Thanks, But No Thanks

Man called yesterday wanting me to sign up for a winter deicing crew job (on call) at Denver International. Flattering, as I had worked on his crew before. Said no, even though the money is good. My knees and my stamina are not what they once were and the equipment is open bucket.

In the picture above, the sprayers are working from enclosed cabs with heaters and wipers. Open bucket is this.

No matter how much protective clothing you wear, you will be exposed to the deicing fluid (glycol)  used to melt the existing ice and the anti icing fluid that goes on the cleaned surfaces if precipitation is falling. Not to mention the elements and the many non stop hours during a major event. The wind will carry the stuff everywhere.

The driver of the truck also gets out and sprays landing gear and runs his hand across surfaces on the smaller regional jets. It is wet, nasty work with many chances for slips and falls. Being a 1944 model, don't think I want to learn how long my broken bones will take to heal.

Should have put off getting old for a few more years. 

You'll Be Sorry

Tam has an amusing post, “Imagine Airman Johnny’s disappointment……….” about  farm tractors used by the military.

http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/

There are many of us who can relate if we grew up as cowboys doing those glamorous cowboy occupations, fixing and building fence, and stacking hay bales.

We head off to the US Army with great anticipation, expecting to drive tanks and shoot large guns. Once there, we learn of a military specialty called, “Combat Engineer”, where some aspects are  building barbed wire barriers and stacking sand bags.  Little training is needed by cowboys.

We spent one entire week learning about barbed wire entanglements. First, you have your basic barbed wire and specialty anchors.

Then you have some truly nasty stuff called concertina wire. 

After building the barrier, you learn how to defeat it.

One unpleasant fact you learn is Combat Engineers are primarily assault troops, clearing the way for the Infantry through barbed wire and mine fields. Gee, isn’t that special.

After spending a week wrestling with the wire, you must gather it up and store it properly, so the next trainees can use it. You didn’t think the training cadre was going to do it, did you?

Back to the training.  About two hours into the course, Private Cowboy is taken aside by one of the Staff Sergeant cadre teaching the course.  The conversation goes something like this.

SSG: “ Son,  you have done this before. I’m going to make you an Assistant Instructor.”

PVT: “Yes, Sergeant. So when these dummies over tighten the wire and it breaks, it will wrap around my legs instead of yours?”

SSG:  “I KNEW you were experienced.”

PVT:  “Yes, Sergeant.”

SSG: “You see son, I can’t Whomp these dummies along side the head. If you decide to Whomp one, I won’t see you do it.”

Those 60’s era Army NCOs  were a kind and gentle group, oh yes they were. Just ask one.

Personal Financial Disaster 8/14/13

Cabela's is opening a new store. 

Now, instead of being a two hour "destination" drive, it is a twenty minutes drive on a route I take once a week. 

Intervention may be needed.

WW II Veterans

Old NFO has a wonderful “Greatest Generation” post up now.

http://oldnfo.org/2013/08/02/the-brandy-no-one-wanted-to-drink/

This made me think about someone I know who is of the “Greatest Generation”, now 88, and in a hospice. The question is, how do you honor a man who has a remarkable war record, and is a despicable lifelong pedophile?

 Please, this is not to imply any of the Doolittle Raiders fall into this category.

This man was a sailor. His war started at Pearl Harbor (wounded). Two more Purple Hearts followed with a final, fourth Purple Heart, as one of the wounded on the USS Franklin 19 March 1945.

This man married one of my aunts and was a fixture at family gatherings over the years. His pedophile activity was either well hidden, or ignored.  His brother in law veterans deferred to him. We nephews were in awe. The nieces, not so much, as he, over the years, molested some of them. Then when he  started with the third generation, he was stopped, prosecuted, and jailed because of one courageous mother who didn’t back down.

The turmoil this caused affected many people. His sons and his wife suffered the most by the disclosure. The relationships among cousins, and the denial of the facts by more than one person in the extended family, still impact our relationships.  Too many were willing to let him continue rather than let the situation become public knowledge. That attitude caused a considerable loss of respect, love, and affection among family members that continues today. It makes for some awkward moments, especially at funerals.

How does one honor his service while not excusing his behavior? The easy answer is to hate the sin, and love the sinner. Sorry, I can’t do that. I envision a firing squad instead. Some directly involved family members would rather see boiling oil and fire ants. A firing squad is too easy a way out.

Yes, we haven’t evolved far from our pagan Celtic roots.

The Puddy 4

Pictures to follow. Blogger and I aren't getting along today. The airplane I put in the bulk of my first 100 hours was a 1939 Piper J-4 my father bought to learn to fly in. I had a fractional ownership position.  He kept it until he bought a Cessna 182.

