John & Anne Wiley

2010/07/15

Bingeing & Fish Hooks

Filed under: Aviation,Flying,Inner World,NxNW Adventure,People,Random,Relationships,Tripp — John @ 02:27

We finally got some of the stuff on the “To Buy” part of our list for the trip, and we might have gone just a tad overboard. Did we really need mosquito hat covers?

Something we enjoy on “altered” State Street, is overhearing snippets of conversation. Sometimes we notice ours too. Like as we passed a guy sitting on a bench waiting outside some apparel store for his wife. I said, “It’s comfy, but I can’t take it off!” Now that snippet in itself is entertaining for us, but the context was our jocular discussion of what it would be like to wear a velcro jacket. By now maybe you’re wondering how this relates to shopping for the trip.

In the sporting goods store, we talked for probably ten minutes about whether to buy fishing hooks and line. In retrospect, the dialog must have been riddled with snippets we’d enjoy hearing from others as we passed them in the aisles. “We’d need a license.” “Not if we’re fishing for survival.” Now you might get a hint that there was a darker side to this particular dialog.

The route we plan to fly will always be within gliding distance of roads and settled areas, as was our plan for the Big Adventure. Even on that flight in generally more developed areas than we contemplate in this one, there were a few times we wandered off to look at stuff. One region that comes to mind is Big Bend in TX, where we got into some fairly remote areas. As pilots might guess, I climbed to increase our options but am glad they weren’t needed. So since we don’t fish for sport, as Anne contemplated a scenario where fish hooks would be useful, her mood darkened. Fortunately we worked through it, and since the minimalist fishing gear was small, light and cheap we went for it. More options.

So tonight we begin piling stuff to sort, weigh, and then try to pack into Tripp. For the Big Adventure flight we had our small car packed to the roof with stuff, and were surprised when it all fit comfortably into Flash. This time we might fly without the back seat, which would produce even more space – and probably more ease in loading. It would be nice if we can also load it in such a way that we don’t need to unload lots of stuff to get at something we need. We also need to decide whether to bring a tarp, because one of the cool things about a C-172 like Tripp is how easy it is to create a cozy place beneath a wing just by adding a tarp. Soon we’ll visit a few other stores on our List Quest, but maybe we’ll dial back the binge factor after looking at the pile from today’s craze. As always, comments, suggestions and warnings are welcome. 🙂

2010/07/04

BFR

Filed under: Aviation,Flying,Happiness,Inner World — John @ 02:51

Pilots already know what this post is about, but for everyone else BFR = Biennial flight review, yet another safety feature for aviation. Basically it means that every two years, pilots go flying with an expert flight instructor who reviews our knowledge and skills. This is my second one (both with Terry Harris), and again I had fun and learned some things.

This time we purposely flew into IMC (more pilot jargon, basically meaning clouds in this case). My license and interests both prohibit that kind of flying, but like all pilots I’ve had some training in it and like many pilots I wanted to practice my skills. So flying with Terry today gave me the opportunity to safely and legally practice flying in clouds with someone who teaches airline pilots how to do that. 🙂

Santa Barbara was uncharacteristically cooperative in this. Usually our town has clear skies this time of year, as it did yesterday and probably will tomorrow. Today though, the low clouds lingered late into the afternoon. ATC (sorry, Air Traffic Control) cooperated too, by allowing us to fly a long time at the altitude that would put us in clouds.

By now any non-pilots reading this may be muttering, “Why would you make so much effort to fly in clouds, when you could easily have flown in the clear above or below the thin layer?” Because I never fly in clouds, I want to feel confident in case I ever have to. It’s very rare, but sometimes pilots have inadvertently flown into clouds and become disoriented. I was already comfortable, and now I’m more confident.

I found it tiring, because there was a lot to keep track of with the added layer of complexity involved in following ATC instructions rather than just putting the plane on a course for getting back out of the clouds we simulated having inadvertently flown into. I’m glad of that extra distraction, because it further increased my comfort in handling extra challenges.

