Happy Festivus!

Those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, obviously don't watch Seinfeld. December 23rd is the recognized day of Festivus, which according to the show Seinfeld was Frank Costanza's own self made holiday.

Some notes about this holiday: An aluminium pole instead of an xmas tree, the "airing of grievances" and "the feats of strength".

Seinfeld has such a cult following that there are many people now that follow this holiday religiously. You can even find places on the internet that are dedicated to the holiday! Other places that even manufacture and sell the aluminum poles.

But one interesting fact that I didn't know, was that this made up holiday, was in fact created by the father of one of the writers for Seinfeld back in 1966! Everything was maintained for the airing on the show except in reality there was never a pole. But an interesting fact nonetheless, and one that I thought I'd share as I haven't met anyone else that knew it either.

"A Festivus for the rest of us!" - Frank Costanza

Holidays are upon us!

"Bill, we might be in a spot of trouble.."

Well it's that time of year again, the holidays have come. Houses are all lit up and trees are making appearances and crazy people are all over the roads dashing out to the gongshow that is holiday time shopping.

Not to say that I won't be contributing to the mayhem, but at least I'll try and minimize the damage by going mid day.

So, just a friendly reminder to all those folks back on the westcoast, I will be coming home this year for my days off.

I will be home from December 26th-29th. My time is fairly booked up solid with events and family get togethers, but I hope to see some of you folks. If not, happy holidays to all!

The traveling public irks me

Just a couple of things of note from my past couple weeks of back and forth commercial travel. Some things about people just irk the hell out of me.

Carry-on Baggage:
Ok, I get it, you don't to wait for your bags on the carousel, but when I see people heaving these suitcases into the overhead bins it boggles my mind. First off, the damn things fill the compartments. I tried to fit just my laptop case in an overhead bin and it was already full with one carry-on suitcase and a coat! Needless to say I jammed the coat into the back of the bin with brute force of my laptop bag.

Let's all stand up the second we can:
I love how the second the plane stops everyone stands up trying to be first off the damn plane. Are these people aware of the fact we're all going to have to walk down the same isles, single file. I look ahead and see people who had middle or window seats standing in their rows too all haunched over with their heads tilted sideways because of the overhead bins.

Seat belts:
The biggest irk of all. Without fail as soon as that seat belt sign comes off I hear "click click click click..." as everyone undoes their seat belts. What does this accomplish!? The belt is still going to have to be on your lap or jammed into the gaps in the seat, why not leave it loosely connected? What the flight attendants are saying "for your safety and for the safety of those around you.." is true. I don't need the guy in seat 3B come flying back and smoke me in the head when we hit a patch of real bad unexpected turbulence.

And it does happen, fly long enough and you'll be going along, it's all fine and dandy and BOOM, stuffs flying through the cabin and people are going to be hurt. It's happened to me on a couple of occasions as a pilot and we are always buckled up in the front, but even if I'm in the back I'm still buckled. I don't need the fabric pattern from the ceiling of the jet permanently burned into my forehead. So please folks, use some common sense. Loosen the belt, there's no need to take it off. Same goes for just after landing, everyone unclicks while the plane is still taxiing in to the gate for parking. At anytime they might have to slam on the brakes or take a quick corner. Take a chill pill, relax, and wait for the plane to come to a full stop and the seat belt sign to be turned off!!

end rant.

Luck continued with a broken plane in YVR

Well I got into Vancouver finally after a long day of commercially traveling on Sunday. Ate lots of leftover goodies that my parents had from an xmas party they threw a couple nights earlier. The next morning I ran some errands on my way to the airport for our noon departure out to Edmonton.

Upon doing some preflight checks on the aircraft at about 11:30 I came across one of our systems which was failing. It was the tail de-ice system. On our aircraft it is a rubber boot that runs the leading edge of the tail, that inflates from air taken from the engine to break off any ice that may accumulate when flying in clouds below the freezing level. So with the system failing, we were not allowed to go into icing conditions, of which our flight had exactly that, icing conditions.

