Stay at Home Dad?

I've always been somewhat insulated from economic down turns, either by being in school or having a stable job when they occur. This time I have been surprised to learn that despite being a commercial pilot with experience and being a civil engineer with experience, I can't even get calls for entry level positions in either field! I may be recalled to my regional airline position by 2011, but that's a long time to be out of work.

My wife, who is currently part time, was recently informed that her job will be 'abolished' at the end of the year. No joke, that was exact wording! On the bright side, the city/county who she works for has promised her first shot at any job in the county that she minimally qualifies for. Currently, she's hoping to get a dispatch position that will be equivalent pay and full time with benefits.

We can last much longer without my job if she's full time again, so we won't be forced to move to chase a job I qualify for, but it's going to take much longer for me to find something, especially in Georgia. So, for now, I am a dedicated stay at home dad!

I've actually gotten rather good at some aspects of it: I join all the other moms at story time at the library with my toddler. I actually cook breakfast every morning for my Kindergardener. And best of all, I save more on groceries every week using coupons than I actually spend! Not how I ever imagined myself, but I am enjoying it and meanwhile, the job hunt goes on!

Encouraged unemployment?

I realize that this isn't news to anyone, but our government actually encourages people not to work! Here's how I arrived at that astonishing conclusion -

Earlier this month I was contacted by a former student who needed his biennial flight review to keep his pilot certificate current. I was only too happy to get paid to fly, if only for a half day's work. However, when I filled out my weekly unemployment claim online and had the gall to list that I had worked and earned wages, it automatically posted this message: "Your PIN has been suspended, contact your local GDOL office."

So I did as instructed and the nice receptionist explained that the message simply comes up so that we will contact them with details, so I filled her in and she reset my PIN. As the week passed and no payment posted, I simply assumed that the process was delayed, however when I logged in to fill out my weekly unemployment claim for the next week, I got the same lovely message. So I call back and the same nice receptionist reset my PIN again and then transfered me to a 'tech' because 'Your payment for last week should have been processed!'

Well, the tech didn't answer so I leave a message. When she doesn't call back, I leave another message the next day. Would you believe I left five messages on five different days and never got a call back? On the sixth try, the lady answered her phone and quickly diagnosed my fatal error. When I filled out the form to explain why someone else would pay me to work, I didn't find a category for 'Pilot' or even 'Transportation' so I listed it as 'Other'.

So, three weeks later I finally get my unemployment payment. For someone like me who really wants to work, this type of thing can really discourage either seeking out or reporting easy part time gigs! I guess next time I'll call it either 'Teaching' or 'General Labor'.

Interviewing

I managed to land my first interview yesterday and I'm quite excited about it (whether or not I get the job)! To date I have sent in my resume nearly 200 times and I have filled out detailed online applications for almost 30 different companies and government entities. So far I have received 3 automated rejection letters and no other responses. A very impressive 98% ignore rate thus far.

Unlike the agricultural engineering position for the US Forestry service or the single engine cargo piloting position in Anchorage, Alaska, I was highly interested in this piloting position when I sent in my resume. As a testament to the market and my desire to be a productive member of society, I will soon be lowering my standards on which jobs I apply for (not down to Walmart yet, but getting closer!) however, this particular job represents and ideal that I might have actually left my previous position for! They primarily run medical missions and various government operations so, in addition to higher pay to start with, there is a higher sense of purpose than just being a bus driver. I could now drive the ambulance!

I first noticed the ad over 2 weeks ago and sent in my resume along with a nice cover letter. And I heard nothing back - typical! However, during my traditional Monday morning job search I noticed the ad posted again, I send my resume again with a barely modified cover letter that pointed out that I was sending them my resume again. Not five minutes later I get a call from the guy in charge of hiring asking if I could make it in for an interview that afternoon. I quickly agree and then I blurt out, 'Wow, I just sent that resume in!' To which he replied, 'Actually, you sent one in a few weeks ago but resending it this morning brought it back to the top of my stack.' In other words, if you want a job, follow-up people!

So I go into panic mode realizing that I had not showered or eaten and that I had only three hours to do so and make the 87.8 mile trek to their headquarters. Keep in mind there were torrential down pours and rain tends to befuddle drivers in Georgia. I spent more time attempting to remove my month old beard (the chin was particularly stubborn) than anticipated so I ended up with only two hours to make the drive. Normally, not a problem, but with a constant threat of flooding, four accidents and two u-turns, I just barely made it on time!

When I arrived, I was asked to fill out a standard application, complete with one personality profile for me and one personality profile for what I thought the ideal candidate should be like. I really should have looked at page two rather than assume it was a continuation of page one, but in my favor is the fact that I already think most of my personality traits closely match that of an ideal pilot. Please note, on both forms I checked 'self-assured' and 'confident', not 'egotistical'!

I was then ushered in to the interview where we got off to a great start - same first name, his dad was a Georgia Tech grad - always helps to have a leg up, however minor! I also noticed and asked about his map - I have a map of the continental United States with pins inserted for every airport I've flown to. His map is of the world, and has more pins than mine and did not include his visits to the United States. We then spend about two minutes reviewing my resume and then another 30 of me listening to stories about the company. I can only hope this bodes well, but both guys I spoke with had to correct themselves from 'When you work for us.' to 'If we decide to offer you the position and if you decide to accept'.

The second man I spoke with was the chief pilot of the operation. He also spent more time talking about their operation than about my application or resume. Toward the end he stated that he had several standard HR questions that he was not going to ask, to which I replied that I had several standard HR question answers that I would not give!

All in all, it was a fun experience although I definitely did not sleep well last night in anticipation of them calling back sometime today. I like the company, I like the job description and I love the thought of having job security again. But....I have to be realistic as well and point out that I likely one of the least qualified of the several hundred applicants that they had for the singular opening. So cross your fingers and toes and/or pray that I can finally change back to a proper blog title!

Hobbit Meals

Being home most of the day has allowed me to adjust my daily eating habits to more closely align with the very wise (although fictitious) hobbits! I am in no way trying to diet here but I have been told eating multiple meals throughout the day is healthy.

I start my day with my favorite meal, first breakfast, shared with my oldest before she catches the 7:10 bus to school. Next is second breakfast, shared with my youngest when she finally rises from hibernation around 8:30. According to hobbit tradition, this is also my favorite meal. Of course, every meal is a favorite when it is the next to be eaten! Finally, we wrap up the morning with elevensies, a nice snack very close to the implied name.

Afternoon begins with a traditional lunch and then the schedule diverts slightly from the Hobbits. Afternoon tea becomes another simple snack time, heralded by the 2:40 arrival of my oldest's school bus. The girls divvy up whatever the oldest didn't eat for lunch, a very efficient way to avoid wasted food! We finish up the day with a nice supper and are usually too full from the day's conquest to add the final proper meal of dinner.

Mmmm, its going to be a good day, elevensies are coming soon!

Adoption Shopping?

Last week we attended a conference sponsored by the Department of Family and Child Services DFCS) where prospective parents could meet with case workers and peruse children available for adoption. DFCS agents from every region in the state had displays set up with photos and descriptions of each of the children available for parents to review. There were a lot of good sales pitches - there are way too many sweet and deserving children who languish in the system, most of them teenagers who are harder to place. We're not ready for teenagers yet, but one agent nearly has us sold on a trio of tweens who may be available locally soon.

The process for getting approved with the state for fostering/adoption is long and tedious, I won't deny that! But the need is tremendous so take a moment to look over your state's website. In Georgia got to 'Meet the Children' and click on the photo listing. How can you resist that?

