Another Scholarship

"This scholarship applies only to obtaining a private pilot license. It does not apply to instrument ratings or any other aspect of flight training. This scholarship is not intended for individuals already enrolled in a university based flight program, which offers instruction in private pilot certification as part of the curriculum. Ages 16-23 years.In order to be considered for a 2008 scholarship, applications need to be online at www.leroywhomerjr.org and submitted/postmarked by Tuesday, January 31, 2008.

Applications postmarked after January 31, 2008, or applications with no postmark will be rejected."The deadline is approaching. Apply now. http://www.leroywhomerjr.org/scholarships.html

Thunderbird Video

This story has been going around the aviation sites, but I finally just watched it and it's worth a couple of minutes. It's an interested take on the Thunderbird maneuvers and how dangerous they can be.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: BEHIND THE SCENES OF THAT AMAZING THUNDERBIRD EJECTION/CRASH PHOTO
Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos

When we first saw the photo of Capt. Chris Stricklin's ejection from a doomed U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds F-16 a few years ago, most of us here at AVweb thought it was a fake. But the more we looked at it, the more it seemed possible that someone had actually snapped Stricklin's moment of truth in what must be one of the greatest aviation photos ever shot. Well, it wasn't long before we learned that Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III had actually captured the drama at an air show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.

In this AVweb original video, Video Editor Glenn Pew looks at the circumstances surrounding the dramatic accident — combining still photos, in-cockpit and outside-of-cockpit video, and narration including the investigation's findings and changes in procedure for the T-birds.

Taxiing in Chicago

Yesterday we were at Chicago O'hare's airport (KORD). Hopefully I have remembered the events accurately. I have been a pilot for 15 years, and our getting our airplane successfully around this airport was a real challenge!

To explain, we were parked at the Fixed Base Operator, which is marked on this diagram as the FBO Ramp on the right side. Can you find it? Click on the picture or on this link: http://204.108.4.16/d-tpp/0713/00166AD.PDF, which will open larger.

Our company actually let us know right off the bat that we were supposed to taxi on LL short of V to call ground. This means that we first tune the ATIS frequency (135.4) to hear the prerecorded departure information (weather and runway info). ATIS said to call Ground Metering on 121.67 - this is a busy airport and this is how airplanes get in line. There wasn't a delay, so Metering told us to "Taxi Lima Lima, Hold Short of Victor, MONITOR Ground 121.9." Monitor means tune the frequency, but don't call them, wait for the Air Traffic Controllers to call you with instructions.

Ground called and said that our runway was 22L, so go LL to MM, hold short of 27L. Now, it would be fine if you had all the time in the world to mosey on over, but there are airplanes moving all over the place and we all are "metered" into the traffic flow. So we get to holding short of 27L - awaiting the landing airplanes. There are radio calls going back and forth all over the place so we have to listen closely so we can hear our call sign.

All of a sudden they call us again, "Cleared across 27L, take Bravo across the bridge, hold short of A21, call 121.75." This is another Ground Frequency because the airport is so big. Not only do you have to remember what the directions are - I usually write them down - you have to check the airport diagram to confirm which way you need to turn. Controllers sometimes speak very quickly because they assume you have been to their airport before and know which way to go to the runway (it is a good idea to set up your instruments for the runway before ever leaving parking so you know the general direction).

Yes, we had to cross a bridge! We got to the other side and there was a huge commercial airliner being pushed back from its gate right into us. We stayed out of their way, and soon heard our call sign and "Follow the Airliner to Alpha, take A18 to Delta all the way to 22L." Meanwhile, there are other airplanes taxiing too, so you have to pay attention - do you wait for the airplane already on the taxiway, or are you supposed to be first? Usually they'll tell you if you have to yield to someone else - there are no red/green lights!

Finally, we make it to the end of the departure runway, switch to tower frequency and await instructions to taxi onto the runway and get cleared for takeoff. Whew!

