With Mixed Emotions

[Trevor Hale]

To All the Worldflight Team USA Crew.

Thank You for making this the Best Worldflight event Yet. After 4 years we still manage to make it better each year and it is because of all of you.

With that, So ends another successful Worldflight event. It is with mixed emotions though. The problem is the event itself.  It brings together friends and family, and then it takes us all miles away from each other. Most of the other teams benefit from living close to each other. They get together evenings and weekends and get to see each other all the time. Unfortunately for our group, we all live thousands of miles apart. We get together and we laugh and party and celebrate our love for this hobby. We deal with technical issues and we get through the lack of sleep. The worst part is although we miss our families, when we leave this family we all leave behind a piece of ourselves.

This year we were short one of our key crew, Bob you were very much missed but not forgotten. We made it through it but it wasn't easy.

We are fortunate to have a host as generous as Sam & Laura.  We are fortunate to have an amazing simulator at our disposal and most of all we are fortunate to have the flight crew that we have.

It always has to end, but not until we have a few laughs.

Guys, thanks again for the Laughs.

Have a safe trip home.

Trev

[FredK]

Yes...It was our best WorldFlight event yet!

I second all of Trev's comments.

And Sam....many thanks again for making it all possible.....and for your above and beyond gracious hospitality.

Fred K

[sagrada737]

I echo the comments as well...   This year's WF event in Sarasota was the best, and the first WF event in South Bend was great as well.  Lots of fun, and a pleasure to meet old and new friends.   Looking forward to next year's World Flight.  Below are a few photos from WF...

As an added treat, when I was boarding my Southwest flight out of Chicago Midway, the pilots noticed my interest in the cockpit.   They invited me in to sit in the FO's seat and look around.   Very kind of them.   Nothing like the real deal...  I asked if they would like me to program their FMC, and they promptly said NO!  Imagine that... 

Mike

[RayS]

I also echo Trevor's sentiments. The fact that we're so spread out and yet able to make this event a success year after year speaks volumes about the people and the talent we have on the Worldflight team. While it's sad to bring WF2016 to an end, I am already looking forward to WF2017.

There are big things in the works for the U.S./Canadian team in 2017!

I took several shots with my iPhone to help memorialize some of the highlights of WF2016.
https://quik.gopro.com/v/8dOpq6hRd3/

We had some great pilots this year! It was a pleasure and an honor to fly with each and every one of you.

Sam& Laura, thank you for being such gracious hosts!

Kyle, thanks for all your help with my numerous technical questions wrt LEDs and trim gauges.

Trevor, thank you for just being you, my friend! ;-) You always bring a hearty laugh to the event.

(Although next time I'm bringing a razor.... )

Doug, thank you for keeping us on-schedule, on-task, and on the magenta line. Your dispatch skills are critical to the success of Worldflight.

Shutdown checklist complete.

[Aerosim Solutions]

Even with my team all being locals there is definite feeling of loss when the event is over and we all head home. The hangar falls silent and the sim is cold n dark. Last year I said we would have about 4 weeks off before our Monday sim night 'training' recommences but I think we only had one Monday off and got back into it again! I've already been asked when we are starting again!! Cheers Gwyn

[fsaviator]

Wish I could have been there!  I should be available next year!  At least I should be on the same continent.

[Trevor Hale]

Wish I could have been there!  I should be available next year!  At least I should be on the same continent.

We'ed be happy to have you join us. Finally.

[KyleH]

Well said Trevor. You pretty well captured my feelings too. Glad to be seeing family again, but missing the WF family.
Would be nice to get together in the summer some time.

Shutdown checklist complete.

Having called for or completing that last check list for the past 3 years, every time it feels weird, walking out of the dark sim room and not briefing or prepping for the next crew going in.


Thanks to Trev, Bob, and Ray for all the help organizing and running the event.

And as always, a big thank you to Sam and Laura for hosting us every year. It just wouldn't be the same without their generosity. When I first arrived this year, Laura's comment to me was "Welcome Home." Seems appropriate as they really do make us feel like it is our second home.

[Trevor Hale]

When I first arrived this year, Laura's comment to me was "Welcome Home." Seems appropriate as they really do make us feel like it is our second home.

You got that right Well Said.

[Trevor Hale]

Trevor, thank you for just being you, my friend! ;-) You always bring a hearty laugh to the event.

(Although next time I'm bringing a razor.... )

Good Idea....  on the razor part.... (If I remember right you had a spare one last year from ordering some other parts) LOL
Last year you come with an extra... this year you don't bring one...  Geeze Get it right

Hey man..  that's what it is all about..   Can't wait for next year already.

   

[Sam Llorca]

Thank you guys for your kind words, to me and my family you guys are family, it was great to see you all again and is true worldflight gets better every year.
It was sad to see the last guys leave and I'm still sad, every time I walk into the warehouse and is so silent it makes me not want to go in there again.
THANK YOU ALL for your great assistant, support, contributions and best of all true friendship.
We missed you Bob!
It would be really nice to have at least a weekend together, once a year is not enough.
The doors of our home are open to all of you anytime, you are welcome always not just for Worldflight, I understand that all of you are far away and that is costly to make a trip here, if you can't make it before then...
...Until next Worldflight guys,
Cheers!

[Vincent T.]

Trevor, well said and to you all, thank you! For me being part of the World Flight team, was a dream come true, an item on my checklist. We are all apart geographically, but will be in our thoughts. Thanks for letting me part of this wonderful group. To all of you cheers!

Special thanks to Sam for taking care of us, Trevor & team for organizing and keeping on track, Doug for the dispatch, Ray for delta maintenance and to my Captains with whom I flew (Trevor, Kyle, Ray, Logan & Fred) and all members of the crew. Thank you captains for letting me fly with you!

Most of all, we hit our target to the hospital, our ultimate goal!!!

I reached home safe and sound, my Southwest flight to Nashville, make a clear bounced landing, touchdown was way ahead of threshold and did some hard braking and almost exiting from the last taxiway exit. Emotions were really mixed, I needed a drink in-flight to calm my emotions a bit

[Trevor Hale]

Vince, it was our pleasure to have you...  Now that you have been bitten by the bug... I hope we can count on you again next year.

Trev

[jfuenmayor]

I have not much else to add.
Great experience.

Hope to be back next year.

joaquin

[Trevor Hale]

Hope to be back next year.

We would enjoy having you Joaquin.

[Vincent T.]

You bet Trevor, count me in for next year's team. Spending the whole week apart from learning cockpit skills and vatsim skills, I have also greatly improved on certain vocabulary  Wouldn't miss next years, will be there!!