if we'd recognize anyone, but all that was quickly put to rest. We had a FANTASTIC time! Most people looked remarkably similar to their high school pictures and it was easy to tell who they were. Years of no contact melted away in minutes and soon we were all enjoying each other's company and getting caught up on each other's lives. As I am telling the group my story about the quest for the blue tuxedo photo, another friend, Lori (Sholley) Bechtel says to me: "John, I only brought two pictures from high school with me tonight and you're not going to believe this one. I have no idea why I picked it." And there it was -- a picture of my best friend junior year, Bud Schuster, his date Lori Sholley and Kimberly Kirkland and me:

The trip had all been worth it. I was able to visit Lewisburg after 30 years, re-connect with long lost friends, and share with my family a period in my life that had for them been a mystery. We've all had great laughs over the pictures from my high school days and my kids find it amazing that I was once their age. I've never been much for reunions and I don't think they mean much if they are less than 20 years, but I do recommend everyone attend all reunions that are 25 years or greater. Life is about friendship and relationships and I've been blessed with many good ones -- sometimes you just need to be reminded.

Mary Norman, Christie Pyper, Heidi Wulcyzn, me and Lori (Sholley) Bechtel

Craig Adams, Doug Fero, Craig Harley, Tim Snook and Tom Naugle

The Next Revolution

There was the industrial revolution and the United States became the leader of the free world. Next, there was the technology revolution and Japan took an early lead, but the United States held their own, however it is now dubious whether we are still the leader at anything. I believe the next great revolution is in energy, specifically alternative energy and we currently run the risk of not even being in the race.

Two recent articles in the New York Times summarize my feelings and concerns on this and I offer them for your review. This issue will determine the destiny of the United States for our children and grandchildren -- we need to get this right and we're off to a terrible start.

Thomas Friedman, NYT Op-Ed Piece, July 4, 2009, "Can I Clean Your Clock?"

NYT Article, July 13, 2009, "China Builds High Wall to Guard Energy Industry"

Mary Beth takes a flight

I started flying in October of 2007 and have accumulated over 330 hours since then. I have taken many trips to many places and enjoyed the company of my three children, my cousin, my brother-in-law, my father and many friends. The one person who has never been in the plane with me, however, is my wife Mary Beth. Well all that changed this past Monday.

Our daughter Kelsey has decided to attend the University of New Hampshire in the fall. June 15 & 16 was a freshman and parent orientation on campus in Durham, NH. The program started at noon on Monday and concluded by noon on Tuesday. During our previous two visits, Kelsey & I had flown up to a nearby airport, Portsmouth International, and rented a car to get to the campus. The flight takes 1 1/2 hours verses driving time of 4 1/2 hours. So, our options were to leave at 7am on Monday and drive to UNH or leave at 9:30am and fly. Kelsey appealed to Mary Beth, "Mom, I really want you to attend this orientation as you've never seen the campus and I want you to come with us, but I am not driving 9 hours in the car for a 24 hour program. Can't you just fly with us?" And much to my surprise, Mary Beth said yes.

Mary Beth texting her last Will & Testament

The weather was not ideal for a first flight. I had hoped for clear skies and calm winds. We got the calm winds, but the skies were not clear. There was a slight overcast leaving White Plains that we had to get above and a thick layer at Portsmouth for our arrival. The departure went fine and we got up to 7,000 feet without really penetrating any significant clouds. The trip across Connecticut and Massachusetts was made in bright sunshine above the cloud layer which appeared to top out at 4,500 feet. Mary Beth seemed quite calm and was even able to sleep during this portion of the trip. Kelsey zoned out with her iPod.

As we got into New Hampshire, the clouds tops were higher and we had to start our decent to the airport. We entered the clouds at about 5,000 feet and were in and out of layers down to about 2,500 feet. I had hoped to avoid IMC conditions during Mary Beth's first flight, but that wasn't to be the case. The good news was there was no turbulence at all. Below 2,500 feet we entered solid IMC conditions during the remainder of the approach to Portsmouth. We got established on the ILS 16 localizer and began our decent to the runway. We broke out of the clouds at 800 feet and the runway was dead ahead -- this seemed to please my passengers! We made a smooth landing and taxied to the parking area. I must say, Mary Beth remained calm through the entire flight.