Yes, it was very hectic. It should be noted that taxiing is a very critical phase of a flight (this is why people should keep their seatbelts fastened until the "Captain turns off the fasten seatbelt sign"), because there are many so chances for mistakes; turning the wrong way, forgetting or misinterpreting instructions, night/poor visibility conditions.... The Federal Aviation Administration is doing everything they can do prevent accidents - it's been in the news quite a bit. It every crewmembers' responsibility to keep her head up and keep situational awareness. If a pilot doesn't understand the instructions, it is completely appropriate to ask the controller to repeat. Even if she gets upset at a pilot taking up the busy radio time. The implications can be bad, legally (a pilot can lose her license for a violation) or safety wise (airplanes have accidently taxiied onto active runways).

All in a day of the life of a pilot.

Rod Machado's License to Learn article

I spent last night just outside of O'hare airport - right on final. To the left is an example of one of the airplanes passing by my window that lulled me to sleep last night (until the hotel had a 3:30am fire drill!).

If you are not a member of the Airplane Owners and Pilots Association, you might not know Rod Machado. He is a humorous author of many aviation books and articles - teaching while entertaining. In this month's AOPA magazine, his License to Learn article is entitled Reluctant Moms and Dad. It has special significance to me, considering the goals I am striving for with Girls With Wings. You can read the whole article at http://www.aopa.org/members/files/pilot/2008/ltol0801.html if you are an AOPA member. I would highly encourage you to become a member, since this is a huge advocacy group for general aviation.

Here is what Rod has to say:

Suppose I told you I could get your child to enthusiastically study geography, math, physics, chemistry, and psychology. After you had my head examined, would you be interested? Oh, and as a bonus I can get him or her to hang out with highly motivated, well-educated older people who are good role models because they don’t do drugs or spray graffiti, and they have a great work ethic.

You’re still with me, aren’t you? Then let’s talk about the value of allowing a responsible teenager to take flying lessons.

Perhaps you’re one of those parents (or perhaps you know one) who is reluctant to let your teenager take up flying for one or all of the usual reasons (generalized anxiety, cost, competition for the family airplane). Although you may have compelling reasons for feeling as you do, I’d like to offer a different perspective on why you should enthusiastically nurture and support your child’s desire to fly. More specifically, since you’re probably a pilot already and likely open to the idea, I’d like to offer you some ammunition that might help you convince reluctant non-pilot parents that flight training for their child would be the best educational investment they could make.

Social science research now says that a teenager’s peer group has as much (if not more) influence on the development of that individual’s values as his or her parents. For this reason alone, it’s reasonable to consider that flight training might confer a powerful developmental advantage on any young adult with an interest in airplanes. After all, the moment a person begins flight training, he or she immediately starts associating with an entirely new peer group that emphasizes the value of rules, rituals, and responsibilities.

Most of the individuals your child encounters during flight training are highly motivated, educated, and dedicated people, and most of them also will be older and more mature than your child. Think about it. Suddenly, your teenager starts singing the praises of someone over age 30 who values education, self-discipline, self-study, and self-reliance. Even in your wildest dreams as a parent, could you imagine that your teenager might seek out and spend time with such people, especially since these folks aren’t probation officers? Could you imagine having some influence over the new friends your offspring makes? Go ahead, pinch yourself so you’ll know it’s true.

There are few things as sad as young people without a sense of purpose or passion in their lives. Sure, they may be good kids, but they’re also bored, and boredom provides absolutely no developmental advantage whatsoever. Nature and teenagers
abhor a vacuum (or a vacuum cleaner), so this void is going to be filled with something. This is the primary reason young people should be exposed to as many new and novel ideas as possible (specifically, ideas that don’t involve puncturing, piercing, or indelibly coloring parts of the body). You hope that such a worthwhile pursuit clicks and triggers a burning desire—the Holy Grail for most parents—deep in their child’s psyche. If there’s any chance that flight training will trigger a passion for learning in your child, then you owe it to him or her to explore the idea. It may just change the way they look at the world. It may also disabuse your child of the notion that being tossed into a mosh pit at a Radiators From Space punk rock concert and bodysurfing a wave of human hands is Nirvana itself.

