I have been flying mostly nights lately. I got the chance to get a day flight today though. It was a really beautiful day. My plane captain took this picture before walking to the jets. Yes, those are two-seat Hornets in the picture, but that's the direction the sun was coming up. Our jets were on the bow! The seas haven't been too bad lately so at least the landings have not been too colorful. That’s always a good thing.
A buddy of mine was up flying the other night. I had just landed but was still taxiing up towards where they were going to chain the jet down. He was having a rough night. Bolter, wave off -- not his night. Well apparently his radio had a "stuck mike" after his last transmission before coming around for his third pass. I am no stranger to talking to myself in the jet after a bad pass -- well, not so much talking as just yelling at the moon with some choice expletives.
So here comes my friend on final and he's having a tough time making out the landing area. He's having a tough time making the jet go where he wants it to go and he says to himself in a very self-deprecating manner, "God dammit this jet is F***ed up!!!!" Well, his stuck microphone transmitted his little monologue out over the Approach Control Frequency for all the world to hear. I almost had to stop taxiing the jet because I was laughing so hard.