Jlog

In an effort to not be so mainstream, I have decided that I will no longer refer to this media as my blog (weblog). From this point forward, this will be my jlog. Webster won't be adding it to the dictionary AT ANY TIME now or even in the distant future, but I think it's my own little creative way to share my thoughts, experiences, and misguided views of the world that I experience.

It's raining Slurpee

Crazy days in Logan! This week we had a weather phenomena that had most elementary and pre-school aged kids concerned. Early Tuesday morning, as we sat around the breakfast table we noticed some form of precipitation falling at our house. Parker thought it was raining but Hunter wasn't so sure. Hunter said that it sounded like 'heavy rain'. So we opened the door to the back deck and analyzed the situation. Parker decided that it was too cold and insisted that the door be closed. Hunter on the other hand, looked outside, took a small sample from the ground and proudly announced, "Dad, it's raining Slurpee." I've read a number of meteorology books and have yet to come across such a term, but it appears that this is what was happening. At this point, both Hunter and Parker were trying to decide if they should start scooping up the Slurpee on the ground and put it in the freezer. Parker then decided that he didn't want to because he only liked "red" Slurpees. This statement spawned a debate between the two boys as Hunter insisted that "blue" and "yellow" Slurpees tasted much better then red. Kids Rule!!!!! This would have been a great teaching moment. "Freezing rain develops as falling snow encounters a layer of warm air deep enough for the snow to completely melt and become rain. As the rain continues to fall, it passes through a thin layer of cold air just above the surface and cools but only partially freezes again." Fortunately, the nerd in me was suppressed and the three of us had a great breakfast conversation about which Slurpees are best.

Office with a view

The greatest perk of my job is the things that I am able to see. There isn't a sunrise or sunset that goes by with out me looking and just saying, "Wow!" If you can't tell, I'm quite the cloud junky. From a technical aspect, the better I understand what clouds are showing/telling me the better I can safely operate my flights. More often then naught, I just stare in amazement at what water and unstable rising air can create. Don't worry, I pay attention to the plane. Most people only have the chance to see the bottoms of clouds. I get to the the top, bottom and inside of clouds. For the record, the inside of clouds are pretty boring. When's the last time you were excited driving through thick fog? Most people look at clouds and think of lightning and turbulence. The truth is, most clouds don't generate lightning and if you read the clouds right, you can get a good idea of where the bumpy air will be. Unbeknown to most passengers, we as pilots, spend a good bit of time doing what we can to avoid flying in clouds. There are times when you can't avoid them, but most of the time, especially in the summer, we spend a lot of time zig-zagging around clouds; almost like a video game. While being away from home is no fun, I find great solace in being able to enjoy the beauty of nature. They amaze and yet they humble me. I see how small I am compared to the planet. Next time you are on a flight, even if you don't have a window seat, spend some time looking out the window at the clouds. Look at the shapes and contours. Clouds are the both the great providers and the great destroyers; what a double-life.

How the Holt boys roll.

Going to a large theme park such as Sea World can be very demanding on young legs. There are so many things to see and do and it is imperative that the boys learn how to make the best use of their time. We don't always have time to sit eat or rest.

Tanner has it made in that he gets chauffeured everywhere. But when Parker needs to sit and it and there is a dolphin show that we have to get to, what is he to do? Hitch a ride with Tanner. Luckily Hunter had the energy to push the stroller. Both boys were proud of the boys' ingenuity. Yes, we looked white trash, but we got the job done and had a great time doing it.

Why are the lines so long? Duhhhh

It's 1234am on the morning of All Saints Day and I cannot fall asleep. After 20 minutes of debate, I opted to grab the remote and channel surf because everyone knows all of the great shows are on at midnight. I made the mistake of stopping on MSNBC and started watching a bit of the Rachel Maddow show.

If you are not familiar with Ms. Maddow, she a slightly obvious liberal slant and seems to be a disciple of Senator Obama. There's nothing wrong with her views but her presentation of material is, to see the least, lacking in common sense. On her website is a blurb that states, "Watch Maddow’s smart look at politics, pop culture, and the day's top stories. It's mind over chatter!"

