Pics from last flight

Here are a couple of pictures I took on the flight to Invermere.

First pic is just before our descent overtop the rockies:




This pic is of our aircraft on the ground in Invermere:




Final pic is us climbing out of the mountain vallies on our way to Edmonton:




Hope you enjoyed!

Back in Calgary

So I'm back from my couple of days on the road.

Let me say that the laptop was a wise wise decision. I downloaded a storm up there and even got some movies to watch on the bus ride back to Calgary. (we landed in Edmonton, but the plane was to stay there and I needed to be back in Calgary)

So I download "Napoleon Dynamite" and of course what movie have they selected to play on the bus ride back?? You guessed it. Oh well, the bus ride was pretty good back, relaxed a bit.. played with the laptop for a little bit. Not too bad, much much better than a greyhound, it's like an executive coach.

So I got to fly the plane back into Invermere and my captain says to me just before starting the decent: "I think we should practice an emergency decent." I think I had said yes before he had even finished his sentence. What is this you might ask? Well... the result is getting the airplane down from altitude at the fastest rate safely possible. This would be the case in say the event of a cabin depressurization and we want to get to an altitude that we can safely breathe the oxygen without masks. Or for any other reason that would require us to get on the ground as soon as possible, perhaps a medical emergency. Well, in order to do this we can't just simply push the nose down and go screaming down, because we'll exceed the maximum speed of the aircraft very quickly. So, what this aircraft is designed for is that we can slow down enough that we can lower the landing gear (320km/hr or so) and once the gear is safely extended the aircraft can then increase it's speed to it's limit, but because there is so much drag caused from the lowered landing gear, we can get a much greater rate of decent. So, at about 12,000' over Invermere, we popped the gear down and I pushed that nose down and oh my god did that plane descend. We were going so quickly downwards that I didn't even go as fast as the aircraft could go in fear of not being able to safely pull it out of the dive. Because I was hand flying the aircraft at such a high rate of speed even the simple movement of the control wheel (yoke) required both hands and a lot of force. It was just a pure rush, we were down from that altitude in less than 2 mins, which is an incredible rate of descent, which is about 5 times faster than your average airliner would normally do. It was all safe and a great learning experience, so don't think we were reckless, but at the same time... boy oh boy was it a blast!

So yeah, a great couple of flights. The captain was quite impressed with my flying and was ready to sign a form saying that he approves of my flying and that would help me move along in the company, BUT the fact of the matter is that I'm still not supposed to be flying the aircraft in the manner we were and therefore it would have been incriminating to him! So I reminded him of that and he was thankful of that, but the fact he feels that way is a great feeling. Can't wait to get my takeoff/landing ban removed!

Ok... time to maybe play some poker.

Flying a bit!

Been flying the past couple of days and I have one more to go.

I'm actually in Edmonton right now on a layover. At the good 'ol Ramada downtown, right next to the executive airport here in edmonton. We left Calgary early afternoon and headed to Invermere BC, just on the other side of the Rocky Mountains and I got to fly it into the little airstrip they have there right next to the mountains in a valley. Great area, took a bunch of pics. We were just skimming the mountains at some points, it was awesome! Just like the flying I used to do in college, but we were going much much faster today... =D Try cresting the peaks of mountains at 500km/hr! Fun!

So I'm in the hotel tonight and tomorrow we fly back to Invermere, to pick up a completely different client and fly them around a bit, but we end up in Edmonton again. So I'll be taking a bus home tomorrow night, or I'll be spending another night and then taking a commuter flight home on Tuesday.

Yesterday was pretty simple, just to Regina and back. Nothing too spectacular about it.

So yeah, that's the latest... Oh and of course I'm on my laptop taking advantage of my hispeed internet connection and am downloading a few things at once.. =D

Rollcall!!

Just curious who still (if at all) reads my blog!

So, please leave a comment (you dont have to have an account, just post anonymously).

Tell me who you are, what's shakin, and if you like the blog or have any suggestions!

So lets see them comments!!!!!

Laptop!

I have had my new laptop (errr... "Notebook") since Monday and have neglected to write anything about it!

