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Mike is a Father, Flight Instructor, and Professional Geek. He has spent 20+ years in the air and millions of hours online.
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myT Studio Oshkosh 2011 Recap

by on September 10, 2011 in general aviation, myTransponder

It’s been more than a month since Airventure 2011 and we are so humbled by the response to the first appearance of the myT Mobile Studio. We expected there would be interest, but we didn’t expect the level of use that came through our doors. At one point, we had a dozen producers recording episodes, editing video, uploading photos, or just having some coffee as they planned their day. We’re thrilled we could bring some resources to Oshkosh that resulted in increased quality and quantity of Airventure coverage.

At the bottom of this page is a list of the recordings and productions that thanked myTransponder and/or our partners for assisting them in some way. If you feel we helped in some form and want to be included in the list, then just let us know and we’d be honored to add your link.

EAA Video Visits the myTransponder Mobile StudioOur initial plans for the studio were to help by lending out some gear, providing some power, and pouring some coffee…. and we certainly did all of that.

The Sennheiser corporation provided us some microphones which we lent out to many folks. Dave Allen of

Other People’s Airplanes and and Damon Favor of The Pursuit of Wings probably got the most use out of them. Additionally, we put them to use during many other interviews as well as Podapoloza.

Canon lent us a camera to use for our interviews but it also saw use out at the flight line and for several field interviews.

ikan‘s gear proved a powerful asset to most organizations. We saw groups using everything from the smallest clamp, to the many shoulder supports, to the fantastic LED lighting kits. Personally, I couldn’t have gotten the video footage I did without the help of their Recoil-XT Kit and HDMI display.

At the show, Flying High Coffee became a partner when they augmented our order with some free coffee. Good thing, too because we made at least 22 pots of coffee in just a few days. Who knows how many people made pots when I wasn’t looking.

Editors in the RVWhat we didn’t expect was how much the RV would see use as an editing studio. Almost every waking hour saw people coming through the door just so they could edit their work. I may need to have a dedication ceremony for the newly renamed Dave Allen and Steve Visscher (of Plane Crazy Down Under) editing table and breakfast nook. Sure, some people started their day wanting me to start the generator early since it meant the coffee machine could come to life, but mostly they needed a space to sit and edit. I asked a few folks “why the RV?” and it boils down to a lack of options. The official media center has very little space with power and has limited hours. Even if it were open all night, the media center isn’t particularly close to where people were sleeping. Larger media organizations sent their folks to hotels, homes, or dorms, but few podcasters have a budget that allows them to be away from the field. To quote Steve Visscher, “a tent is no place to edit, mate.” This from a man who spent most nights editing while connected to the power outside the bathroom. Why the bathroom? Because we had to shut down the generator at 10:30 every night and the bathroom is one of only a few places they could turn for power. I’m betting several folks would have stayed on the RV’s couch late into the night if the power could have stayed on.

The RV is nice enough, but wasn’t big enough to handle all the unexpected editing. There were several times that we setup tables outside the RV which gave a few more seats but it was hard to make space. I wish I had counted but I’d estimate that we had about ten groups crammed into six sites. I felt terrible that we were so crowded together and that there was obvious demand for more spaces given how many new-media folks stopped by and then camped much further out. Still, there was great energy in the overstuffed campground which lead to some terrific camaraderie.

A special thanks to Martt Clupper of AirPigz.com who bought and set up a new canopy which quickly became the center of the podcasting campground. Unfortunately, he lost this and a table and more when a storm ripped it all up on Saturday after we left. I hope some of those who used it send him a few bucks to help replace it. myTransponder has sent him some money but not enough to cover it all. Thanks Martt. We continue to look at ways to repay your generosity.

Adam Fast on the inside of the 787Another unexpected activity was a group tour of Boeing’s 787 after it landed. Before the event, I had reached out to Boeing’s PR folks asking how media tours would work and if we could record Podapoloza in the cargo bay. Well, we didn’t get access to cargo, but they did let our little cadre come onboard and help tell Boeing’s story. I was floored when I heard that the myTransponder group was the last of the media allowed on before the general public started coming onboard. Our apologies to a certain ABC affiliate who, after driving up from Chicago, didn’t get onboard. In this case, I think luck favored the prepared, but I am sorry not everyone could get on to see the newest, most interesting airliner in years. That said, I’m also sorry I didn’t get more of our folks on that list. If we had, they might have also made the front page of the Oshkosh Northwestern http://futurshox.blogspot.com/2011/08/myt-crew-makes-front-page.html or in their video http://www.thenorthwestern.com/videonetwork/1086414715001?odyssey=mod%7Ctvideo%7Cnewswell

While not strictly an extension of the studio, Thursday night’s recording of Podapoloza happened at myTransponder party in Sennheiser’s booth. The party brought more than 120 guests despite a sudden rainfall that popped up just as we started. We can’t thank Sennheiser enough for offering (if not insisting) to host our party and I’m quite certain Podapoloza wouldn’t have worked without their help. Also, our thanks go out to Dave Pascoe who agreed to live-stream the event via his fabulous LiveATC.net platform. I listen to ORD tower all the time via LiveATC but I never expected to hear a recording of our event from the same site!  Lastly, our thanks go to the many organizations and people who donated prizes. I’m quite envious of a few partygoers who ended up with some fabulous things like a complete King training course!

