Stephen T. Wilson

Remove Before Flight

swilson@stephentwilson.com (Stephen T Wilson) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:57:00 GMT

I Remembered Another Dream

swilson@stephentwilson.com (Stephen T Wilson) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:47:00 GMT

Maybe because I played this video for Kitcha before falling to sleep.

This was the dream:

Kitcha had a friend over, another black cat. I thought it was cute. It would not let me catch it or pet it.

Pretty soon I noticed three cats, all black. Since I couldn’t catch any of them, it bothered me and I went about my business.

Next time I looked. I swear there were FIVE of them. With this I had it. I trapped them in a room where I was able to scoop up three of them leaving the first one, best I could tell, that was Kitcha's friend. I carried the armful to the back deck and dropped them down two stories into tall grass that hadn't been mowed for like two weeks. They scampered away unharmed.

The end.

Bold Pilot Poster Child

swilson@stephentwilson.com (Stephen T Wilson) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:17:00 GMT

"There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots; but there are no old bold pilots." So goes the aviation adage.

Never mind old-fashioned wisdom now, thanks to Cirrus flight into known icing (FIKI) capability. I introduce, bold pilot: Cirrus Design's co-founder, Dale Klapmeier, featured on Cirrus Design's website.

"The forecast wasn’t good, so we were racing the storm to get out there." -Dale Klapmeier

Klapmeier braggadociously explains his ability to fly in ice, at night, in the mountains, in a Cirrus-spun solution to "get-there-itis".¹ For the purpose of this critique, Klapmeier's smug video-taped story is transcribed below:

Dale Klapmeier, Co-Founder and Vice-Chairman on “Being FIKI Capable”
Transcribed February 8, 2010, from the Cirrus Design website:
http://www.cirrusaircraft.com/perspective/fiki.aspx

In early January of this year, I was able to take the prototype FIKI airplane out to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I had my youngest son with me. We were going out for a long weekend skiing. The forecast wasn’t good, so we were racing the storm to get out there. About over the Black Hills we started to get into the ice. Because of the winds, we were down low. Each time that we encountered the ice we would keep climbing. We ended up at 18,000 feet over the Rockies getting ready to shoot our approach into Jackson Hole.

[SLIDE: "Cirrus Known Ice Protection Delivers Peace of Mind"]

We were watching the weather all the way out. We’ve gotta shoot this approach. We know we’ve got 12,000 feet of ice to get down through. When we turned the system on, you immediately see the entire wing covered in fluid. So with this system, I no longer have to worry about de-icing. I was worried now about the approach. It’s night. The tower closes at nine o’clock. We basically got [sic] one opportunity to shoot this approach, and we’ve got to get in. We were not going to turn it off until we were on the ground. We had the fluid, we had the range, shoot the approach.

[SLIDE: "Cirrus Known Ice Protection Delivers Confidence"]

This system works great. It allowed me to take my son through the weather, out to the mountains, ski for the weekend, and then still get back. This system gives you the confidence to know that you get to where you need to be and get home again. That’s the utility that this airplane gives you.

[SLIDE: "FLYING 2.0 CHANGING THE WAY YOU TRAVEL"]

According to manufacturer Cirrus, the FIKI system "delivers peace of mind". It "delivers confidence", the kind of confidence that Dale Klapmeier himself exhibited on this harrowing flight.

To whom does the Cirrus FIKI airplane deliver confidence? YOU! Any pilot for that matter as there's no mention of competence, a requisite of confidence. Never mind common sense: not to put yourself voluntarily into a "got to get in" situation. Forgo the advice to always leave yourself an out.

Has there ever been a car commercial that doesn't disclaim, "Professional Driver on Closed Course." There's no such caution from Cirrus, quite the opposite. To quote Cirrus, "With Known Ice Protection on the new SR22 and Turbo, pilots can now launch or continue flight with the peace of mind that they’re both legal and safe when icing is forecast or present."

Undoubtedly, the Cirrus known ice system does indeed improve its safety. The TKS system is effective to navigate periodic icing conditions. However, by no means would a prudent pilot bet his or her life, or commit lives of innocent passengers to an assumption that FIKI will not fail during extended flight into ice as the laminar flow wing depends upon it.

Youngest son on board, dudely Klapmeier takes his chance, "We know we’ve got 12,000 feet of ice to get down through." "We basically got [sic] one opportunity to shoot this approach, and we’ve got to get in." After all, skiing is important enough to race in front of a storm, IFR at night, single-pilot over inhospitable terrain in known icing conditions with his passenger.

¹The pressure of "get-there-itis," can sometimes induce a decision to launch or continue in less than ideal weather conditions. FAA Flight Instructor Training Module Volume 2- System Safety Course Developers Guide V 1.1

Wet Snow vs Derelict Skymaster

swilson@stephentwilson.com (Stephen T Wilson) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:24:00 GMT

No, it's not poised for takeoff.