Another reason to consider flight training for an interested teenager is that it’s an honest way of developing self-respect. For the past quarter century, the self-esteem movement in this country professed that simply making young people feel good about themselves was the key to generating productive and responsible behavior. We have seen this phenomenon in physical games where nobody loses because a score is seldom kept (thus, nobody has their feelings hurt) and everybody wins because you get a trophy for just showing up. Lack of self-esteem was even touted as the real reason behind the irresponsible and criminal behavior of young people. Social science, however, has shown this premise to be false. In fact, most of the really bad boys and girls in prison aren’t short on self-esteem. Scientifically speaking, criminals score extremely high on self-esteem scales. It turns out that the value of self-esteem as it applies to improving someone’s behavior is determined primarily by how it’s earned, not whether it’s conferred.

Telling young people to have pride and self-respect simply applies a veneer of feeling good but doesn’t teach them behaviors that both generate and sustain self-respect. In the end, the common sense view prevailed: People appreciate more deeply what they legitimately earn, not what they’re given (or told they should have). Learning to fly an airplane is a responsible, authentic means of generating pride and self-respect. Give an interested teenager flying lessons, and you’ll teach him or her that study, discipline, and practice are personal qualities to be admired and acquired.

If you’re hesitant about allowing your child to take flying lessons (or are the doting aunt, uncle, grandfather, or grandmother), I hope you’ll consider what I’ve said, and give the gift of flight. When you learn something new, you become something new. So give your child a chance to become something new by introducing him or her to aviation.

Aviation humorist Rod Machado writes from Southern California. His personal website is http://www.rodmachado.com/

Various Types of Flying Pursuits

I consider myself lucky, having had the experience of flying helicopters in addition to airplanes. There are a lot of people that have only flown fixed wing aircraft. But there are so many different kinds of flying machines and reasons to fly them. One type of airplane that not many people are rated to fly are seaplanes. I am so jealous of anyone who can takeoff and land on water! I was in Ft Myers, FL, yesterday, and took a picture of this float plane.

Ok, so why would this capability be necessary?

Courtesy of wikipedia:

Uses and operation

Numerous modern civilian aircraft have a floatplane variant, usually for light duty transportation to lakes and other remote areas. Most of these are offered as third-party modifications under a supplemental type certificate (STC), although there are several aircraft manufacturers that build floatplanes from scratch, and a few that continue to build flying boats.

Many older flying boats remain in service for fire-fighting duty, and Chalk's Ocean Airways operated a fleet of Grumman Mallards in passenger service until service was suspended after a crash on December 19, 2005, which was linked to maintenance, not to design of the aircraft. Purely water-based seaplanes have largely been supplanted by amphibious aircraft.

Seaplanes can only take off and land on water with little or no wave action and, like other aircraft, have trouble in extreme weather. The size of waves a given design can withstand depends on, among other factors, the aircraft's size, hull or float design, and its weight, all making for a much more unstable aircraft, limiting actual operational days. Flying boats can typically handle rougher water and are generally more stable than floatplanes while on the water.

Rescue organizations, such as coast guards, are among the largest modern operators of seaplanes due to their efficiency and their ability to both spot and rescue survivors. Land-based airplanes cannot rescue survivors, and many helicopters are limited in their capacity to carry survivors and in their fuel efficiency compared to fixed-wing aircraft. (Helicopters may also be fitted with floats to facilitate their usage on water, though such craft are not referred to as "seaplanes".) These are even more limited in range.

Water aircraft are also often used in remote areas such as the Alaskan and Canadian outback, especially in areas with a large number of lakes convenient for takeoff and landing. They may operate on a charter basis, provide scheduled service, or be operated by residents of the area for private, personal use.

Greece uses seaplanes to connect its many islands to the mainland. In the Western Hemisphere, there are numerous seaplane operators in the Caribbean Sea that offer service within or between island groups.

In August 2007, Scottish based commercial operator Loch Lomond Seaplanes launched the only European city based seaplane service. They offer a daily service from Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, to the west coast town of Oban, as well as charters and excursions elsewhere.

The Girls With Wings Website gets new paint!

The website has a new color scheme (though it will take me a few days to transition all of the pages). What do you think? Send me an email to let me know if you like it. Lynda@girlswithwings.com

Hope your new year is a good one!

