a pilot's journal

2021-01-13T08:14:00.002-08:00

I am pleased to announce, that I have published a short story. It is one that I started one day on a layover during one of my airline trips. It's been a work in progress for a long time now.

It can be read on Kindle as an E book.

Here is the link:

https://www.amazon.com/Vanishing-Points-Nelson-Rosado-ebook/dp/B08R6CKKK6/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=nelson+rosado&qid=1610554175&s=amazon-devices&sr=1-1

Retirement from the Airlines

2018-03-24T13:35:00.030-07:00

I flew my last "Part 121" flight on February 26, 2018. Part 121 refers to the Federal Aviation Administration's category of "Scheduled Airline Transportation." I have been at it for nineteen years. Though I never really kept track of these numbers, I sat down and came up with a rough estimate of them based on known averages.
I have accumulated over 15,000 hours of flight time in my career, including my time as a Naval Aviator. Of that time, I estimate that 11,000 hours were part 121 flying (airlines).
I estimate that I flew about 390,000 passengers over 7,600 flights. Each of those flights arrived at their destination (or alternate, because sometimes, you just can't get there!) safely.
I have absolutely loved it and am ready for my next challenges.

I shall miss the people most. The flying was fun, but as most airline pilots will tell you, it often is work. Certainly there were many moments of shear joy. If you don't experience that in this business, you shouldn't be doing it. Don't get me wrong, I love to fly. All pilots do. We just want to do it when and where we feel like it! So I am off to my next adventure.

I have accepted a job with Flight Safety International in Savannah, Georgia. I love Savannah and have done many layovers there. It has a small town feel, but lots of exciting things to do. I will be a Pilot Instructor in the Gulfstream. I have always wanted to fly a Gulfstream, so here's my opportunity, virtually anyway! Home every night. No weather delays and I love instructing.

Flying on a US Airline is safer than Riding Amtrak

2018-01-29T14:34:00.000-08:00

An aerial shot captures the train derailment in Washington State, Dec 18, 2017, Photo by KOMO/ABC News

As an airline pilot, I am often asked what the most dangerous situation I have ever been in was. My answer is always, "My drive to the airport." They are amused by that, but then stop to think about it and realize that it is true. It is a statistical fact: You are more likely to be involved in an accident with possible injury or death on a U. S. Highway than you are flying on a U. S. Airline. Now I can add, "Riding on Amtrak."

I have been shocked by the recent spate of accidents involving Amtrak. In the last five years, eleven passengers died in accidents (usually derailments) on Amtrak trains. Over 267 passengers were injured. These numbers do not count people killed or injured who were not onboard (drivers and passengers of vehicles hit in railroad crossings or on tracks). The last time anyone died on a U.S.-certificated scheduled airline was Feb. 12, 2009, when Colgan Air Flight 3407, operating as a Continental Connection flight between Continental’s hub at Newark, N.J. and Buffal0, N.Y, went into an aerodynamic stall short of the runway at Buffalo. It fell to the ground in Clarence Center, N.Y., All 49 people onboard, plus one person on the ground, died in the crash. Since that crash, remarkable changes were made to aircrew rest requirements and training oversight, not to mention new hire flight time requirements (which have only exacerbated an already acute pilot shortage, and has been of questionable benefit to safety, but that is another article). That is NINE years without a single passenger fatality caused by an aircraft crash! I don't have the total number of flights that have been flown since then, nor the numbers of passengers transported, but I can only guess that it is in the millions. I am always surprised by people, who in defiance of logic, fact, and statistics tell me of their "fear of flying." Personally, I would be more prone to a "fear of railing!"

The deadliest Amtrak derailments involved excessive speed: 106 mph in a 50 mph zone (May 12, 2015, in Pennsylvania) and 80 mph in a 30 mph zone (December 18, 2017, in Washington State). NTSB reported from the PA accident that the conductor was "distracted" and "lost track of where he was." The derailment in Washington is still under investigation. In the Northeastern corridor, Amtrak has implemented "positive train control," or PTC, a safety technology that, among other things, is designed to automatically slow trains that are traveling too fast, according to the NTSB. Apparently, this technology was not in place in Washington State. Technology to improve safety is great. No expense should be spared to make transportation safer. In passenger aviation, there are constant improvements to technology that improve or enhance safety. They are always welcome, but the bottom line in aviation safety and the best device to ensure a safe and uneventful flight are well-trained pilots and a strong safety culture.

I have never been a train engineer. I am certain that most of Amtrak's operators do their best to ensure the safety of passengers. Most trains successfully and safely transport passengers on the assigned routes, but like the Buffalo crash, it only takes one to taint the entire industry. To make matters appear worse, this is ONE company, not like the airlines with its many carriers certified by the FAA to operate under part 121 (scheduled airline transport). That, to me, speaks volumes.

I write this from an airline pilot's perspective. Safety begins with leadership. Leadership nurtures the corporate culture. The culture is reflected by the actions of the employees. As a Naval Aviator prior to my airline career, and as an airline pilot, I have seen first hand what good leadership can accomplish in terms of safety. It has to be a priority. There have to be consequences for failure. Unsafe practices have to be reported, especially self-reported without fear of retribution or punishment unless it was an intentional act. We all make mistakes. The key is to find a way not to repeat them and to implement fixes, either in policy or hardware that prevents them from occurring again. Airline pilots have very specific procedures in place that have been "written in blood." Lessons learned from previous accidents are quickly implemented into what we do. An example of this is after the Comair crash in Lexington, KY when a CRJ200 took off from the wrong runway that was too short for them to become airborne, pilots now perform a verbal "runway verification" procedure. Even if there is only one runway, with no chance of being on the incorrect one, we still do that. It is ingrained in our process. The changes I mentioned above to crew rest policy were a direct result of discoveries made after the Buffalo crash.

Yet, here is Amtrak, repeating the same mistakes and costing the lives of passengers and millions of dollars in damage. Again, I don't presume to know anything about operating trains. I always thought it would be a cool job, kind of like being an airline pilot. I write this not to upset or anger any of the many hard-working Amtrack employees, but I have to wonder as a trained Naval Aviation Safety Officer, and a graduate of several civilian safety courses, why does this happen?

I know that the PTC technology will eventually be implemented throughout Amtrak's system. It is already in place within Union Pacific, the largest U.S railroad based on revenue. According to the Wall Street Journal (Jan 9, 2018) they are struggling with the new tech and are working the bugs out. Apparently, it will make a train stop when it is not supposed to. Meanwhile, there is off-the-shelf technology that can help. A GPS enabled tablet that follows the train on a moving map can alert an operator that he or she is approaching a slow speed area and flash a warning to alert the operator to slow down. These areas can be highlighted and marked on the map of the railway system. Pricey, but still cheaper than the PTC system and a good interim measure as well as a back up to the PTC. It would also greatly improve "situational awareness," something that we, as pilots frequently emphasize and rely upon to keep us out of trouble.

In the meantime, however, how about a culture change? How about procedural changes? What about oversight, reporting? What about good strong leadership? Again, this is written from an airline pilot's perspective, albeit a frustrated one as I read about these literal trainwrecks and how utterly preventable they were.

Congress should address the critical pilot shortage

2017-07-27T06:40:00.000-07:00

Congress should address the critical pilot shortage | TheHill:

I have addressed this issue (pilot shortage) on my blog before just after Congress passed the legislation that increased the number of flight hours required in order to become an airline pilot. The proposal mentioned in "The Hill" article in the hyperlink above, addresses allowing certain simulator training time to count towards the total time required for flying for an airline. Though not necessarily cheaper (depending on the quality of the simulator and the aircraft it replicates), simulators are excellent training devices and should absolutely be included in the flight time for commercial pilot aspirants.

I say this as I complete my mandatory annual simulator training and ground school. Every year, every airline pilot must complete refresher training. We don't necessarily want to do it as it forces us out of the cockpit and into a classroom and simulator, not to mention having to study and brush up on things. But I ALWAYS walk away from this training smarter and better prepared.

I have been an aviator for a very long time (thirty-five years to be precise). I have flown in the military and as a commercial airline pilot. One thing that I have become aware of, is how quickly things can go wrong. The very worst things I have seen have all been in a simulator. The outcome was never in doubt; I would go home after the session. I would go home wiser and better prepared for many things that can actually go wrong, but fortunately, rarely occur when out flying the line (that's pilot speak for actually flying passengers).

We need smarter pilots, not just pilots building time towing banners, flight instructing (though instructing is an excellent way to build time, students are always trying to kill you!) or simply droning around in the sky. Simulators these days are amazingly realistic and can replicate things that we hope we never see. Most of them include full motion, HD graphics and can replicate any airport and scenario.

Most of us (commercial airline pilots) have a love/hate relationship with "sims." The sim can humiliate you very quickly. Pilots are a tad cocky. Humility is a good thing and keeps everything in perspective. I jokingly call the simulator the "Humiliator," but over the years I have learned to embrace it and I always walk away from a "Humiliator" session a wiser and better pilot. I am always learning, even at my age, because when you stop learning, you essentially stop living. As a pilot, that can be literal as well as virtual. Trust me, there were times when I virtually stopped living in the simulator when the screen turned red, indicating a crash. Fortunately, in the sim, I had plenty of extra "lives."

Normandy, Day Seven & Eight. Caen, Driving back to Paris and wrapping up the Trip

2016-12-19T12:46:00.000-08:00

Sunday Morning Farmer's Market and Paris Halloween

After our tour of Le Mont Saint Michel on Saturday afternoon, we walked back to our car which was parked almost three miles away. Le Mont Saint Michel was jam packed and frankly, we were glad to "check it off" the list and get out of there. It was so crowded and indeed a tourist trap, but an amazing thing to see nevertheless. We were tired and hungry but chose not to dine there, instead opting to drive to our next overnight location, Caen.

Battle map of Caen depicting Allied
Frontlines

Caen is on the eastern edge of the Normandy Invasion Battlefront and is the capital of northern France's Lower Normandy region. Its city center features the Château de Caen, a circa-1060 castle built by William the Conqueror. It stands on a hill flanked by the Romanesque abbeys of Saint-Étienne and Sainte-Trinité, which date from the same period. Caen was an objective for the 3rd British Infantry Division and remained the focal point for a series of battles throughout June, July and into August. The battle did not go as planned for the Allies, instead it dragg on for two months.

The old city of Caen—with many buildings dating back to the Middle Ages—was destroyed by Allied bombing and the fighting. The reconstruction of Caen lasted until 1962; today, little of the pre-war city remains.

We stayed in a "normal" holiday-inn-like hotel, happy to relax after such a busy day. After checking in, we drove into the town center for dinner and found a Basque restaurant that was fantastic.

Trick or Treaters in Paris Bar

The next morning, Sunday we drove back into town and were amazed at the beehive of activity on a Sunday morning. A farmer's market with several hundred vendor stalls was set up along the waterfront. It was crowded and the food, produce, meats, cheeses for sale were so amazing to behold. We grabbed a crepe breakfast and meandered through the vast market admiring the delicious offerings. Much of the town is new due to the rebuild after the destruction caused by the war but the castle of William the Conquerer remains as well as several cathedrals. We walked around them and got a good feel for the town before heading back to Paris in the early afternoon.

In Paris, we returned our rental car and hung out at our accommodations there. We actually found an Irish pub that aired American Football and spent Sunday evening cheering on our team.

The next day, Halloween, we actually saw costumes and trick or treaters in the bar we were at! They were costumed children escorted by their costumed parents. The bartender gave them candy treats and off they went, presumably to another bar that celebrated Halloween.

Lamb Chops at our Basque Restaurant

Grouper with a Chorizo Crust

Having Coffee after touring the market

There must have been 50 different types of potatoes!

The array of cheeses and Charcuteries were impressive

There were thousands of people shopping that morning

The weekly Farmer's Market in Caen

A Castle tower that survived the

The next day we left for home on an afternoon flight, arriving around 8 pm EST. Joseph and I left with wonderful experiences and a greater appreciation for the men who participated in the D-Day invasion. I also thoroughly enjoyed the people I met in Normandy and can say with all sincerity, that they STILL appreciate what the Americans (and the Allies) did in those days. For me, it is something that I will never forget and to have been able to do it with my son, made it even more special and memorable to me.

Normandy, Day Six. Sainte-Mère-Église, Utah Beach, Le Mont Saint Michel

2016-12-16T06:58:00.001-08:00

Joseph and I checked out of our Air B&B Saturday morning and left Bayeux, our home for the past three days. I really love this town and would love to come back some day soon. We headed out to continue our Normandy Battle site tour with our first stop, Sainte-Mère-Église. Located on the western "shoulder" of the Normandy invasion beaches and just west of Utah beach, Sainte-Mere-Eglise was a critical crossroads to hold to prevent the Germans from re-enforcing the defenders at Utah Beach. Notably, it was one of the first towns liberated. The American 82nd Airborne literally landed in the middle of the town (some of them anyway) and many of them were killed and/or captured. The paratroopers who landed outside of the town were able to capture the town and liberate as early as 6 am. There is a very good museum in Sainte-Mere-Eglise dedicated to the Airborne aspect of the Normandy Battle. A dummy paratrooper is still suspended from the church next to the town square recreating the unlucky (or lucky since he survived) paratrooper who landed on the church and had his parachute snag on a spire. He remained there until captured, and was later liberated by his comrades after the took the town. It is a fantastic museum and the town is very welcoming to tourists.

Mannequin depicting the paratrooper who got stranded on the church

After touring the museum, we set out for Utah Beach. The Americans landing here, had it a bit easier than the ones landing at Omaha. Fewer, less skilled defenders resulted in fewer casualties for the GIs. Utah Beach actually stretches north-south as opposed to east-west like the other beaches and is the southeastern part of the Cotentin Peninsula, which the Allies wanted to cut off and eventually capture Cherbourg, a deep water port to further advance the war effort. There is also a museum there which we opted not to tour (we were pretty "museum'ed out" by then). There are some great monuments there and a fairly new memorial dedicated to the U S Navy. The Navy had nothing recognizing its part in the invasion, so this memorial was erected and dedicated in September 2008.

From there we took a much longer trip to see Le Mont Saint Michel. We were warned by the locals in Bayeux to avoid it, since it is such a tourist trap, but I have always wanted to see it so we "bit the bullet" and went. It is a magnificent thing to behold, an island town dating to the 8th century. Its population is listed as 44, but there were literally thousands of people there that day, a Saturday and was very crowded as we made our way through the narrow walkways. You can learn more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont_Saint-Michel.

View from Mont Saint Michel

It was a very long walk, but we and several thousand people were
enjoying Le Mont Saint Michel

Le Mont Saint Michel

Exhausted and hungry, we then drove to Caen, our last stop on the tour to enjoy a dinner a get some well-earned sleep.
More about Caen in my next post.

