Track select!

Well folks, the wait is over and the results are in! Jake got assigned to train in the T-1 yesterday, which means he got his first choice and that we will be staying in Columbus until August. That big beauty you see above will be his new ride for the next six months of training. Yesterday's track select was so much fun and had a ton of "picture worthy" moments. So without further ado, I present you with what might be the longest picture post ever!

The day started with a yummy breakfast and tour of their flightroom, which is the room where they have spent all their 12 hour workdays. Here we got watch them do their morning brief, meet all their instructor pilots, and get a taste of just how much behind-the-scenes work these guys have to do between flights.

Next, we headed out to the flighline for their class picture. Some of us wives used it as our own little photo op :) I should note that although it was a beautiful, blue sky day, it was only thirty degrees out when the pictures below were taken, and as you can see it was also quite windy... brrrr!

Oh, I forgot to mention that Jake's brother, Caleb, came out to visit for track select! Jake was so excited to show him around yesterday and they've been having a great time. Here they are checking out the T-6 engine...



There was a professional photographer there to take the class pictures but I decided to snap some as well. The first picture is of Jake's class 10-13, and the second picture is of Jake's flight (Sabre flight). For T-6 training, the class was divided up into two flights so the second picture shows the guys that Jake trained with on a daily basis.

 

Next we were off to go see the flight simulators. Over the last six months, the guys have spent countless hours in these things preparing for their flights and learning new maneuvers. Track Select gives family and friends an opportunity to see what flying the T-6 is like. Jake made sure that Allison and I got sims scheduled together so it would be even more fun for us!

Although, we decided that Caleb should go first so we could see what we were getting ourselves into (haha!). And he did really awesome in it! Here's Jake giving him some pointers...

My turn! Do I look like a pilot? Too bad that I crashed the plane twice in the simulator (oops!) Maybe I'll just let Jake do the flying and I'll stick to web design :)

After going in the small flight sim we went over to see the huge simulator that you see below. It has a wrap-around screen and is so ridiculously realistic. It was so cool!

After spending an hour in the simulators we went back out to the planes to get some more pictures. Here we are below with the T-6. Can you believe that Jake has logged over 90 flight hours in this plane in the last five months? Wow!

And this picture is kind of cheesy but I really wanted a picture with the plane. It's not everyday you get to sit on the wing of a jet!

Here's a great photo of Jake and his brother...

And here's Caleb checking out the T-38, which is the fighter/bomber training aircraft...

Here's a beauty shot of Jake's new plane (I'll write a separate post soon with all the details of this new aircraft)...



The T-1 is so huge compared to the T-6! We got to check out the inside...

Next, we went to a fun lunch and then went back to the house for a few minutes to relax before the big ceremony. I even managed to squeeze in a much needed half-hour nap! Then at 4pm it was off to the Club on base. Here's Jake with his good friend Nate at the Club and a funny candid shot of the girls...

A few final moments together as a class...

...and then the guys of class 10-13 headed into the auditorium to await their fate! They were each called up one by one and told which of the four training tracks they would go to next (Two of the tracks train here in Columbus, then there is one in Texas and one in Alabama).



Unfortunately at this point with the lights down in the auditorium, none of my pictures turned out that great. In the end though, just about everyone got exactly what they wanted! I did manage to snap a decent shot of the final slide showing which guys went to which plane...

Then we got one last picture of all the amazing 10-13 wives together! Sadly, three of them will be leaving us very soon because of their husband's new locations; two heading to Texas and one to Alabama. We're going to miss you so much Katie, Diana, and Tracy!!

But the good news is that Allison's husband, Brian, and Jake both got assigned the T-1 track... This means that there will be many more fun times for us and even a chance of getting stationed together in the future!

It was a really long day but one of the best I've had here in Mississippi. Words can't describe how proud I am of my husband. He is amazing!

So now, we're sitting tight in Columbus until Jake's graduation this August. On July 30th, we will find out our next assignment and Jake's new plane... and I'm nervous already!