Mis-firing in your Wiring

I had started this post looking for some statistic on how much wiring is in an airplane. All airplanes are different, of course, with some more complex than others. Electrical wiring is used for the obvious reasons, like lights, radios, etc., so I figured that if you included all of the other systems in the airplane, there would be miles and miles. I bring this up because we had to bring an airplane into maintenance, and the first thing the mechanics did was to open the avionics bay. This is where all of the radios, batteries, generators, etc, are usually located on an airplane. It is an unpressurized compartment, which means that this bay climbs in altitude with the airplane. The back wall (in this picture - the one to the right) is where the aircraft is sealed to pressurized with the airplane. There is a section at the rear of the airplane that is not pressurized either.

This is not viewable to the pilots during their preflight. If it was we'd see all of the wires and tubes leading into the pressurized vessel. This is on the other side of the flight deck, so obviously a lot of it has some level of importance to the pilots.

So I ask again, just how much wiring is in an airplane? Here is a much better picture:

In fact, according to this aviation maintenance magazine http://www.coopind.com/news_wiringmatters.htm :

Modern jets contain 100-200 miles of wiring running into every nook and cranny of the airplane. To borrow a biological metaphor, the wiring is akin to the body’s nervous system.

The trend matters. New jets feature more wiring carrying more current (the advent of wireless systems is reversing this trend). The cabin area of a new-production jet, for example, features wiring for such things as in-flight entertainment systems. A measurement the electric power generating capacity of 1st, 2nd, and current generation jets of comparable passenger-carrying capability would show a steady increase in aircraft electric power generating capability.

Mostly I just found articles with concerns about wiring. There were about ten articles in USAToday alone in 1999. http://www.usatoday.com/money/biztravel/wiring/w010.htm

Damaged wire insulation has led to fires and electrical equipment failures for years in military and commercial airplanes, according to Air Force, Navy and Federal Aviation Administration documents. U.S. and Canadian investigators are studying whether wiring malfunctions might have caused the crashes of TWA Flight 800 in 1996 and Swissair Flight 111 in 1998. Last September, NASA put a hold on space shuttle flights because damaged wiring was found throughout the agency's aircraft. An exposed wire caused a short circuit during the launch of the shuttle Columbia last summer. Similar flaws were later found elsewhere on Columbia and on the Endeavor and Discovery shuttles.

The problem is, you can't really see most of these wiring bundles http://www.usatoday.com/money/biztravel/wiring/w005.htm :

Wire-testing experts agree with Block that visual inspections have limitations. ''Almost all the wires in commercial aircraft are in bundles,'' says Chris Teal of Eclypse International, which sells wire-testing machines. ''Visual inspections can't see some radial cracks or each wire in a bundle. You have to check all the wires because often the problem is just one.''

Airline personnel used only flashlights to examine the wiring, and wire bundles were
left undisturbed. The inspectors -- some of whom examined their own airline's
planes -- were trained to look for ''signs of deterioration, cracked insulation,
discoloration, sparking, arc tracking, improper routing and dirt or lead buildup,'' Marcontell says. Wire-testing experts agree with Block that visual inspections have limitations. ''Almost all the wires in commercial aircraft are in bundles,'' says Chris Teal of Eclypse International, which sells wire-testing machines. ''Visual inspections can't see some radial cracks or each wire in a bundle. You have to check all the wires because often the problem is just one.''

I don't mean to scare anyone with this information. As we all know, flying is inherently dangerous and we have to take it seriously. It's good to know these things are being researched and improved on.

Traveling Cross Country

I ended the year 2007 by traveling across the US. I actually started my flights on Christmas day, when I flew from Cleveland to New Hampshire. It had been particularly warm in CLE and we had lost all of our snow, so I was happy to see some white stuff.

You have to be careful what you wish for, because I then flew across the Rocky Mountains (to the right) into Telluride to drop off a family for their holiday vacation.

We also had a flight across Monument Valley in Utah. You can read more about this amazing landscape at http://www.navajonationparks.org/htm/monumentvalley.htm. It looks much better from the ground - I drove through here once on my move from Texas to Minnesota (I took the long way).