The View as you prepare to "step out of the
transport plane to "jump" into battle.
These were miniatures under plexiglass to convey what the
paratroopers saw as they were about to jump

Inside a mock-up of a C-41, with paratroopers, As you step out the back,
there is a miniature of the area beneath plexiglass coupled with the sounds
of the aircraft and the battle to give you a sense of what it might
have been like. Very good exhibit

The paratroopers caught the Germans by surprise that night, aome landing
in the middle off the town square.

Landing craft used for the invasion and statues depicting the soldiers

The Navy Memorial at Utah beach dedicated in 2008

Normandy, Side Note

2016-12-13T10:04:00.000-08:00

Calvados, Craft Beer, and French Wine

Michel Peron, the enthusiastic owner of Au Fin Goussier

Most people know about French wine. The French have a couple of thousand years of experience growing grapes and making wine. There are lots of areas in France that grow grapes for wine and many different regions. In France, wines and brandies (which is distilled wine) are named after the regions and that they come from. It is in this spirit (pun intended), that I write this blog installment, which does not encompass a day of the journey, but is rather a side entry about one of the many wonderful aspects of France.

As Joseph and I walked through the ancient streets of Bayeux, we happened across Au Fin Goussier, a wine shop owned and enthusiastically run by Michel Peron. Here are links:

https://www.facebook.com/Au-Fin-Gousier-593030540744597/?ref=page_internal

http://www.aufingousier.fr/

If there was such a thing as a Ph.D. in aromas, Michel would absolutely have one. He is so knowledgeable about each region and his selection of wines is vast. We made his shop a regular stop during our short time in Bayeux. He also had local craft beers, which was our initial attraction to his "Cave a Vin" or wine cellar. We certainly sampled those, but we also took advantage of his offer to a wine tasting. Michel has individual maps of each wine region and can show you where the grapes were grown and the differences between the wines from the different regions. He gave us a restaurant recommendation, to a place that he supplies the wines to, and it was excellent. We paired our meal with the wine we preferred in our tasting with Michel. Incidentally, everything was reasonably priced also.

Our other discovery was Calvados, the apple brandy made in Normandy; specifically the Calvados region, which is where the bulk of the fighting in the Battle of Normandy occurred. Many a GI discovered this brandy as well during their fighting across Normandy. Needless to say, they availed themselves whenever they found it in cellars and there were many instances of "happy" GIs amidst the campaign (I know, hard to believe, right?).

Don't let the term "Apple Brandy" throw you off. It is not sweet but has a delightful bouquet of apple and is a strong brandy that varies in smoothness with age. The older, the smoother (pricier). You can get Calvados in the USA, many wine and liquor stores carry it. Give it a try! It really is unique and a nice change from other Brandies.

Michel, showing the region where the wine we were tasting came from
He has dozens of these maps, all of them particular regions in Fran

Calvados, the apple brandy from the Calvados region of Normandy. Craft, local beers (above) from various areas of Normandy.

Normandy, Day Five. Bayeux, The Tapestry, Ancient and Modern History

2016-12-09T09:25:00.000-08:00

Section of the Bayeux Tapestry

This was the day that we didn't drive anywhere. Bayeux is an amazing town full of its own wonders, museums, sights, great shops, and restaurants. We started with a tour of the famous Tapestry that depicts the events of the year 1066: The lead up to and the Battle of Hastings which resulted in the Norman Conquest of England. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this, it is a fascinating chapter and a pivotal point in history which had a profound and lasting impact upon England. I won't bore you with details, but if you would like to learn more, here is a great link:

https://www.britannica.com/event/Norman-Conquest Also, here is a link to information about the Tapestry, which is a fascinating piece of antiquity; an embroidered cloth nearly 70 meters long and 50 centimeters tall: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayeux_Tapestry After touring the tapestry with a headset and narration, we walked to the Memorial Museum of the Battle Of Normandy. It is a comprehensive display of vehicles, weapons, tactics and regalia used by both the Germans and the Allies. It is one of many museums in Normandy but by far one of the best. We then took a short walk to the European Cemetery, another somber and beautiful place honoring the dead on the European allied side (Canadians were buried there also). In total, the cemetery contains 4,648 burials.

Bayeux was one of our favorite places and we are so happy that we stayed there the longest and made it our "base of operations," for our tour of Normandy.

Museum of the Battle of Normandy, Bayeux, France

Allied Uniform Display

Weapons display

A German Artillery Piece

German Uniform display

Allied Self-propelled artillery

Typical Mounted Norman Cavalryman
Museum of the Tapestry

The Normans were Descendents of Vikings or "Northman" who settled
on the coast, hence the name "Normandy." The ships used in the
invasion of England were very much like the Viking longboats.

German self-propelled anti-tank weapon

A Norman foot soldier

The Battle of Normandy Museum, Bayeux, France

The Bayeux Memorial was erected in white stone facing the cemetery. The Latin epitaph along the frieze of the memorial is reference to William the Conqueror and the Invasion of England in 1066. The translation reads: “We, once conquered by William, have now set free the Conqueror’s native land.”

Poppy flower wreaths

Royal Canadian Air Force Pilot's grave

Crew members who died in Aircraft shot down were buried side by side

A Polish soldier's grave

Normandy, Day Four, Walking in the Shadows of Sacrifice

2016-12-06T19:57:00.001-08:00

Omaha Beach, The American Cemetery, Pointe Du Hoc

After settling into our accommodations in Bayeux, we toured the town center, easily walking everywhere and discovering our some locally brewed beers at a great Wine shop run by Michel Peron (more on that later). The Next morning we set off for Omaha Beach encountering the Overlord Museum along the way. Another great museum displaying equipment, relics and more from the Battle of Normandy.

Overlord Museum near Omaha beach
Tanks used in the Battle, depiction of
a Higgins Boat, (landing craft)
evacuating wounded from Omaha Beach.

From the museum, we drove to Colleville-sur-Mer to experience the American Cemetery. It is an extraordinary place. Most of you are familiar with it, having seen it in films and documentaries, but to be there in person is a truly spiritual experience. Over one million people visit the cemetery each year. It is 172.5 acres of meticulously maintained grounds honoring the remains of 9,387 American dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day invasion and ensuing operations to take Normandy. The majority of the visitors there that day were Europeans, many French with a handful of Americans. All of them reverent and respectful. The French, despite what you may have heard, are still very appreciative of the sacrifice the Americans made to free them from tyranny.

The American Cemetery At Colleville-Sur-Mer
Just above Omaha Beach

It was a beautiful and moving experience for Joseph and me. It is unfortunate that everyone cannot come here and sense what we felt.

Omaha Beach Memorial & sculpture

Pointe-Du-Hoc

From there we headed east along the coast to the Omaha Beach Memorial. As we drove towards the shore, we saw an old concrete bunker and stopped. After that we drove along the length of Omaha Beach, stopping at the memorial. To see the challenges the invaders faced just in the topography alone-vast stretches of exposed beach at low tide- then add in the defenders and the weapons, is simply awe-inspiring. From there we headed to Pointe-Du-Hoc, site of the famous Ranger assault. Pointe du Hoc is a promontory with a 100 ft cliff overlooking the English Channel. It was the highest point between Utah Beach to the west and Omaha Beach to the east. It is still pock-marked with bomb craters due to the

Les Braves sculpture. Read more about this interesting
sculpture at the link below

http://www.rotblattamrany.com/les-braves-memorial-of-omaha-beach

extensive bombing that occurred before the invasion. Again, so awe inspiring to peer down and see what the Rangers faced in their climb and assault. You can read more about it at the link provided below. It had been a cloudy day until we got to Omaha Beach and Pointe Du Hoc. The sun shined brilliantly on that crisp fall day. It was calm, beautiful and peaceful on the cliffs. The concrete bunkers, eerily echoing the voices of the tourists walking inside of them. A scenic overlook, and another reminder of the sacrifices made over 72 years ago.