Collecting Bugs

My oldest has a fall festival coming up and I tasked her with removing bugs from my garden as a way to earn money for it. She dove enthusiastically into the job - what soon to be six year old wouldn't? We've found along the way some bad bugs, some good bugs and one evil spider. See below!

The first of this group is the common stink bug, which starts its life in my squash spreading disease and munching on my produce. Bug number 2 is a common caterpillar who quite enjoys our tomatoes. Bug number 3 is a swallowtail caterpillar and will eventually become a beautiful butterfly. The lovely protrusion up front is a stinky defense! The final bug is a spiny oakworm which will eventually emerge as a rather large moth. They can do some serious damage to small oak trees!

Now for some of the good bugs! Number one is the larval form of the ladybug and has quite the appetite for aphids, a tiny garden pest. Number two should be readily recognizable as a praying mantis. They are outstanding predators and this one is carrying a very large sac of eggs to further protect my tomatoes! Number three is another favorite, the assassin bug! They crawl on the back of unwanted insects and inserts a needle into their back/neck to suck their insides out! Yum!!

And our final is a common black widow just shortly before I smashed her. We don't touch or collect these!

The Unemployment Line

From movies and TV shows, I had high expectations for my visit to the local unemployment office this morning. I was looking forward to a sterile building with low ceilings and employment agents separated from applicants by thick bullet proof sheets of glass and a line of at least a hundred or more! I was pleasantly surprised to find a modern building with a large room filled with computer terminals and (gasp!) no line! I was looking around for the customary number machine to grab my slot in the waiting area (which I couldn't quite locate) when a melodic voice called out 'How may I serve you today, sir?'

It took a few seconds and a second 'Sir?' before I realize that was directed at me and stepped up to the central desk. She efficiently verified my proof of unemployment and directed me to a terminal just next to the kiddie play room - very thoughtful of her considering I had my three year old in tow! The online application was easy and I quickly found myself back at the desk to turn in my confirmation number and show off my union card (per computer directions).

I was rather tickled to discover that my union card allows me to get out of applying for other jobs while on unemployment. According to the desk attendant, my union would take care of finding job opportunities for me! Feeling quite pleased with my good fortune, I informed my wife who promptly smacked me back into reality by informing me that most certainly was going to be applying for jobs (guess she's seen my union's efficiency).

And so now I wait for the blessing of the powers that be for my very first unemployment check.

Oh, a friend on Facebook sent this to me:

Flight Delays and Terminal Seats

As I sit in the Oklahoma City terminal, staring out at our aircraft that has been pushed away from the gate to languish unused while more worthy aircraft come and go, I find myself pondering whether terminal seats or airplane seats are more comfortable. While the industrial steel frames of the terminal seats seem uninviting, I have to admit that the thin vinyl seat cushions arm much softer than anticipated. I also have a great view of the airport itself and I have to admit that I still enjoy watching airplanes takeoff and land, although now I can add to the fun by mocking the pilots who bounce or otherwise land too hard. As fun as that is, I often find myself shoulder to shoulder with other delayed passengers although my sharp, boney elbows usually protect my armrests from intrusions.

On cooler days or if the AC is hooked up, I’ll usually opt for sitting on the aircraft, however. With a 2” recline, pillows barely big enough to cover my ear, micro-sheet thin blankets, and a cramped cave-like interior, it’s hard to beat airplane seat comfort! Jokes aside, I don’t know why but I actually find it fairly easy to get comfortable and nap in the back of the airplane when it’s empty. Actually, I enjoy napping with it full too, as long as the passenger beside me doesn’t grab my arm and yelp every time we hit a bump.

Well, looks like our aircraft has become more worthy again so I can head that way and hide while the poor gate agent has to explain over and over again that we’re delayed because of weather in Atlanta and there’s nothing she can do to fix the weather in Atlanta!

Crew Interaction

While it’s been tough to stay positive this month knowing I’ll be kicked to the street at the end of it, I’m finding that the crews I fly with are making a tremendous difference. When you spend four days (or more) wandering the country, it’s important that you can get along with a wide range of personalities because you’re stuck with them in a tiny moving room with only two seats for hours at a time. The worst trips are those spent in pure silence or having to listen to problems or issues that you have no real interest in. The only captain I didn’t enjoy flying with this month was the latter – I finally decided that although his wife might have other issues, his marital problems most likely stemmed from his behavior and selfishness, not her lack of interest in him which he brought up every single flight.

On the flip side are most of the other captains I’ve flown with – easy going but at the same time very precise and competent. With every flight deadline oriented, the job can quickly become stressful for the high strung and typically the entire crew seems to feed off the captain’s attitude through the trip. I know that’s life in general, but it’s been rather nice to relax a little at work, even knowing the job will be gone shortly!

Job Searching

It's been nearly a month now since I found out I would be unemployed in September and the job search to date has been rather fruitless. Admittedly, I am still working through all of the stages of anger/loss so I spent the first week or so in step one, denial, even though I had spent the previous six months attempting to happily ignore the possibility. Week two I took out my step two anger on poor dispatchers and aviation forums online. I also came to the conclusion at this point that there was little hope of finding a flying job in the near future. It's so bad at the moment that a job in Nigeria received several hundred applications to fill six positions.

So I've shifted focus to engineering to engage in more futility while job searching. While there actually are engineering jobs available, there are multiple candidates and the six year absence from the field is not helping. I must have skipped step three bargaining because I find myself pondering for hours whether Walgreens or unemployment would pay better so I can only assume that I've moved on to step four depression/resignation. The good news is that step five acceptance is next, but the bad news is I can repeat steps one through three as often as necessary.

All is not lost though - there are several transportation projects due to start up in northeast Georgia this fall/winter and I have my foot in the door with a couple of companies who may be involved. The real question is can Kimberly deal with me being home every night and day until something comes up!

Oh, I can't say there are no aviation jobs out there - Airwolf Aviation in South Carolina is looking for fixed winged instructors. Yes, I know, I was disappointed too when I learned that they didn't fly helicopters. Between that and the hour and a half commute, it just wasn't the job for me!

Air Traffic Control

When I was flight instructing, I often told my students that air traffic control (ATC) was there to provide clearances when needed and look out for us, but never trust them. Sounds harsh, but we tend to stay more alert and situationally aware when we are in charge of our own safety.

Today was a great example of why - our flight number was 4956 and the aircraft ahead of us was 9956. When the controller cleared us for approach for landing, we were at an odd angle and started to comply, but it seemed off so I started to turn back to our original heading. As I did that, flight 9956 queried whether that clearance was meant for them and controller (unaware of the error) cleared them for the approach (in his mind again) and then gave us a heading that made more sense. If we had taken the original clearance, we likely would have come dangerously close to the flight ahead of us.

Now, don't get me wrong - with hundreds of approaches, this was the only time an instruction would have placed us in danger, but if we weren't situationally aware, knowing that the flight in front of us had a similar call sign and knowing their relative position, things might have been a bit more exciting!

Being Positive in the Face of Furlough

It's been somewhat difficult to see positive, much less write positive about flying when I know my dream career of flying for a living will be put on hold come September. I've been warning the captains I fly with lately that I'm usually more laid back but, due to my impending furlough, I'm a bit more surly than normal. While I usually enjoy occasional sarcasm, I also tend to fall back on it heavily to diffuse difficult situations. I must say though, the captains I've flown with have been great and I've enjoyed their interactions over the last few weeks a bit more I think.