A twin-engine Cessna 337 Skymaster is what it is. Though you can't tell from this photo, its left ventral fin is crushed.

The Skymaster is next to a damaged Cessna 150 Commuter.

I'll bet I know where can find two planes that'll soon be for sale, cheap.

Bummer.

NASA Adapts to Budget Cuts

swilson@stephentwilson.com (Stephen T Wilson) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:58:00 GMT

Already, President Obama's call to privatize NASA research and development saves taxpayers millions.

Wind Tunnel - $6 million

Kitty - $75

Remember the Marathon Bar?

swilson@stephentwilson.com (Stephen T Wilson) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:11:00 GMT

This weekend, Steve Almond of the Wall Street Journal wrote a story, "Remembrance of Candy Bars Past". No kidding, Almond is his name.

First thing I thought was, Whatever happened to the Marathon Bar? Remember? Flat braided chocolate-covered caramel, a foot long with a ruler on the back of the wrapper - the excuse to buy it.

Maybe this'll help:

According to Wikipedia, it was first sold August 1973 and discontinued in October 1981.

If you're more sentimental than me about this, you can buy this one on eBay. You've got 5 days left. So far it's only $10.50 with two bids.

eBay Description: This auction is for a vintage Marathon candy bar wrapper. It has an expiration date of 1976 on the back. The wrapper was never opened by a human but as you can see from the picture it has multiple insect holes. The candy is gone. It's not in great condition but it is a very rare piece. I've never seen one pop up on eBay before and it might be the last time so don't miss out. This has been part of my collection for quite some time. It kills me to sell some of my items, but times being what they are I have no choice. Thanks very much for looking. Bid often and good luck!

I Saved $23.35

swilson@stephentwilson.com (Stephen T Wilson) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:50:00 GMT

$13.42 on 150 mg ranitidine pills

and another $9.93 on razor blades.

Though Sam's Club's motto is, "In Business for Small Business", it's not Wal-Mart's.

Dare you small grocer to resell an item from Wal-Mart, mercenaries will hunt you down.

Computer Speaks Plain English

swilson@stephentwilson.com (Stephen T Wilson) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:14:00 GMT

My laptop's finally figured it does no good to report the technical detail of failure, like listing a bad memory address or giving me a cryptic stop error code. It's reduced itself now to speak plain English.

It talks real simple-like:

"Can not complete process due to some error."

I feel a closer bond to my computer than ever before.

Prohibited Items

swilson@stephentwilson.com (Stephen T Wilson) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:00:00 GMT

It came to my attention, I've been concealing a lethal weapon aboard airline flights.

Shown in Actual Size

It's inconspicuously stowed by an elastic loop alongside a toothbrush in my bathroom tote. Even if it isn't allowed, I've passed many inspections.

Before my last flight, the agent unzipped my tote and exposed a few stolen motel shampoo bottles outside a tattered Ziploc. Perhaps a convenient distraction, the guard lectured me about liquids and supplied a new plastic bag.

It remains unclear to me whether or not this sharp pointy object is allowed. Though as a result of my research, I compiled a handy table of items that are specifically identified on the TSA website:

Object	Permitted
Ice Axes	No
Meat Cleavers	No
Sabers	No
Spear Guns	No
Throwing Stars	No
Hand Grenades	No
Tear Gas	No
Gel Shoe Inserts	No
Snow Globes	No
Parachutes	Yes

UPDATE:
Upon further investigation, I found the official interpretation of "weapons" and a list of permitted personal items. Corkscrews are permitted onboard so long the pointy end is sheathed to prevent injury to inspectors. Mine's good.

I Remembered a Dream

swilson@stephentwilson.com (Stephen T Wilson) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:04:00 GMT

I watched the first-round American Idol contestants board a private jet for Hollywood. The last singer slipped onboard as the over-wing door shut and the hurried plane already started to roll.

This was no ordinary jet. It looked like an artist’s rendition of a futuristic plane, able to enter outer space and return back to earth. Its wings were rounded, and it had an enormous round engine exhaust like a rocket.

The owner of the plane, also its pilot, was known to be a hot-head and a show-off. A different plane would have better suited this flight, but with all the hoopla, attention, and for show, HE was taking the new jet.

Upon takeoff, the engine roared. My chest reverberated in its power. It was propelled steeply by thrust that trailed a long yellow flame. Yet the pilot pulled up and up again, too much. Obviously it was too steep because the ship decelerated to the point it stopped climbing and began to descend flatly toward earth. I was angry, angry he was showing off at the passenger’s expense. By his greatness and might, he would maneuver the plane to make them feel weightless, frighten the singers to death, then with amazing skill, he’d save them. Asshole. He did recover from the aerodynamic stall, scared onlookers as well, then proceeded to roll the plane upside down then up again. I was filled with hatred for this pilot.

