In 1982 I spent a summer in Israel on a dig at the height of the Israel/Lebanon action in Haifa - just an hour from Lebanon - called "Tel Dor." Following that fun, I spent a week in Cairo before returning home.

After graduating Conroe High school I joined the Army - thinking I lacked discipline and the US Army just might be a good place to learn some. It worked! Spent 4 years in the Infantry, after basic training at Fort Benning, GA (jeez, was it hot). Then, I had the opportunity to spend 2 years in Germany (Bases of Baumholder and Weisbaden). Europe was an adventure; giving me the chance to visit every country there on trains or in my BMW 528 '78 model. On return to the USA I was sent to Fort Campbell, KY - home of the "Screaming Eagles," where I attended Air Assault School. I began to take flying lessons with my instructor James Allen at Volunteer Flight Training in Clarksville, TN. I received my private license after three months in 1985. After that, I was sent to the Sinai as part of the Multi National Peace keeping force of the MFO (Multi-national Force of Observers). We spent six months in the desert pulling guard duty and just generally being kids away from home . . . it was good camaraderie. Got to go to Israel (for the second time) for a mini-vacation-great country and wonderful people...

After four years in the service, I'd done enough and returned to the USA for discharge and started college. During school I began work as a waiter because of the flexible hours and thinking that I wanted to do Hotel and Restaurant Management at Sam Houston State University. That was short-lived. One semester later I switched to Aviation and moved to San Jacinto College in Deer Park, TX. Fellow students called it "Harvard on the Highway."

Actual flight training was at the nearby La Porte Airport (just under the Houston Class B airspace) and the Cliff Hyde Flying School. I had an excellent instructor and made a good friend with George Beltran. George now flies with Continental Airlines. I was working full time in the chemical plants and going to school, so it seemed to take forever for me to finish school, but finally in 1993 I had earned all of my fixed wing ratings. As a little kid, all I had ever wanted was to be a pilot - and finally I achieved that dream.

At that point, I had a little four-year old and a wife who I was supporting. The low paying start in Aviation just wouldn't work at that point so I stayed in the chemical business. I had been working at ARCO Chemical since '89 as an operator. It was a very responsible job and I honestly enjoyed it AND the good money.