I've actually been fairly behaved despite my warnings - I've only chewed out one dispatcher and was met by radio cheers and a statement from my captain that she always wanted to chew that particular individual out. I did refrain from name calling although I might have been a bit condescending.

This latest trip has been, contrary to reason, has been more enjoyable than usual! After exchanging the usual pleasantries, the captain (who I've flown with before) mentioned he would be downgraded to first officer next month. I replied 'Sorry to hear that, but if you want, you can have my seat!' So he says, 'Oh, man, why is it the good ones that are being let go?' Set a good tone for the trip even though we're both slated for a significant decrease in salary next month.

Well, back to the job hunt it is!

Scheduling Abuse

It's been a rough summer - the following is very representative of my schedule this summer.

Thursday 7/1 - 0400 EST - called to report to Atlanta for a reposition flight to Tulsa.

1230 CST - sent to hotel in Tulsa for rest because damaged airplane isn't ready yet.

2030 CST - report back to airport.

2130 CST - sent back to hotel because damaged airplane isn't ready yet.

Friday 7/2 - was a scheduled off day moved to 8/4 because the damaged airplane wasn't ready.

0745 CST - report back to Tulsa airport and ferry a storm damaged airplane back to Atlanta.

1230 EST - extended for a Roanoke round trip that leaves 3 hours later.

2230 EST - have "Conversations with Crew Scheduling"

Saturday 7/3 - 0830 EST - called one hour before my on call period begins 'because they can'. I ignore the call.

0930 EST - I acknowledge the 1500 report time and wonder why crew scheduling thought it necessary to call me six and a half hours early...besides 'because they can'.

1500 EST - Fly to Jacksonville, NC and spend the night.

Sunday 7/4 - 0545 EST - leave the hotel for the Jacksonville airport.

0845 EST - extended for a Brunswick, GA round trip.

1300 EST - extended for an Augusta round trip. (guess they had to make up for 7/2)

1730 EST - finally leave for Augusta.

2130 EST - finally get back from Augusta and am informed of another trip on 7/5 at 1710.

7/5 -1600 EST - check in for a round trip to Oklahoma City.

1900 EST - finally leave for Oklahoma City.

Midnight - finally arrive back in Atlanta.

Technically only a 48 hour work week, but the morning duty-in/ midnight duty-out flips are difficult to adjust to!!

Conversations with Crew Scheduling

Pilots and flight attendants have a love/hate relationship with crew scheduling at the airlines. Well, there's not much love involved but I digress! The following conversation actually occurred:

While on a round trip to Roanoke, I get a call from crew scheduling (which I ignore) and they leave the following message: "First officer Nicholson, this is crew scheduling. We have modified your schedule - call us as soon as you get this message." Shortly after that, Roanoke ATC informs us of a three to four hour ground stop in Atlanta due to the weather. So we sit well over three hours and like a good little pilot, I call scheduling when we get back.

after 5 minutes of being on hold...

cs: Crew scheduling.

me: Marc Nicholson, #xxxxx

cs: Yes first officer Nicholson, how can I help you?

me: You told me to call, so I did.

cs: Ok. How is Augusta?

me: I'm not in Augusta.

cs: You're not in Augusta?

me: Nooo, I'm not in Augusta.

cs: Standby.

after a minute of listing to Coldplay while on hold....

cs: First officer Nicholson, you're not in Augusta?

me: Nooo, I'm in Atlanta - I just got back from Roanoke.

cs: Oh. I guess you're released. We'll see you back at 1610 tomorrow.

*click*

I still wonder who went to Augusta

Pet Airways

I've been shaking my head lately over the new airline 'Pet Airways' that only accepts patrons like Mr. Wiggles or Spot. After today's unusual cargo load, I must say that there are a lot of animals flying cargo and they'd definitely benefit flying first class rather than in the cargo bin.

We started the morning in Oklahoma City where I noticed a couple of cat carriers on the luggage carts waiting to be loaded. If you have ever seen a cat being shipped, they are very expressive in their unhappiness. Unlike dogs who will lick your fingers and yip excitedly when you pass their shipping kennel, cats will move to the far end of the crate, lay back their ears and emit a low growl. Well, the ramp crew neglected to mention that we had animals on board, but because I had seen them, I set the automated controls to condition the air temperature to a comfortable level during the flight.

I was then quite surprised to find in Atlanta that we had also been loaded with six crates of small birds that were destined for various pet shops. Each crate had three tiers and each tier had at least a dozen birds so I'm guessing we carried over 200 little birds. Can you imagine being those two cats? In addition to the insult of being caged and shipped like an animal, they were tortured for over two hours by hundreds of little birds that they could not touch!!

I'm not sure if this was just bulk animal shipping day or if I've missed these shipments in the past but from Augusta, we carried two crates that contained 10,000 crickets that were destined for a reptile breeder in Florida. And then from Charlottesville, VA we brought back around a thousand mice. Fortunately, there were no escapees!

So while I may have been laughing at Pet Airways, seems the concept really isn't that far off!

Unaccompanied Minors

Occasionally we carry unaccompanied minors, more frequently during the summer and holidays as kids go to visit grandparents or perhaps parents who don't have custody. Usually this is a non event - a parent will give custody to an airline representative at the airport who will pass on custody to the flight attendant who then passes custody back to another airline representative at the destination. Occasionally though, things go awry - last month a major airline managed to send not one, but two different minors to the wrong destination! Can you imagine being the grandparents of a 10 year old girl, waiting excitedly in Cleveland, OH for her arrival, only to find she was shipped to Newark, NJ?

Anyway, today was unique in that our flight from New Bern, NC carried twenty-seven unaccompanied minors! Fifty seats, forty-six passengers, ten adults and, again, twenty-seven unaccompanied minors! I'm still scratching my head over this one, but apparently the parents of multiple children (who were attending Camp Sea Gull and Camp Seafarer in nearby Arapahoe, NC) thought our airline would be trustworthy enough to herd that many children through the busiest airport in the world without losing any.

Loading the gaggle was easy enough with everyone divided into groups of three. Unfortunately, once on the airplane many of the kids removed the tags and stickers that identified them as unaccompanied and placed said stickers on the seat backs, floor or their next door neighbors. It was amazing how quickly the stickers returned to the appropriate children when the gate agent announced that anyone not wearing their tag or sitting with a parent would be removed from the flight immediately.

Once we got underway and I made sure to add to my normal announcements that everyone should pay attention to our flight attendant and do whatever she said because she was in charge. And yes, you read right, there was only one flight attendant to watch over all twenty-seven unaccompanied minors. While the captain and I did let her know that we would come back and help for any reason, we were fortunate that she did not take us up on that offer. We were a little sneaky though and left the seat-belt sign on for most of the flight - only turning it off momentarily because one little boy was about pee in his seat (according to the flight attendant).

Back in Atlanta, we were greeted by four specialists who took the divide and conquer approach splitting the group up by destination and leading them onward into the belly of the Atlanta terminal. I am quite optimistic in thinking that we won't be making the news for losing one of the children, but I admit not sticking around to make sure!

United Breaks Guitars

Nothing to see here - just a funny video!

United Breaks Guitars video.

Pilot Furloughs

It seems to be understood in the airline profession that if you are a pilot, you will be furloughed at least once in your career. I have heard (but can't find the research) that the average pilot suffers through two furloughs in a 30 career, and after talking with the many captains I have flown with, I don't doubt it! During every economic down turn, airlines are forced to cut back sharply on flying schedules and anyone who was unfortunate enough to be near the bottom of the list when the music stopped last is almost assured of joining the unemployment line for a spell.

