Perks of the Subconscious

So I was at the ROTC PFD (Physical Fitness Diagnostic) on Thursday at UML. When that was over, I hopped into my car, put the keys in the ignition and started the engine. I then put my left hand on the wheel while my right hand started searching down by the air conditioning for the throttle control. If you were to compare the C172 cockpit to a car, you would see that the throttle is where a car's controls for heat and a/c are.

Then I realized I was in a car, not an airplane.

Its interesting how you can get so much into a routine that you do it at inappropriate times.

Habits become instinctual after a while. If you repeat something often enough, then you can do it without thinking about it and it happens when you are in a set of conditions that seem to make sense for that habit, even if it isn't right.

Its probably a good thing I didn't confuse the brake/gas pedals for rudders.

In other news, the weather this week was bad.

Friday's weather was:

KASH 191604Z 00000KT 3/4SM BR OVC002 16/16 A2984 RMK AO2
KMHT 191604Z 00000KT 3SM BR OVC003 17/16 A2983 RMK AO2

KMHT 191357Z 191412 00000KT 1/2SM FG OVC001
FM2100 16007KT 2SM BR OVC004
TEMPO 0004 2SM -SHRA BR OVC002
FM0400 15010KT 3SM SHRA BR OVC002
TEMPO 0408 1SM +SHRA OVC003
FM0900 2204KT 4SM BR OVC007


This was the weather at Nashua (KASH) and Manchester (KMHT). The first two reports are hourly METAR weather reports for 1916Z, 1400 (2 o'clock) EST. The one for KASH states "Winds calm, visibility at 3/4 statute mile, mist, overcast at 200, temperature 16, dew point 16, air pressure 2983 in mg." The one at Manchester states "winds calm, visibility 3 statute miles, mist, overcast at 300 feet, temperature 17, dew point 16 (temperatures are in Celsius), air pressure at 2983 in mg."

The next block is a TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast), the forecasted weather at an airport. Nashua does not have a TAF. This one reads, "calm winds, visibility half a mile, fog, overcast at 100 feet" The next line, "From 2100 (1700, 5 o'clock EST)" is not valid yet because when I was interested in this weather, it was only 12:15. But it did tell me that things weren't gonna get better.

What does this all mean? It means it is too foggy to fly and the clouds are too low. The air pressure was low, signaling bad weather.

So no flying on Friday the 19th of October.

"No pilot in command of a civil aircraft may allow any object to be dropped from that aircraft in flight that creates a hazard to persons or property. However, this section does not prohibit the dropping of any object if reasonable precautions are taken to avoid injury or damage to persons or property" -FAR 91.15

J Kuhl Signing Off