thefatpilot

[thefatpilot]

On board WiFi is working again.

This is great news, because being up here without any type of entertainment can get pretty old.

We are en route right now from Louisville, Kentucky to Fort Myers, Florida to pick up a client, and take him up to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. From there we will fly another repositioning leg to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where we will spend the night tonight.

Yesterday was busy, but a late(ish) start. We left the hotel in Naples at 12:00 EST to make a 1:30 EST wheels up flight over to Opa-Loca, Florida (Miami). From there, we left at 4:30pm EST and flew three guys over to Dallas. This was a repo flight that our company was able to sell to a third party, meaning that we get paid to make this trip to Dallas. Good news for the company, because 3 hours of repositioning is expensive, and any time you can cover that with a paying customer is great, especially great when you pick up a trip from a charter broker like we did yesterday, because those generally pay pretty well.

Here’s a shot of the really swanky FBO in Opa-Loca. Nice, extremely posh, but I’ll take a really nice Atlantic or Signature any day over this. You can see our jet peaking out through the window.

We got in to Dallas around 6:30pm CST, and luckily had some catering that our company ordered for us waiting at the FBO. We ate a small amount, and got everything ready for our 8pm departure to Louisville.

All went well on the night flight. It was a beautiful night, and the moon looked like a nuclear bomb.. so that was cool. I meant to grab a photo, but that’s tough with passengers on board.

Hotel last night was the Hampton Inn, Louisville Airport.

The hotel was pretty much your standard and older Hampton Inn, but it was clean, and the bed was a King, and comfortable. I can’t complain too much, but it would be awesome to see more of these Hamptons get renovated. The newer style Hampton Inns are super nice, and always comfortable. I always opt for the Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton, Double Tree, or Embassy because they have a bar and full breakfast, but I never complain too much about a Hampton. I was so tired last night I didn’t even turn on the TV. Speaking of that, I haven’t seen one damn minute of Playoff football yet, and I’m not happy about it. I’m hoping to be able to catch at least a little of the last game today, but I’m not betting the farm on that.

I’ll try and post another update later, we’ll see how the day goes.

Much love - Fatty.

[thefatpilot]

Well, this is my first post...

I’m workshopping this things, so if you’re reading this, it means that I value your opinion. Don’t get too excited, I don’t have a ton of friends.

Today was a rare day off in Naples, Florida. It should be paradise here, but it’s damn-near bitter cold for the south Floridians at 47 degrees overnight.

I got a workout/run in today after taking yesterday off to try and feel a little better. I’m still battling this stupid cold that I’m trying to get, but am hopefully on the mend. Either way, I felt a little better today, so I hit the gym for 25 on the elliptical and 25 on the treadmill. I’m doing well on this weight loss journey - 61 lbs down, even through the Holidays. That said, I’ll always be a fat runner (and a fat pilot, because that’s like my whole gig here). Anyway, I run slow, but at least I’m putting the miles in. The new Brooks shoes still feel like clouds, and I’m enjoying the new workout clothes.

Some of these photos might not be so great, but I’ll do my best. If this thing actually takes off, maybe I’ll get a decent camera sometime other than just my cell phone (which actually takes pretty bomb photos).

Post run, I headed out in search of coffee while Ronny stayed at the hotel and caught up on his stuff. I found a really cool joint called Kunjani. They do craft coffee (locally roasted), and also have a local art gallery. Great atmosphere, and the birthplace of this experiment I’m calling The Fat Pilot. I downed a Chemex full of the local blend, and then set off to grab Ronny, and swing out the airplane and lunch.

Detailing the airplane didn’t really happen because when we got to the plane, they had it in the hangar doing a tire change, and (hopefully) troubleshooting our WiFi problem. Cool, we left a key, and headed off in search of food.

Lunch today was at The Cafe in downtown Naples. Holy shit. Amazing food, amazing people. We were both super happy. I had the Paleo Bowl, and it was out of sight. Oatmeal topped with feta cheese, two organic, cage-free eggs, Tobasco, sun dried tomatoes, and big pieces of avocado. Absolutely what I was looking for.

Post lunch, I decided to FINALLY go see the new Star Wars. I’ve been so excited to see it, but just haven’t had the time. The last time we tried to see a movie on an off day, we were halfway through Daddy’s Home 2 when we got a phone call to leave and head to the airport on a trip. Talk about a major buzzkill. Anyway, yeah... The Last Jedi. Are you kidding me? How did people not love this movie? It was SO good. I can’t even unpack it all right now, but I was beyond satisfied. Like the total Star Wars fan nerd I am, I laughed, and almost cried a few times throughout, so it was pretty much everything I wanted.

After the movie, I met up with Ronny and two other pilots from our company who just happen to be staying at the same hotel, and we all headed out for dinner at the Outback. Dinner tonight was French Onion Soup (I only at a small part of the delicious cheese and crouton topping), and Salmon with a dry baked potato (I added A-1 for a little flavor), and asparagus. It was good, but nothing really special.

Back at the hotel now, I’m finally finishing my first, and probably way too long blog entry, but this new keyboard is really slick, and I’m enjoying the writing. I hope it always comes this easily, and that I always enjoy it this much. We’ll see how that goes.

Hotel Review - Courtyard by Marriott, Naples, FL -

It’s okay. Nothing to really draw me back. The staff is all decent, but not overly helpful. The ambiance is not really homey, but more “old trying to look hip and new”. The rooms are renovated with great TVs, but cheap beds, cheap fake hardwood floors, and really old property. You can only put so much lipstick on a pig. Oh well, I’ve spent two nights in worse places, and at least we don’t have to get up super early. It’s not Hilton, and I’m not a top-tier elite status at Marriott, so I don’t get the cool perks here (like free breakfast and upgraded WiFi).