Aeroplanes, trains, et les automobiles - Part 2 (Chabre Open Day -1)

Heathrow holding pattern - an aerial labyrinth into which many a flight enter possibly to never be heard from again.

So went the warning from the captain, but we have a trump card.

A medical emergency (which turned out to be a false alarm, but that wasn't discovered until we were at the gate).

A rapid descent and a straight in approach - no time was wasted getting us a gate. The paramedics pile onto the plane, check the woman downstairs over and give the all clear.

One way to ensure you make a tight connection, I guess.

The herd crawls its way off the plane and brings with it a revelation. I used to be of the opinion that the title of slowest moving mammal on the planet was held by the old ladies driving on No.3 Road in Richmond.

Not anymore - it is Brits with drag bags disembarking a plane. If there was a fire, long pork BBQ would the daily special.

Nary a Canuck flag visible on my kit, I take on the mantle of  quintessential Yank and unapologetically shoulder my way through the gelatinous mass of frequent fliers.

I make my way through Terminal 5, following the stream of Purple Flight Connections signs to an awaiting bus to take me to ...

Terminal 1.

Take a well planned and laid out airport terminal - Heathrow Terminal 1 is everything but. Look up Charlie Foxtrot in a dictionary, you will likely something akin to see also LHR Terminal 1.

The terminal itself was a ghost town, perhaps being used as a set for the next installment of 28 Days Later. Few living souls, aside from myself and the security staff.

Not one to dwell, I get lost a few times before eventually stumbling upon the BA International Lounge near Gate 5. A few more hours killed before I make my way to the gate holding my flight to Marseille.

I am starting to learn, anything involving a mix of Brit and French travellers is destined to become a gong show. The recent French ATC strike has resulted in the flight being oversold (not to mention the mass of standbys). Bodies are packed into the tube of a waiting area, trying to inch closer to the gate door. Each knows that the last on will have no where to stash their bags and will have to use the dreaded under seat storage, eating away at what pittance of leg room BA has gifted them on the A319.

The tension builds, as do tempers. Finally the CSR relents and starts to call rows. I snag my aisle seat in Club Europe and do not have too long a wait before we depart. Another uneventful flight, aside from a cheese offering with the meal that had to rank amongst the worst things I had ever tasted. Note to self: avoid cheese sporting its own ecosystem of flora.

In Marseille, I have the info desk ring up the hotel for the shuttle, and make my way to the curbside waiting area. Tipping the driver comes with an unexpected benefit as he also works behind the front desk. A room upgrade and a half price breakfast.

Not long afterwards fatigue over takes me and I call it a night with an early start planned.




 

Aeroplanes, trains, et les automobiles - Part 1 (Chabre Open Day -2)

Thursday starts with my very own personalized "The Terminal" experience. Advancing a paraglider laden cart through a patrol circuit of domestic, international and US departures.

For 8 hours.

The only thing breaking the monotony - a visit to the bag wrapping store. Ten dollars for peace of mind that I won't need to dry a soaked through reserve from a passing storm as baggage is loaded or face a broken shoulder strap that became jammed in a conveyer. Small price to pay and a welcome distraction from the to and fro.

1530 hrs creeps into view.

My imaginary gatekeeper, forcing this circuit, relents. Wasting no time, I check my Saran Wrap'd wing and bee line for security.

On the other side, near Gate 64, awaits the first part of a self-gifted 40th b-day present.

Yes ladies and gents, this year we fly in style.

Once inside, we find:

A well stocked open bar.

Choice of wine and coffee.

 

 

 

And seating aplenty.

To top this all off, I even happen to chance upon a former colleague with whom I had worked on EAs Need For Speed franchise many a moon before.

8PM rolls around and its time to make our way to the gate. The steerage is growing restless, jockeying for position in some vain hope they might get on ahead of the person next to them.

Ushered onboard ahead of the stampede, I climb the stairs of the 747-400 to the upper deck and look for my seat - the much coveted 64A. 64A is a lie flat pod that is blessed with a unique location that effectively seals if off from the remainder of the cabin. No one walking past or over.

No departure is complete without the traditional glass of champagne.

This evening the upper deck is an oasis of tranquility in comparison to the cacophony of screaming babies and banshee snorers located below.

Take off is non eventful, though it is quite noticeable how much slower the Queen of the Skies is in relation to newer, more powerful offerings. It does not take long before menus are handed out and dinner orders are taken.