So, what will I try and change for next time? The easy answer is “lots” but, you will have to wait for another posting to read those ideas and contribute your own.

In the meantime, go out and enjoy the work of so many folks who came through our doors. Our thanks to all of you and to our sponsors!

- Mike

Dave Allen of Other People’s Airplanes

Day 0 - http://otherpeoplesairplanes.com/event/airventure-oshkosh-2011-day-0/

Day 1 - http://otherpeoplesairplanes.com/event/airventure-oshkosh-2011-day-1/

Day 2 - http://otherpeoplesairplanes.com/event/airventure-oshkosh-2011-day-2/

Day 4 - http://otherpeoplesairplanes.com/event/airventure-oshkosh-2011-day-4/

 

Dave Allen of Pilot’s Flight PodLog

Damon Favor of The Pursuit of Wings

Day 1 - http://www.pursuitofwings.com/osh11/quickcast-1-osh11-day-1/

Day 2 - http://www.pursuitofwings.com/osh11/quickcast-2-osh11-day-2/

Day 3 - http://www.pursuitofwings.com/osh11/quickcast-3-osh11-day-3/

Day 4 - http://www.pursuitofwings.com/osh11/quickcast-4-osh11-day-4/

Day 5 - http://www.pursuitofwings.com/osh11/quickcast-5-osh11-day-5/

Day 6 - http://www.pursuitofwings.com/osh11/quickcast-6-osh11-day-6-final/

photos –  http://www.flickr.com/photos/pilotdamon/sets/72157627152751035/

 

Jo Hunter

http://futurshox.blogspot.com/2011/07/journey-to-waukesha.html

http://futurshox.blogspot.com/2011/07/rowr.html

http://futurshox.blogspot.com/2011/07/breezy-ride.html

http://futurshox.blogspot.com/2011/07/few-pictures.html

http://futurshox.blogspot.com/2011/07/oshkosh-motion-timelapse.html

http://futurshox.blogspot.com/2011/07/boeings-787-dreamliner-at-osh11.html

http://futurshox.blogspot.com/2011/08/shout-out-to-some-fine-folks.html

http://futurshox.blogspot.com/2011/08/air-to-air-with-remos-gx.html

http://futurshox.blogspot.com/2011/08/b-29-fifi.html

http://futurshox.blogspot.com/2011/08/flying-cars.html

http://futurshox.blogspot.com/2011/08/bell-47-ride.html

http://futurshox.blogspot.com/2011/08/breezy-ride-at-osh11.html

 

See her work on page 29-32 of the august issue of Airplaneista

http://www.mygazines.com/issue/38381

 

EAA included her work on their stop motion round up

http://www.airventure.org/news/2011/110804_timelapse.html

 

Direct links to videos

Motion - http://www.youtube.com/user/TheRealJoHunter#p/u/0/MHPYIihTgy8

Boeing 787 at #OSH11 - http://www.youtube.com/user/TheRealJoHunter#p/u/1/XPbn7V8wjZI

 

Plane Crazy Down Under (PCDU)

Daily Blog Reports:

Day 1 –Getting there isn’t always the best part!

http://blog.planecrazydownunder.com/2011/07/26/oshkosh-2011-getting-there-isnt-always-the-best-part/

Day 2 –Rockford Bonanza

http://blog.planecrazydownunder.com/2011/07/27/oshkosh-2011-day-2-rockford-bonanza/

Day 3 –Arrival en Mass

http://blog.planecrazydownunder.com/2011/08/02/oshkosh-2011-day-3-arrival-en-mass/

 

Audio Episodes:

Oshcast #1 - http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2011/07/27/pcdu-episode-70-airventure-2011-oshcast-1/

Oshcast #2 - http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2011/07/29/pcdu-episode-71-airventure-2011-oshcast-2/

Oshcast #3 (Hugging Your Roo) - http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2011/07/31/pcdu-episode-72-oshcast-3-hugging-your-roo/ with a video of the flight described in the video http://youtu.be/lG1tDdNkjVM

Episode 73:Oshkosh:The Greatest Show on Earth - http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2011/08/20/pcdu-episode-73-oshkosh-the-greatest-show-on-earth/

 

Martt Culpper

http://airpigz.com/blog/2011/7/30/boeing-787-dreamliner-goes-public-at-oshkosh-2011-14-pix.html

 

