Random stuff today:

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Scary video showing an Airbus A-321 attempting to land in high winds.


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I got my Commercial Licence when I was 18. I didn't have my driver's licence until I turned 19. I was able to fly a plane for hire, as long as I took the bus to the airport. Thank goodness none of my compatriots at Selkirk College Aviation knew about my lack of driver's licence, I can only imagine the ribbing I would have taken.

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Driving recently with Lisa, I pondered the lack of visibility above our heads.

"I wish the Civic had a moonroof. We should get a car with a moonroof."
"You're a moonroof."
"I guess that's a no then."

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I was living in Stony Rapids; it was an October morning and it was time for me to go to work. I was just walking out the door when I heard a "KA-BLAM!". I looked around and watched a moose fall over dead in my front yard, not ten yards from me. It's tongue was hanging out and everything. A man whom I recognized as a Saskatchewan Department of Highways employee yelled "Yeah, got him!", and put his rifle back into his truck. He then smiled at me and waved, while walking toward the moose with a large saw. I had a salad for lunch that day.

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The second volume of scary videos, this time showing a bunch of jets attempting to land in a wicked crosswind.




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When I was working for Western Air in Goderich, flying the B-58 Baron, we had a Transport Canada audit. We passed with flying colors, with only one small snag. The inspector insisted that we have a placard inside our B-58 Baron which read "This aircraft may only be operated in unpressurized flight". He said it was due to issues surrounding door seal problems that the Baron had. He didn't care that the B-58 Baron isn't a pressurized airplane, we still had to have the sticker. We had one printed up and stuck it by the door, and everyone was happy.

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Speaking of strange redundancy, this last little snippet took place during a recurrent check-ride on the B-58 Baron I flew for Western Air Services. I was doing a single-pilot IFR ride, which meant that I had to fly the airplane in cloud by myself and deal with any emergencies that the Transport Canada guy threw my way. I somehow tricked him into thinking I was competent and when we landed, he told me I had done a good ride. I was a little non-plussed when he gave me a copy of my ride report and the only note on it was "Needs to delegate more tasks to the co-pilot". I hadn't used a copilot for the ride. I didn't bother mentioning that at the time, I was just grateful to have my ratings renewed for another year. I still have a copy of this ride report and when I make it home I'll post it here so you can see I'm not lying.

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