Last but not least, we flew from California to the Phoenix area, which took us right over the Grand Canyon. http://www.nps.gov/grca If you've never been to the GC, it is so much BIGGER than you would imagine. It is so wide and so deep that you actually lose your depth perception - it looks like a painting.

A great explanation is found on http://www.vision3d.com/stereo.html

Two Eyes = Three Dimensions (3D)!Each eye captures its own view and the two separate images are sent on to the brain for processing. When the two images arrive simultaneously in the back of the brain, they are united into one picture. The mind combines the two images by matching up the similarities and adding in the small differences. The small differences between the two images add up to a big difference in the final picture! The combined image is more than the sum of its parts. It is a three-dimensional stereo picture.

The word "stereo" comes from the Greek word "stereos" which means firm or solid. With stereo vision you see an object as solid in three spatial dimensions--width, height and depth--or x, y and z. It is the added perception of the depth dimension that makes stereo vision so rich and special.

Pilots, by the way, are tested for and must have depth perception.

Happy New Year!

The new Girls With Wings eZine is out. You can view it here or sign up for monthly delivery (this is also the better looking copy!).
Have a great one,
Lynda

I am back online!

My computer has been repaired and returned. I will be back online, posting on the message board, blogging, and getting out that all important eZine tomorrow (don't forget to add our email address to your "safe" senders).

Have a safe New Year's Eve!

Lynda

A Very Merry Christmas to You!

I am going to be out flying today, so if I see the culprit who did this, I'll be sure to let you know...

Happy Holidays!
Lynda

p.s. image was borrowed from http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0WTb_qL93BHWyMAjWGjzbkF/SIG=129ebnh7s/EXP=1198672139/**http%3A//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/UberReview/~3/65916556

Air Force Cutting Pilot Training

from avWEB: http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/1020-full.html#196825


The U.S. Air Force will train about 925 new pilots in 2008, a decrease of about 12 percent from the 1,100 that will graduate this year, the Air Force Times is reporting. The Times says there will be a slight bump in trainees in 2009 to about 1025, which is expected to remain constant for several years. The newspaper says the reduction is directly related to the decline in the number of aircraft and will be particularly felt in the fighter pilot ranks. "If the Air Force did not slow down pilot production, the service's fighter squadrons would be overwhelmed by first-assignment pilots who could not get adequate training because there wouldn't be enough jets or instructors," the newspaper reported.


The right mix of experienced (500-plus hours) and rookie fighter pilots is about 55 percent veterans and 45 percent newbies, the Times said. Transport and other types of military aircraft offer new pilots more training opportunities and the ability to ride along on a multitude of flights to gain familiarization. The Air Force has already reassigned almost 200 bomber and fighter pilots because there's nothing for them to fly. The Air Force Academy and ROTC program will continue accepting the same number of officer trainees but fewer of them will be offered pilot training.

Skiing, anyone?

It's time for me to go back to work, yes, on Christmas Eve day. That's the life of a pilot...

Thought you might enjoy this aerial view of a New York ski resort.

Stay warm!

Clearing the runways and everything else

You don't often think about the behind the scenes work that has to go on at the airports. This is a picture of the Lincoln Nebraska airport last tour when that big ice storm hit. Runways need to be kept clean since contaminated runways increase the takeoff and landing distance of the airplanes. Even though LNK's runway is 10,000 feet long, there's still a safety issue - don't want to go slipping and sliding at 100 miles per hour! The taxiways and ramp (where we were parked when this picture was taken) need to be clear as well. Just like in a car, the airplane can slide on the icy pavement. In fact, when starting an airplane on an ice covered ramp, caution must be used to prevent the thrust from the spooling up engine during start to overcome the set brakes! It has been known to happen...

Speaker needed January 9th near Toledo, OH

Lynda,

Thank you for offering to put the word out to your volunteers regarding the speaking engagement for Zonta International on January 9.

