More often than not my job can sway between terror and tedium. But other times there are moments of pure joy that leave me feeling extremely gratified and thankful.
Yesterday was one of those days.
One of the many facets of my position at work is flying out here to Seattle to pick up airplanes. It doesn't happen often, so when it does, I take every opportunity to drink in the experience and make every monent count. We were supposed to take off from Boeing field at about 1:00pm yesterday but because of some issues beyond our control we didn't get into the air until close to 6:00pm.
Most of the traveling public doesn't get to see what I get to see in regards to air travel. Sure, I see the lines at check-in, at the shoe check at TSA, the packed flights, and the endless waiting for luggage at the carousel. I'm like the rest of you. And I absolutely hate it as well. Air travel is no longer the adventure it used to be, in fact, it's possibly the most excrutiating experience one can go through and have to pay for it (unless you like going to the dentist but I digress).
One of my job responsibilities is to go on customer test flights, and check aircraft out to make sure that they are up to snuff. It means flying in brand new aircraft before they enter revenue service. In other words I get to nit-pick eveything. Maybe there is a scuff on a sidewall panel, or a reading light doesn't work. My job is to document all the problems and see that they are resolved before the aircraft leaves the delivery center.
Now mind you this isn't a typical flight. While the pailots are up front flying an agressive flight profile, myself and others are up and around the cabin, testing seats, inspecting carpet, lavatories, ovens, and windows. All the little air vents and reading lights, tray tables, and seat pouches are poked, prodded, and summarily looked at. All the while the pilots up front are banking, twisting, turning, and putting this piece of beautiful machinery throught the paces.
Seatbelts? Sure, maybe on take off or when we simulate a rejected take-off but other wise....nawwwww.
Not to many people get to experience this sort of thing, and when I have the chance to I think that I've got the best job on earth. During the latter part of the flight yesterday, we had all done our jobs, we had wrung out the systems, noted our discrepancies and we were headed back to the field. As I sat in seat 7F looking out the window I gazed out over purple mountain majesty as white cotton balls cast friendly shadows over sappy, prickly pine covered ridges. I looked into deep mountain lakes and could almost taste the clear blue water as they spilled out into waterfalls, falling seemingly into the eternity of a lush carpet of ferns.
Life and earth look different while you're steaming up the window that you lean against as you drift back to terra firma. As we deplaned, and walked away from the airplane a pink whispy, whimsical sunset cast a smile upon us as we walked back into the building. I thought about how lucky I was to do what I had just done. I looked around at the rest of our crew and wondered to myself if they realized how special it had been.
I'm a lucky guy.
