Mount Baker, originally uploaded by bisonium.
One of my latest pics from last weekend’s SAREX (Search and Rescue Exercise) with the Civil Air Patrol. The entire set can be found at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bisonium/sets/72157623745697876/
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Mount Baker
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Housekeeping issues…
It’s been a busy week of updates and cleaning up the dusty parts of this blog. We now have a brand new look and I’ve added some dedicated pages for my resume, photos and contact info.A couple of housekeeping notes…make sure to update your RSS Feeds if you aren’t seeing them. I’ve republished the feed to feedburner but if you were using anything other than that, you might want to check your feed settings or re-subscribe via the link at the top. If you are having any issues or see anything wonky, please leave a comment and I’ll be sure to check it out. Now back to our regularly scheduled blogging…that is all. :)
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Motel 6 refuses to heat a cup of water in a microwave for a mother needing to feed her sick child during snowmaggedon…
These days, especially with the social media scene being what it is and real-time, most companies understand the value of great customer service and how it can make or break their business. This is especially true during an emergency or major weather event such as the east coast is experiencing as we speak. Well, apparently Motel 6 didn’t get the memo. Below is a letter recapping the experience a dear close friend of ours just went through. To say I was horrified reading this is an understatement, this is simply inexcusable and the parties responsible should be downright fired at a minimum. This is just humanity at its worst. What happened to doing the right thing or just simply being kind to others? If you are as outraged by this as I am, I encourage you to link back to this post and spread the word via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and every other social media outlet known to mankind. While we are at it, let the CEO & COO know how you feel as well:Mr. Poirot can be contacted at 972-360-2528
http://www.motel6.com/about/accor_profile.aspxOlivier Poirot – CEO
Jim Amorosia – President and COOLets let Motel 6 know that this behavior simply will not be tolerated. Kunle (referenced below) is the manager in this incident and “Singh” was the employee that chose to represent Motel 6 so poorly that evening.
Motel 6 Guest Service
497 Quince Orchard Road
Gaithersburg, MD 20878“Kunle” (I wasn’t sure how to address you as this is the only name I was given and didn’t know if it is your first or last name),
I was a customer on the night of February 6, 2010. As you may recall that was the weekend we had a terrible blizzard in the area. I was thankful to find a room as the power had been out at my house since 7:00 that morning. My husband and I have two small children and one had been sick with a fever all day in our powerless, cold house. At around 7:00 PM I was coming back from having to walk to the grocery store that is about a block from the hotel. I stopped in the registration area and asked the desk clerk, Singh, if he could please heat a cup of water in the microwave for me. My two-year-old daughter had a fever of 105.6 and I was trying to heat up a cup of macaroni and cheese for her to try and get her to eat something. Earlier I had noticed an employee break room right next to the registration desk that had a microwave on the counter. He refused and said he could not do it. He said if I told people that he did that for me he would have to do it for everyone. I said I would understand his reasoning if the registration area was filled with customers, but I was the only person there. After a very hard day I was very emotional and started to cry. I begged him to please heat up the water for me so I could feed my sick child. He again refused saying he could not make an exception. He then suggested I walk over to the gas station and ask them. After walking through the snow to the grocery store, I was too cold and exhausted to go anymore. I left the office very upset. I had reserved our room for two nights, but after being treated that way we checked out the next day and will never stay at a Motel 6 or any chain affiliated with it again.
I know that rules and policies exist and are meant to be followed. What I do not understand is how an employee of a company that boasts hospitality could be so cruel and cold-hearted during an extreme circumstance (our governor had even established a state of emergency for our area!). I was not asking for an extreme gesture, just to heat a cup of water in the microwave. I understand that Singh was probably very stressed as well with the phone ringing off the hook, but what I asked would have required only minimal effort on his part.
I am sending a copy of this letter to the corporate office of Motel 6 in hopes that something can be done to prevent this happening to another customer. I also have a suggestion for a change in your logo.
“We’ll keep the light on for you, but don’t even THINK about asking to use our microwave!”
