It’s been six years since my last opportunity to fly out to a carrier for a few days, and I was so thrilled to get that chance again. I don’t know if you remember the story of my original trip (here’s the link), but I was so overwhelmed the first day out on the flight deck, that I basically blew the shoot. I took the same shot over and over again jets taking off again and again, and when I looked at the images later, I realized I was shooting the wrong thing. Ever since then I’d be hoping for an opportunity to try again, and thanks to my buddy Ed Buice, I finally got the chance.
I didn’t have any internet or cell coverage since Tuesday afternoon, and it was a blessing and a curse (you really learn fast how much you rely on your phone for simple things like “What time is sunset” and “Who was the actor in that movie?” all day long). I liked being unplugged less than I thought, but it was still a nice break (and one I’m glad that’s over).
Anyway, as I write this I’m on my connecting flight home from Atlanta and it’s 9:26 pm, so I’m not going to have any photos to share until Monday, where I’m planning to do an Adobe Spark Page post of the trip. Lots of stories to share, photos, behind-the-scenes stuff. Hoping for Monday. Now, this was a different carrier than I had been on before — my last trip had been out to the USS George H. W. Bush.
One thing was exactly the same, though…
That one thing that was exactly the same was my admiration for the men and women of our US Navy. I wish every American could get the opportunity to spend a few days on a Navy ship. What an outstanding crew – so professional, dedicated, polite, friendly, hard-working, and the sence of pride they have for what they doing, and how they do it, is just something to see for yourself. Seeing how they handle the jets and helos on the flight deck is just…well, it’s a master class on precision and teamwork, but it extends through the entire crew. I’m so grateful for their service and sacrifice, and the sacrifice of their families.
I’m also so thankful to my buddy Ed Buice (you are the man!), and my new buddy Todd “Brian” Beveridge, NCIS Special Agent Afloat Dan Chaney, and all the folks at NCIS who helped make my trip out to a carrier not only possible but an awful lot of fun.
That’s pretty much all I have for today, except that I did take an hour on my first flight today to watch the final episode of Season 7 of “Game of Thrones.” I binge-watched all seven seasons in the past few months while traveling on planes, and I believe it’s just about the best show on TV. Now I’m all caught up and ready for the final season. I hope it ends better than “Lost.” ;-)
Have a great weekend everybody! Anchor’s away!
-Scott
P.S. Don’t forget to book your hotel rooms at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando for the Photoshop World Conference at the end of next month. We’re almost sold out of rooms there. Here’s the link to the travel page.