Actually, my last blog entry was written from it, but of course I seem to only really get around to writing in this blog mainly from work when I have a few minutes to spare or am taking a break. So that's where this entry is being made, from work.

So I've just returned after 5 nights off and during that time I had spent most of it playing around with the laptop.

I got a Toshiba Satellite A70-ML1 and so far I'm pretty happy with it. I've also recently gone out and gotten a wireless mouse and carrying case too. The freaking 15.4" widescreen doesn't fit most of the laptop cases, so I had to get a rather large one. Which is ok now that I think about it, it's got lots of extra pockets for me to stick stuff when I go on my flights and expecting a layover.

I've used that computer all over the house now and I got a deal with a free wireless router that has so far been working flawlessly and I'm getting smoking fast downloads anywhere in the house.

I think we might be getting a call from Telus. I must say that I've downloaded a fair bit of tv shows, movies, and music albums. I think I'll slow down a bit...

So the main reason I got the laptop was because it was time for a computer upgrade at any point and given the fact that I've already been on many flights that had layovers, it just makes sense that I would get a portable computer that I could take with me and have something to entertain me while I am cooped up in a hotel room somewhere. Now I can be cooped up and at least be making some money playing poker or something.. =D

Oh how that woulda made Winnipeg much more enjoyable... =D

Who hasn't seen the Poker craze?

And I'm not talking about my own little adventures but rather the entire Poker phenomenon that has taken over in the past couple of years.

Today I'm sitting here in front of the TV on one of my day's off and I catch the last five minutes of the Poker Million Masters from Europe. Shucks I tell myself, I would have liked to have watched that. I change a couple of channels over at the end of the show and come across Rogers Sportsnet West. Can you guess what's on? Poker! The final table in a Caribbean tourney that I've never heard of. Nor do I recognize any of these players, but it's still poker and of course I'm watching in the background as I type out this blog entry.

The game of poker has become much more commercialized and more revered to as "sport" over these past few years. Some people say that the movie Rounders helped to fuel the craze. It stars Matt Damon and Ed Norton in a great poker movie that is centered around the high stakes of No limit texas hold 'em poker.

For any of you not familiar with Texas hold 'em.. well... google it!

**I just got called into work on my available to fly days... someone's sick in the office so i'm heading in to cover for them for a few hours until the night guy comes in... dangit!

***Ok, I'm back. Yeesh, that was far longer than anticipated.

So.. anyways.. Texas Hold 'Em. It has really taken center stage over the past few years. Probably the biggest influential factor was when I started to watch the World Series of Poker. It is by far the biggest event in poker held each year in Las Vegas and Binion's Horseshoe Casino. It's the biggest event in poker where in the main event of the Series (No Limit Texas Hold 'Em) anybody can walk in, plunk down the $10,000 CASH entry fee and play in the tourney. It has grown exponentially over the past few years. There have been so many entries that last year the first place prize was an unprecedented $5,000,000!!

So after watching TV and seeing these games more and more, friends and I had started nearly weekly poker games. We even have our own felt and decent enough poker chips. Good times, good times. But alas, I'm not in the lower mainland anymore and therefore can not take part in the festivities, except for when I make it home. So I have taken more to Internet poker and have played quite a bit since I've been in Calgary. So many people are getting into it that poker sites are popping up all over the place. The money is there for the taking, as most of the people are signing up to see what it's like and really don't have a good enough idea about the game. I'm sorry to say but I've taken hundreds of dollars away from these people. But hey, you shouldn't be playing poker with money that you can't afford to lose. And that is my motto to anyone else thinking about starting to play poker for serious cash. Do NOT play with more than you are willing to lose. Start small, build up a bankroll, and gradually progress up to the various stakes of poker. It took me nearly 6 months before I had played enough at the smaller tables that I felt comfortable moving up the stakes ladder and once that occurred and I had a good handle on my game, I was able to pull in some pretty good supplemental income doing it.

