Eight Miles High in General

Eight miles is 48K feet. Not terribly high for modern jets. F-15s laugh at that altitude. Basically impossible for an EA-6B. which was derivative of the A-6, which was a low-level medium-bomber. Wing loading was all wrong for high altitude flight

During Functional Check Flights we would go to 40k. The jet wobbled through the sky, right at the edge of stall.

I am still waiting for the offer from GD. Of course after I got my 2010 taxes filed, I immediately scrubbed all reference to GDBIW from my Microsoft Money.

I found the req for the job I am going to be doing. Paygrade is “E” which is what I was when I quit. In a flash of genius, I went and dug out my 2010 W-2. I was making $74K gross. According to the Social Security administration, average salaries go up 3% a year, which makes it $96K now.

And I have an MBA now. Defense contractors pay more for higher education levels. And for bragging right regarding how many veteran they have hired. I’m guessing the offer is going to come in in the mid-80s. Certainly nothing to sneeze at.

It really doesn’t matter what they offer, I’ll accept. Just to get my foot in the door. The DD(X) program is starting next July. Get in at the ground floor.

I managed to get my son on the phone, floating the idea next spring I could fly down to San Antonio and he could pick me up at the airport. The idea of a three day drive is alternately interesting and exhausting.

I could front load the work week, get three 12-hour days in then bang out of work at 40 hours. Fly out on Friday. Spend the weekend in New Braunfels. Then fly home on Monday, and knock out 40 hours Tues-Fri. It can be done.

Waiting for a phone call is bothersome. I sometimes hesitate to even go outside to take a walk lest I miss the freaking phone call.