Road Traffic Control

"565 Papa Echo, come to a full stop at the intersection"
"Full stop at intersection, 5 Papa Echo"
"You are cleared to make a right turn on to Pine Hill"
"Cleared to turn, 5 Papa Echo"

I'd love it if we had this.

But instead, I sit at that intersection for 5 minutes with on coming traffic. And the moron behind me starts honking.

J Kuhl Signing Off

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

I Hate Driving

I hate it. Give me wings and a runway at every location, or just a helicopter, and I'll just fly places. Driving sucks.

First of all, there is no certainty. Everyone does their own thing and there is no protection from Air Traffic Control. You just have to assume that everyone is competant and knows what they are doing. Recently, I was doing a lane change (I HATE LANE CHANGES!!!!). I checked my mirrors and looked over my shoulder. And I nearly collided with a car I did not see. This incident wasn't really anyone's fault that I can tell, but there is a lack of certainty when ever I make a lane change. What if somehow I can't see the car? In a traffic pattern in the air, the ATC would ensure that I am not too close to another aircraft. On the ground, I do not have this protection.

Also, on the ground, since cars come close to each other, especially on interstates (I hate interstates too) , you have to worry about the other guy's competence. At least in the air, you know, the guy had to take several intensive lessons, an intensive examination and an intensive checkride. I live north of Massachusetts. Massachusetts. The state with the worst drivers in America. You've got morons who cut you off, tailgate, speed too fast, drive too slow and really should have their liscense revoked.

Give me my flying car already so I can just get over these guys.

"And what do you do with a radical? Shoot it? No, its not a hippy from the sixties . . ." Prof. Rock in Calculus

J Kuhl Signing Off