Selected are:

First Course:
Roasted Pear with baby lettuce, spiced pecans, and crumbled goats cheese.
Fresh seasonal salad served with vinaigrette.

Main Course:
Chilled main course salad of grilled chicken supreme with cranberry, apricot, and wheatberry.

I forego desert, reconfigure the seat into a bed, and call it a night.

 

 

Tomorrow - Heathrow.
 

This is how we roll @ YVR.

And ... Decompress

A week and a half into the impromptu summer sabbatical. A week and a half of meet'n'greets, phone screens and in person technical obstacle courses. A week and a half of polishing the sales pitch and building a 'brand'.

A few things I have learned -> prospects only call when you are in the midst of an interview with some form of C*O (CEO, CTO, CSO, etc.), be ready for the left field curves balls ('If your life could be made into a movie, what would it be called and who would play the lead'),  glassdoor.com and the Robert Half Tech salary survey are invaluable, aptitude is important but attitude is key, and be ready for some interesting responses when you narrow the field and have to say, "Thank you but I am pursuing another opportunity." (maybe I am in the minority, but I don't do bidding wars).

That all said, it has been a great experience and I agree with the advice that even if you are happy in your current job, do an interview or two each year - the exposure to new processes and technologies alone is worth it, let alone the opportunity to expand your network of contacts.

Fast forward to now - Thursday morning at YVR with a plate of Chow Fun and Sesame Chicken (only in Vancouver can you get gwai-lo Chinese at 830 AM), and an informal offer in the inbox for an amazing opportunity where the job req had a list of candidate requirements a few pages long.

Two weeks of much needed paragliding in France comes into view on the horizon.

And ... Decompress.

 

A 'Crow' leaves the nest...

‘Last Day’ approaches.

In the past I would send out a simple email thanking everyone for a wonderful opportunity to learn, create, and grow. Those were days when I counted myself amongst the junior engineers. Now I am one of the ‘old timers’, and yes I do want to thank you all for the wonderful opportunity to learn, create, grow AND share.

But, like the old grandpa in the corner, I feel obliged to pass on some semblance of wisdom.

The benefit of a career is that we get multiple chances to apply the lessons that we learn. Make a mistake, stumble, fall, get back up and dust ourselves off. Through these experiences we gain wisdom. I could offer words about the importance of this or that, but in reality the best way to learn about the working world is via experience.

That said, life, life is a little different.

There will come a point when an enlightenment will strike, a satori of sorts. Each of us will realize that there lies more years behind us than ahead. How we absorb this reality will depend heavily on the absence of three phrases in our vernacular, “would have, “could have”, and “should have”. Each of these reflects regret and an absence of resolve.

20 years ago, a friend gifted me a copy of '365 Tao’. There is one entry that has stuck with me since:

RESOLVE

Banish uncertainty.
Affirm strength.
Hold resolve.
Expect death.

Make your stand today. On this spot. On this day. Make your actions
count; do not falter in your determination to fulfill your destiny.
Don't follow the destiny outlined in some mystical book: Create your
own.

Your resolve to tread the path of life is your best asset. Without
it, you die. Death is unavoidable, but let it not be from loss of will
but because your time is over. As long as you can keep going, use your
imagination to cope with the travails of life. Overcome your obstacles
and realize what you envision.

You will know unexpected happiness. You will know the sorrow of
seeing what is dearest to you cut down before your eyes. Accept that.
That is the nature of human existence, and you have no time to buffer
this fact with fairy tales and illogical explanations.

Each day, your life grows shorter by twenty-four hours. The time to
make achievements becomes more precious. You must fulfill everything you
want in life and then release your will upon the moment of death. Your
life is a creation that dies when you die. Release it, give up your
individuality, and in so doing, finally merge completely with Tao.

Until that moment, create the poetry of your life with toughness and
determination.


365 Tao: Daily Meditations
Deng Ming-Dao


I am extremely proud to have worked with each and every one of you, a team that had the resolve to set the bar by which others are judged and see us become a household name in children’s entertainment and education.

Mark.

(This is my last day with Loud Crow Interactive. Sitting at a career crossroads with untold opportunity awaiting.)

Thanks Cross Country Magazine!

How do I know it's a long weekend?

Waking up to a forecast of three days of un-flyable weather might be a good hint.

But, lone behold, in my inbox is a ray of sunshine - an email from the organizers of the Chabre Open.