The game is fun, and it's not gambling! I've said it many times in this blog and I've said it many times to people that I meet. Especially with Texas Hold 'Em, there is a lot to do with strategy, the ability to read others and the confidence in yourself and your hand to make anything work.

So, that's enough of that. See if you can turn on the tube and find any poker, I bet you wont have to look to far. :)

Returned from Vancouver

Ahhh... a great few days off and away from the every day grind of AirSprint.

I had 5 days off in Vancouver, after I got stuck pulling a 6 day work week and had to switch my plans and plane tickets for my return. What did I do you ask? Well.....

Day 1 (Sunday)
I've just finished a 12hr night shift and after getting dropped off at the airport I await my Westjet flight home at 8am. The flight was completely empty with only about 16 passengers on board. We made it to Vancouver in good time. My folks picked me up from the airport and we went home. I was greated by Apache (our jack russell terrier) and he seemed not to care too much that I was home and was more interested in the treats my dad had leftover in his coat pocket. I retired to the guestroom to have a "nap" so that I'd at least be functional for the day. After a couple of hours I awoke VERY groggy and went for lunch with John and Cindy. Japanese, where I had the usual (Chicken Teri Don)... I mean, what the hell else am I going to have? Then it was home to relax for a bit and then dinner with the family at Earls. I was having a very hard time trying to maintain conciousness. After dinner I connected with the Poker crew and we met up at Justin's place for some good 'ol fashioned pokering! It was great to be back at the ever shedding green felt playing the cards like old times. Much of the night was a blur as I decided to drink a few glasses of rye and gingerale/coke. I distincly recall Garmy walking away with a large sum of cash, but more than anything I recall Sy and I's game after everyone else had left. 10 bucks was slapped down in a winner take all battle royale. Do I really have to say who won? I mean.. he had no chance! =D Then it was home to sleep, and I needed it.

Day 2 (Monday)
I'm awakened early by my Dad barging in the door saying that it's my Visa company calling. I had just ordered a laptop at Futureshop online and they had just declined Futureshop's verification process because my address information didn't match what was on file! Freaking VISA! I sorted that mess out quickly and got a hold of Futureshop and made sure they got things underway again. The rest of the day was spent being lazy and trying to relax as much as possible. Later that night was dinner with John and Cindy at the Olive Garden in Langley. Mmmm... Ravioli de Portebella... good stuff. And a shared bottle of Robert Mondavi Private Selection Red, very good stuff! I was soooo tired though I fell asleep on the drive home as Cindy tried to apparently kill us with her interesting night driving techniques. =D

Day 3 (Tuesday)
I get up in time to go and meet up with my roomate Mike who has just flown into Vancouver on a layover. I thought since everyone I know is out at work and busy that I would go and show him around Richmond. Give him a true tour of the joint. I took him out for his first Bubble Tea at Richmond Public Market, and then we went to RiverRock Casino to look around. He then got a phone call from work saying that he was flying home that day instead of laying over and so back to the airport we went. Later that night I met up with a guy off of the Subaru message forums that I frequent as he had agreed to buy my stock WRX radio I had posted for sale. We met in kits in a back alley, it really did feel like a drug deal. Why was I in Kits? Well I was visiting my oldest friend Ian! We went out for dinner at the Frog and Firkin and we each had the standard Frog and Firkin staple beverage "the big Hoeegarden" A 50fl oz. massive glass of Belgium wheat beer! Mmmmm.. dinner was great and then we walked back to Ian's place so that I could see his new tv. Now, when Ian told me that he got a new TV, I'm thinking it was a 27" tv. Not quite. The bugger got himself a nice Sony 46" widescreen HDTV!!! Great TV! I'm envious. When it was delivered though Ian hadn't finished constructing the tv stand, so it was just sitting on the floor. He and I then gracefully picked up the heavy monster and placed it gingerly on the stand. What a machine. We watched some American Idol and then it was time for me to head home. I arrived home and was quite tired. I told my mom I was going to take a nap, but I never woke up from my nap and slept through until 8am. That was too early to be waking up but I couldn't stay in bed any longer.