In my case, I just missed the first cut last February but that cut was not deep enough, so I will find myself looking for a job preferably starting close to September 1st. I can only guess here, but recall will be unlikely before summer of 2011. I actually expected this furlough and had anticipated this situation far enough in advance that we are ready for it financially, but it will still take an emotional toll on our family for a while. At least when the music starts again, I will have a guaranteed position (should I want it)!

Well, the job hunting begins - there are so many opportunities right now.....if you don't mind working in Nigeria (and I don't mean email scams) or perhaps UAE or maybe even India AND only coming home for one month in three. If nothing else, the interior of the house really needs to be repainted....won't have any more excuses to procrastinate!

Blind Men in Bathrooms

Disclaimer: I'm not good at being P.C. and I don't embarrass easily.

After a 2+ hour flight to Mobile, AL (gotta love thunderstorms), I was in dire need of a potty break and while the airplane lavatory will do in a pinch, I really prefer to pee without my butt against the door, one arm braced against the wall and my head arched way too far down because the ceiling curves down in the direction I am facing. So, I exited the aircraft with the passengers and entered the main terminal where I found a nice, large, clean bathroom where I could pee in a normal stance, although elbow to elbow with two other men.

As I enter, I notice a blind man standing by the sinks asking someone nearby to guide him to the urinals. I am hoping that he was traveling with his wife and that she was simply unwilling to join him in the men's bathroom. Otherwise someone was being mean! Well, after being guided to the urinal beside me, he proclaimed, 'Huh, I was really no where near this!' and then in a relieved voice over the trickling sound, 'Ah, this IS the right spot!'

I couldn't help but snicker and I could see he was grinning but if anyone else in there found it amusing, they had better poker faces than I did. Well, he didn't have any problem finding his way back to the sinks and I can only hope someone was waiting for him outside!

Bird Management

I believe the appropriate phrase is 'the cure is worse than the disease'. At the Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, KY the property managers have come up with a great way to keep pigeons and other small birds away from the parking lot and passenger pickup/drop-off area. While waiting (late at night) for our hotel van to pick us up, we could hear a loud screeching song of predator birds every two minutes or so. I'm guessing it was a hawkeaglecrowraptor call that was intended to scare off small birds so that they would not annoy passengers or sully the landscape with their droppings.

While I'm sure the creator of this device was well intentioned, it also had the unfortunate side effect of really annoying human beings as well. After only ten minutes listing to this serenade while grinding my teeth and wishing I was listening to fingernails scrape a chalk board instead, I and my fellow crew members unanimously agreed that no jury could convict us of vandalism when we climbed up the tree to destroy the little device. Fortunately, the hotel van arrived about that time and we were treated with the relative peace of rap music.

Going to New Airports

In route to Albany, New York from Cincinnati it occurred to me that I had never been there before so I commented as such to the captain. He replied, 'Huh, neither have I!' After joking about who should inform the passengers, it was business as usual and we completed the round trip without a hitch.

The nice thing about aviation in the USA is that there is regulated uniformity to all publicly accessed airports, including standard markings, charts and navigation procedures that allow one to go to parts unknown but still be very familiar with how to get there and what to do when you arrive.

Unfortunately, it was overcast in Albany so all we really got to see was the airport and terminal, but at least I can now say I've been to Albany, New York!

Kid's Dreams

I dream in my sleep every night and most nights that would include dreams about flying. Piloting airplanes, riding in airplanes, flying cars, or just soaring solo (my favorite)! If anyone wonders why I'm slow to wake, it's hard to come back to reality when you can stretch your arms out to catch a draft of air that lifts you up above the swaying trees through mountain passes and into the clouds. Or the rush that comes with tucking in and feeling the air ripple across your skin as you dive back down only to stretch out again at the last second and swoop upward just before reaching the the ground.

But I digress - Thursday night I was enjoying a nice fantasy where I was prepping a two seat single engine airplane for flight. It was an imagined cross between a Grumman Yankee and a Piper Warrior - in other words, small with a bubble canopy and slightly swept-back wings that are below the fuselage. I had just climbed into the cockpit and was turning the key when the faint cry of 'Daddy, Mommy!' came over and over again. Glancing around the ramp, I noted the other pilots just staring at me until finally one said grumpily, 'I dealt with it last time, it's your turn.'

Reality came crashing in as I realized Tori was probably having a nightmare and Kimberly expected me to take care of it. So I found myself stumbling into the girls' room where Tori is lying in the middle of it crying 'I need my daddy, I need my daddy!' After about a minute of petting her hair and softly trying to coax her back into the lower bunk to sleep, I gave up and climbed into Tori's bed and said to her, 'I'll stay here but I'm going back to sleep'. She immediately stopped fussing, stated 'I need my bears' and crawled in with me.

Shortly thereafter, Tori is snoring peacefully when I hear Rebecca whimpering in the bunk overhead. I climb over Tori and roll out, finding Rebecca sitting by the ladder on the upper bunk scratching her legs vigorously. 'What's the matter?' I ask reaching out to hold her hand to stop the scratching. 'I itch all over!' she whined in reply. So I carry her to the bathroom and verify that she's not bug infested or developing hives. When we were both satisfied, I put her back to bed and scratched her back gentle for a minute or so until she settled back to sleep as well.

Kimberly informed me the next morning that Tori was complaining about a bee landing in her bed and Rebecca, when asked, was still feeling itchy. I never did get back to that imaginary airplane and the next thing I remembered was waking up to my 5AM alarm telling me to get ready to go into work. At least I got to fly after all.

Giving Directions

There must be something about the pilot uniform that leads the general public to assume that we know all there is to know about whatever airport we're walking through. Sometimes I'll be asked points of interest about the city we're in, which is quite amusing when I reply that I've never been to that location before! Occasionally I am asked details for a competitor's flight and I try to be graceful about pointing out the logos on my uniform. More frequently though, we get asked directions to departure gates or baggage claims.

If we have a long walk through a particular terminal, there are a couple of well established methods of avoiding those pesky questions. First of all, we try to travel in packs with at least one other pilot and a couple of flight attendants hoping the crowd of uniforms will intimidate inquiring minds. Another good method is to walk with a purpose, as if hurrying to make the next flight so that the general public will assume you cannot be bothered. When all else fails, pull out the cell phone and make a call, whether you really had anything or anyone in mind to talk to!

Unfortunately, we are sometimes caught defenseless and are obliged to attempt to live up to the expectations of our uniform. Last weekend Kimberly joined me for a flight and when we got back to Atlanta I had a long enough break that I could walk out to parking with her. Though not quite a pack, having her around averted any questions on the way out.

Coming back through the airport, I had just by-passed security and had barely stepped into T-concourse when I got my first hit - 'Can you tell me where baggage claim is?' Unfamiliar with how to exit T-concourse, I looked up, found a green sign labeled 'Exit for Baggage Claim' and replied, 'Follow the green sign out to baggage claim, ma'am!'

I only managed to make it down to escalator to the train when I got the next hit - 'How do I get to baggage claim?' This time I failed to look up and pointed, 'Just follow the corridor all the way to the end, you're not far from it.' I then boarded the train and realized that I had pointed the poor soul in the wrong direction and that he was going to have a very long walk to E concourse if he followed my directions. So, I got off at the first stop and began walking back to turn the poor man back in the right direction.

I hadn't taken two steps when someone else asked, 'Pardon, how to I find B concourse?' Having just gotten off at the B concourse exit, I confidently replied, 'Take the escalator around the corner up, ma'am'. During that discussion, I noticed my misdirected charge hurrying by toward E concourse so I chased him down, directed him to the appropriate train and pointed to the signs overhead that would help guide him back to baggage claim.