So we tested and tested and tested but it didn't work. Our passnegers arrived and we explained the situation to them, and of course they're understanding. They were given a couple of options about having another aircraft in Vancouver within 4hrs or they could fly commercially. They were strapped for time so they went off on Westjet.

A mechanic was sent out on Westjet and it wasn't until about 4:30pm that he arrived. It took him about an hour to look around and change a couple of switches within the tail de-ice system. After some more testing, the system was up and running. It took another hour to put everything back together and to ensure everything was going to be good for our flight back. After talking to our dispatch it was determined we were just going to come back to Calgary. Which was relief for our mechanic as he had only left Calgary with the clothes on his back.

It was an uneventful and speedy flight back home. The winds were right on the tail the whole flight back and it was a new record for me to make it back in 58mins.

Too bad we got things fixed, I was looking forward to spending more time in YVR. That will have to wait until later in the week though, as I do plan to be home for xmas from the 26th to 29th.. can't wait.

My latest travels

Currently onboard Westjet on my way to Vancouver, but this isn’t a vacation and I didn’t originate from Calgary either. As I landed in Scottsdale on Thursday I got an email stating that I was going to be traveling commercially to our eastern base for a flight out there.

I was none too impressed as I was scheduled for a 2 night layover, in Vancouver, but that had changed. They needed me out east to do a trip from Toronto to Savannah Georgia all day Saturday and return to Toronto later that night.

So, after some delays on Friday the plane finally left for Toronto. AirCanada it was all the way to Toronto, where I’d then take a rental car and drive to Kitchner where our planes are based. It was rush hour when I arrived and so that made the drive even more exciting. Man, Toronto drivers are full on crazy out there.

I rolled into the hotel parking lot later Friday night, not looking forward to the early morning flight which was soon approaching. 6am EST was the departure time, meaning 5am reporting, meaning 4am waking up. BUT, of course I’m still on Calgary (MST) time and so that wake up time now becomes 2am! To make things better, I only had gone to sleep the previous night at 2am! So needless to say it was a quick nap I received Friday night and not a nice sleep.

We took the boss and some prospective clients for a golfing trip down to Savannah Georgia. There was one person on board that I didn’t recognize right away, but after rechecking the passenger manifest and a confirmation with the other pilot, it was quickly evident we had a Canadian Olympic gold medalist on board. Donovan Bailey was a friend of a prospective client and came along. Pretty neat to have the once “fastest man in the world” on board. He seemed like a good guy, but I didn’t speak with him much other than your average pleasantries.

Because our day was scheduled to be “on duty” for just shy of 17hrs, we were required to have adequate rest in a hotel for a portion of the mid day, so we were off to the Marriot Sweets in Savannah. It was a great hotel and I’m sad we didn’t get to spend the full night there. Mind you, there wasn’t a whole lot around there, just a bunch of hotels.

One neat thing about the Savannah Airport (KSAV) is that it is the main production facility for Gulfstream which is the maker of some very big and fancy business jets. So it was great to see some of the partially constructed planes all around the airport, some even going for test flights and they were totally unpainted so they looked like clapped out crappy planes, but they just didn’t have any paint.

The flight back was uneventful and it was upon my return that my plans for the next day were confirmed. Drive back to Toronto today (Sunday) and take a commercial flight on Westjet to Vancouver, in preparation for a flight out of Vancouver on Monday. There is already a plane in Vancouver, and the other pilot, coincidently my roommate Mike, is being commercially flown out because his days off start before the trip ends.

Tomorrow I will fly out of Vancouver to Edmonton and spend a couple glorious nights there. Sense the sarcasm? Wednesday I’ll finally end up back in Calgary after flying down to Palm Springs from Edmonton.

So, a bit of a stint which involves me criss-crossing the country twice in the airlines. One thing is for sure, I hate traveling commercially. Call me spoiled for flying so much in the private sector, but it is just ridiculous with all of the waiting. It’s just all waiting. Waiting for the ticket agent, waiting for security, waiting for the plane, the flight which is horribly cramped, then waiting for bags and so on. And don’t get me started on some of the many things that irk me about commercial travel from over enthusiastic flight attendants to general idiocy of the traveling public. That will be for another post, and another day.