We had a great visit at UNH and while there, Mary Beth received a call from a friend that was over in Vermont looking at horses for sale and had one that she wanted her to see. Mary Beth asked if we could fly to Burlington on our way home and I told her it was only an hour away. On Sunday, we left New Hampshire around noon and flew to Vermont, spent two hours looking at a few horses and then flew home in time for dinner. Each flight involved some flying in the clouds, but without much turbulence, Mary Beth didn't seem to mind. The two days offered a great demonstration of the utility of general aviation and I hope she will fly with me again. We'll see........

The Prom

This past Saturday was Kelsey's prom. After months of worrying and planning, dress picking and re-picking, haircuts and make-up, the day came. Her boyfriend of 6 months, Dave Flynn arrived to pick her up in a white tux and tails. The two looked fantastic!

The prom was held on a boat cruising the Hudson River and was followed by a late night comedy club in the city and then back to a friends house to sleep, followed by a pool party and barbeque on Sunday. Prior to the prom, one of her friend's parents hosted a pre-prom party for all the parents to come by and take photos and see the kids off. There were ten couples sharing two limousines to the event.
I couldn't help but be struck by my rememberences of all of these kids, most of whom I've known since the 2nd grade, and how grown up and beautiful they all looked. I was filled with pride at how these young adults have turned out, but was also sad at the realization that this was clearly a demarkation point for their jouney into adulthood. Soon they would all be off to college and on with the rest of their lives.

How did this happen? It seems it was just yesterday that Kelsey was a toddler riding her rocking pony, but now she stood there in her gorgeous blue dress looking very grown up and beautiful. There are days that I wish I could go back to the time of toddlers and little girls, but there are others that I would not trade for anything -- and this day is one of them. I love you Kelsey!

Pictures of the pre-prom

My favorite airplane

I am one lucky guy! Let me explain. As a relatively new pilot, I am forturnate to own my own plane, but of course that's not enough for me. Any one that knows me won't be surprised by the fact that I spend a lot of time looking at other airplanes. Bigger, faster and unattainable airplanes. I spend hours looking through the online aircraft sales sites, pouring over makes and models that I will never be able to afford -- but a guy's gotta dream, right?

Well, my favorite single engine aircraft is the TBM850. It is made by the same company that makes my plane, Socata, but it is a HUGE step up. My TB-20 is a 6 cylinder, piston engine airplane that cruises at 150 knots, has a maximum altitude of 15,000 feet and is unpressurized. The TBM is a turbo-prop airplane that cruises at 300 knots, has a maximum altitude of 31,000 feet and has a quiet and comfortable pressurized cabin. It's truly night and day. Many of my Trinidad-owning friends lust over the TBM, but alas, all we can do is look. Except one of our brethren actually "transitioned" last year. He traded in his TB-20 and bought a brand new TBM850 -- to us, he is a god!

Now to why I'm so lucky. Tonight, "God" flew to Westchester airport and took me for a ride in his TBM850. In fact, I took the controls for 20 minutes and flew that bad boy!! What a ride!! "God" a.k.a. Guilherme, has business in New York occassionally, so he flies himself in from Minnesota. On this trip, even after a 3 1/2 hour flight alone, he was gracious enough to invite me to go for a ride. We flew to Albany and back. The weather at Westchester was Low IFR with ceilings right down to minimums. Below is a link to the video. Thank you, Guilherme -- this was my most memorable flight to date.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm5TIcbKZZE&feature=channel_page

Westchester Drivers: Be afraid, very afraid!

Today, my 16 year-old son, Jack, has gotten his learner's permit. Of course, he doesn't need a learner's permit because he already knows how to drive. It's true -- just ask him. With great confidence he will tell you what a great driver he is. He knows this, of course, by extrapolating the skill with which he has moved our cars around the driveway to what his performance will be on the open road. That's right, because he has successfully moved the cars in and out of parking spaces in our driveway and in empty parking lots, he believes that he possesses all the necessary skills to drive.

Perhaps he's also factoring in his many hours of simulator training playing video games on XBox, Playstation and the PC. These have clearly prepared him for high speed, open road racing at frightening speeds. I can't wait for the day he calls to ask me "Where's the reset button" after his first fender-bender.