Regretfully yours,
Joleen Johnson
North Potomac, MD -
Fly Right Films: Flight training videos for the serious pilot
If you are serious about becoming the best pilot you can be, you won’t want to miss these gems produced by Fly Right Films. I recently discovered these guys via Facebook and saw the trailers posted on their site. I was sold the instant I saw them. I just finished watching Volume 1: Attitude Flying and Volume 2: Decision Making, and I can say that I am really impressed with the quality of these videos.
Unlike most other training videos you’ll find elsewhere in aviation, these videos keep you engaged the entire time and don’t make you feel like you are sitting through yet another boring training video. Fly Right Films calls it “entertrainment” and I have to agree. These films are entertaining as well as informative. Having Dick Rutan teaching you definitely doesn’t hurt either. Dick has a way of telling stories that just keep you on the edge of your seat and you can literally envision yourself sitting there with him as he tells wicked tales of his adventures in aviation.
A number of factors contribute to the magical formula that I believe makes these films unlike any other on the market. First, let me start by making sure you understand that these are NOT films that will substitute any traditional training curriculum that you will find in your typical flight training. I would consider these supplemental films to your primary training and they are great refreshers for any pilot at any level in their flying career. What Fly Right Films has done is combine pertinent topics in aviation safety with an incredible legend in aviation and story-teller extraordinaire, Dick Rutan. They also bring other leading experts in their field that explain in great detail (but in a way we can all understand) the science behind some of the human factors and physiological aspects of how your body interprets external influences that are being exerted on your body during flight. Combine this with brilliant cinematography, a superb original soundtrack and the use of the best and most advanced aircraft and technology in general aviation and you have a winning combination.
Both videos are filmed in various and visually inspiring locations such as Alaska, Minnesota and California and are flown in Cirrus Aircraft (both the SR-20 and SR-22). The SR-20 has the Forward Vision EVS-100 (manufactured by Max-Vis) aftermarket add-on and the SR-22 is equipped with the factory version of the EVS-100 from Cirrus via the Perspective avionics package powered by Garmin. Although the topics covered in these videos applies to ANY aircraft you will fly, it was a nice touch to include the use of the best general aviation has to offer today and gives a nice modern feel to the films.
Fly Right Films proclaims The Aviator Series a “Masters Program For Serious Pilots.” I only have one gripe at the moment…I WANT MORE! I am looking forward to future releases of The Aviator Series films and would highly recommend them to any pilot serious about their flying. For those of you aviators in the Civil Air Patrol, having your aircrews sit through one of these films should easily count as a safety briefing for the month. Below are the trailers for the current films for your viewing pleasure. Happy flying!
Volume One: Attitude Flying With Dick Rutan
Volume Two: Decision Making With Dick Rutan
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CAP Pilots Listen up – Gridding Your Sectionals Is A Thing Of The Past!
For any of you Civil Air Patrol Search and Rescue pilots who have spent endless hours gridding your sectionals, life is about to get a whole lot easier for you! The fine folks over at Sky Sectionals have just launched CAP Charts for CAP Pilots (or anyone flying Search and Rescue for that matter) at http://www.capcharts.com/.
These digital charts are the same as your typical FAA/NACO charts but insanely more manageable. What Sky Sectionals has done for us is provide the conventional grid overlay we use (15′x15′) further subdivided into 7.5′ grids (A,B,C,D). The grids are easily identified with semi-transparent lines and don’t obscure key critical information on the chart. This is simply a Godsend to Search and Rescue Pilots and Aircrew. Now you can carry current and updated GRIDDED charts with you at ALL times. I still see some guys flying around with charts that are 10 years old because they don’t want to grid a new one (granted they have current paper charts, but still…), all that is in the past! There’s simply no excuse for not having up to date gridded charts anymore.
Other nice things about these charts are that they are perfect for folding up and putting them in your kneeboard. Just get your grid assignment ahead of time and print them out before you head out to fly your missions. I’ve gone the extra mile and printed out the entire Seattle Sectional, TAC and VFR Flyway and laminated each page. I carry them all in one giant spiral bound stack so that if we get reassigned to an unexpected grid, I’ve always got them with me. The laminated surface works great with a dry-erase marker as well for adding notes and outlining your grid.