Once again, he pulled up, and up again; except now, altitude was lower than before. No time to recover, the plane plummeted without control to the ground. A column of smoke and flame rebounded upward where the fancy jet and all its life disappeared from view. With the shock of disbelief and loss came a dead wuamff-sound of impact.

Home Remedy

swilson@stephentwilson.com (Stephen T Wilson) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:47:00 GMT

The pesky sinus congestion is back. It's in my upper mask; if that's a medical description, I dunno.

So, I'm pulling out the stops:

Hydrogen peroxide in my ears,
neti pot (Yes, Maggie I did it. And, I'll spare all of you the imagery.),
Ester-C,
a large glass of grape juice,
a hot steamy shower,
and one Claritin pill for good measure.

My vocal chords, throat, and lungs are okay, so I didn't drink the hot water, lemon juice, honey concoction.

I hope this helps my tinnitis too, as my ears always ring louder with sinus trouble.

I Just Spotted Balloon Boy Using Google Street View

swilson@stephentwilson.com (Stephen T Wilson) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:20:00 GMT

He's south of Lees Summit, Missouri.

Seriously! Zoom in and see for yourself.

View Larger Map

Facemasks Are Allowed in the NFL?

swilson@stephentwilson.com (Stephen T Wilson) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 01:19:00 GMT

I know little about football, yet I do know a facemask when I see one.

Turned on the TV just in time to catch the last play of the Arizona - Green Bay game.

You tell me:

Is that a facemask penalty or what?! The Cardinals won in overtime because of it.

Boring! (pronounced booooreeeen!)

swilson@stephentwilson.com (Stephen T Wilson) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:33:00 GMT

A sign of the times is when upon takeoff on her first hot air balloon ride ever, Kathleen whips out a Nintendo DS and starts to play.

You've got to be kidding me! We're about 50 feet in the air over a cornfield.

Actually, as Kathleen contended, the new DSi has as camera application. She took a bunch of pictures and already uploaded them to her Facebook page directly from the gadget. Cool, huh!?

My Son, Jacob, a Musician

swilson@stephentwilson.com (Stephen T Wilson) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:34:00 GMT

This is my son, Jacob, of whom I am very proud. Go to the YouTube site and take a moment to read the comments below the video. Adam shot this last Christmas after Jacob opened his present, a Yamaha Keytar.

Just awesome Jacob. I've watched this a hundred times and say so every single time.

I'm deleting posts on my Facebook wall.

swilson@stephentwilson.com (Stephen T Wilson) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:57:00 GMT

I will copy some of them here for safekeeping:

I snuck my kitty into the Holiday Inn with me. Yet, whenever I return to the hotel, she's sitting in the first story window waving at everyone.

For the umpteenth time, I KNOW how to leave a message. Please stop telling me. Beep.

Dreams abound in my slumber, so every morning the snooze button offers a delightful series of short stories.

We hardly know what we have in one another.

Stephen T Wilson 's kitty is stalking him. If this is his last post, you know wh

I do love my kitty and have not said a word to her about this.

A Tangled Mess

swilson@stephentwilson.com (Stephen T Wilson) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:34:00 GMT

When her hair was tangled, she didn’t make it so on purpose.

Though you blamed her, she did not intend it to be.

She didn’t know and certainly had no idea what bothered you.

Self-centered fool.

When you tried to comb through it, it hurt.

Of course, she acted in confusion and pain.

Trust in her love.

Be kind and loosen a knot with kind words, with gentle spirit.

It’ll come out easier that way.

And may you run your fingers through her hair, again and again.

A Conundrum

swilson@stephentwilson.com (Stephen T Wilson) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:56:00 GMT

Notice the "Do Not Turn Left" traffic sign.

Do you always obey the law?

The Best Cessna Salesperson. Ever.

swilson@stephentwilson.com (Stephen T Wilson) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:20:00 GMT

Bruce Keller

Photo Courtesy of FlightAware
.com

A Music Lesson from Uncle Carl

swilson@stephentwilson.com (Stephen T Wilson) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:36:00 GMT

On Facebook, I posted this status:

Stephen T Wilson just enjoyed playing all kinds of songs as waltzes in 3/4 time.

Uncle Carl, an accomplished dummer, quipped, "Try them in 5/4!" (You who know Carl Glackin can totally hear him saying this.)

Something about Carl is, he'll challenge you to something that he, himself, can readily do. So, it must be possible. Not easy, but possible.

I tried, and this was my practice in reply: (6/8, then 4/4, then 5/4)

I was smug for a few hours. Until he wrote, "How about a swing feel in 7/8?"

This time, he offered advice: "Practice up on some swing stuff and you'll get the feel for the odd times. Listen to some Dave Brubeck!"

Here's Brubeck, 9/8 time with 2+2+2+3/3+3+3 phrasing:

I didn't make it to the piano to try. Not yet. Instead, I wondered off onto Carl's Youtube channel, and watched this at least twice. Enjoy: