Albuquerque this weekend (8/5-8/10/2010)
 

I'll be leaving Arizona Thurs night, headed for Albuquerque (arriving late). I'll be touring an Air Traffic Control Facility at 8000 Louisiana Blvd NE for most of the afternoon on Friday. Haven't decided when I'll be leaving (or where I'll be staying!). May have a "+1" with me, don't know yet.

Anybody in kirky wanna kick it for a bit?

Damn, If I could get down there I would! Did you try hitting up Jer or AJ?

pat, thats about 10 minutes from my place. seen the facility quite a few times when traveling on paseo.

i/we should be around while you are here if you want to do something. grab a bite, cruise, or what not.

of course if we cruise, i won't have anything to 'cruise' in so it would be more of a 'scenic drive'

As wierd as it may sound...I might be in abq around that time frame....ill let ya know

^^ haha wtf?! didn't you just move to the north pole?

It's gonna be just me. Thought I could convince a friend to tag along for the long, boring drive but there's nothing for them to do in ABQ while I tour the facility..

Nate, sounds good. You got room for one more? I think you're still my friend on facebook? My cell number is still up on there.

The facility is Albuquerque ARTCC (Air Route Traffic Control Center) or "Albuquerque Center" for short (ZAB). They are 1 of 24 identical control centers scattered about the United States (and Puerto Rico, Guam) that are responsible for a large amount of airspace and all the nation's air traffic inside of it. Albuquerque's airspace stretches from most of Arizona to parts of western and northern (panhandle) Texas, and most of New Mexico of course. When I was a pilot I'd talk to them quite often (a sector of their airspace that covered where I used to fly) and now that I am applying to become an Air Traffic Controller, I figured I'd tour the facility!

I work with a couple guys now that are old-timers at ABQ Center and still have friends in high places there. This tour should be more than a "this is this, and that is that" type overview, I'll get to plug in and spend a lot of time with the actual controllers on position.

I think my Dad is still around Albuquerque somewhere, near the airport is his last known address. Gotta find him to see if I can stay there.

I'll be arriving late Thursday night, early Friday morning (midnight-1am), and then crashing someplace. Tour starts Friday morning and I'll be done somewhere around 3-5PM. After that I got free time for a bit, gonna leave either Friday night or early Saturday morning.

Oh and I'm gettin paid for gas and a per diem! Figured I'd drive up Sandia for the hell of it on their dime!

David,
Did you move away from kirky?

Ahh, sorry Patrizzle, unless you want to hook up late Friday or early Saturday, I'll miss you. I work in Socorro, about 85 miles south of Albuquerque, and live 30 miles south. I have every other Friday off, but this is my working Friday bro. I won't be back to Los Lunas until about 5:15 or so.

So you should have my numbers still, let me know what's up. You are welcome to stay here Friday night if you want.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Patreezy @ Aug 3 2010, 02:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>David,
Did you move away from kirky?</div>

if you would actually answer your IMs once and a while youd know that lol

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (faithofadragon @ Aug 3 2010, 08:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>if you would actually answer your IMs once and a while youd know that lol</div>

Jer I might be down that way, my Dad lives S ABQ.

David, I haven't gone on AIM since high school. The only reason you saw me on there recently was cause I was consulting with a computer geek over AIM about a computer thing for work, lol.