In it: Free Cross Country Magazine for Ozone Chabre Open pilots!

Maybe not such a dreary weekend after all.

Divide 'EN', Conquer

Limitations

One of the lessons I learned while on my paragliding pilgrimage last summer was that the statement, "I fly an EN-B wing because it is safe." frequently heralds the presence of a pilot who is courting a tree landing. This is in part because the pilot places too much emphasis on the rating of the wing, not realizing the limitations of the current rating system.

The rating system evaluates the characteristics of wings, with the majority of attention given to departure from normal flight. Collapses, spins, stalls are all evaluated by a test pilot and the results recorded. The most benign of behaviours are awarded an 'A', while increasingly energetic ones can see awards of up to 'D' or 'F' (failure). The key points to take away from these tests are:

1. To minimize atmospheric variations across different tests, the tests are done in calm air over a lake. This in no way reflects the conditions in which we may find ourselves (thermic, gusting, lee, etc).
2. Collapses are human initiated by pulling on lines. Collapses in real life are initiated by the air at the wing. 
3. The tests are human performed and the results are human judged. While the testers try to remain as objective as possible, subtle variations in pilot behaviour and observation can unknowingly influence the results. The test pilots do their best, but they are human.
4. The most important (in my mind and the reason for this blog post), these tests try to measure the outcome of a departure from normal flight. There is no real comprehensive measurement of behaviour prior to departure.

Simply put, there are limitations to what the current wing rating system can accomplish. Once we have an understanding of these limitations, we can determine how best to use the system as is and improve upon it for our own needs.

The dividing line

The wing rating system looks almost exclusively at the behaviour of the wing as it departs normal flight. What is normal flight? Normal flight is a loaded, inflated wing directly overhead and under the control of the pilot. Anything that violates these criteria can be considered a departure.

A collapse is one example.

A stall is another.

A spiral may or may not be - the wing is inflated, loaded, and overhead - but is it under the control of the pilot? What may be a welcome experience for the acro pilot may be completely overwhelming for the inexperienced (highlighting the need for continuing education after attainment of first license, see 'Right Pilot'). So, it depends.

So while the rating system deals reasonably well with what happens during and after the dividing line, before it is a different story. The characteristics of the wing before it departs normal flight plays a significant role in how often it will. If the wing is too demanding for the pilot given the conditions, departures could be frequent and overwhelming, even if recovery is quick and without incident.  The rating system may include pilot notes pertaining to the wing, but given that the test is performed in calm air over a lake, it is unlikely to include much commentary on the handing of the wing in thermic conditions. It is this behaviour that needs a standardized, simple to understand method of reporting, much akin to the wing rating system already in place.

Suitability

To cut to the chase, I would suggest splitting Suitability from Passive Safety.

Suitability would be derived from manufacturer data, but we cannot use the data outright
.
Why?

The current situation of manufacturer ratings is hit and miss, some indicate the type of pilot, some indicate if the wing is not suitable for students, others indicate the number of air hours.

 If we could standardize the manufacturer suitability data, we can make something approaching an apples to apples comparison.  What we need is the target pilot and the air hours per season to remain current on the wing.

So, a wing could come with a pair of standardized ratings -> One from the testing facility for passive safety (the wing rating as it currently stands) and a second from the manufacturer, clearly indicating the target pilot and air hours recommended per year to fly the wing.

Perhaps: (target pilot)-(hours/year) + (passive safety). For example:

School-10 EN A, Leisure-30 LTF B, Advanced-80 EN B, Advanced-100 EN C, etc, etc.

The School-10 EN A would be suitable for a pilot under instruction, a solo pilot pilot flying over 10 hours per year, and has a passive safety rating of EN A.

The Leisure-30 LTF B would be suited for a solo pilot flying over 30 hours per year and does not want the workload of the traditional sport wings. A possible second wing candidate.

The Advanced-80 EN B is meant for an experienced XC pilot who flies often and can manage a demanding wing but may not want to post departure behaviour of EN C.

The Advanced-100 EN C. If you are considering this, I can only hope you know what you are doing by this point.

The point of all of this?

Ultimately, the point of this proposed combined rating system is to divorce us from the idea that passive safety and suitability are one in the same. When we realize that a wing rating does not always reflect the workload we may face in the air under that wing, we begin to see the limitations of the current system. From there we can research further, hopefully finding the right wing to then combine with right conditions and pilot.

Happy Hunting.