Read more about Pointe Du Hoc and the Ranger assault:

https://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/pointe-du-hoc-ranger-monument#.WEeAHPnx7IU

Omaha Beach Memorial

Normandy Battle Fields- Day Three (continuation)

2016-12-05T06:28:00.000-08:00

After our stay in idyllic Honfleur, we headed west, driving through Deauville, hugging the coast until reaching the Orne River. This was the western boundary of the Normandy invasion. Following the Orne south, we came upon the Pegasus Bridge, the site of the British Airborne Glider assault that secured the eastern flank and helped to ensure that Sword Beach was not reinforced while the British, Canadians, Free French forces and others landed. There is a great museum here and the actual bridge has been preserved as part of the exhibit (there is a new bridge over the Orne). The bridge was renamed "Pegasus" after the British Sixth Airborne Division's patch, which depicts the winged horse of legend. You can follow our trip by referencing the map below.

A glider that was used in the assault

A model of the bridge depicting

We immediately stopped to tour the museum. We were very excited. Now our tour of the Normandy battle sites had officially begun! We spent about two hours here, then proceeded to parallel Sword Beach heading towards Bayeux. Bayeux is a town on the Aure river in Normandy, 10 kilometers from the Channel coast. Its medieval center contains cobbled streets, half-timbered houses and the towering, Norman-Gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame. The famed Tapisserie de Bayeux, on display in an 18th-century seminary, is a 68 meter long, 11th-century tapestry depicting the 1066 Norman invasion of England. We would go see that later. We found an awesome place right in the middle of town, complete with a parking spot (very important) again, using Air B&B. We could see the Cathedral from our window. This would be our "Base of operations" for the next three days.

The Cathedral in Bayeux

Bayeux was untouched by the fighting during the battle of Normandy as it was not a strategic town. The towns most damaged and nearly completely destroyed were Caen on the eastern and Saint-Lo on the western edge of the Normandy Battlefront.

View from our B&B

Normandy coast depicting invasion beaches and strategic towns. We started our driving tour in Honfleur, proceeded west to Utah Beach, Ste-Mere-Eglise with a side trip to Le Mont Ste Michel.

Scene from Bayeux, and the actual Pegasus Bridge that once crossed the Orne River

Normandy, France via Paris and Honfleur Days One through three

2016-12-03T20:39:00.001-08:00

As a history buff, particularly of military history, I have always had a fascination with the events surrounding Operation Neptune, the Normandy landings which were the beginning of Operation Overlord, the invasion of, and battle for Normandy. Going there has always been on my bucket list. This October, I finally had the opportunity to go and see some of the historical sites myself. I had the further honor of going with my son, Joseph, who is an active duty Naval officer and Naval Aviator. He came to Atlanta from Washington, D.C. where he is
currently stationed. I met him at the airport on Saturday, Oct 22 where we were able to get on the 3:30 pm departure to Paris (CDG). After arriving early Sunday morning in CDG, we took the train into Paris and walked to our accommodations. We spent Sunday and Monday in Paris, taking in the sites, going to the top of the Eiffel Tower and thoroughly enjoying the Musée de l'Armée, the military museum of France with its collections of weapons and uniforms tracing French military conflicts, plus Napoleon's gilded tomb. This is an amazing museum. I have never seen so many suits of armor in all sizes, shapes, and designs. It is truly worth a visit.

Suits of Armor on display at the Musée de l'Armée

On Tuesday we rented a car and set off for Normandy. It's an easy two-hour drive on limited access highways with tolls. Our first stop was Honfleur, a small town in northern France's Lower Normandy region, sited on the estuary where the Seine river meets the English Channel. Its Vieux-Bassin (old harbor), lined with 16th- to 18th-century townhouses, has been a subject for artists including Claude Monet and native son Eugène Boudin. Nearby Saint Catherine's Church is a vaulted wooden structure erected by shipbuilders beginning in the mid-1400s. We were able to find a place with a balcony overlooking the old harbor using Air B&B. This is the eastern part of the Normandy battlefront and Honfluer was untouched by the conflict. It is almost like being in a Monet painting, the town is so picturesque. We spent the night there enjoying the sights, and a delicious meal ( I had sole Meuniere) before setting out the next day. We drove along the coast and avoided the highway, enjoying the beautiful Normandy countryside aglow in all of its Autumn glory.

Enjoying Cidre

Le Vieux-Bassin in Honfleur

Our balcony view

Ever Wonder How Airports Got Their Names and Three Letter ID's? ORD, O'hare International Airport....Two Stories

2016-02-26T16:23:00.000-08:00

O'Hare was constructed in 1942–43 as part of a manufacturing plant for Douglas C-54s during World War II. The site was chosen for its proximity to the city and transportation. The two million square foot (180,000 m²) factory needed easy access to the workforce of the nation's then-second-largest city, as well as its extensive railroad infrastructure. Orchard Place was a small nearby farming community.

Douglas Company's contract ended in 1945 and though plans were proposed to build commercial aircraft, the company ultimately chose to concentrate production on the west coast. With the departure of Douglas; the airfield took the name of Orchard Field Airport, the source of its three-letter code ORD. In 1945, Orchard Field was chosen by the city of Chicago as the site for a facility to meet future aviation demands. In 1949, the airport was renamed "O'Hare International Airport" to honor Edward O'Hare, the U.S. Navy's first flying ace and Medal of Honor recipient in World War II. Its code, "ORD", remained unchanged, however, resulting in O'Hare being one of the rare instances of an airport's three-letter designation bearing no connection to the airport's current name or metropolitan area (with other rare instances including Orlando International Airport's IATA code "MCO" (the former McChord Air Force Base) or Toronto Pearson International Airport's IATA code of "YYZ").

The following is reprinted from soundfaith.com

STORY NUMBER ONE

Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn’t famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder. Capone had a lawyer nicknamed “Easy Eddie.” He was his lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie’s skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time. To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but Eddie got special dividends. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block. Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him. Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had the best of everything: clothes, cars and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object. And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong.
Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn’t give his son; that he couldn’t pass on a good name and a good example. One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done. He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al “Scarface” Capone, clean up his tarnished name and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. So, he testified. Within the year, Easy Eddie’s life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago Street. But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he would ever pay.