His confidence and conviction are staggering to me, but I think this is common among teenagers. Are they really from this planet?? The only joy this day has brought me came from his mother's response to my inquiry how he'd done at the DMV --

"Sure, this test he passes." Too funny.

A tough year for the Knuckleheads

As I wrote a few posts back, one of the Knuckleheads passed away suddenly a few weeks ago. It was unexpected and tragic, but apparently not all that the Knuckleheads would have to endure. At the funeral, we found out that one of the older guys, Don Ryan, the sixty-ish father of two of the charter Knuckleheads had discovered 3 lesion on his lungs that needed to be biopsied. The results of the final tests are still pending, but we already know it's cancer which will require chemotherapy and radiation treatment. We are all now assuming that Don will not be able to play in the tournament in June, so we will need to find two alternates to round out our group of 12. Well maybe 3....

I found out yesterday that another Knucklehead has been hit with tragedy. Jim McAllister has participated in Seaview for the last 8 or 9 years. He is a good friend and contemporary of Don Ryan's and is also in his sixties. I've always enjoyed Jimmy's company. He is a jovial Irishman that's quick with a smile and is easy to talk to. He owns a business that sells, delivers and assembles wooden sheds of various sizes. He has been married for over 30 years with three grown children. I've never met his family, but we've often discussed his children and Jim's frustration that neither of his two sons have any interest in joining him in the business. He's always spoken very proudly of his daughter who is a med student in Boston.

That's right folks, Jimmy's daughter is Megan McAllister -- yes, THAT Megan McAllister! Jimmy, Megan and the family are holed up in his home in New Jersey. The media attention has been brutal -- TV trucks have surrounded his house and they are now captives in their own home. I can't imagine what they are going through, but I've got to believe they feel lucky that the wedding never took place and that they dodged a huge bullet. Only time will tell how this all turns out, but one thing I know for sure, Jimmy's life will not return to normal for quite some time.

They say things come in threes, so perhaps the Knuckleheads are now in the clear, but it has been a difficult time for this group of my friends. Please keep Don and Jim in your thoughts and prayers -- they both have some difficult times ahead.

Whale Watch in Provincetown, Mass

On Saturday, Lizzie and I flew to Provincetown, Mass (KPVC) to join a group of my flying friends for a cruise on the Dolphin VIII for a whale watch. This time of year the whales come in close to the eastern shore of Cape Cod to feed. It makes for wonderful whale watching.

In all we saw 12 - 15 different whales and an entire school of White Sided Dolphins. It made for a wonderful day and I highly recommend it to others.

Pictures of the trip: http://jhwellington.shutterfly.com/332

College Selections - Part 2

So the final tally was 9 acceptances and 3 declines:

Accepted at:
University of Vermont
University of New Hampshire
University of Maryland
SUNY Stony Brook
Penn State
Indiana University - Bloomington
Miami Ohio
Indiana University Perdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
University of Delaware

Rejected by:
University of North Carolina
University of Florida
Duke University

Three weeks ago, Mary Beth and Kelsey went to visit Indiana U. and Miami Ohio. The trip took 3 days and what we now know is neither of them is enamoured with the midwest. Upon her return, Kelsey had already concluded that Penn State was just too big, leaving us with just Maryland and New Hampshire as finalists.

Two weeks ago, Kelsey and her good friend Alexandra went with her parents for an overnight visit to College Park in Maryland. She has been accepted into their Scholars program which offers smaller class sizes and exclusive housing with others in your major. The visit was a huge success and she called me the next morning to say she thinks she wants to be a Terrapin! Yipee -- that's where I wanted her to go!

This past Friday, we flew to New Hampshire for a 9am visit with the head of the Zoology department at UNH. It was a warm and beautiful day and the flight to Portsmouth International airport was glorious. We landed a little after 8am and we were on campus by 8:45. While Kelsey was visiting with the professor, I went and met with the President of the university, Mark Huddleston. Turns out he owns the same type of plane that I do and we've been conversing on the owners website forum for the last few years. When I mentioned we were visiting the campus, he invited me to his office.

The town is a quaint New England jewel, the school shows beautifully and they offer a zoology major -- case closed -- she's going to UNH. We're all ecstatic! Having spent the day with her on campus, I totally support her decision. The schools a great fit for her and I know she'll be happy. GO WILDCATS!