The fun part though, is getting even more comfortable with an entirely different type of flying than my normal. Rather than trusting my body’s strong signals about what to do, I demonstrated ability to trust what the instruments and my brain were telling me. If you’ve never done this, no amount of verbiage can convey the experience. Nor does flying with “foggles” that simulate flying in clouds by blurring your view outside the cockpit. Flying without visual reference like in actual clouds has magical powers to confound your senses. It feels like navigating around on a constantly tilting surface in total darkness – weightless. Unlike foggles that often leave me mildly nauseous, flight in clouds is just slightly giddy and dizzy feeling.

Now I have a question for you: was this totally boring? I’m curious, because it’s obviously of interest to me but I don’t know if anyone else cares about stuff like this. 🙂

2010/06/29

Observations

Filed under: Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,People,Random,Relationships,SB Region — John @ 07:02

We like the anticipation of Solstice every year, then the buildup and preparations, the parade itself of course, and another thing we deeply enjoy is watching the people who are in it and those on the street and up on balconies watching.

7433 Reflections

7433 Reflections

I like to see the exuberant essence of the parade reflected in the expressions of people watching, and in the shop windows behind them.

7443 Decorated Observer

7443 Decorated Observer

There are many who come to watch quietly in the background, who find themselves noticed – and decorated – by people wielding confetti-filled eggs or simply hand-tossed confetti. It’s a way that some observers anoint other observers into becoming participants themselves, in something they may have come only to watch.

7445 Family Time

7445 Family Time

When I was a child it was rare to see fathers closely involved with children. It warms my heart to see dads sharing the parade with small children. Memories are formed that will last a lifetime, and this gives me great hope for a future when people share citizenship and community with warmth and open hearts. In such a world we can work together, even when we disagree. We can respect our different ways of expressing our common humanity.

2010/06/28

Parade of People

Filed under: Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,People,Random,Relationships,SB Region — John @ 02:40

The whole thing: buildup, parade, aftermath, party in the park, gatherings around town afterward… Solstice weekend in Santa Barbara is something we deeply enjoy.

So here then are more of my pix, and I’m still hoping Anne will share some of the great shots she caught. Keep in mind though, that most of our best memories are in our minds because often there’s no time to snap in the moment when you’re in the moment. Rather than focus on photography, we like to get fully caught up in the celebration.

2010/06/14

Molly Walks & Flies

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,People,Random,Relationships,SB Region — John @ 23:37

Yesterday our precious god-daughter Molly “walked” at UCSB. That’s the term students use to summarize donning the traditional black cap and gown with various garnishments signifying special achievements. I’m proud to note that her uniform additions included a special sash and braid. Her walk was amid the faculty and administrators, and her seat was on the stage where she was introduced and given an award before she walked again for the diploma.

6935 Humble Excellence

6935 Molly is modest, unassuming, sweet, kind, patient and considerate

It was inspiring to hear the speeches and see the grads getting ready for the next phase of their lives. The ceremony was especially moving for us, since she flew out of SBA headed for Paris only a few hectic hours later. Oh how we will miss her!

As you might have noticed on the aerial photo, the audience included people watching from outside the seating area.

6963 Overflow

6963 Overflow

Some couldn’t get seats, and maybe others wanted a head-start on the massive end of ceremony exodus.

All over Isla Vista, both before and after this one among the series of many ceremonies, students were moving out. At the same time, new students were scoping out the logistics of moving in. Grads were selling furniture that incoming students were buying. With such a massive turnover of residents going on, I.V. was some combination of a bizarre swap meet, curbside estate recycling, hellos, goodbyes, and transcendent stress; all flowing in an easy dance of worry and compassion.

Having also attended the Masters Degree award of precious niece Erin a few years ago, UCSB has been forever transformed for us. Flying over, bicycling or strolling the area evokes strong memories and feelings, along with the stunning beauty of the place.

6013 I.V. & UCSB

6013 I.V. & UCSB

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