STORY NUMBER TWO

World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O’Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific. Butch O’Hare demonstrated in real life, and when it counted most, the fighting skills he had mastered. The carrier Lexington had been assigned the dangerous task of penetrating enemy-held waters north of New Ireland. From there her planes were to make a strike at Japanese shipping in the harbor at Rabaul. Nine Japanese bombers were reported on the way to the Lexington. Six Wildcats, one of them piloted by Butch O’Hare, roared off the Lexington’s deck to stop them. O’Hare and his wingman spotted the V formation of bombers first and dived to try to head them off. The other F4F pilots were too far away to reach most of the enemy planes before they released their bombs. As if this weren’t bad enough, O’Hare’s wingman discovered his guns were jammed. He was forced to turn away. Butch O’Hare stood alone between the Lexington and the bombers. O’Hare didn’t hesitate. Full throttle, he roared into the enemy formation. While tracers from the concentrated fire of the nine bombers streaked around him, he took careful aim at the starboard engine of the last plane in the V and squeezed his trigger. Slugs from the Wildcats six .50-caliber guns ripped into the Japanese bomber’s wing and the engine literally jumped out of its mountings. The bomber spun crazily toward the sea as O’Hare’s guns tore up another enemy plane. Then he ducked to the other side of the formation and smashed the port engine of the last Japanese plane there. One by one he attacked the oncoming bombers until five had been downed. Commander Thach later reported that at one point he saw three of the bombers falling in flames at the same time. By now Thach and the other pilots had joined the fight. This was lucky because O’Hare was out of ammunition. The Wildcats took care of several more bombers and Lexington managed to evade the few bombs that were released. It was an amazing example of daring and shooting skill. Afterward Thach figured out that Butch O’Hare had used only sixty rounds of ammunition for each plane he destroyed. He had probably saved his ship.
This took place on February 20, 1942, and for that action Butch became the Navy’s first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O’Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man. So the next time you find yourself at O’Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch’s memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It’s located between Terminals 1 and 2.

SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?

Butch O’Hare was Easy Eddie’s son.

IPads, Surface Tablets and other electronic devices for PILOTS!

2015-05-03T12:33:00.001-07:00

Last week you may have read an account of American Airlines flights being delayed because of a flaw with the pilots' I pads. This may have raised a question in the minds of many non-pilots and airline travelers. "What the heck are pilots doing with I pads?"

In short; saving fuel, being more effective, safer and healthier, that's what. Since I have been flying, carrying "pubs" with you has been automatic. Sometimes it's a lot of publications, sometimes it's just a few. Lately, my "flight bag" has become enormous because of all of the airports we fly into, and that's just in North America! There have been on the job back injuries as a result of hefting these bags into the cockpits.

An example of the sometimes over 40 lbs of paper publications that we are required to carry with us on every flight! Compare that to the I pad.

Moreover, the weight of these bags translates directly into more fuel expended. Then there are the dreaded multiple updates that take up hours of our time, ripping out old pages and inserting new ones in. Sometimes in the course of doing this, we can inadvertently tear out a good page, fail to insert the new one and find ourselves without the proper document when we need it (not to mention carrying around "hole reinforcements" to stick over the torn and worn out holes in the pages. Flipping pages to get to the proper chart when in the course of flying is not the easiest thing to do either.

American airlines was the first to make the switch to what we call EFB's (electronic flight bags). In 2013, they became the first major commercial airline to use tablets in all cockpits, replacing the bulky, 35-pound plus stacks of paper reference materials and manuals that pilots normally wheeled around airports and into cockpits.

We use an FAA app developed by Jeppesen (the same company that prints the paper charts) that contains terminal maps and other information used in flight planning. My company has been working on this and promising this for us for over six years. Finally, this summer, we will begin using them and replacing our bulky, trashed flight bags and be able to instantly update the pubs and charts, not to mention save fuel and our backs.
Why did it take so long? Well, the FAA (need I say more) has to approve the device and how it is to be used. They have to be tested and then procured. The mounting devices are another issue altogether. Our company initially started testing I pads, then switched to Surface tablets because of a better perceived functionality. That process re-set the whole evaluation and approval process. The most recent delay is now from the manufacturer, who cannot meet our timeline. The distribution has been pushed back from May to July.

Needless to say, I cannot wait for these tablets to arrive. My back will appreciate it,

Below I have several links that address the specific issue with American Airlines' problems. It is minor, and was fixed immediately. Frankly, there are so many other issues that can delay flights that this is really a non problem and we pilots welcome the transition to tablets and paperless flying.

http://recode.net/2015/04/28/apple-ipad-app-glitch-issue-causes-american-airlines-flight-delays/
http://recode.net/2015/04/29/american-airlines-identifies-ipad-app-glitch-that-caused-flight-delays/
http://www.imore.com/several-american-airlines-flights-grounded-ipad-app-glitch?utm_source=related&utm_medium=module&utm_campaign=next

In-Flight Shock: What It Looks Like When A Plane’s Struck By Lightning

2015-04-13T15:33:00.001-07:00

In-Flight Shock: What It Looks Like When A Plane’s Struck By Lightning:
Article by Sid Lipsey published in Yahoo Travel
April 13, 2015

The above news article (click it and read) was very interesting and one that brings to mind my own "lightning strike." Many people in this article were surprised that the plane didn't turn around and land, especially since it occurred shortly after taking off. That would have probably been the prudent thing to do, but often after something like this happens, the only thing a flight crew has to rely on for a damage assessment after the strike, is cockpit indicators; instruments and flight control feel. The questions a pilot asks are:
"Is the plane controllable, is it safe to fly?"
"Are there any instrument indications telling me something is wrong?"
"Is there a fire or an electrical issue?"
In this case, I can only assume that everything after the strike felt normal, though I don't fly a 757, it would seem to me that at least, the plane would have a different sound as a result of the hole in the nose. Moreover, the article doesn't say at what altitude they were struck. Perhaps since they were accelerating or still in a climb, they didn't notice the difference when they got to cruise. At a high altitude, in thinner air, the plane is much quieter and aerodynamic issues such as "a hole in the nose cone" are not as obvious. Most likely in the descent as they got into denser air, they noticed a different sound. By then, landing at the destination was the only thing to do. The nose cone, incidentally is a fiberglass or light weight material that houses the radar. It only serves as a "fairing" much like those you see in front of some motorcycles. The hole in this nose cone would have created more aerodynamic drag, and their fuel consumption may have been a tad higher. but hardly enough to be noticeable.

I was flying a CRJ200 when I was struck by lightening. I had diverted around a cell to the upwind side by over 50 nautical miles. It was night and I was relying on my radar for the exact location of the thunder storm. What I didn't see, nor had no way of exactly knowing (I knew it was a big one, hence my course alteration to avoid it) was that the cell topped well over 40,000 feet and into the upper layers of the atmosphere where the wind shifted almost 180 degrees.
The storm's energy, but not its moisture was being blown off and down into my path as it reached the upper atmosphere where the opposite direction wind was. Because there was no moisture, there was no radar indication.

At night, unable to discern clouds ahead unless painted by radar, we flew right into this "tumbled down" energy and were rocked with some pretty good turbulence. We also were hit by lightning. Yes, it was very loud and very bright. My instruments were good, the plane flew normally, I was about 200 miles from my destination airport and chose to continue on with no adverse instrument indications and the plane's controls were normal. The plane was safe and flyable after the strike, I made a PA announcement letting the passengers know what had happened and that they didn't have anything to worry about.

Aircraft are designed to take lightning strikes. Many people may not know this. This is certainly something designers considered when these jets were made.

Upon reaching my destination and flying the approach, on short final, I received an indication that one of my sensors was faulty. It was not a "critical to flight" sensor, and since I was landing anyway, I simply continued and landed. I wrote up a maintenance form and advised maintenance via radio that the plane had been struck by lightning. It wasn't until after the passengers de-planed and I got out to do a post flight that I noticed a large "burn ring" on my right winglet (the part of the wing the points up at the end, something becoming more common on aircraft these days).

It wasn't a hole, but the plane was grounded until the repairs were made.

I learned some lessons that day. Mostly about weather avoidance, but I also gained more respect for the way modern aircraft are designed. They are tough and made to take quite a bit, especially lightning.