Losing one of the Knuckleheads

A few months ago, the father of one of my friends died unexpectedly. The friend, Scott Nelson, is part of a group I affectionately refer to as "the Knuckleheads." This is a group of mostly high school friends that get together several times a year to play golf, drink beer and make fun of each other. It's very immature behavior and the older I get the more I cherish my time with these guys. We've been getting together 3 or 4 times a year for 20 years. As I drove to the funeral, I lamented to myself, "I've entered that phase of my life where the parents of my contemporaries are beginning to die."

I lost my mother when I was 11, but that's unusual. Being born in 1961, my contemporaries parents are mostly between 68 to 85 -- so statistically, they will begin to pass away soon. It's a sad, but also a natural part of life. Mr. Nelson's death was sudden and painful for his family and scary for us, Scott's friends, because we all knew it could have been any one of us at the head of the receiving line at the funeral home. A discomforting and sobering reality.

The only good part of the funeral was it gave the Knuckleheads a chance to get together. They came in their suits and some brought their wives -- two rare commodities at a Knucklehead gathering. We pulled together and closed ranks around our grieving friend and as a group, we tried to help. I'm sure some of the others harbored the same fear I did -- will I be next? Will I be the next to bury a parent? None of us could have have imagined how misplaced our fears were.

Rick Becker came to the Nelson funeral with his wife Dawn. I've know Rick for 20 years, yet I'd never met Dawn. It was nice to finally meet her. I hadn't seen Rick since the previous June. He looked the same as always -- the only difference was that he'd quit drinking in an attempt to lose some weight. Ricky is not fat, but like all of us, he could stand to lose 10 - 15 pounds. We spent 10 minutes getting caught up and discussing our upcoming annual golf trip to Seaview in June. Then we all left -- back to our lives.

On Monday, March 2nd, I received an e-mail from one of the Knuckleheads saying that Rick had experienced a seizure over the weekend. While at the hospital, another seizure occurred. He was admitted and a series of tests ensued. Rick was diagnosed with stage 3 or 4 melanoma. An undetected growth on his back had metastasized and the cancer had already spread to his brain and liver. The top melanoma specialist at Sloane Kettering was engaged and a new experimental drug therapy was begun on March 9th. All the Knuckleheads were hopeful we'd see Rick at Seaview in June.

On Sunday, Rick was admitted to the I.C.U. at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey. In two weeks, the tumors in his brain had grown 5 fold and were restricting the flow of blood to his brain. By Monday morning, he had slipped into a coma. Today, he died. Dead at 42, leaving a wife and 2 young children. Dead in less than a month from the original diagnosis. It's not supposed to happen this way -- this is not one of the phases everyone must go through. We should not have to bury our friends this early. And yet, the Knuckleheads will gather at another funeral -- this time to bury one of our own. It's just so sad.

College Selections

Kelsey has heard from 10 of the 12 schools she applied to:

Accepted at:
University of Vermont
University of New Hampshire
University of Maryland
SUNY Stony Brook
Penn State
Indiana University - Bloomington
Miami Ohio
Indiana University Perdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

Rejected by:
University of North Carolina
University of Florida

Waiting to hear:
Duke University
University of Delaware.

Kelsey is not really interested in Delaware at this point and she does not expect to get into Duke as it was her "major reach" school. So, she has narrowed the list of eight down to five schools for follow up visits.

Kelsey and Mary Beth will be flying to Indianapolis on Saturday and driving to Bloomington to visit IU. The plan is to attend a class, have a meal in the dining hall and sleep overnight in a dorm. Then it's on to Oxford, OH to visit Miami Ohio. Again, a class, a meal and an overnight and then a drive down to Cincinnati for the flight home. At the end of March, she and a friend will drive down to Maryland with the other girl's parents. Then in April, she and I will return to UNH and Penn State for similar overnight visits. She will need to make a final decision by May 1st.

We are very excited for her -- heady days!! These are all great schools, so she can't make a bad decision. We just want to help her make the most informed decision she can.

A Ride in a G5 Simulator

A friend of mine was at a Flight Safety International in Wilmington, Delaware doing is bi-annual recurrent training in the G5 simulator and he invited me to join him since it was his last day. After a lovely morning flight down to KILG, I joined him at Flight Safety around noon. I got to watch him and his co-pilot go throught engine outs, hydraulics failures and an assymetrical flap failure all from the jump seat. The graphics and motions are incredibly realistic.