If you’re jumping up and down like I was to hear about this new product, you can get a full tour by heading over to: http://www.capcharts.com/tour
The Sky Sectionals team has even provided a full video tour of the sectionals:
Last but not least, if you aren’t already convinced you need to go order these charts, a portion of the proceeds of every CAP Chart they sell is donated to the Civil Air Patrol Foundation. You can make your life easier and contribute further to a great cause all in one! It’s great to see a company that has taken the time to address the needs of an organization like the Civil Air Patrol and we should definitely make every effort possible to support them. Happy flying!
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Kindle Development Kit coming next month!
There aren’t very many times where you can get in on the ground floor of something and have a shot at really putting out something huge on a platform. The iPhone proved that anyone can make an app that sells well and launches a new career for someone. Now we’ve done the same at Amazon for the Kindle. Make sure to sign up now to get notified when we officially release the Kindle Developer Kit next month! The full PR can be found here.
KDK Limited Beta Coming Next Month
Submit your e-mail address to get notified when the limited beta starts next month. Participants in the limited beta will be able to download the Kindle Development Kit, access developer support, test content on Kindle, and submit finished content. Those wait-listed will be invited to participate at a later date as space becomes available. The Kindle Development Kit includes sample code, documentation, and the Kindle Simulator, which helps developers build and test their content by simulating the 6-inch Kindle and 9.7-inch Kindle DX on Mac, PC, and Linux desktops. We are excited to see what you invent for Kindle.
User revenue will be split 70% to the developer and 30% to Amazon net of delivery fees of $0.15 / MB. Remember that unlike smart phones, the Kindle user does not pay a monthly wireless fee or enter into an annual wireless contract. Kindle active content must be priced to cover the costs of downloads and on-going usage.
Pricing Options
Active content will be available to customers in the Kindle Store later this year. Your active content can be priced three ways:
- Free – Active content applications that are smaller than 1MB and use less than 100KB/user/month of wireless data may be offered at no charge to customers. Amazon will pay the wireless costs associated with delivery and maintenance.
- One-time Purchase – Customers will be charged once when purchasing active content. Content must have nominal (less than 100KB/user/month) ongoing wireless usage.
- Monthly Subscription – Customers will be charged once per month for active content.
Active content applications have an upper size limit of 100MB. Applications larger than 10MB will not be delivered wirelessly but can be downloaded from the Kindle Store to a computer and transferred to the user’s Kindle via USB.
Developer Guidelines
Voice over IP functionality, advertising, offensive materials, collection of customer information without express customer knowledge and consent, or usage of the Amazon or Kindle brand in any way are not allowed. In addition, active content must meet all Amazon technical requirements, not be a generic reader, and not contain malicious code.
We will work to refine the above guidelines throughout the beta.
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Say ‘thanks’ to a soldier by sending them cookies…
Fo
r the price of a Starbucks latte, you can put a smile on a soldiers face by sending them some Girl Scout Cookies. My “big girl” is finally old enough to be a ‘Daisy’ (pre-brownies girl scout). I didn’t even know there was such a thing! 
Her troop is now selling cookies and has decided to also support the troops. We will be collecting donations and sending the cookies to our troops deployed around the world in what we are calling “Operation Cookie Drop.”If you would like to show your support, it only takes a check for $4 (made out to GSWW (Girl Scouts of Western Washington)) to do so. Contact me @ [ cookies (at) bisonium.com ] for the address of where to send the check. Thanks for supporting our troops!
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Wisconsin joins CA in supporting Civil Air Patrtol Members
Assembly Bill 132 requires that employers with more than 11 permanent employees grant a leave of absence without pay for not more than five consecutive days or 15 days total to employees serving in an emergency service operation of the Civil Air Patrol. The bill also prevents employment discrimination based on participation in the Civil Air Patrol.
Governor Doyle thanked Representatives Huebsch and Murtha, and Senators Kapanke and Vinehout for their work on the bill.