Day 4 (Wednesday)
I watched Elf in the morning and flipped through the tv channels for a good couple of hours. I was taking in as much of that bigscreen as I could! Oh how I miss it so. In the early afternoon I headed off to Boundary Bay Airport to go and surprise my previous employers and see how things were going there. I walked into the office and was quite amazed. A lot of new furniture and nice equipment. Of course after I leave! I chatted it up with my old boss for a good hour and met his replacement. He felt it was time to move on and a new company has recently taken over at the airport. He seems ok with the change and feels it will be good to get out and try something else. I also chatted with our Operations Manager at the Airport for about an hour and got the updates on what's being going on since I've left. While chatting I also saw both of my old planes taxi by: The Eye In the Sky and the News1130/JackFM traffic planes. Ahhh, memories. I headed back into Richmond and met up with a family friend who was kind enough to burn me a bunch of copies of games and programs to be used with my new laptop. Then it was home for dinner and then I met up with Justin and Marcel at RiverRock Casino for some POKER!

******POKER STORY********
So after scoping out the competitoin Justin and I were the only ones to play. We opted for the only No Limit game that was playing ($3/$6 No Limit Texas Hold 'em). We each bought in for $300 as the minimum buy in was $100 and the max was $500. The table was pretty much full and there were ppl with money sitting there. Chip stacks ranged from $100 to $700. I was seated to the right of Justin. My 3rd hand I scored the best possible starting hand in Hold 'em Poker (Pocket Rockets: Ace Ace) I bet it up to $40 and everyone folded!!! I was a little dissapointed, but hey, I mdae money off of it! $9! The very next hand i'm holding two 8's which is pretty decent. I bet it up to $20 and the only person to freaking do anything with that is Ho, who immediatly raises to $40 and I wasn't willing to call that and everyone else folded, so he stole my $20 and yes, I am sore about that Ho! I didn't really get the opportunity to play many hands, or was pushed out of pots too often. I was getting great hands that turned to crap after "the flop". In one round around the table, I had AK suited, AQ suited and AJ suited. All did jack all for me. After just a little more than an hour of play it was time to go. I left the table -$180, and Justin after making his pocket rockets work well left at +$46. Marcel had left before we even really got to start playing and John had come right when we started and he watched this all unfold. Thanks your support Ma! Afterwards we headed off to Delia's for a little gathering where everyone dispersed rather quickly as it was late at the time.

Day 5 (Thursday)
Last day at home started with me getting a decent sleep and then after breakfast and a little TV time, I joined my Dad in the garage to sort thru a bunch of boxes they had packed up after I moved out in July. Essentially making two piles: Keep and Toss. That took up a lot of time and then it was pretty much time to pack to go home! After I was all ready to go back to Calgary it was off to meet up with some friends for a farewell coffee. But after reviewing my Westjet Itinerary I realized I had more time afterall. Oops. =D So coffee turned into a meeting at Ricky's for a dinner where I never heard the end of my little mistake, as some ppl had already gone to the airport to see me off! We had a quick and memorable little dinner then it was off to airport where I raced to make my flight. Got there in time thanks to Cindy's crazy driving. SLOW DOWN! Checked in and got molested at security, from what I gathered, they were being reviewed that day and were making everyone go through the full nine yards. I had my belt, shoes and every metal object removed and going through the metal detector... what a gong show. Newho, raced to the gate and made the plane. We were flying back on another empty flight, but this was one of Westjet's new 737-700's with leather seats and tv's in the back of every headrest with live satelite tv! The only downside is that they only turn the tv's on when climbing up through 18,000' and they go off again on the decsent. On a trip to Toronto this would be great. But on a trip to Calgary, we got about 15mins of TV time! Oh well. Bumpy ride back into Calgary and then it was back home, where I stayed up as long as I could to prepare for my night shift the next day.

That brings us up to date. Here I am during my night shift. It snowed quite a bit today. Ahhh Calgary. What a welcome home.

Well, hope you enjoyed reading that novel. If any of you actually stuck it out this long and are reading this. Congrats!

It only took me... eeek.. 25mins to type that out... holy cow. Alright. I've got lotsa work to get back to.