Chris Flying High Again!

In the summer of 1999, Chris received a call from US Airways letting him know that he had received his dream job as a pilot. At the time we were living in California close to family. We knew this job meant moving 3,000 miles away to the east coast (which seemed like another country to us) but we were excited, because Chris had the opportunity of a life time. He was assigned to BWI and promptly moved east to train and start working. Alec and I joined him months later when we moved into our first home, in a great neighborhood and big, friendly ward.

Everything was going great. We had our second child Sophia at the beginning of 2001, had made great friends and loved the east coast. With Chris' job and benefits, we were able to travel and see places on the east coast I'd only read about in history books. Then after September 11, 2001 everything changed. I was just grateful Chris was safe and had a late flight on that day. We knew his career as a pilot would be shorter than we ever imagined. He was furloughed in December of that year.

So here we were away from family, two children and Chris had lost his dream job. Thankfully Chris is a hard worker. He knew he needed a new career and he went out and found one. He received his appraiser's license and then his realtor license. He's always supported his family and kept a positive attitude through all these years. He's never come home in a bad mood, no matter what job he's had. He always comes home smiling and positive.

Over the years, he's always wondered when he'd get called back to fly again, and the time has finally come. On August 27, 2007 (first day of school for our children) he reported to training with US Airways. His old home base of BWI is not an option any longer. So we prayed he'd get based somewhere close to home. Thankfully he did. He is based out of DC and will now fly the Airbus.

His pilot's cap has been hanging in our bedroom for six years, and he finally gets to wear it again. Only Alec remembers his dad as a pilot. Sophia and Selena have never seen their dad in his uniform or flying a plane. This will be an adjustment for them to have him gone days at a time to work. I'm very proud of him and so happy he'll be able to be in the sky again doing what he loves most.

Alec loved wearing his dad's uniform

Chris started his flying career as a flight instructor in California