My ass is completely flat now and I can see the rocky mountains out my window finally. We’ve just passed over Calgary and should only be another 45mins or so until we land in Vancouver. FINALLY. The end is in site. But my stay at home will be so quick I don’t think I’ll get to live it up at all. That’ll have to wait until xmas time. Reminder and notice for those who might have forgotten or are unaware, I’ll be home in Vancouver over xmas on December 26th thru til December 29th.

A day in the life...

Well, 2 days actually. Seeing as how this is my 200th post I thought I'd do something a little more special.

So on my latest 2 day trip I took my older digicam with me and just snapped like crazy. So here is a photo album that more or less documents my journey from Calgary to Las Vegas to Edmonton to Vancouver to Palm Springs and back to Calgary over 2 days of last week. Enjoy!

A day in the life

The Vegas tease

Ahh the Vegas tease... when the dispatch office calls and says "you are going to Vegas!" and then there is a slight pause as you get your hopes up, followed by "...for 1hr and then turn around and go and spend the night in Edmonton."

Woo hoo. Well, at least I will get to see it for a few minutes. Have yet to actually go to Vegas with the jet. Especially nice to go there now as we are using a very nice new hotel-condo-ish place that is uber pimp. Yes, I just used the term pimp. Check it out at www.theplatinumhotel.com.

So that's the plan, off to Vegas for a few minutes, turn around go to Calgary, pick up some more folks go to Edmonton for the night. Next day we take people to Vancouver, then other downs to Palm Springs and then back up empty to Calgary. Fun fun. Looking forward to some flying as it has been a slow few days and I'm soon to go on days off, so I'll have plenty of time to relax Sunday-Wednesday.

Viva Las Vegas... for an hour.

2 Sunsets in one day

One of the coolest things happened the other day on a flight to Victoria. I'll get to that in a second.

The day started off (Friday) with me sleeping in and getting a phone call from the other pilot at the hotel in Edmonton. My alarm had gone off, I had awaken, even started to reply to an email and then... I nodded off. First time since I've started at AirSprint!! The hotel was very close to the airport but it was -25 with windchill and we had arranged for a ride to the airport. The phone call came at the exact time we were to have our ride. So, I was screwed. I told the other pilot that I'd brave the cold and run to the airport, but he managed to get our ride to come back for me 10 mins later. So I got to the plane at 7:15am for our 8am flight. Generally we need to arrive 1hr before the flight to give us enough time to get everything ready and then be ready for our clients 30 mins prior to departure. So I was hustling around and just made it as our clients arrived bang on 30 mins early. It all worked out well and we were off to a much warmer destination, Scottsdale AZ.

Too bad we didn't get to stay. We were then off to Victoria to do a pickup to take back to Calgary. BUT, that didn't quite happen. Climbing through about 36,000' we got a "master caution" warning, which is a big flashing amber light right in front of our eyes that says there is something wrong that needs attention. My eyes then scan to the announciator panel which will then tell me what is wrong. The illuminated item is "FIRE BOTL EXT LOW". Which stands for "Fire Bottle Extinguisher Low". Alright, now to the checklist to figure out what attention this item requires. The checklist goes on to tell us that 1 or both of our engine fire suppresion bottles is either low or has extinguished. The engine fire extinguishers are designed to put our engine fires by pumping various fire extinguishing gases right into the engine. Well, we know that they didn't go off because both our engines were still running fine. This is also an item that if we land, we are not allowed to take off again without having the problem resolved.

So, the other pilot went into the back of the plane and got on the flight phone and called our maintenance department back in Calgary. If we went to Victoria and landed, we wouldn't be able to leave again without having someone fix the problem. So, after a few minutes on the phone the decision was made to turn towards Calgary and have the problem looked at, and then as soon as it was fixed, fly to Victoria a little bit late for the pickup and bring the folks back to Calgary.