Having done enough damage for the day, I decided to call Kimberly and stay on the phone until I was safely hidden in operations again.

Crash Landing

Yet another rant on media bias here. Recently we had one of our jets crash land. But wait, no national media coverage? Not even local media coverage? I mean, come on, it was at the busiest airport in the world! Actually, I'm not being entirely truthful here - CNN did a couple of quick blurbs throughout the evening on how passengers were upset about flight delays because of the runway closure! Seriously, they interviewed several people right after the crash and somehow managed to omit any details of the crash!

I realize that happy endings are not terribly sensational and that news stories need to be sensational to make money, but in light of the very intense coverage of recent airplane crashes, it would be nice if they would include at least one 'feel good' story like this one.

Around 6:30 on the 11th, one of our jets on approach to land had a gear disagree indication in the cockpit. Simply, they selected the gear lever down and the left gear indicator did not turn green. So, they go around and opt for another pass, this time with mechanics standing by to observe the gear as the airplane passed overhead. The mechanics were able to verify the left main gear had not come down fully. At this point, our crew had no choice but to land, knowing that they were going to crash! Yikes!

The crew made another approach and were able to balance the aircraft on the right main for most of the landing roll until the left gear finally collapsed and the airplane veered off the runway coming to a stop in the grass off to the side. 19 passengers (50 seat jet) and 3 crew members walked off the airplane with no injuries. Not only that, the damage to the airplane was so minimal that the only repairs needed (besides replacing the left main gear) are cosmetic in nature. Kudos to the crew for excellent execution!

Airplane Sizes

We watched 'Nim's Island' this week with the girls - it was a fun family film where a little girl (Nim) ends up alone on a tropical island in the South Pacific when her dad is lost at sea.  Jodie Foster plays an agoraphobic writer who is convinced to fly out to rescue Nim.  Flying across the ocean, Foster rides on a larger aircraft but to travel between the islands, she is forced to ride on what looks like a 20 seat turbo prop airplane and then a helicopter.  

At the airport in the South Pacific, Foster looks at the turbo prop and comments, 'That can't be my airplane, I booked the big one!'  The gate agent calmly replies, 'This is the big airplane!'

We often hear similar comments when carrying connecting passengers to or from their home airport.  There is a common misconception that if you book a ticket with a major airline, you will be flying only on that airline and on larger aircraft like Boeing 747s or Airbus 340s.  The major airlines don't make much of an effort to correct this misconception, but the reality is that if you are flying from a small, regional airport, you will be flying on a small regional airplane operated by a contract airline company.

I'll pick on Asheville because I've heard more comments carrying passengers there lately than usual - the following comment is fairly standard:  'I thought this airline flew bigger airplanes!  I can't believe we have to fly on such a small airplane!'  Keep in mind that although there is less head room in the aisle, the seat size on our airplane is standard for the airline (big plane or small) and we have 50 seats!  Unfortunately, Asheville is simply not a big enough market to merit a 747 at current ticket prices.

I've also heard that travelers from Macon were bad about complaining.  First, when we started using 70 seat turbo props to replace the larger aircraft serving Macon, then they complained about the cramped cabin when we started using 50 seat jets.  Unfortunately, Macon is now served by a 19 seat single engine propeller airplane.  We don't fly those, but I can only imagine the warm fuzzies that airplane gives Macon residents!

Aborting Landing

An aborted landing is an unusual occurrence - I've only had to participate in 2 of them in the last year.  Every aborted landing is fairly unique and often unexpected unless you're in the simulator for yearly training.  Today's was simple enough - when we rounded out to land, a gust of wind caught us helping the airplane to balloon back up several feet above the runway.  It was a shorter runway so the captain (who was flying) increased the power, called for go-around settings and pitched the airplane to climb.  We flew a brief traffic pattern back around the airport and returned for an uneventful second attempt.

The captain did key up the PA system to explain why we had aborted the landing and that, although discomforting, it was a much better alternative to going off the end of the runway and into the grass.  I'm sure the passengers were generally agreeable to this!

If you travel by air frequently, you will experience this event at one time or another.  One woman commented as she left 'I've done this three times at this airport!'  Another woman exclaimed 'This was my second time this week!'  Yet another woman stated, 'The first one must have been a practice run!'  Oddly, I didn't hear any comments from the men.

Speaking French

It’s an interesting thing to fly into Canada where one moment, the controller is speaking to you in English and the next he is speaking to someone else in French.  While English is still the international language of aviation, some controllers and pilots are more comfortable speaking in their native language.  Either that or they are aware of the discomfort it causes the French impaired and spend the time between radio calls snickering at our obvious lack of intelligence. 

I have been told never to speak any word of the local controller’s language – no ‘Bonjour’ or ‘Hola’ or any other minor greeting.  If you do make such an error, you are typically awarded with a steady stream of unintelligible instructions that you have no hope of understanding or reading back.  It’s not that I would discourage learning another language but I’m just not sure I could hold my nose up high enough to speak French (no offense to my French friends intended!).

I was actually surprised to find myself relieved to be talking to a heavily accented Boston controller as we crossed back into our own airspace.  At least I can speak Bostonian!

The Bachelorette

My wife has unfairly accused me of forcing her to watch the recent Bachelorette reality show.  It all goes back to this week when I checked-in for duty at the airport.  All of computers in the crew room at the airport had been modified so that the display backgrounds each had different photos of the pilot contestant from the Bachelorette.  That's right, the pilot on this year's show is a co-worker.  Now, with 1600 pilots on staff, I've yet to meet the guy but I was highly amused by the prank so I unwittingly mentioned it to my wife.

So, out of curiosity, my wife decided to watch the Bachelorette just briefly to see this guy and ended up watching the entire season premier late into the night.  Now she says I have forced her to watch the rest of the season just to see how our pilot does!  I still maintain that can't be my fault, can it?

Edit:  She says she doesn’t have to watch the whole season, just until our dashing pilot gets voted off or ticks her off by acting as stupid at some of the other guys.

FAA Observations

Had an FAA observer ride along with us recently - a first time experience for me.  There are several FAA inspectors designated for this who will ride along with us in the cockpit, observing our procedures and making sure that we are compliant with FAA standards and regulations.  Although these observers are not there to test us, our pilot certificates are considered in jeopardy the entire time they are with us.  No pressure, right?

That hour and a half flight was one of the quietest and least comfortable flight's I've flown.  On arrival, after having written out at least two full pages of notes, our inspector declared 'I have no issues guys.'  Whew!

Media Myths

A recent headline reads from a ‘respectable’ paper reads ‘FAA Probes Trainer of Commuter Pilots’. The first paragraph reads:

An airline that has trained many of the nation's commuter pilots -- including the captain of the Continental Connection flight that crashed near Buffalo, N.Y., in February -- faces a possible $1.3 million government penalty for alleged crew scheduling and maintenance violations.

From this you might think the article is referring to Colgan Airlines, the airline that employed the captain involved in this crash. Nope. The article goes on to mention Gulfstream Airlines and Training Academy, an outfit that does commuter flying in Florida using 19 seat prop airplanes. How many of the nation’s commuter pilots has Gulfstream trained, one might ask. Less than 0.1%. Ok, so Gulfstream is an approved training program for several commuter airlines in the nation? Again no.