After a short break for a cup of coffee, we returned to the simulator and everyone has a big grin. I ask "what's up?" and they ask if I want to try a few take-offs and landings!! Are you kidding me?!!? I dove for the left seat. I'm given a quick run down on V-speeds and how to use the tiller and throttles, then it's a VFR departure from runway 19 at Teterboro. With the coaching from a very experienced co-pilot, I was able to climb to 2,000 ft and circle Giants stadium and land on runway 01. I over-flared and bounced the landing slightly. The second takeoff and landing where actually pretty smooth. It was a fantastic experience!

Link to some additional pictures: http://jhwellington.shutterfly.com/120

Mont Tremblant - Part 2

We returned from Mont Tremblant on Sunday. It was a 7 1/2 hour ride, mostly through a snow storm, but we all arrived home safe and happy for the experience. The trip turned out to be a fantastic success -- one that I am sure these kids will remember for the rest of their lives.

Phil Weisner turned out to be the perfect co-chaperone. We see eye-to-eye on everything and it made the trip stress free as we handled the care, feeding and logistics for 11 teenagers. Not just any 11 teenagers, but great teenagers. This is a fantastic group of kids -- they were a pleasure to be with and we did not have a single incident of unpleasantness. These kids made group decisions, stayed together most of the time or broke into smaller groups based on the activity or skiing ability. It was a completely inclusive experience and everyone had a great time.

Since a lot of the kids were paying for some or all of their own expenses, we tried to be as economical as possible. We drove instead of flying, we found a wonderful realtor who got us a great deal on a beautiful 5 bedroom condo 2 miles from the mountain and we made all our own meals. Our Realtor, David Coderre, was more like a tour director -- he was able to provide us deep discounts on lift tickets and our group dog sledding activity. He came by the condo every evening to see how our day had gone and gave us advice on where to ski the next day and other activities we might enjoy. He was truly extraordinary! In the end, for transportation back and forth, six nights lodging, three meals a day, five days of lift tickets, a day of dog sledding and one evening spent at the water spa, it cost everyone $628 each. Not too many places you can have this much fun on vacation for $105 per day!

The group was 10 snow boarders and 3 skiers. We ranged from raw beginners to experts and skied (or boarded) everything from the beginners Magic Carpet area to tree skiing in the glades in fresh powder. I think everyone got better as the week went on and as we got to know the mountain better, the last few days became truly epic. Certainly, I will never forget them.

Everyone was a little sad upon returning but grateful for the experience. We are already trying to figure out how to do it again next year, which will be a challenge as most are off to college in the fall. I hope they figure it out because I would love to go back with them next year. My only fear is that a ton of their other friends also want to come along -- and some of their parents as well.

Pictures from the trip: http://2009monttremblanttrip.shutterfly.com/

A trip to Mont-Tremblant

I leave tomorrow for a week in Mont-Tremblant. We have been there twice in the past as a family, in 2004 & 2005, but this year there's a twist. Kelsey has invited 9 other high school seniors to make the trip. Hearing the plan, Mary Beth was out, which means Lizzie was out (remember, they're inseparable), leaving just Kelsey, Jack and myself. Since I'm not equipped to handle 11 kids alone, we recruited another father, Phil Weisner, to make the trip, bringing our little travel group to 13.

We've rented a 5 bedroom condo 2 miles from the base that is on the shuttle line. The place says it sleeps 12, but we've brought a few air mattresses to handle the overflow. The original plan was to leave this AM in our suburban and in Phil's Explorer, 7 in one and 6 in the other. However, Kelsey forgot that the last varsity track meet of the year is tonight -- yup, Sunday night. Coach made it clear: Don't attend -- don't get your varsity letter. Three of the girls on the trip run track, so I'll be leaving tomorrow with Jack and the "trackies." The rest of the kids left this morning in the suburban -- all 8 seats full. We will join them tomorrow.

These are all good kids, it is a fantastic location, the weather is predicted to be fine and I just love to snowboard. Those are the ingredients for a great week. I'll post the details soon.

Kindle 2 -- It's here!

The new Kindle is now available for pre-order. Yippeeeee!

Please see my earlier post: The Way We Read.

A few articles on the subject:

Wall Street Journal
Internet News


Remember, you heard it here first!