So over Las Vegas we made a pretty good right turn and headed northbound. It's tricky around that area because there is lots of restricted airspace we can't fly through. You may also know of this area as "Area 51" :)

So it was a bigger than normal turn to get back on course. But it had to be done. Here's a screenshot I took from a flight tracking program after we landed. I highlighted area 51 and the routing we were supposed to have taken to Victoria. As you can see it was quite the turn to get back on course.



Everything worked out well, we spent about an hour on the ground in Calgary while the mechanics opened up the back of the airplane to look at the fire bottles, and they were both fine. So it was just an indication problem and we blasted off for Victoria, and that is when it happened, one of the coolest things I've seen while flying.

I watched the sunset twice! Just as we took off the sun had set in Calgary and we got airborne and were headed west bound for Victoria. At about 30,000 ft the sun rose again over the horizon and minutes later I watched it set again. Phenominal! That is one memory that will stick with me for a long time and helps to remind me that I love my job and can still see something new and exciting day to day.

Holy Arctic Air Mass Batman!

It is COLD!

So cold that I opted not to venture outside tonight like I had planned. And I'll likely stay in the house tomorrow, unless it is neccessary!

Currently it is -41 with the windchill. That is mighty darn cold. Looks like we're going to be in this cold for a few more days at least. There is a massive arctic air mass that is hovering over much of Canada and even starting to creep down into the states. It is just bitterly cold out there.

Here's a screenshot of the weather network's forecast.

Home sweet home

Ok, I'm home. Finally! Now into 3 of my 4 days off and enjoying the non-hotel lifestyle, for a little while at least.

I came back on Thursday night on Westjet and it was actually a really good flight, the plane wasn't crowded and I watched some live TV in the headrest in front of me.

I promptly plugged in my new xbox to give it a good workout. Only to find out that the hard drive was malfunctioning, so I could play some games but not really go anywhere because I couldn't save anything. So the next day it was off to futureshop to exchange it and now we're up and running full tilt. With the package deal that I got came 2 games, Ridge Racer 6 and Gears of War. GOW is amazing! As a matter of fact, the whole damn machine is amazing. I'm happy with my purchase. I then got Tsang to use his EA discount to get me NHL07 and the latest Need For Speed game. Both are also great. NHL07 is what really got me into the whole xbox in the first place, playing it with my roommate Mike at the local futureshop.

While a lot of you west coasters are getting a bunch of snow, hell we have been too! Except we're usually a little more prepared for it out here. And our snow is not wet and heavy but usually pretty dry and light.. and especially so this week because we're having one heck of a cold snap. -24 today and dropping down to -32 in the next couple of days! Brrrrrrr. Too cold!

Last night we had the company xmas party at the Hyatt downtown here in Calgary. This was my first company xmas party out of 3 that I was actually able to attend. It was a pretty classy event with a good turnout. I was very surprised at the quality of the food, wow oh wow, it was amazing. Nice big 4 course meal, with the best piece of steak I've ever had in my life. And of course the best part, an open bar. Which of course usually means trouble too. So, I got a little tipsy last night and partied it up there til about 1:30am which is when they kicked us out, and about the same time I was finding it hard to speak and stand without swaying. There were a few of us that got pretty darn drunk, good times, good times. This morning was a pretty rough event however. Took some time before I was able to really get out of bed and be any sort of productive.

Well, time to kick back and relax for the rest of my days off here, and looks like my next flight is just over to Victoria and Edmonton on Thursday. Then a few trips down south over the next couple of days after that.

A flight!!

The plane is fixed and we get to go for a flight, albeit quick, but I'll take it!

We're off to Boston and back tomorrow. Should be a nice day there, even though we'll only be there for 30 mins.

Then it's back to the hotel life until Thursday.

On a side note, the new Bond movie "Casino Royale" is great. I really like the new Bond. And this movie was a great intro into the whole Bond franchise. I highly, highly recommend it. It's got cars, poker, girls and classic Bond action... what is there not to like?

12 days available, 12 days in Ontario

My schedule as an on call corporate pilot is 12 days available to fly and then 4 scheduled days off. We don't usually work all of those 12 days, maybe around 8. But this set, it would appear I'm working 'em all.