My superintendent, Sandra Frisch (Lucas County Educational Service Center), has asked that I find a dynamic speaker who is committed to inspiring girls in the field of aviation. I believe your organization fits that order! I appreciate Janet Struble sending along your information and am happy to have learned of your organization. To learn more about ours, you may go to our website http://www.challengerlc.org/ and http://www.challenger.org/ for the international Challenger Center for Space Science Education website.

The meeting will be held on January 9 at The Toledo Club which is located at 235 Fourteenth Street in Toledo. The meeting begins at 12 o'clock noon.If you are able to find someone to make the presentation, please let me know, and I will then pass along the information to Sandra Frisch who will take it from there.

Thanks so much!Julie

Julie Muffler
Director, Challenger Learning Center of Lucas
The mission of the Lucas County Educational Service Center is to provide quality resources and services that meet the unique needs of our partners in the educational community.

Michelin Aircraft Tire - Careers in Aviation $1,000 Scholarship

Michelin Aircraft Tire - Careers in Aviation $1,000 Scholarship

Careers in Aviation is pleased to announce a partnership with Michelin Aircraft Tire in offering a $1000 scholarship award to a qualified applicant to complete their education in the field of aerospace. Michelin Global Marketing Communications Manager, David Barraco, states, “Our dedication toward education within the industry is demonstrated through our continued support of Careers in Aviation.”

The scholarship is open to students enrolled in an aviation-related degree program. The student must maintain a grade-average of 3.0 or higher. Careers in Aviation advances aerospace education and employment by fostering scholarships, by connecting students with available assistance, and by encouraging the aviation industry, professional associations, government agencies, and the educational community to work together effectively supporting aviation and space career development programs. If you wish to make a tax deductible contribution or receive further details regarding scholarship information, please contact Judy Rice at jrice@careersinaviation.org or 386-586-6574.

Michelin Aircraft Tire is a global manufacturer of tires and tubes for all aviation markets. With numerous technological advancements including the first aviation radial tire in 1981, and continuous quality innovations, Michelin is known throughout the industry as a leader in tire technology. Michelin supports the aviation industry through on-going training and support materials to its customers and owner-operators.

Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy duty trucks, motorcycles and the space shuttle. The company also publishes travel guides, maps and atlases covering Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. Michelin is recognized as the leading innovator in the tire industry and is the top selling tire brand worldwide. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America employs more than 22,000 and operates 19 major manufacturing plants in 17 locations.

For complete scholarship edibility requirements and application: www.careersinaviation.org

# # #For more information, visit www.careersinaviation.org
or contact:
Judith A. Rice
Careers In Aviation
Ph: 386-586-6574
jrice@careersinaviation.org

It is also the season for Thanks!

Hi,

I am back at home at my desktop - which is still going strong after 6 years (thank you Gateway - thump, thump *knocking on wood*). I was able to find someone locally to back up my hard drive and who found a bunch of bad sectors there, but the laptop is still covered under an extended warranty (thank you Sam's Club). This means I will very likely be without laptop for the next three weeks. Arrghh. Posts will be few and far between, since I'm more nervous than ever about logging in to public computers to do work for GWW when I'm on the road.

Quote of the day:

'There's a special place in Hell for women who don't help each other.'

Either attributed to Bella Savitsky Abzug (July 24, 1920 – March 31, 1998), a well-known American political figure and a leader of the women’s movement. She famously said, “This woman’s place is in the House — the House of Representatives,” in her successful 1970 campaign to join that body. Or Madeleine Korbel Albright (born May 15, 1937), the first woman to become United States Secretary of State. She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on December 5, 1996 and was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate 99-0. She was sworn in on January 23, 1997.

I am happy to say that I have had plenty of women helping me with Girls With Wings, to include Erline, an employee of NASA Glenn Research Center here in Cleveland. Erline and her co-workers raise money by selling snacks at work, and generously donated $100 toward the Girls With Wings scholarship.

Also Cindy, a GWW and professional airline pilot, who made a $250 donation, and is always there for me (via telephone - since she lives in Denver and will soon move to Paris!).

I would also like to thank Kim, a GWW and future Air Guard C5 Pilot. She is always willing to drop everything and drive or fly to lend a hand with GWW events. She also is my backup message board moderator when I can't get on line for an extended period of time.

