Alton Joe Anderson

One of my buddies here at Embry-Riddle did an instrument cross-country flight and I got to tag along! It’s a great way to learn more about the pilot’s end of the frequencies. We talked to ten different controllers ranging from Daytona Clearance Delivery to Miami and Jax Center! It was a great trip!

Huge thanks to Brad and his instructor for letting me tag along.

Here’s a video from the 3.7 hour flight in Riddle’s Cessna 172.

Tags: 172, alton, anderson, brad, cessna, country, cross, embry, Embry-Riddle, flight, ifr, instrument, joe, observe, poyer, riddle

Wow! I received a great letter from the National Society of Collegiate Scholars this weekend! It’s a great, prestigious, nation-wide honor society that offers a lot more than just a line item on my resumé.

The best part about receiving this nomination is that it really gives me a lot of motivation to continue to do better! I’m incredibly excited. There will be an induction ceremony in the fall; it should be great!

All of my classes are going well. My humanities class is really demanding a lot of studying… I guess that’s not something I’m very good at. My computers class is terrible… I can’t wait for it to be over.

Tags: alton, anderson, collegiate, embry, Embry-Riddle, joe, national, of, riddle, scholars, society

I was overly excited as I sat down near the front of the classroom, waiting for my first air traffic class to begin. The room was filling quickly… it was a much larger class than I had pictured it to be! Mostly Air Traffic Management majors spiced with some Aeronautical Science majors, everyone seemed excited to be in this class. It wasn’t one of those required classes that nobody wants to be in; this was a real class. A real chance to learn.

I am partly joking/serious when I say that my teacher related controlling air traffic to having sex. He was trying to prove that this career really isn’t that stressful; that it’s all really a huge misconception that was created during the PATCO strike in 1981. The teacher also had some valuable insight into the ATC career, disproved other misconceptions (dentistry is actually the career with the highest suicide rate, not ATC), and a lot to say about the Federal Aviation Administration.

It’s easy to tell that this teacher is very knowledgeable in the air traffic control industry and has definitely served his time working as a controller. “I can’t offer advice to anyone about work, because I’ve never really worked a day in my life. I love my job,” the professor had only great things to say about his career. I’m very excited to learn from him and the other professors in the ATC department.

All of my other classes are going much better than I had thought they would except for what should be my easiest class, IT 109: Intro to Computers and Applications. It’s proving to be more of a pain-in-the-butt only because the teacher is the worst I’ve had since freshman year in high school. Oh well, right? Another challenge to face.

On another note, I’ve got my visit to Atlanta-Hartsfield’s control tower lined up for Martin Luther King day (5 days left!!). I’m hoping to write about it next week and maybe post some new pictures! Wish me luck!

Here’s an old recording from 2005 when my friend, Lee Reynolds, and I rented a drum set and jammed all night. This was entirely improv… it’s pretty neat! Enjoy.

Tags: 200, air, Air Traffic Control, alton, and, anderson, at, atm, class, control, drums, embry, joe, lee, riddle, traffic

I’m thinking about entering two photos into a photo contest on campus. The theme for the contest is “The Beauty That Surrounds Us” and it can be however we perceive beauty.

Since this is an all-aviation related school, I threw in a photo or two with an airplane in it. But, if you think two of these picture are better than the others… please comment and let me know!

Thanks!

 

Tags: alton, anderson, contest, embry, Embry-Riddle, joe, photo, riddle

Some friends and I got up early yesterday and drove down to the Kennedy Space Center to see their 2008 Air and Space Show featuring the Blue Angels. We stopped by IHOP for breakfast and headed over to get a good seat. There are pictures and videos below, enjoy! I had a great time!!

Enjoy! Check out the Blue Angels’ official website.

 

Tags: 2008, air, alton, anderson, angels, blue, center, joe, kennedy, show, space, travel

I forgot that there was a small airshow for homecoming weekend at Embry-Riddle today! I heard the planes flying around and ran outside in time to see Matt Chapman perform. This was my first time ever seeing an airshow like this… incredible flying! The lighting is a little rough, sorry!

Check out Matt Chapman’s website!

 

Tags: air, alton, anderson, chapman, embry, joe, matt, riddle, show