The article does hit the truth briefly before diverting again:

The Federal Aviation Administration accuses Gulfstream International Airlines Inc. of faulty record keeping and substandard aircraft maintenance. Congressional investigators, who conducted their own probe into the airline, allege the company falsified flight time records and forced crews to fly more hours than federal rules permit.

From there, the article goes on to describe the captain who crashed in Buffalo, how many people died in the Buffalo crash, how many tests the captain failed, how the FAA was examining the Buffalo crash and how training may have been a factor. So you might think the FAA is basing part of its fine on findings from the Buffalo crash. Again, no - the NTSB investigation is incomplete and the proposed penalties for Gulfstream have to do with allegations of poor maintenance and illegal crew scheduling. But it is more sensational to bring up the Buffalo crash, so the reporters make the stretch anyway.

The article goes on to state:

Major carriers increasingly rely on commuter airlines to ferry passengers to airline hubs from smaller cities. Regulators and federal safety experts are examining whether pilots at some of these commuter carriers receive sufficient training. They are scrutinizing whether independent training institutes such as Gulfstream Academy produce pilots with sufficient skill and experience to fly the growing number of turboprops and jets at these smaller airlines.

The FAA constantly scrutinizes all carriers and training academies. It is an ongoing process and the current attention they are paying to Gulfstream has nothing to do with recent events. Admittedly, the FAA could do a far better job but they are definitely not increasing the amount of attention they are paying to these types of operations. Could regulators improve safety? Of course. Are you safe flying on commuter airlines? Of course - you’re still far more likely to die or get hurt in a car crash as you drive to work this week. (This holds true no matter how you twist the statistics.)

The article then brings up two previous crashes, one in Lexington, KY and one in Jefferson City, MO:

Pilots in the two previous fatal U.S. commuter crashes -- both caused by pilot error -- also spent time at either Gulfstream International Airlines or Gulfstream's training operations, according to reports by the NTSB.

While all three accidents involve pilot error, each of the pilots were several years removed from Gulfstream’s training program and had passed several FAA approved airline training programs since. A tenuous link at best, but it makes for great print!

Again, if a newspaper prints it, it must be true, right?

Flying Sick

Recently I flew with a captain who (we think) got food poisoning after eating country fried steak at Cracker Barrel the night before.  We had a 5 am show time that morning and he was busy expunging his body of the offending food from 1 am on.  Feeling slightly better, our captain decided that he would be OK to fly that day with the hope his body was finished.  Anyone who has had food poisoning knows that the first wave is not the only wave, but our captain was unwilling to create an ‘occurrence ‘ by calling in sick for the rest of the day and potentially the next day.  When I had food poisoning in February, I did call in sick and picked up an ‘occurrence’ for being thoughtful enough to provide our passengers with that extra level of safety.

With a certain commuter airline’s sick policy in the news lately, it is interesting to me that pilots still have the possibility of disciplinary action unless we fill out all of the appropriate FMLA paperwork the instant we think we are sick and follow it up with a doctor’s excuse the next day.  It’s almost like being back in grade school again!

Well, the captain did give me an out and suggested that we would not do the flight if I was uncomfortable.  I didn’t take that out for several reasons, including that we could safely complete the flight, albeit not as easily as when both of us were functioning properly.

I took on most of the flight responsibilities for that leg as the poor captain made several of the radio calls.  There was an edge to his voice on each transmission that broadcast his queasiness - a slight tremble perhaps.  We were actually almost to Atlanta when he said apologetically, ‘I’ll be taking that trash bag now, I think.’  Referring to the small grey bag we hang over the arm of the first officer’s seat to throw out cups and old paperwork.  ‘Just in case.’

Flying in not a good way to calm queasiness.  Fortunately, we landed and made it to the terminal without further incident.  Also fortunately, he decided to take the occurrence rather than attempt the next round trip on our schedule.

Threading Thunderstorms

It’s summer time again and the daily occurrence of pop-up and lines of thunderstorms is again upon us.  While cancellations and delays are fairly common during stormy weather, more often than not we (and our hapless passengers) jump into the briar patch and complete our mission.  We are well equipped these days with equipment on the ground to provide radar images and wind shear detection as well as radar on the airplane giving us a mostly reliable real-time image of the action ahead of us.  We get a nice spectrum of yellows and greens (light rain) to red (heavy) and purple (extreme).  Typically, we deal with the yellows and greens and, though we make a good effort to avoid them, the reds just make for very difficult flying.  Flying through purple is a good way to bring the trip to an early end.

Heading into Dothan, AL today, we expected a nice line of thunderstorms to be waiting for us because the weather forecasters predicted it.  We all believe weather forecasters, right?  It did help that we could check the ground based radar and note the current size/intensity/direction of the line.  If we had managed to depart on time (foiled by a tire change), we would have avoided the thunderstorms completely.  As it was, the line was moving in the right direction and speed to meet us at the Dothan airport as we arrived.  Sweet!

After acquiring extra fuel in case we needed to divert to Montgomery, we loaded up the airplane (all 50 seats plus a pilot riding the jump-seat in the cockpit) and began the easy part of our 30 minute flight - leaving Atlanta. (No kidding, it was!)  In-route, we rechecked the automated weather in Dothan and found out that there was light rain on the field, thunderstorms in the general area and winds almost directly favoring Runway 14.  Within about 80 miles of the airport, we began to get a good reading on the radar, painting a neat curve line of storms moving eastward right at and north of the airport.  Montgomery, anyone?

Shortly after that, the local approach control advised us that the airfield was still reporting just light rain but that there was an area of moderate to heavy precipitation just 2 miles north of the field, directly on our final approach course.  With that option out, we had a choice between diverting to Montgomery (close enough, right?) or penetrating the line to land in the opposite direction with a tailwind close to our maximum limitations.  We decided not to disappoint a plane full of passengers by dropping them off at an airport that they had not requested to go to and requested vectors for Runway 32.

So, we found a nice looking hole in the line of thunderstorms - a narrow green pathway between two angry red blotches - and headed south.  At this point the pilot in the jump seat taps my shoulder and says ‘Good luck’ before tightening his straps.  Great confidence booster there.  Punching through the line was actually uneventful though we did bounce around moderately for a few seconds.  The south side of the line was quite clear and we were quickly turned back toward the airport and lined up with the runway for landing.  The thunderstorm was still squatting just a mile or two north of the field but the runway itself was mostly clear.

After discussing contingencies in case landing was not possible, we finished configuring for landing and began our descent from the final approach fix five miles out.  There was still light rain on the field and the winds were very gusty from the surrounding convective activity.  We were primed for action if a wind-shear warning should occur, but we made it to the runway with just a few bumps.  Situations like this require good concentration and the more challenging the winds, usually the better I land.  Don’t know if that just means I’m lazy when its a more routing landing or what, but this was one of my better landings for the month.  It was smooth, not too long and on the centerline!

So, we made it to Dothan but most of our passengers debarked a little grumpy over the hour delay while changing the tire.  Well, at least they didn’t end up in Montgomery.  Having done enough damage for the day, we made our way to the hotel and enjoyed a nice evening watching the thunderstorms as the rest of the line rolled by.

The Cost of Saving Money

As part of the Delta/Northwest merger, there has been a ‘realignment’ of staffing to realize ‘synergies’ between the two companies.  For my employer (a regional carrier for Delta), this has meant that we have been slowly losing our ground handling personnel, first in Atlanta and now at our outstations, as the ‘new’ Delta has replaced our people with more ‘efficient’ staffing.  On average, our people were making around $12/hour while the more ‘efficient’ replacements barely make more than minimum wage.

