Camp Springs, MD (USA)

[Flying with Micah - DV lift? - Camp Springs with delay - back to Virginia Beach]

Dover, DE (USA)

[proficiency flight with Rich and Thor - flew to Dover for practice approaches (sunset makes blood-red moon in the East - looked like the sun)]

Las Vegas, NV (USA)

After a good night in the Excalibur Hotel & Casino, met up with the crew for our departure from Las Vegas.  We headed over to McCarron and got the jet ready quickly.  Once of our squadron mates, Steve, flew down from Seattle last night (for his airline job) and had gotten stranded. He met us at the airplane this morning and asked if we could get him back to Hampton Road.  Lucky guy - I guess we saved him a lot of trouble... We departed before noon (local time) and the weather was much nicer than yesterday.  We had great views of the Strip and the surrounding mountains. [Flying with Tracy M.]  It ended up being a quick trip and we arrived back at NAS Oceana pretty early.  Easy RON mission!

Las Vegas, NV (USA)

Overnight trip from NAS Oceana to Las Vegas (flying with Tracy M.). Flight out West was mostly uneventful. Had to stop in Louisville (Standiford), KY, and Omaha, NE on the way to Vegas. When we finally arrived at McCarron, it was sunny, but really cold and windy. I was kind of surprised, since it was always nice - or really hot - when I have been here before. Got a taxi ride for the crew (from Desert Cab) to the Excalibur Hotel & Casino - a great place to stay!  The early arrival gave me a chance to walk around inside for most of the afternoon. I realized while I was in the Luxor that I had never walked down to Mandalay Bay before - so I headed to the end of the three hotel complex. I now wish I had brought the kids down to the Shark Reef when we were here in November... After I had explored this end of the Strip, I ended the night in New York New York - something else I had never done. I must admit that the simulated streets in there are kind of cool. The only thing different about this place from the real NYC was that there were fewer people. Plenty of visitors were wearing NY Giants outfits and hats - I guess we missed a madhouse here yesterday...  [Bed just after 2100.]