When I tuned in, Ms. Maddow's current story was about the long lines the early-voters were experiencing in various states. Along with showing video of long lines at polling station she tells of how voters had to wait long hours just to vote. Maddow continues with the following statement:

"Here's the thing: A day-long wait might as well be a poll tax. What does it cost you to wait eight hours? Is this the way our democracy works now? We're a country where only people who can afford to give up 20 percent of a week's pay are allowed to vote?"

So long lines are now equal to a poll tax due to the fact that people have to take off from work in order to vote. Please, spare me the gore! What Maddow fails to mention in the story is the number of voting precincts that are open for early voters. Generally, it will be a small percentage of the total poll locations available for the general election. For example: Fulton County, GA (county where Atlanta is located) has a population of 960,000+ and yet there are only 7 early voting sites listed for this election. I'm pretty sure that number doesn't translate to voting location in every neighborhood.

And what about poll workers? Early voting typically has minimal staffing. What about total number of voting machines available for early voters? Again, minimal. In areas where lines are long, governing bodies have been not only added voting machines, but also increasing the number of poll workers as well as increasing the hours of operation.

To answer Ms. Maddow's questions, no, the long lines do not equate to a poll tax. The long lines are a result of poor planning by local governments. I don't believe their minimal allocation of resources to be a conspiracy but rather an action based on previous election precedent. They seem to be adapting well and making proper adjustments to the public response and need.

We are not a country where only those who can financially afford to vote may vote. These long lines have only been occurring over the past 3 days. How long has early voting been open for the public? In Logan early voting has been available the entire month of October. In checking early voting schedules around the country it appears that early voting has been available for the entire month of October. The long lines are a result "last minute shopping."

We have become a society of convenience. We seem to have an expectation that we shouldn't have to wait in line and that the government show help to meet our needs and accommodate us so that we our lives are only minimally interrupted. Oh wait, I think that's the Obama mantra.

In the end, it doesn't seem that Ms. Maddow is taking a "smart look" at things. But what do you expect when you refuse to apply a little common sense.

Here's the video of the story if you have nothing better to do with your time.

Getting an through security,

Air travel can be such a pain especially when traveling with kids. Getting through screening checkpoints can be such a hassle that you will probably being doubting your decision to fly. So what's the best way to get a sleeping infant through the checkpoint? Just put him in a plastic bin and send him on through. Just be sure to attach their boarding pass to them before they go through. I think the x-rays kill any germs that the infant may have acquired while traversing the airport. It's a win-win situation.

Honestly, we didn't send Tanner through the x-ray machine. I just had to find a place to set him down while I put my shoes back on. I'm such the responsible parent. The TSA agents thought it was pretty funny.

Choose your words carefully.

In case you missed it, earlier this week it was reported that a Quantas 747, enroute from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia had its weather radar malfunction a few hours into the trip (Sydney-bound Qantas jet 'flying blind'). For the record, weather radar is required for all flights where "current weather reports indicate that thunderstorms, or other potentially hazardous weather conditions that can be detected with airborne weather radar, may reasonably be expected along the route to be flown." Los Angeles to Sydney is approximately 7400 miles, so it is safe to assume that one would encounter some weather while traversing 7400 miles of the Pacific Ocean. The image above is the most current infrared satellite image of the northern Pacific Ocean. As you can see, there are numerous cells of rain showers even just south-southwest of Los Angeles. Needless to say, the weather radar is needed for this flight.

The story states that 3 hours into the flight, Quantas' weather radar failed. At this point there are two options, return to Los Angeles, or the nearest suitable airport to have the radar repaired or continue the flight by "piggy-backing" with another plane and using their weather radar to guide them. The Quantas crew chose the latter; not a bad choice.

This isn't the first time that such an event has occurred. Since the flight was never in any danger, why did this flight make the national/international news? The captain's choice of words in telling the passengers about the problem. According the several news reports that I've read, the captain chose to inform the passengers of the problem. In his announcement, he informed the passengers that the crew was "flying blind" due to the lack of weather radar. This apparently caused a bit of concern among some of the passengers.

It's challenge enough to deal with some of the flying public due to the negative perceptions they have concerning flying. However, when addressing them, concerning routine, or even non-routine, situations or conditions, it is imperative that one not use any terms that have a negative connotation. For example, if I know that the weather is going to provide turbulent conditions, during my welcome aboard announcement I will replace the term turbulence with 'bumpy' or 'not so smooth'. When some people hear the word turbulence their minds tend to get caught up in violent situations that Hollywood has been able to depict so well on the big screen. While the core element of my job is safety, I am also responsible to provide good customer service so that the paying passenger will, hopefully, have a positive experience on my flights.

