CRJ simulator

Today, I got the opportunity to spend the afternoon in a CRJ (Canadair Regional Jet) simulator in the Advanced Simulation Training Building in Embry Riddle.
I spent all the afternoon, 4 hours, there. That was really great. The students got through two complete flights. The first landing was a VOR-DME in New York JFK with a go-around (the MDA was 860ft for this VOR-DME procedure, and at the minimas they couldn't see the runway), followed by a ILS (the MDA was 230ft for the ILS, so they could see the runway and land).
The second session, after a short break, was similar, but with a ILS approach with a go-around again due to a landing gear failure this time. They made a pattern, cranked the gear down manually and landed with the same ILS procedure...
That was a neat afternoon !

President's Day at Stallion51

Last monday was President's day. I don't really know the meaning of this day here, but the fact is that it is was a holiday. Then with the sport aviation club, we went to Stallion51 which is a kind of flying museum. All the aircrafts there are in flying condition and actually flying. There is 4 P51 Mustang, a Spitfire, a Focke Wulfe 190, Extra 300, T6, and other nice beauties in the hangars. The owner has also a nice car collection. That place is really a (as Jeff said...) "pilot porno". This is truely awesome! If you have 3000$, you can fly the P51 for 1 hour... Well ... I'll come back later when I get my Airline captain salary...

50th anniversary of NASCAR race "DAYTONA 500".

Daytona is the most crowded place I've ever seen. This last week and next week, a huge amount of people converged in Daytona for the NASCAR races in the international speedway, which stands by just across the runway, maybe half a mile from the campus.
A parking lot spot to park a car is sold $50, the race ticket is more than $200. Everything goes crazy ! Police cars all around the airport, the campus dorms are locked up all day for safety, all because of that crowd everywhere...
Even the airport is closed to general aviation this WE as VIP( more than a hundred of biz jets) come in. They actually had to close runway 16-34 to be able to park all the jets flying in. I've heard also that Air Force One is to come ( 50th anniversary of Daytona 500, this is almost like the superbowl here ...very important event).
The thunderbirds are also flying over the speedway every day.
...
And me in the middle of all that frantic crowd... The campus is on the airport, sitting by the international speedway... That's quite funny to see all these typical american rednecks for most of them wearing the same Nascar sweater, waving either the american flag or the "Daytona 500" flag, and drinking the same Bud light.
I don't have to many pictures of all that, I post some pictures from the web to give an idea of that crazy week...

First US_Airways Flight to KDAB...

Today was the first flight of US Airways to KDAB. They've opened a new line between Charlotte,NC and Daytona, FL.
Daytona already have some airlines coming in such as Delta, Air Tan or Continental. It's growing bigger with this new line.
The first fly-in of an aircraft inaugurating a new line is always a special day on the airport. The firefighter got Two firetrucks out, spraying water over the ERJ175 as it was taxiing to the terminal. Awesome!
This is even more special to me as I can imagine how important this day must be to Jon (the father of the family where I spend the Christmas vacations) as he his responsible for US_Air in Daytona...
Here are pictures of the landing, and the firetrucks thing...