Kia Ora New Zealand, Day nine, last one

2015-04-08T00:55:00.001-07:00

KIA ORA NEW ZEALAND! In the Māori language, this phrase can mean several things. It literally means, "Be well/healthy." It is also used as a farewell and to thank someone. In this case I offer my thanks and farewell to a beautiful place full of wondrous sites and the friendliest people.
After 864 kilometers (or 536.865 miles) I have barely begun to scratch the surface. Most of the South Island still awaits me and there were so many wonderful places that I could not go to, but I knew this before I set out, and I did what I wanted to; tour the island and see it from the road. I stopped when I thought it was interesting and time permitted, got diverted through an area untouched by tourists, and met some terrific people.
I don't know when I will be back, but it will still beckon me. I can at least scratch this off of my "bucket list." Thanks for following me on my blog. Please feel free to leave comments in the comments section. I always like to hear feedback, be it positive or negative.
After a late-ish arrival to a great beach side campsite just north of Auckland, Tanner and I walked to a nearby pub and heard some great music, ate a kabob at a Turkish food stand and enjoyed a relaxing evening before walking back and retiring for the evening.
We awoke to a glorious day. A perfect 72 degrees. We emptied the Britz of its "fluids," before leaving and drove 15 minutes to the Auckland Water front, parked the camper van and walked around. We took advantage of a one hour bus tour that took us around the heart of the city. Auckland is beautiful. It is also one of the mot expensive cities to live in, with real estate prices going up every day.
After the tour, we had a lunch at The Crab Shack, right on the water front (not "Joe's Crab Shack"). There we tasted Ray-weh-nuh bread. It is a Māori bread and I wished that I had photographed it before we so quickly consumed it. Needless to say, it was delicious. We then ordered the "Nelson Paddle Crabs," a bucket of hard shelled crabs with a very buttery, soft meat. If you eat crabs, you know how hard we worked to eat our lunch! They are also very unique to NZ and very tasty.
After some shopping, we set out to return our trusty Britz Camper Van which served us well. Off to the airport, and I write this as I await our flight to LAX.
KIA ORA again New Zealand, you lived up to your billing. I love your country.

At the AKL airport prior to departing

Nelson Paddle Crabs

Fiddlers and mandolin players in an Irish Pub

One last Meat Pie before leaving!

Our Auckland Camper Van Site

Beachside path in front of the camp site

Looking North along the path

The Island in the background is Rangitoto Island. It is volcanic and is only 600 years old! That is a baby in geologic terms.

Auckland from the bridge crossing the bay looking south.

The "Lenin" bar. Apparently, no stigma attached to that name here.

On the Waterfront

The Ferry Building on the waterfront

The National Museum of Auckland

Waterfront

More waterfront

At the Crab Shack for lunch

The ubiquitous "Toe-maw-toe" sauce holder, shaped like a toamato

New Zealand, Day Eight--The Unbeaten Path

2015-04-07T13:35:00.004-07:00

After a nice leisurely evening in our favorite camper site so far, we “pulled chocks” around 10 am. We were at a beautiful site in New Plymouth called Belt Road RV park. Our view was fantastic (reference day seven blog) and the facilities were great. We drove through the town center and headed north along the coast. It wasn’t long before we ran across “Mike’s” brewery. Without hesitation, we pulled in and enjoyed a delicious sample along with some tasty sausages. Mikes is a brewery that has been around a long time in NZ. I especially enjoyed their “Full Nelson IPA,” made with hops from Nelson (the town, not me).

Along the way further north we encountered a road leading to Damper Falls. It is billed as the tallest in NZ, at 70 plus meters, but apparently there are others taller. Before we knew it, we were barreling down a gravel one lane road and up and down some winding roads. After about a 30 minute ride and questioning wether or not we got on the correct road (we saw no other vehicles on our drive. Good thing too since the gravel road was rather narrow). We finally saw a sign and pulled our trusty Britz camper van into the spot. One other car was there, a lone Swiss tourist had just returned from the falls. It was a ten minute walk through sheep pastures, then into a gate that led down a well marked and prepped trail. The falls were beautiful and worth the drive. We walked back and spoke to a man having his lunch on the tailgate of his car. It's funny, but all the older men (read: my age) I have spoken with in NZ talk to you as if you are their drinking buddy of 20 years. It's funny and refreshing. The Kiwis are the friendliest people. Shortly after this, we had our "sheep encounter." Several men, two dogs and a young boy on an ATV, herded several hundred sheep past our camper van and into the field we had walked through to see the falls. It was classic New Zealand.

It was on our way back from the falls that we made an error in judgment, under estimating the time it would take to continue east along the smaller road and the conditions of the road in order to connect with the main highway, 4 which ran parallel to the one we left. We actually stopped and asked directions at one of the few houses we saw. I got out as my travel companion did not desire to and encountered "Rambo" (or Rainbow, I was never really sure. I still have problems understanding some Kiwis). He told us where the road that we were considering led to after looking at our map. I offered him a beer to thank him. He did not hesitate and Tanner got two cold Tui beers from the fridge for him. You would have thought he had just gotten a Christmas gift! Two hours later after some very treacherous driving on winding, narrow, mostly unpaved roads we connected with the main highway. We didn't see or encounter a single car along the way, but we did see three logging tractor trailers pulling dual trailers going the opposite way. One encounter was quite close as you can imagine on these narrow roads. I'm sure the driver was wondering what the heck was a 7 meter camper van doing there. We saw some of the most spectacular scenery en route and I am certain we broke new ground as far as tourist travels.

Continuing our drive, which ended up preventing us from seeing the Waitamo Glow Worm Caves, we headed towards Hamilton to stop in on our friends, Audrey and Stefanus who had driven to Rotorua on day one to meet us for dinner. It was a quick, but nice visit. They have a lovely home and Audrey is quite the gardener.

From there we drove to Auckland, the city we flew into, but did not spend anytime in. We got a nice RV site on the beach north of the city, within walking distance to bars, restaurants and other shopping areas. Tonight, Wednesday evening, we fly back to LAX landing on Wednesday afternoon.

I will write one more entry and edit my others with more details, photos and impressions.

New Plymouth shoreline walk

A very nice IPA

A small sample

Mike's has been around for awhile

Single lane tunnel on our way to the falls

Yielding lane for the tunnel

Mt Damper Falls entry

Tanner on the trail to the falls

Beautiful Mt Damper Falls

Sheep encounter

Even the dogs herding the sheep need a break

The views were spectacular

Tanner with a very happy Mr Rambo

Part of our treacherous drive, this is the good, paved and "wide" section!

NZ, Day Seven; Wellington to New Plymouth

2015-04-06T02:51:00.001-07:00

After a short stay in the Wellington Waterfront Motor home park, we set off around 10 AM headed for New Plymouth. We didn't get into the motor home park until 2 am as our ferry crossing was late, 10:30 PM, arriving Wellington around 1:40 AM. We had planned this and leaving at 10 AM allowed us to get some sleep for what was our longest stretch yet.
It actually turned out to be the easiest drive, lacking the really winding, mountain roads that most of our drives have included thus far.
We made a grocery stop in Waikanae, getting some of the wines we were unable to purchase yesterday, Easter Sunday. We were surprised at how quiet some of the towns we passed through were until we learned that today is Easter Monday, another holiday (fortunately grocery stores were open and we could buy wine). The west coast seemed to be the busier side of the island however, even on a holiday. We drove through a spectacular coastal area and eventually made our way to New Plymouth choosing to go around the west side of Mount Taranaki along the "Surf Highway," so called because of the popularity of the beaches on this side for surfers. Mt Taranaki is unusual in that it is almost a perfectly shaped cone protruding from the surrounding relatively flat terrain. Obviously volcanic in origin, Mt Taranaki is majestic in its isolation from other mountains and its location on the coast. When we drove by it, clouds were collapsing over its summit from the windward side and forming "long white clouds" on its lee ward side. Upon seeing that, I wondered if that is how the Maoris came to name New Zealand Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud.