This being said, 'flying blind' was probably the best choice of words to present to the passengers. You can't slight the captain for his honesty, but at the same time, there are occasions where it is not necessary to inform passengers of everything that is involved with the flight.

As a captain, I have said a few things that in retrospect, I probably shouldn't have or that I should have worded differently. Most of my gaffes have ended up being comical, rather then upsetting. Here's a prime example. On a particular flight the passengers were boarding and we were in the process of starting the engines. During the engine start our main battery disconnected. I had never seen this before and I had never heard about such an incident. We referred to our troubleshooting reference book and found that there were no solutions to the problem. I called our maintenance team and they recommended that I shut the plane down and reset the electrical system. So this is what I did. During the shutdown process I made an announcement to the passengers stating that we had to shutdown in order to reset an electrical system problem and that we would start the engines right back up after the reset. Apparently during this time, the charge of the main battery had been depleted so we weren't able to get the plane restarted. It would be necessary to have the rampers bring a ground power unit so we could get the engines started. So, as we sat waiting for the ground power unit, I went in the back and did a face to face announcement to the passengers. I believe my exact explanation was, "Our main battery has a low charge so we are just waiting for maintenance to come over and give us a jumpstart so we can get the engines started." Yes, just what you want to hear on a flight, that you need a jumpstart to get the plane on its way. To this day, the flight attendant that was working that flight still refers to me as 'Captain Jumpstart'.

I empathize with the Quantas captain. There is a fine line that airline captains walk in keeping passengers informed. Some times we say to much, other times we may say things improperly and there are times we may not say enough.

Halloween Daydreaming

Here I sit in the heart of beautiful Gillette, WY on All Hallows Eve wishing I was at home escorting Darth Vader, a Clone warrior and an Ewok around the neighborhood. What can you do? But look at the upside, the bar here at the Best Western is a favorite local watering hole and they are having a costume contest tonite. So far, I've only seen 1 Barak Obama and 2 Sarah Palin's.

I know that life could be worse. I'm just waiting to see the pictures. All I can say is cherish every moment you have when you are with your families.

Happy Halloween!

Where in the World is Tanner?

I have that fear that when my kids grow older, they will end up on Oprah, hopefully not on Tyra, and complain that "they never to go anywhere as a child." So, in order to prevent this from happening I have started taking pictures of the kids at locations that they probably won't remember. Here are my first recordings of the kids' travels. First, we see Tanner at the Dolphin Stadium at Sea World in San Diego. Little does he remember that Dad didn't do such a great job of covering him in time when the pilot whale came by and he ended up with a slight sprinkle of cold salt water. Next is a candid shot of Tanner soaking up the rays at LaJolla Beach. Notice the full body suit, this is Debbie's attempt at maintaining Tanner's Casper the Friendly Ghost apperance. He eventually woke up and had a great time just kickin' it on a blanket, under an umbrella, away from the water. Stay tuned....where else will Tanner turn up?

Another Dumb Consumer

I understand the concept of supply and demand but to the proprietors are really above and beyond in their quest to gouge their customers. On a recent trip to Sea World in San Diego I noticed this vending machine OUTSIDE the park. $3 for a 20 ounce drink....REALLY?!?!?!?!!!! That equates to $19.20 a gallon for a lousy Pepsi (no offense Pepsi Corp.). What is going to be the cap for a 20 ounce drink? $5? $6? The sad part is that there is a bank of water fountains less then 30 feet from this rip-off drink dispenser. Sorry for the rant...some people just push free enterprise to the limits.

The NASCAR'n Holts

What happens when mother and son challenge each other to a 'winner takes all' video-game NASCAR race? You usually end up with a glotting 6 year old that enjoys telling his mother what a bad driver she is. Debbie and Hunter raced twice and Hunter won BOTH times by passing Debbie on the final turn of the race. Yes, we need to work on Hunter's humilty. That boy is so competitive...he must have gotten that from his mother (cough, cough, cough).

<--- Notice in this picture that Debbie is actually in the lead.