And just so I don't seem too biased, I also have Will, computer guru, who always makes himself available for IT consultation. He spends a huge amount of time to impart his valuable knowledge when I have problems with the website or my aforementioned laptop.

There are so many others out there too numerous to mention that thank me for my efforts, who send emails to me with tidbits of information to further the GWW mission, who volunteer to represent GWW at events I cannot attend. GWW has been so rewarding for me, and should I continue to go broke working on it, I know it is for a good cause.

Thank you for your support,
Lynda

Sterile Cockpit

I have some advice for all of you laptop users out there. My laptop died last night - taking all of the information I had on it with it. OK, so I'm not completely a lost cause, because the important stuff had been backed up. But there were a lot of odds and ends that I would LIKE to have that aren't worth paying someone to recover for me (especially when I have to buy a new laptop!). So, with as cheap as external hard drives have become, buy one and back up your laptop! I am on the road right now, so I am without computer (other than the hotel one I'm using now) until I get home. Anyone who knows me knows I am a workaholic, so it's very frustrating not to be able to get things done. I am also not looking forward to searching for program disks and reinstalling...

Also, I got a phone call today from someone warning me about the pictures on my blog. He reminded me of the "sterile cockpit" rule.

Sterile Cockpit Rule From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

'The Sterile Cockpit' - from NASA ASRS
The Sterile Cockpit Rule is an FAA regulation requiring pilots to refrain from non-essential activities during critical phases of flight,[1] normally below 10,000 feet. The FAA imposed the rule in 1981 after reviewing a series of accidents that were caused by flight crews who were distracted from their flying duties by engaging in non-essential conversations and activities during critical parts of the flight.

The following is the actual text from U.S. FAR 121.542/135.100, "Flight Crewmember Duties":[5]
(b) No flight crewmember may engage in, nor may any pilot in command permit, any activity during a critical phase of flight which could distract any flight crewmember from the performance of his or her duties or which could interfere in any way with the proper conduct of those duties. Activities such as eating meals, engaging in nonessential conversations within the cockpit and nonessential communications between the cabin and cockpit crews, and reading publications not related to the proper conduct of the flight are not required for the safe operation of the aircraft.
(c) For the purposes of this section, critical phases of flight includes all ground operations involving taxi, takeoff and landing, and all other flight operations conducted below 10,000 feet, except cruise flight.

I would imagine they would include "taking pictures."

So, I have removed any pictures that may cause someone to think I have been violating this regulation. I am extremely concerned for the safety of my passengers (as well as for my own skin), so I don't want anyone to think I would be risking lives, airplanes, my job, or my pilot's license (not to mention my credibility) just for the sake of the blog.

Thanks.

Some are better than others...

Hi all,

I haven't been writing much about "life on the road as a pilot" because there hasn't seemed to be very much to talk about - just business as usual.

Well, today we are flying a couple of people delivering their Christmas presents. We are waiting a few hours for them in the FBO here at the airport, and if you want to know the truth, I would have rather not! This is a very old building out in Arkansas. We were happy at first because there was a restaurant (above) serving good food (all fried, but very cheap). But when it was time to visit the pilot lounge, that was a different story. Image of the other pilots' attempt to recline in the laz-y-boy to the right. Oops. Inverted.

I have talked before about some of the nicer FBOs having snooze rooms and wide screen tvs. Free gourmet coffee, popcorn, cookies and wifi. Not here. The tv doesn't get any channels. There is a computer, but with virus alerts popping up. And the smell... whew. It does get humid down here.