I am thrilled to see so many states now jumping on the bandwagon to protect CAP members with the same rights afforded to our military reservists and National Guardsmen. CAP plays a vital role in our nations disaster preparedness and as a supporting role to the United States Air Force. I only hope every state in the nation adopts a similar policy.
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California supports CAP Members with the Employment Protection Act
From CA Assembly Member Wilmer Amina Carter’s Office:Assemblymember Wilmer Amina Carter’s Civil Air Patrol Employment Protection Act – Assembly Bill 485 – was signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger on Oct. 11. The measure assures that members of the all-volunteer Civil Air Patrol in the state of California will have employment protection after returning to their jobs from an authorized emergency mission.
AB 485 establishes a right to employment leave (up to 10 days a year) for members of the California Wing of CAP, which is an official Civilian Auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. The protection applies only when members are called up for an emergency by the U.S. Air Force, the California Emergency Management Agency or any subdivision of the state with the authority to declare an emergency.
Emergency operational missions are those that involve the saving or protection of life and property. “To perform search and rescue flights for several days and find out you’ve lost your job is devastating to a volunteer whose main purpose is to save lives,” Assemblymember Carter said. “Until my bill was signed into law, CAP members only had the job protection rights given to them by their employers,” she added. “Fortunately, employers have generally been supportive of the Civil Air Patrol.”
“This bill enables us to respond emergencies that will help save lives and properties without this threat of losing our employment if we do so,” said Lt. Col. Carl Morrison, co-chair of the California Wing’s Legislative Committee, which is the principal sponsor of the measure. Similar legislation has passed in nine states. “We’re very very pleased that Assemblywoman Carter has been willing to author this bill.”
Assemblymember Carter said, “Their payment, for a CAP volunteer, is in the personal reward of contributing countless hours of non-compensated time. But the California Wing of the Civil Air Patrol can’t be a consistent resource, unless they are fully supported for their patriotic service.”
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Sky Sectionals Review
Every now and then you come across something and wonder “Why the hell didn’t I think of that?” I just recently stumbled across a company called Sky Sectionals thanks to a buddy in Civil Air Patrol. All I can say is that THIS is the way the FAA should be distributing ALL charts these days!!! What a FANTASTIC product!
So for those of you that are not pilots and wondering why I’m ranting and raving about these guys, here’s a little background. Aviation charts are typically these huge folded paper charts that are an insane nuisance and in my opinion a safety hazard in the cockpit. Sadly these are the FAA approved navigation charts and outside of products like Jepp charts (expensive), we don’t have many options. To make matters worse, these charts are updated frequently and you end up having to buy them at least a couple times a year. Multiply that by the various number of charts we have to carry and this gets expensive and completely unruly in the cockpit.
In steps Sky Sectionals and puts technology to work for us. They take those very charts and have created digital versions that are distributed electronically. They are updated on the same schedule as the FAA certified NACO charts and they have even created a simple way to navigate the sectionals. You can print out an entire sectional or just the parts you need for your route of flight. I should point out that these are NOT approved by the FAA as your sole means of information so you should be cross referencing them with the certified FAA charts, but these are an absolute must in the cockpit in my opinion. They make managing your workload as a pilot a heck of a lot easier when in VFR flight.
For those of us who fly Search and Rescue, cockpit management becomes even more critical as we need to know precisely what grid we are in and searching. We need to manage flying the aircraft and looking out the window making sure we don’t hit anything (especially here in WA where we fly low and slow through the mountains). Having these Sky Sectionals printed, laminated and spiral bound are the way to go. One drawback for us CAP pilots is having to take those paper charts and manually draw our search grids on them. It’s super time-intensive and not always pretty or perfectly accurate. Again, in steps Sky Sectionals and gives us a lending hand by providing CAP pilots with gridded sectionals. Here’s an example of a gridded sectional in the Seattle area:
If you are looking for a way to manage that workload in the cockpit and keep your charts handy and useful, give these guys a try! They have sectional and TAC charts covering the lower 48. For CAP gridded sectionals, contact them directly for the link to your area. Make sure you follow them on Twitter for updated news and coupon codes!
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