Hunter's 'driving form' needs a little tweaking. Call me crazy, but it looks like he's driving the car with his sternum and chin. He can reach the pedals just fine when he is sitting down, but he gets so into drivin that he ends up standing up. For the record, Hunter refuses to use the brake pedal. According to him, the brake pedal is for people who are afraid to go fast. Good thing he has 9 years before he gets a liscence

Biohazards at the zoo.

 

The Holt family recently ventured to the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City. It was a great day, no big crowds and the boys had a blast. All Parker wanted to see was a snow leopard and he did. Hunter was thrilled to see a wildcat due to the fact that the wildcat is his school's mascot. When I pointed the wildcat out to him his comment was, "Hum, that thing sure is small. They look a lot bigger on our [school] t-shirts." Even with it being small he was still excited that he was going to be able to tell his class that he saw one.

While looking at the big cats, we came across this sign at the tiger exhibit. While I appreciate the zoo tryin to warn it's patrons, I can only imagine some of the conversations that go on between parents and kids concerning the sign.

"Why would the tiger want to pee on me mom?"

"Mommy! Mommy! That mean tiger just peed on Billy!"

"No Jimmy, you cannot pee on your toy chest to keep your sister away."

And then there is Hunter. I read the sign to him, he was quiet for a moment and then asked, "Dad, how many people do you think the tiger has peed on?"

Kids are awesome! Go visit a zoo. Animals look so much better in person then on t.v.

Being a responsible airline pilot.

It seems that every week there is a new story in the media that tells of how horrible the airline industry is and what a nightmare it is to fly anywhere on any airline. Being an airline pilot, these types of stories truly disturb me. Of course, there will always be times when things don't go as planned: crews are late, weather is bad, a plane breaks down, crews/flight attendants are not very friendly or accommodating, gate agents don't seem to care, etc. This is just part of human nature.



Look at other industries (e.g., hotels, restaurants, retail stores, etc.) and you will find the same type of customer service complaints. How many times have things not gone so well at the drive through for you? There are times when we must take the bad in order to appreciate the good. What I would like to do in share my insight and experiences so that you can see things from a pilot's perspective in the air travel industry.



While I am not perfect, I do my best to make the travel experience as pleasant as possible for the passengers that I serve. One of the great challenges that I face is the equipment that I operate; a 30 passenger turboprop. I believe that the media and the general public tends to refer to it as a 'puddle jumper'. I have to admit, I'm a proud puddle jumper pilot. There are a good number of airports that can't be served by 757's and 747's so there tends to be a need for smaller planes. It is possible to have a good flight experience on a small plane. Yes, smaller planes to get bounced around by the wind more (simple physics) but that is just the joy of air travel.



Most people complain about how flights are ALWAYS late. I can tell you from experience that this is not true. Here's an interesting fact about how a flight's ontime departure and arrival times are measured. The Department of Transportation (DOT) measures D0 and A14 flight times. D0 is defined as Departure time Zero. This means that a flight must depart at it's scheduled departure time. A departure is not takeoff but rather the main cabin door being closed and the airplane ready to push back from the gate. If a flight's scheduled departure is 1230pm and it departs at 1228pm then it is 2 minutes early. If it departs at 1230pm it is on time and if it departs at 1231pm then it is 1 minute late. So technically, even if the flight leaves 1 minute late, it is viewed as a late departure.



Let's look at the most important measure of a flight, the ontime arrival. DOT measure arrival as D14 or arrival within 14 minutes of scheduled arrival time. Isn't it nice for the government to give the airlines a buffer for arriving on time. I find it possible to leave 5-10 minutes late and still get to the destination at the SCHEDULED arrival time. So here is the $10 question: Which is more important, leaving on time or arriving on time? While I always strive to leave on time, I make an even greater effort to arrive on time.



When I became a captain, I decided that I should track my performance as part of a process improvement. There are many aspects of each flight that I track, but I thought the most important to share would be my ontime success. At the end of each month I intend to share my ontime success for all of the flights that I commanded during that month. A simple way of being accountable to the public.

Playing down to consumers.

What is the shopping world coming to? Where has the common sense in marketing gone? Do merchants really think that the general public lacks the basic math skills to determine a bogus deal? I guess so. What a deal!!! So let me get this right.....At the dollar store where everything is $1 I can actually buy five items and it will only cost me $5. What a steal! I can't believe the financial incentive to buy in bulk.

Don't worry, I'm here for the consumer. When I see more good deals I will be sure to let everyone know.