Sunset from our campsite in New Plymouth

Leaving the Wellington Waterfront RV park

The "Beehive," the nickname given to one of the three Parliament Buildings in Wellington, the Capitol

Mana Island off the west coast, just north of Wellington

View from the coastal drive along the western shore going north

Bulls, one of the many small towns we passed through. They have a cheeky attitude towards the name of their town, using "Bull" in whatever word they can, e.g. "reputa-bull."

A pub in Bulls

New Zealand, Day Six, Marlborough Wine Country, Nelson and Return to North Island

2015-04-05T05:21:00.002-07:00

We left the Omaka Classic Fighters Air Show around noon, before it ended at four pm today, but not before touring the "Knights of the Sky Exhibit" at the Omaka Heritage Center. Sir Peter Jackson, the Kiwi of "Lord of the Rings" fame has invested heavily in the Heritage Center and owns several classic aircraft. He lent his expertise to creating sensational dioramas of aircraft from the great war including a scene depicting Baron Von Richtoven's demise. On display in the museum is Eddie Rickenbacker's flight suit (America's First Flying Ace) and a section of The Red Baron's Fokker Tri-plane depicting the black cross.
Before leaving, we were able to catch the simulated dogfight of classic warbirds from WWI that included every flyable vintage aircraft on hand. I was especially excited to see the beautiful Albatross flying.
We drove into Blenheim and had lunch at Dodson Street Beer Garden, which is right next door to the Renaissance Brewing Company, brewers of some of the best beer I have ever tasted. We met the brewers/owners Andy and Brian, two San Diego transplants now living in New Zealand, at the Air Show. They were official sponsors and were serving up their great beer at there. We quickly hit it off with them and spent a good amount of time at their beer tent.

Marlborough Wine Country

After lunch we were off through vineyard alley (mine name), highway 62 en route to Nelson, a beautiful town on Tasman bay on the west side of South Island. This stretch of highway was literally, wall to wall vineyards, producing New Zealand's best wines. Unfortunately, there are only three days in NZ when you can't buy alcohol, Christmas, Good Friday and today, Easter. I did taste a delicious Chardonnay and plan to buy some in the market tomorrow. Arriving in Nelson, a really lovely town on Tasman Bay, we were surprised to discover a beautiful walking trail that led to the "Geographic Center of NZ." Naturally, it was at the summit of a very steep hill accessible by a well worn trail with switchbacks because of the steepness. We definitely got our exercise this day. At the summit was the marker and the views were fantastic.
After walking back down and through a beautiful garden (Queen's Garden) and the downtown area, we set off again, backtracking our route and stopping at the Mussel Pot for dinner in Havelock, which is home to the mussel farms of NZ where they grow green-lipped mussels year round. These mussels are big, meaty and delicious.
We are now aboard the Arahura, the Inter Island ferry on our way back to North Island and Wellington (NZ's capitol) where we will sleep and head out again.

Grilled Green-lipped Mussels

Diorama depicting The Red Baron's Death in the "Knights of the Sky" exhibit

My new friends, Brian Theil and Andy Deuchars, brewers and owners of Renaissance Brewing Company

The original Black Cross from the Red Baron's crashed Red Tri-plane

Simulated dogfight of WWI era aircraft

The Beautiful Albatross in flight.

The Mussel Pot in Havelock where the Green Lipped Mussel is aqua farmed

A plaque under the marker at the geographical center of New Zealand in Nelson

The marker atop the hill depicting the geographical center of NZ

Outstanding view of Nelson and Tasman Bay

A close up of the ubiquitous fern of NZ, this and the kiwi are their national symbols.

Provincial Museum

Lovely downtown Nelson

Eddie Rickenbacker's flight suit

Omaka Classic Fighters Air Show, Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand

2015-04-04T01:47:00.001-07:00

My impetus for this trip to New Zealand, a place I've always dreamed of visiting, was the Omaha Classic Fighters Air Show held at the Omaka Aviation Heritage Center in Blenheim. In the heart of wine country in Marlborough which stretches the across the northern part of South Island, Blenheim is a small town that serves the huge wine industry in the area. After pulling in to our camper van site around 2:30 pm, we quickly set out to see the sites of the air show. A twilight show was on tap, beginning at 5:30 pm. We watched that and the subsequent fireworks pretty much closing the place down around 9 pm and going to sleep at 10pm. The next morning we returned to the show to witness some amazing vintage aircraft flying as well as WWI and WWII battle re-enactments. For lunch, we had "Whitebait," something I had never heard of and is considered a delicacy here in Kiwi Land. It is, essentially the spawn of fish that hasn't fully developed. They look like tiny worms with eyes. (I know, it sounds strange, but when in Rome....). They are mixed into a batter of eggs and flour and then poured onto a griddle not unlike a pancake then served with a squeeze of lemon, some salt atop a slice of white bread. I am a fan. It was delicious.

A V-1 "Buzz Bomb" (This one actually made a round trip)

Friday night fire works

Fokker Tri Plane. The red colors on it meant that it was part of The Red Baron's squadron

A functioning WWI Tank

Mark VI Spitfire

TBM Avenger, a WWII U S Navy Torpedo bomber

P-40

Whitetail, something I had never heard of.

Whitebait cooked on the griddle in a batter.

Whitebait served by a friendly Kiwi.

A beautiful Beech Stagger wing

A P-40 and an F4U Corsair in formation

F4U Corsair

Fokker Tri-wing in the Baron Von Richthoven's colors

A formation of Fokker Tri-Wings

Crossing Cooks Strait onto South Island and Marlborough

2015-04-03T13:55:00.000-07:00

After a night in Wellington, in a downtown camper van sight, we left to catch the Inter Islander ferry to South Island. It was a niece passage and beautiful as we entered the Marlborough sound for Piston, our arrival point on South Island. It was a quick drive (less than 30 minutes to our destination, the Omaka Aviation Heritage Center.

Land of the Long White Cloud, Day Three

2015-04-02T16:36:00.000-07:00

Started out in Napier, in Hawkes Bay this morning. Had a delicious dinner at the "Thirsty Whale.". I was able to try Green Lipped Mussels, which are aqua-farmed on the north coast of South Island. They are big, meaty and delicious. We decided to drive on the east coast of the mountain range to get to Wellington, since we will be driving on the west side on our way back. Little did I know that this would include a treacherous winding mountain road towards the south end of North Island prior to arriving Wellington. It is called "Rimutaka Hill" but a hill, it is not. Windy and winding with lots of inclines, I was completely focused as I drove our camper van across this challenging road, pulling over as often as I could to allow others to pass. I was very happy to reach our downtown "camper site," in Wellington that afternoon, rewarding myself with a beer.

Drove close to the mountain named Mt T+56 letters!

Meat Pies, great road food!

A Pacific Sunrise. New Zealand is the first country to see the sun everyday.

Green Lipped Mussels, a NZ specialty! Big, meaty and delicious!

Didn't need a "post it note" on the dash, as I thought I might!

Tanner "framed between the uprights!"