In one Alabama city, the replacements guided us into a parking spot a few hundred yards from the terminal late in the evening.   This was more efficient than parking us closer because they would then have to move the airplane again later that night.  The ramp was not well lit and our passengers were allowed to guide themselves across a ‘secured’ area of the ramp where several jet aircraft were parked for the night.  If any TSA agents had noticed, they would have gone bananas over the security breach, not to mention the possible safety hazards for the customers.

In one Tennessee city, after deplaning, we noticed several passengers standing beside the plane staring at the tail section in obvious disbelief.  Curious, we exited the aircraft as well and observed the replacements throwing luggage from the cargo bin directly onto the pavement below.  When the captain started yelling, one of the replacements asked with a dumb expression, ‘What?’  Pointing to a badly broken bag on the tarmac, the captain replied, ‘You tell me!!’  The replacement just shrugged but he did call another guy over and started handing bags down.

In Atlanta, we arrived on time at our assigned parking place and sat waiting for a crew to come guide us in.  We observed multiple replacements scurrying around previously parked airplanes, attending to different tasks.  Two even stopped work for a few minutes to stare at us blankly.  After five minutes of sitting, another airplane pulled us two spots down and was immediately met and parked.  After ten minutes, a lone replacement wandered out and sat down at his assigned post (they normally stand).  After twenty minutes, the other three (who were all in view the whole time) gave up on their respective tasks and took up their posts to guide us into the gate.  And, yes, the two blank stares were part of the crew.

I asked the captain rhetorically, ‘Couldn’t the first guy have said something to the others?’

He replied, ‘That’s a $12/hour question.  These are $8/hour workers.’

Being a Good Samaritan

When the girls and I arrived at Tractor Supply yesterday to order a fuel line with filter for my weed eater, I discovered that I had thoughtfully placed my wallet on my desk and then left it there.  Not far from home, I noticed a school age boy walking down the side of the road toting a backpack.  I decided if he was still walking when I returned to Tractor Supply with wallet in hand, I’d stop and offer him a ride.

Sure enough, on the way back he was still plodding along, so I honked at him to avoid hitting him as I pulled into the drive ahead and then honked again so he wouldn’t wander past.  He wandered over with a slight look of mistrust while I waved for him to open the door and hop in.

As he opened the door to our mini van, I queried, ‘You want a ride?’

‘You’re not gonna kill me or,’ he glanced to the back of the van where the girls were strapped in their car seats and continued, ‘Never mind, guess you wouldn’t do that with kids.  You sure you don’t mind?’

I let him know it wasn’t a problem and determined that he was trying to get to the high school, still a good 3 miles away.  While driving, I determined that he was a senior and had missed the bus that morning.  He was also very concerned about how missing another day and how that would affect graduation.  After my eldest explained how she talks too much and my youngest just stared at him when he asked her if she talked too, I asked him where he had started out from.

‘Statham.’ he replied.  This completely boggled me!  From where I had picked him up to where he started his hike was at least 5 miles, if not more!  The road he was walking on isn’t the busiest road out there, but it does have steady traffic and it blows me away that not one person stopped to offer this kid a ride.

This morning at the library story time, the girls and I were the last ones out after doing crafts.  We almost always stay and help Ms. Lisa clean up afterward and out of the 10-15 parents who usually attend, we’re the only ones who do this.  It helps that we know Ms. Lisa from church, but still story/craft time at the library is a free function, so why not help with the mess before we leave.  While it disappoints me that people bypass such easy ways to serve others, I can at least hope that my children will learn from these little examples (they already enjoy being helpful) and apply it to their lives as they grow up.

Aborting Take-off

In the simulators, an aborted takeoff is usually high speed, quite sudden and filled with tension.  “Abort, abort, abort!!”  Last night’s aborted takeoff was almost expected and anti-climatic (for us as the pilots at least).

It started out like the first day of every four-day trip I’ve had lately.  We were scheduled to fly a round-trip from Atlanta to Peoria at 2:30PM but due to weather in Wichita, our airplane didn’t arrive in Atlanta until nearly 5PM.  Nothing like a long delay to start your workweek!  On our way back from Peoria, our back-up airspeed indicator did not work correctly.  For those familiar with avionics, it only indicated an increase in airspeed when we increased our altitude.  For those not familiar with avionics, this is a problem!  Fortunately, we have to independent primary airspeed indicators and while the backup is required, we were able to continue safely to Atlanta to get it fixed.

By the time we arrived in Atlanta, we were already 30 minutes past our original departure time for Montgomery.  Add another 45 minutes for the mechanics to arrive, drain a pint of water from the backup airspeed probe and we were ready to go again.  Our first clue all was not well was when both mechanics commented on how they had never seen that much water in the probe before, but they tested it (we think) and cleared it for service, so who were we to argue?  Not quite an hour and a half late, we boarded all 50 passengers and taxied out for takeoff.

Even though Montgomery is a very short flight (30 minutes or less in the air), with thunderstorms in the area, the captain and I agreed that we would discontinue the takeoff unless the backup airspeed indicator behaved perfectly.  With our takeoff clearance, the captain advanced the thrust levers and we began to accelerate.  The primary airspeed indicators usually come alive instantly but the backup is tends to delay until we pick up more airspeed.  As we increase speed, I monitor the backup.  At 30mph, no indication.  At 40mph, no indication.  At 60mph, I call out “60 knots, standby airspeed inop”.  The captain sighs heavily, we both shake our heads and at 90mph with no indication on the backup, he pulls back the thrust levers and applies the brakes.

At this point, I automatically call the tower to report the aborted takeoff and then make a quick announcement to the passengers – 

In my best radio voice, “Ladies and Gentlemen, as you may have noticed we are no longer continuing our takeoff this evening.  We have had a failure of our backup airspeed indicator and in the interest of safety have decided to return to the gate.  Please remain seated with your seatbelts fastened until we have parked the aircraft and turned off the seatbelt sign.”  

Then, clear of the runway we called operations and found out that there was actually another airplane available and they were going to have us park at the gate beside it and simply transfer everyone over.  This is a minor miracle in itself. Unfortunately, it was now 11:30PM and there was only one ramp crew covering 20 gates.  Usually not a big problem, but they actually had four aircraft to work with so it took about 20 minutes for us to get parked at the gate.  

While we waited, we called back to our flight attendant to ask how the passengers were doing – she replied they were looking restless and unhappy (almost hostile).  As our poor passengers exited the aircraft, you could see with the slumped shoulders and dour expressions that they were not pleased with this additional delay.  Our flight attendant did her best to smile, apologize and say ‘thank you’, but the crowd was tough and largely ignored her.

It was looking like the flight was going to be a sour experience for all 50 passengers, so we took a couple of steps to ease our passengers’ pain.  It’s really amazing what simple gestures can do to turn the mood of a crowd around.  For starters, the captain made the following announcement just after everyone got on board:  “Folks, we’re sorry about the delay – usually we don’t advertise this, but with delays this long we offer free drinks to anyone who asks, so feel free to ask!”  He wasn’t referring to the coke/juice/water variety either.

The flight attendant expanded on her usual announcement as well saying, “Ok people, I know it wasn’t fun having to come back to the gate and I don’t know what the problem was well enough to explain it to you but we’ve got a great flight crew up front and they really have your safety as the highest priority.  It doesn’t matter to me what the problem was, but it does matter to me that we get there safely.”

