From the Flight Deck

1. Mechanical

2. Convective

3. LLWS (Low Level Wind Shear)

4. Frontal

5. Orographic (Mountain Wave)

6. CAT (Clear Air Turbulence)

7. Wing tip vorticies

Well the forecast of LLWS pulled me out of my early morning "check in stupor." Ottawa's TAF (aviation forecast) said to expect a change in wind from light easterlies at the surface to a very strong southwesterly flow aloft. Visibility would also be low in fog and rain.

The flight from Toronto to Ottawa spans only 195 miles so the southwest flow of 100 knots tended to be a work out especially landing on 07.

The day before, when teaching weather to the new hires, I queried the class if they knew the six (not man made) different types of turbulence. Well, have you ever been in front of a group of people and have a "helmet fire?" You know where I'm going with this. :) Yes, Captain Doug couldn't remember "frontal" and "orographic" turbulence. Embarrassing.

Well on the legs from YYZ to YOW and back again we encountered convective turbulence in moderate showers, CAT with the jet stream aloft, LLWS on approach (we were ready for it so it tended to be a non event), frontal (wind shift) on the way back with a cold front passing through Southern Ontario and then a sometimes moderate bump from mechanical turbulence as strong northwesterly winds picked up behind the cold front.

Then it was down to Saint John's, Newfoundland where we transited a strong Northwesterly jet over Prince Edward Island at FL 370 giving light to moderate chop for 30 minutes. Captain Doug did his best explaining "why the bumps" with a P.A to the back.

Chiefs (chief pilots)

This pairing, I am flying with an ex chief pilot with Air Georgian. A pilot knocked at the flight deck door while readying for YOW's flight. (He was capitalizing on the jumpseat reciprical program). He was a chief pilot at First Air in YOW. He is from my home province, Nova Scotia. While standing in line at Tim Hortons in YOW ( I needed another coffee to counteract the early wake up) I met a friend who was an ex chief pilot at Air Nova. He is now chief pilot at NAV CANADA who calibrates the instrument approaches at Canadian airports plus a whole lot more.

We talked about one mutual friend who is chief pilot for a phone company in Nova Scotia. The NAV CANADA chief pilot just hired another ex Jazz chief pilot who recently worked for Emirates. (Apparently things aren't as rosy for some in the sandbox of Dubai). Incidentally, Air Canada has no chief pilots but flight managers. Is there words of wisdom here? Yes, the aviation industry is a very tight group and "be nice to the people going up the ladder because they may be the same people you see going down the ladder." :)

Off to sunny and warm Orlando tomorrow. :)

This is an Airbus ND (Nav display) If you look at the top left corner it states GS 602.

Looks like my blog counter " no workie." Never did like it because it was extremely slow to log into. Anyone out there know of a good "counter?"

Last Monday I received one of those calls…the ones which come at a funny time of day and it starts by a low deep voice, asking for you by name.

On the other end was a lawyer to a friend of the family. The friend was found dead in his house earlier that day and I am the executor to his Will. If anyone out there has been an executor you know full well what I’ve gone through in the past week.

Funeral arrangements, contacting family members, and the part I had a hard time with… sifting through 80 years of a man’s life.

For many elderly people living alone, they are frequently found passed away several days later. That’s what my brother a police officer for Metro Toronto averred. And this was the case here.

Another task of an executor is to ready the house to sell. So far I’ve filled three large containers of personal belongings. Every time I took a garbage can to the dumpster the clanging of the debris made me think, “there goes another part of his life.”

Three Ps

So Doug the Pilot, my bother the Police officer and my other brother, a Parts manager, are all part of the will.

You’re probably asking what does this have to do with flying.? (Well my last post tied hockey to flying so keep reading).

This event sure made me think just how Precious life is and not to go through life being Petty.

This week I’ve learned such terms as Probate, Power of Attorney, Pension and estate Payouts. The estate lawyer even joked by saying, “Doug it’s much easier flying your plane in your short sleeve shirts than dealing with this.” I concur.

Speaking of short sleeve shirts...

Pathetic. That’s how one pilot described my writing for enRoute. He took a disliking to how I answered this question.

Q: I’ve noticed that Pilots usually wear short-sleeve shirts. Is there a reason for this? 


At Air Canada, it’s based on Preference, and for me, I find a short-sleeve shirt more comfortable. Plus, it’s a lot easier to iron! A small Percentage of Pilots Prefer long-sleeve shirts; some switch to long sleeves during the winter months. No matter what, all shirts come with shoulder straps to sport a three-stripe (first officer) or four-stripe (captain) gold-embroidered epaulette. Also, we have a small Pouch in the chest Pocket for a Pen.

He deemed I treated our Profession unProfessional because I inferred pilots can’t iron. Yes, I’m talking about the Piranhas on a Particular forum. I would call this guy a Pr...ck, but I will rise above.

Yesterday I buried the elderly gentleman. Only a handful of People showed. Funny, one arrives in this world with nothing and you leave with nothing. In between, Plan, Prioritize but most importantly Play. Make sure you give it a good run around the track of life.

Last year a Pilot biked across Canada in recognition of a fellow Pilot (he continues to Persevere) stricken with cancer. I bought the Painting on line to Promote the cause. On the Painting it is written:

Our Death is not an end if we can live in our children and the younger generation, For they are us, our bodies are only wilted leaves on the tree of life.

Unfortunately for this man, most of his life ended up in a dumpster.

Sadly, I received an email yesterday stating another fellow pilot died of cancer at the age of 46.

************************************************************

Procrastinating. This is what I’m doing because I have a PowerPoint Presentation for our new hire pilots on Monday.

Tomorrow I have a Probus Presentation.

Tomorrow night I meet with Priority Passengers, our "elite and super elite" Passengers.

Profound, Provocative and Party.

Sorry for such a deep topic. It's time to Press on. So tonight, I will be Partaking by hoisting one in the celebration of life!

Some lucky A320 crew had quite the visitor...Victoria Beckham. No, it wasn't me and yes I'm jealous. I know one thing... most of my F/Os would prefer to look at her than me. :)

A small cloud forms at the root of the wing because of the low pressure over the wing and when there is a bit of moisture present.

Lots of questions coming in behind the scenes so I thought I would post a few:

From Dan in Halifax

There's a Walt Whitman poem that figures prominently in the 1986 film, Dead Poets Society:

O Captain My Captain

...a classic

Dan. I decided to start another post. As you know this poem is a metaphor of Abraham Lincoln's death and the end of the civil war. The captain being Lincoln and the ship - the United States.

I saw the movie, Dead Poet Society starring Robin Williams. I don't watch many movies but this one is my top five. The gist of the movie for me was don't watch the world go by from the standard point of view....switch the seating around, change the batting order and take up the challenge!

I would tell you another connotation (it's associated with a joke) to this title...O Captain My Captain...but it would steal the main intent...ahem..... :)

Dan. Your posts sure come my way with deep thought! You're a thinker!

O Captain my Captain Doug :)

O Captain my Captain! our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won;
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:

But O heart! heart! heart!

O the bleeding drops of red,

Where on the deck my Captain lies,

Fallen cold and dead.

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills;
For you bouquets and ribboned wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding;
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;

Here Captain! dear father!

This arm beneath your head;

It is some dream that on the deck,

You’ve fallen cold and dead.

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;
The ship is anchored safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;

Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!

But I, with mournful tread,

Walk the deck my Captain lies,

Fallen cold and dead.