New Zealand, Day Two, Taupo and Napier

2015-03-31T19:17:00.001-07:00

Huka Falls near Taupo

Craters of the Moon Thermal field

Waipunga Falls

Day two, saw us continuing down the "Thermal Explorer Highway," to Taupo, then on to the Pacific coast and Napier, where NZ's wine country begins. Lake Taupo is absolutely gorgeous and is a huge lake nested in the center of North Island. This drive through the interior of North Island is called the Thermal Explorer highway because of the geologic nature of the land. Some areas are very "young" in a geological sense, only 150,000 years old. From Rotorua on past Taupo are many areas where thermal activities like geysers and steam can be seen emitting from the earth. We stopped and toured the "Craters of the Moon," in Taupo and because of our time table were not able to see the geyser, nor the Volcanic Valley of Waimangu, though we did stop at the center there and thoroughly enjoyed the drive, after which we were able to reconnect on our scenic drive to Napier.

This was a drive though plains and mountains, beautifully scenic. We saw a scenic overlook and pulled in surprised to see the beautiful Waipunga Falls. We did not know that the scenic overlook was actually overlooking these falls. It was a delightful discovery.

Views of Lake Taupo

Our trusty "Britz" Explorer

Aotearoa, The land of the Long White Cloud, Day One

2015-03-31T13:50:00.000-07:00

Aotearoa, is the Māori name for New Zealand. It literally means "The Land of the Long White Cloud.". To the right is the flag of New Zealand which features a depiction of the Southern Cross, which is only visible near or south of the Equator.

The date line on this blog says March 31st, but it is actually the morning of April 1st (no fooling). When I finally went to sleep last night, it was the end of the longest day for me. It started Sunday prior to my flight aboard Air New Zealand flight 1 (I like the simple numbering system) that departed LAX at 10 pm Sunday night, March 29th. After a 13 hour flight we landed on Tuesday morning, March 31st having crossed the international date line.
Surprisingly, my travel companion, my son-in-law Tanner and were not weary and after getting checked out in our "camper van," we set out. Although Auckland is an exciting place, we were south of town near the airport and our goal was to see the country side and arrive in Wellington on the south end of North Island, by Friday to catch the ferry across the Cook Strait for our ultimate destination; the Omaha Fighters Air Show in Blenheim.

My travel companion, my son-in-law, Tanner and I

prepare to head out in our "camper van," after getting

"checked out" in it and watching a video about driving

in NZ (left side of the road, and right side driver's seat.

Mount Maunganui

Some of the extraordinary flora on North Island.

Thermal Waters in Rotorua

New Zealand

2015-03-28T06:12:00.002-07:00

Going to New Zealand has long been a "bucket list" item for me. This year I am finally going to do it. I had added motivation after coming across an article in an aviation magazine that featured a most unusual air show, the Omaka Classic Fighters Air show. I was intrigued immediately, and was surprised to learn that it was held in New Zealand! The air show takes place in Blenheim, on the northern part of South Island. It is held every two years. I missed the show in 2013, so I made plans to attend the show this year, over the Easter week end, APR 3-5th.
The venue is in the Marlborough region, which stretches across the north-east corner of the South Island of New Zealand.

Blenheim, a town of some 27,000 sits in the heart of wine country.

So, off I go. I plan to arrive in Auckland several days prior to the show and drive the length of North Island on the east side to Wellington. There I will take the inter island ferry to Picton, which is a short drive from Blenheim.

I will update this blog as I can with photos and stories of my Kiwi adventure as I can.

Here is the link to the airshow.

http://www.classicfighters.co.nz/

Pilots and Mental Health

2015-03-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

Photo by Juergen Lehle (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)

The unbelievable events of the recent Germanwings crash has suddenly made an issue of pilots and their mental health. Even though Captains are required to submit to an FAA medical examination twice a year, they are not required to undergo psychiatric evaluations.

So this begs the question, especially to non pilots and the general air traveling public; "How safe are we from suicidal pilots?

I can only respond from my point of view and my over thirty years of flying, sixteen as a commercial airline pilot. I can also say that here in the USA, because of the way that pilots train, there are many ways that a mentally ill pilot will be "weeded out" so to speak.

In the USA, pilot training requires a lot of individual expense unless you trained in the military. There is a very tough thresh hold to cross to be a successful military pilot. Moreover, peer reviews and constant testing and extremely comprehensive annual medical exams work well to screen any potential problems. Also, if a pilot is seen as "troubled" by a peer or has been or is going through a tough time in his life, they are grounded by their commanding officer until cleared by medical authorities or sufficient time has passed. Military pilots are, in my humble opinion, the most mentally disciplined individuals that I have ever worked with. Up until about ten years ago, a majority of airline pilots came from military back grounds. This has changed as the military has downsized and military pilot production has decreased as commercial airline  pilot demand has increased.

So what about private sector trained pilots?

Well, let me say this. In my experiences, these pilots are technically as talented, if not more so in the ways of commercial civilian flying than some ex-military pilots. Consider that most of them had to be instructor pilots somewhere along their path to becoming an airline pilot. In teaching, there is much learning. One becomes quite adept at judging, not just performance and proficiency, but character and mental toughness. Evaluations are written after each flight, and each student is talked about among instructors. Recommendations are made and "ups" and "downs" are given. As a student progresses, he or she is evaluated every step of the way. Someone with mental health issues is going to eventually be exposed.

Am I saying that it is a perfect system? No. Mental health is something that can be developed afterwards or be very subtle. My point of distinction here is the difference between the way that many European and other countries develop pilots. Since many other countries (not all, of course) lack a strong general aviation sector like the USA's, many non-USA airlines are forced to have what is referred to as "ab Initio" programs. This is where they basically take someone who has never flown and start them "from the beginning," hence the term ab initio. They are usually persons who have expressed an interest in flying and then are tested for their aptitude.

Andreas Lubitz, the young co-pilot believed to have caused Tuesday's Germanwings plane crash, started flying as a teenager in gliders as part of a club. In 2007 he graduated from high school and was accepted as a Lufthansa trainee the following year, enrolling at the company's training school in Bremen. Lufthansa said Mr Lubitz had flown a total of 630 hours before Tuesday's fatal crash.

I am certain that the Lufthansa training is very rigorous. This is not meant to disparage nor diminish their program. But, it was all "in house." There were vested interests in seeing this guy succeed. A lot of company money was being spent. MR Lubitz had no skin in the game, so to speak. His investment was not his hard earned money, but his time, intellect and most likely an obligation to the stay with the company after becoming a first officer. Though realistically, no one really quits a dream job like this in Germany. If he had spent his own money, time and effort flying in general aviation, building up his time, there would have been ample opportunities for his illness to be discovered. Yes, perhaps he would have used a Cessna 172 for his suicide, but only himself, or a max of three passengers would have died, not 150 people. Lufthansa did contract out basic beginning training to schools in the USA, but the advanced training was in Germany. He was flying as a first officer with 630 total hours! I don't know how many of those were spent being observed in a training environment, but it's likely that less than a third were in training as you tend to accumulate your time after getting on bigger equipment flying longer legs. Today, in the USA, a pilot must have 1500 hours before getting hired with any airline.

I defer the details of mental health issues and suicides to the experts, but in my observations, young men and women that I have flown with are committed, professional and seeking to advance what they view as the career of a lifetime. They've invested heavily in their profession and take their job very seriously.

So, should you be afraid to fly on a non-USA airline? I still submit that the most dangerous part of flying on a commercial airliner is your drive to the airport.