Hey there everyone!
Hope you are all having a great summer break! For those who just graduated (or maybe are about to have high school graduation) congratulations! For those of you who are rising seniors and younger, welcome to the next level, and the next step towards college!
So, I’d like to tell you all a bit about how my summer is going and what kind of stuff I’ve been up to! So let’s have at it! Well let me keep you guessing for a bit.
Here are some hints:
1) Have you ever flown on a (real) plane? 
2) Does this look familiar to you?
3) Have you ever heard of Washington State? Everett in particular?
Have you ever heard of the Boeing Company?
Well then you solved the riddle! Congratulations!
This summer, I’m having a blast up in Everett, WA (apprx. 40 mi N. of Seattle) working at the Boeing Company in Aerodynamic Performance Engineering. It’s under a larger group called flight sciences. For a guy like me who lives for flying (literally, looks at the sky every time a plan flies over campus….which is about every 2 minutes), I am living flying, sleeping flying, dreaming flying, and working flying. Normally, you couldn’t get me up at 5:30AM on a school day to save my life, but up at Boeing, I’m springing out of bed at the crack of dawn!
Let me tell you a bit more about what I do…. Like I said, I’m in a group called Aerodynamic Performance Engineering. I have a particular regional emphasis which I focus on and work on technical performance data (from departure performance to en-route to landing performance). The whole purpose of this work is to be able to identify what Boeing products (e.g. airplanes) best fit the needs of our clients (mostly airlines) based on how the airlines tell us regarding how they will operate their flight!
One of my biggest passions, as you can probably glen from my previous blogs is flying. Like I already said, I am in heaven here since I get to do nothing but stuff to do with aviation. One of my long term goals is to be a test pilot for the Boeing Company. And on that front, I have lots of good news to bring – I’ve had the opportunity to have lunch with the Chief Pilot of Pilot Services of CAS (Commercial Aviation Services), who himself has offered to put in me touch with his boss, and even his bosses boss so that I can continue to reach for my dream job – of being a test pilot for Boeing. As I lay it out – I want to have an office ‘behind the yoke.’ Just the other day, I was out on the flight line at Boeing Field, getting to learn more about test flight operations and the massive orchestration of talent it takes for a successful test flight.
I know you all would love pics of this, but unfortunately, we’re not allowed to take any anyways, nonetheless post them online :(.
I will be sure to keep you all updated on how things go on this front as the summer goes on.
Outside of work (which is from 9-12 hrs a day), I am also doing a bit of flight instructing. Yep- I have some honest to goodness student pilots who I have the pleasure to teach how to fly! Let me tell you, there is nothing more enjoyable than teaching someone else (and seeing that they understand it) about something that is really important to you- that’s why I love to instruct. It’s been a real blast.Many of these students are Boeing interns too!
Separately, here’s the link to a flight center I fly out of while up here. It’s called Regal Air.
In between work and flying, I am also getting the chance to visit different places in the area (and around USA- was at Indy 500 over Memorial Day, see below for flyover picture), and made it back to San Antonio (my hometown) for Father’s Day. Nothing like family.
This weekend, be on the lookout for me on the shores of Friday Harbor Island, in the San Juan Islands up here in the Northern Sound. Check out the Town’s Website.
Here’s a picture from the Harbor itself on the East side of the island.
Don’t forget, there are a lot of mountains out here….and that makes for perfect hiking time! Check out where I’ve been hiking in the Bandera Mountains East of Seattle.
Who is that devil down and to your right? What is he doing? It’s me giving you a Fight On.
I leave you with a bit of summer home work. Check out The Gum Wall down by Pike’s Market. You will see a lot of disgusting gum, as in chewing gum there….but fear ye not….I (your fellow Trojan) am working to add a bit of class to it. More on this final report later.
Until then, be safe and well….and enjoy your summer. Can’t wait to welcome a lot of you incoming Freshmen this fall, and to you that are continuing on in high school, keep up the hard work!
Adios
Warren