The best part of it all is because I had only anticipated those first 3 days. So now I'll be out east my full set of 12 days. I'll travel back to Calgary on Thursday and then go on my official days off Friday - Monday.

The only good news is that they're sending another pilot here today who will spend the remainder of the days in the same hotel. So at least now I have some human interaction.

I would however, much prefer to be at home hooking up my new Xbox!

Out East... for a while.

Well, what should have been a couple of days out East doing some flying has turned into a long stint. Which is good and bad. Good for the pocket books, as I'm making more money being away from home base, but bad because I hadn't planned on being away for any greater than 5 days.. because that's all I packed for.

So.. today is day 5. See where this is going? And I'm anticipating being here until Wednesday, which is another 5 days. So.. it's time to find me some laundry facilities.

I'm in Kitchner Ontario staying in a Best Western. Kitchner is one of our eastern bases and I'm here to fly the eastern jet. I got out east on Monday when I flew into Hamilton in preparation for some flying which started on Tuesday. I went down to Oklahoma City and back up to Kitchner. The next day we went down to Tucson via a gas stop in Wichita. We then headed back up to Oklahoma City to pick up the people we had dropped off the day prior, and took them down to Georgetown Texas. Georgetown is a little town just outside of Austin Texas. There wasn't a whole lot to do there, so nothing much to report. The next day we flew them back up to Hamilton and then did the quick hop ourselves over to Kitchner. All of a 13 minute flight, and it was only that long because the weather was bad so we had to fly full approaches through the low cloud and fog to get in.

That brings us to today, Friday. I was going to be heading down to Mexico tomorrow to spend a lovely night in Los Cabos, but that all changed when the jet broke. So no more Mexico. It is getting fixed right now and should be up and running for a flight out of here Monday to Hamilton to pick up those same folks once again and take 'em down to Little Rock Arkansas and then over to Indianapolis. We'll spend the night there and take 'em back up to Hamilton Tuesday. At that point I'm hoping I will hop on a Westjet or AirCanada flight back to Calgary to sleep in my own bed. In the past 2 weeks I've only slept there 1 night, but that first week was because I was in Vancouver on holidays.

So yah, here I sit in my little hotel room all weekend long, just waiting for that flight on Monday. Exciting. And it's only me here!

Today I did go out touring around and walked into the Futureshop to take a peak at all the latest and greatest deals on gizmos... and low and behold they've got a big sale on their XBox360's as a result of the big launch for the PS3. Well, I thought long and hard all day long, and actually succumbed!! I had my roommate Mike pick one up for me in Calgary (only GST in Alberta) as it was a one day sale only. So I am now the proud owner of a new XBox, and I won't be able to touch it until Wednesday at the earliest!!!

Back from holidays, for just a few hours

Got back in this morning to Calgary. What a great time I had in Vancouver. Even though the rain poured for the majority of my trip, it was still warm and reminded me of what Vancouver is all about. I'd move back in a heartbeat if it was available, but things are going well in Calgary now, so I'm here for a while.

I'm packing for a few days right now, so I can't write a big blog. Tomorrow morning I'm on Westjet to fly to Hamilton, ON. There I'll spend the day and then very early in the morning on Tuesday I'm off to Little Rock Arkansas, and then Oklahoma City. Back into Kitchner Ontario later that night and then the rest of my days are unknown. Perhaps they'll keep me out there for a few days, but more likely is that I'll take a cab into Toronto and then fly back to Calgary sometime Wednesday.

Was great seeing most of you guys again. I had some good fun playing poker (Casino and Poker night), watching HDTV hockey games, out to some pubs, just hanging out and relaxing, spraining the hell out of my foot (which is getting better thankfully) and everything else which I'm forgetting as I frantically type out this never ending sentence inbetween folding laundry. :)

Well, perhaps I'll post from somewhere out east when I actually know what the heck I'll be doing.

Holy RAIN Batman!

Come back for holidays and I'm swamped (quite literally) with the buckets of rain falling from the sky. Hopefully I'll get to see a bunch of you lowermainlanders and we can catch up... preferably in a warm and dry establishment!