Then, with a mischievous smile and a light hearted tone, she continued,  “Now, I have news for you people.  We don’t normally serve drinks on flights less than 250 miles and at 125 miles, Montgomery just does not qualify.  But, I am going to serve you people on this flight so have your drink orders ready when I get to you.  I don’t have time for you people to think and still serve you so decide now what you want or I am going to skip you!” 

Usually, my takeoff announcements are brief, but I added in a bit this time – “Ladies and gentlemen, this late at night, we are the only aircraft vying for the runway and are #1 for takeoff.  It’s still a little stormy tonight, so please remain seated with your seatbelts fastened for the entire 30 minutes of flight.  And please be nice to Sharon (our flight attendant), she’s already had a very long day and none of this mess is her fault.  Thanks again for flying with us!”

When we finally landed in Montgomery, everyone was smiling and saying ‘thank you’ as they exited the airplane.  And only three people accepted the leaded variety of drink, so the alcohol couldn’t have had much to do with it.  This doesn’t just apply to airplane passengers, but it’s amazing how simple gestures can take 50 guaranteed complaints and turn it into 50 satisfied customers.

Supporting Missions

Having seen recently two missionary couples that we support, I want throw out a brief blurb for them.  Especially since they have made room to visit my home and I didn’t manage to get time off for either visit!  Both couples are a part of Wycliffe Bible Translators, an incredible organization dedicated to translating the Bible into every language in the world.  There are currently 6000+ known languages and only about 2200 have a writing system as well, so in addition the challenge of translation, there is often a parallel challenge of developing a system of writing and then teaching individuals how to read.  Wycliffe has a goal of translating all languages by 2025 - they have a neat layout of the vision and language statistics at: www.vision2025.org.

Bobby de Vos and his wife Naomi will soon be traveling to somewhere in Asia as tourists.  Per their request, I’ll have to leave it up to your imagination to decide what they do since changing religions or influencing the change of religion seems to be frowned upon where they will be staying for the next several years.  I will note, however, while both are language specialists, Bobby works with languages that only computers can interpret.

Roy and Becky Eyre are US based and will likely continue to be so for the near future.  Roy has been tasked with developing young leaders within Wycliffe to help motivate and guide the organization toward it’s impossible goals.  See more about this at thebackrowleader.com.  In addition to being a mother of 3 and supportive wife, Becky is also highly active in assisting with administration of Wycliffe.

If you ever considered missions but decided you did not have the back ground for it, I’d like to point out that Bobby graduated from Georgia Tech in the field of Computer Science and Becky is also a Georgia Tech with a Chemical Engineering major.

If you have never considered missions, please consider supporting these two couples as they strive to translate the Bible into every language so that everyone in the world can read it in their native language.

Gone Fishing

Every spring I make my way to the North Georgia hills for a few days of camping and trout fishing with my father-in-law and men from his church.  It’s a nice get away from the real world – there is no power, no running water and absolutely no cell phone coverage.  And the scenery is awesome!  I’ve always loved camping, regardless of the weather. 

 There’s just something about making a cocoon in a sleeping bag on a cold night or listening to the steady beat of rain against the canvas of the tent that takes an otherwise miserable environment and makes it enjoyable.  Of course, when returning to civilization, the creature comforts are that much more appreciated.

Now, the fishing part of the trip is something I attempt – usually with little success.  Through the years, I have snagged more rocks, sticks, trees, weeds, etc than fish and lost many, many lures to said rocks, sticks, trees, weeds, etc.  If fishing were a survival skill that my family depended on to survive, we’d starve.  While I admittedly don’t have some of the necessary equipment like waders that would enhance my chances, my problem more likely stems from the only practicing once a year.  Fortunately, I enjoy nature and solitude and so catching lots of fish is not a top priority.

I arrived early Wednesday morning and was just getting started casting spinners near the bridge (see above) when two guys from our camp who had also arrived early approached.   John and Chris had been told by a park ranger that a helicopter had dropped several loads of stock up the creek the day before.  So we made our way there and each found a good spot to settle in.  Per custom, my first catch of the day was most likely a rock – it was at least 6 pounds based on the tested rating of my fishing line when it snapped trying to reel it in.  After several unsuccessful casts, I finally managed to reel in a trout sized piece of bark -  a good catch, but not what I was after.  It honestly didn’t take too much longer before I caught my first fish, a few minutes after John and Chris caught their first fish.

Just a few minutes later, my line became completely tangled and I was forced to hike back to my vehicle to get the new line that I had the foresight to acquire before the trip but had neglected to carry with me.  Just a half mile hike back to the bridge where my truck was and another half mile hike back to the spot.  When I returned, both guys had caught another four fish apiece and exclaimed how quickly the fish started biting as soon as I left.  Typical.  As noon rolled around, I found myself with two more fish – not a bad start to the morning at all, although as usual, I was lagging behind my peers.

Afternoon rolled around and as the rest of the crew arrived and we set up camp, the stock truck passed our campsite making its way up the gravel road to drop off fresh stock at the bridge.  I wasted no time heading that way considering these new fish might just be dumb enough to bite at my lures.  When I arrived, there was already a couple already staking out one side of the creek there, so I crossed to the other side and began the futile effort of casting my lures.  

As I continued to come up empty, the woman across from me is sitting up on a rock below the bridge that is about four feet out of the water and I watch as she seems to catch a fish with every other cast.  With a very full figure (I’m being as nice as I can there), a yappy lap dog, cigarette hanging off her lips, and a beer at her side, she’d toss her corn in, hook her fish and pull it over to shore where her guy would net the fish, unhook it and put more corn on the hook.  In less than 30 minutes, they caught the maximum 8 fish each and waved me over, suggesting that I try their spot.  I figured if they could do so well while drinking beer, smoking and letting their little rat dog yip, I could too!

So I cross back over and begin fishing the same spot and come up with nothing.  By this time, other members of our camp start wandering in and my father-in-law wades in across the creek in the same spot I was in earlier.  On his second cast and he catches a fish.  I look up-stream in time to see that Rodney was also reeling one in.  Fairly disgusted, I decided to stick it out where I was at and was soon rewarded with a catch of four fish in quick succession.

I had been there for about an hour after my last catch with no more luck when a new group of guys (likely locals) showed up.  One set up in my old spot across the creek and another setup a few feet down stream from me.  The guy down stream cast once and reeled one in.  A couple of casts later, he had another one.  In less than 15 minutes he nailed four fish while casting right beside me!  Of course, the guy across the creek got one too.  I ended the day with a catch of 7.  Not quite the limit, but more than I had caught on any prior trip total.

If you think the above is exaggeration it’s not, although the following is slightly - Chris was fly fishing not far from me and was not interested in keeping them so each fish was catch-and-release for him.  On one particular fish, he reeled it in, pulled out of the water and had it at eye level when it slapped him with it’s tail and jumped right off the hook!  Ok, so it only splashed him a little, but according to Chris, it was close enough that he was actually giving it a quick kiss before letting it go.

Thursday morning I set out early and was rewarded with 3 quick catches at the bridge before 8AM rolled around.  Didn’t get another bite that morning but figured I had just gotten lucky that morning.  At lunch, I discovered my luck wasn’t so good after all – most of the group was either near or at their limit of 8 fish already!  I did find a good spot that afternoon though and managed to catch my limit as well.  I could have been done much earlier but I had several jump hook just as I pulled them out of the water.  Still behind the curve compared to the rest of the group, but much improved for me! 

Friday was not nearly so successful with only 4 fish caught, but with a three day catch of 20 fish, I had more than equaled my previous three year total.  I also spend several hours hiking up and down stream.  Fortunately, everyone in the family likes fish and we don’t require the fish for survival!