The good news is that it is relatively warm and the people are nice. We'll go on to Texas for another gift delivery and if we're lucky, fly these folks back to Nebraska before the freezing rain hits. All airplanes are not certified to fly in freezing rain (it disturbs the airflow over the wing - decreasing the lift that can be produced). Since this condition is usually reported only on the ground - the report of freezing rain at an airport prohibits anyone taking off or landing. In flight, most airplanes have de-ice or anti-icing capabilities, or the pilots use PIREPS (or PIlot REPorts) from others experiencing freezing rain in the area - or they use their noggins to figure out where it could be taking place and avoid it. For more information, go to AOPA's article about airframe icing: http://www.aopa.org/special/microsoft/articles/wx9512.html

Freezing rain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Freezing Rain is a type of precipitation that begins as snow at higher altitude, falling from a cloud towards earth, melts completely on its way down while passing through a layer of air above freezing temperature, and then encounters a layer below freezing at lower level to become supercooled. This water will then freeze upon impact of any object it then encounters.[1] The ice can accumulate to a thickness of several centimetres, called glaze ice. The METAR code for freezing rain is FZRA.[2] (see freezing drizzle for another way of forming ice accretion)

Congratulations, GWW Judy, CEO of Careers in Aviation

Careers in Aviation Announces Donation from Flight Training Services International


Careers in Aviation is pleased to announce that Flight Training Services International (FTSI) has made a very generous $125,000 donation to the organization. This money was set up as an endowment to assist students with their dreams of working in the aerospace industry. As an endowment, the money will provide annual scholarships for students to complete their education.


“We are excited to assist students in furthering their education in the aerospace industry,” said Shawn Raker, President and CEO of FTSI. “Our company has deep roots in aviation and we look forward to helping further the industry that we all know is in great need of assistance.”
The first FTSI Scholarship will be awarded in the fall of 2008. The requirements of the scholarship highlight the partnership between Careers in Aviation and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, as the student must attend the university.


For further information, students should refer to the Careers in Aviation website at http://www.careersinaviation.org/. The precise details and requirements are posted along with the scholarship application.


As a benevolent, non-profit organization, Careers in Aviation, Inc. (http://www.careersinaviation.org/) assists students to explore the wide variety of opportunities in aviation. If you wish to make a tax deductible contribution or receive further details regarding scholarship information, please contact Judy Rice at jrice@careersinaviation.org or 386-586-6574.



But that's not all!



AIR FORCE ASSOCATION
NATIONAL COALITION for AVIATION EDUCATION
ANNOUNCES 2007 RECIPENT

The AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION (AFA) and the NATIONAL COALITION for AVIATION
EDUCATION (NCAE) selected JUDITH A. RICE for the 2007 Exceptional Service Award in grateful appreciation for significant contributions to the (AFA) organization. Rice has consistently provided outstanding support for AFA’s Aerospace Education (AE) program.

The nominating AFA Chapter 102 President, Tom Gwaltnery, comments, “To say Aerospace Education is Judy’s passion would be an understatement. She has actively promoted AE with teachers, schools and civic groups throughout the country. Judy’s outstanding dedication, initiative, and vision reflect great credit upon herself, the Montgomery AFA Chapter, and the AFA.”

Judy has promoted aerospace and been committed to education throughout her career. She has a passion for aviation and aerospace technology. These qualities are evident in her background. From sixteen years in formal education to her current position as Careers in Aviation President/CEO, she has proven a life-long love and commitment to aviation and education.


Her position as President/CEO for Careers in Aviation, an aviation scholarship endowment, allows her to build partnerships across the country to make differences in the lives of students and the aerospace industry. In addition, Ms Rice remains director to two national aerospace conferences: the National Conference on Aviation and Space Education (NCASE) and the Leadership Conference on Aviation and Space Education (LCASE).

Ms. Rice has numerous awards and accomplishments in her portfolio. She currently holds a private pilot, instrument and commercial rating, and is continuing toward her CFI/A & P. She is an owner of a Grumman TR2 airplane. Her goal is to share her passion for aviation and her extensive experience with youth and adults everywhere.

As a benevolent, non-profit organization, Careers in Aviation, Inc. (http://www.careersinaviation.org/) assists students to explore the wide variety of opportunities in aviation. Further details regarding scholarship information or Rice’s initiatives, please contact Judy Rice at jrice@careersinaviation.org or 386-586-6574.
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For more information, visit http://www.careersinaviation.org/ or contact:
Judith A. Rice, President/CEO
Ph: 386-586-6574 or email: jrice@careersinaviation.org