Allegedly 75 h.p., we were flying it off a strip at 7,000' ASL. No starter, but did have a wind driven generator for the six channel radio, navigation lights, and turn and bank gyro. No landing light, so night landings at unlit airports could be a bit interesting.

Pretty airplane, Red and White sunburst pattern, and a decent interior. You could hold a conversation in it at cruise. Sweet flyer with not a mean corner anywhere in it's flight envelope. You did want to be paying attention when landing, especially in a crosswind.

My now ex wife had her first ever light aircraft ride in the Puddy 4, cross country over the Colorado front range. Gutsy woman!

Old School Air Navigation

After sharing some early aviation history with old NFO, he suggested I do a blog entry.

One unchanging challenge in aviation is finding your way from one point to another without getting lost. For non pilots, this may be puzzling. Show me any pilot who claims he/she hasn’t been lost, and I will show you someone who’s veracity is suspect.

Today’s newer airliners and many General Aviation airplanes have “Glass Cockpits”. Using several different transmitted date sources, including GPS, and along with sophisticated autopilots, they will nearly fly themselves. In the case of some advanced drones, they will fly themselves. For those who want more information.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_cockpit

The early developer of air navigation systems was the U.S Postal Service in the 1920’s to support their airmail service. First came ground markers, large concrete arrows placed along routes. Some have survived.

http://www.cntraveler.com/daily-traveler/2013/06/transcontinental-air-mail-route-maphead-ken-jennings

Next came lighted beacons, lighted airports, and rudimentary aircraft lighting. Akin to the Pony Express way stations, if you will.

http://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/america-by-air/online/early_years/early_years06.cfm

Some of these operated into the late 1950’s. I can remember seeing them in Wyoming as a child. Some were left at higher elevations to aid night flight terrain clearance.

The twin challenges of weight and reliability in equipping airplanes with radios started to come together in the 1930’s. This led to the development of radio ranges and radio beacons (Automatic Direction Finders – ADF). 

http://ed-thelen.org/TJohnson-LFRDF.html

The range system was later refined into the Omni Directional Navigation System (OMNI) still used today. With the proper equipment, OMNI will give you the distance to the station. With ADF, you have an indicator pointing toward, or away, from the radio station. In general, you need bearings from two ADF transmitters to locate your position. You can do the same with two separate OMNI stations.

Another newer aid was LORAN, a system using two Low frequency transmitters many miles apart,  and timing the difference between the two transmissions reaching you. Considerable math is involved if you receiver can’t do it for you. LORAN will cover vast areas but is subject to things like sunspots and isn’t terrible precise. A version was used by the British in WWII to guide their bombers over Europe.

At airports (and on aircraft carriers) are aids to help the pilot’s approach. One, glide slope, provides vertical guidance as to the preferred descent profile. The other, the localizer, provides left/right guidance. Two other transmitters complete the system, the outer and middle markers. These help you judge your distance from the runway. This system allows approach to landing operations in poor visibility.

In all cases, the first pilot requirement is to fly the airplane. Asiana 214 is one example of what not to do. 

For all you professional pilots out there, the CFIs and those with  thousands of hours of PIC time, please remember I was a lowly Cessna/Piper driver before you pick the post apart.

 That said, I can beat any of you in a conventional gear spot landing contest. Oh yeah, still have the swagger!

Nanny State, Medical Division

Another bitch this old grouch has is the way our nanny state funnels business to medical practitioners. "Do you have a current prescription," is the lead up to, "We can't........ without a current prescription," usually with a barely disguised smirk.

I need to replace the lenses in my glasses. The frames are fine, but the lenses are scratched. My prescription hasn't changed in thirty years. For many years I used a wholesale lab, man and wife operation, that furnished glasses to the opticians. As long as my money was good, they didn't care. I don't know if they were libertarian minded, or just Jewish, it worked for me! They retired, and closed down their business. Drat!

I had a physical a year ago. The people were insistent I have a $2800 sleep study. "But your insurance will pay for most of it," is the first thing out of their mouths. Yeah, like that is "free" money. Copay and deductibles? Deer in the headlights look.

Diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea in 1993, I've slept with a CPAP every since. If I want to upgrade my CPAP, or buy a new one, I hear the "prescription" song again. I've even heard it while trying to buy a new mask or supply tube.

So, the grey market. Hello Craigslist. 

Why, when we see medical people, are we suddenly subject to myriad rules and regulations? It has taken over a year for the Physicians Assistant I see to understand I will not do anything, or take anything, without a clear understanding of the reasons thereof.

But WSF, You don't understand. We.............. Your are right, I don't understand, don't care, and will not participate.

Just because I'm one tiny one out of a population of 310,000,000 or so doesnt't mean I can't be an Army of one.