Marc Newman

http://preflight.tv/blog/2011/08/29/episode-9-vendors-at-airventure

 

smiley face by a skywriter over the 787 tailMike Miley

OSH11 Photos -

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_miley/sets/72157627286867468/

 

Photo used with permission in Boeing’s blog

http://boeingblogs.com/randy/archives/2011/07/open_arms_in_oshkosh.html

 

Photo used with permission in Boeing’s Frontiers internal magazine – page 8, September edition

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Airship Adventures

by on August 6, 2011 in aviation, general aviation

I’ve had the great fortune to fly many different aircraft ranging from Cubs to a Stearman to a Citation, but I’ve never had a ride like today’s trip in the Farmer’s Insurance Airship. Named Eureka, it’s owned and operated by Airship Ventures of California and is the largest airship on the planet. Built by Germany’s Zeppelin corporation, it’s big, it’s fast, it’s nimble, and it’s waiting for you to take a ride in it.

Farmers AirshipI caught up with the Farmer’s Airship at West Chicago’s DuPage Airport (DPA) during one of it’s stops in their “2011 Covering Communities Tour” where I found it moored to a 32 ton truck. In reality, Eureka caught up to me since I had seen it just the week before turning heads and offering rides at EAA’s Airventure in Oshkosh Wisconsin. Every day, I’d look away from the show line in hopes of seeing Eureka’s graceful departure or it’s near silent return. Fortunately, most sunsets included it’s giant silhouette. Whenever it was around, it was surrounded by the most appreciative audience it will ever see. I sure do hope it returns often to Airventure.

Now it’s a week later and I’m back to my home west of Chicago. Today, it was finally my turn to step aboard. After a simple security screen, I climbed the air stairs and found out there were just 11 of us including a two person crew who’s office is a gondola made up almost completely of glass. I can’t possibly relate how nice the view is as none of the pictures I’d seen before did it justice and my photos are the stuff of amateurs. The reality is that you can see the horizon in all directions with very few obstructions. The biggest hindrance is the on-board bathroom which, yes, has a window of it’s own. You must try it out just to say you did.

As with most aircraft, the best view is reserved for the Pilots. Our captain was a German man with a thick accent who was both professional, welcoming, and full of smiles. Of course, who wouldn’t be smiling if they got to fly this thing around all the time? It was obvious the pilot and the crew love their job and that joy infected the passengers. Everyone had a great time as the pilot easily maneuvered us around Chicago’s western suburbs.

 

Our Flight AttendantAnthony, our flight attendant, patiently answered any and all questions. The most common was that of the differences between blimps and airships. The easy answer is that both are dirigibles since they are both lighter than air and can be navigated with a rudder. Balloons, on the other hand, are completely at the mercy of the wind. So, the difference between blimps and airships comes from the structure beneath the skin. A blimp is a bag of gas that is kept under pressure to maintain the shape. Most Americans associate blimps with Goodyear, Direct TV, and other advertisers who fly them over sporting events. Airships, however, have an internal frame to maintain shape and to contain bags of gas. Most people associate these ridged airships with the older Zeppelin ships like the unfortunate Hindenburg. The Farmers Airship is a Zeppelin NT (for New Technology) which is a modern, semi-ridged airship that is a bit of both models. It has a partial frame for support and stability but uses pressurized, nonflammable helium gas to maintain overall shape.

The Eureka is modern in too many ways to count. The frame is steel and carbon fibre. The skin is a laminate made by the same company that makes NASA’s space suit fabric. It uses three Lycoming engines that provide enough power to move the Eureka up to 67 knots (78 mph). Yet, it’s nimble enough to hover while performing 360 degree turns. This comes from the engines that can rotate 120 degrees on their mounts allowing for trust in almost any direction. Now, keep in mind that all of this is in a vehicle that is longer than a 747!

Airship Captain looking out the windowThe stability and maneuverability make the airship an ideal candidate for uses well beyond passenger tours. Of course, camera platforms come to mind but there were even plans for using airships in fields as diverse as logging. Goodyear and Zeppelin recently announced a return to a partnership that first started in 1922. Zeppelin will come to America to build three new Zeppelin NT airships for Goodyear to replace their aging blimp fleet. That means that we are only a few years away from having Goodyear Airships rather than blimps over our sporting events. So, if you grew up wanting to ride in a Goodyear blimp, you might want to rethink things and go flying today in Airship Ventures’s Eureka which is the same Zeppelin NT model Goodyear will someday fly. You could daydream for years about Goodyear, or you can go fly the Farmer’s Airship today.

Airship Controls

Once you get on board, it’s easy to daydream while looking out the windows of that ship. Despite years of flying over the Chicago area, I found myself wondering what it would take to get a lighter than air certificate which would allow me to fly dirigibles like the Zeppelin NT. A friend and fellow pilot, Vin Capone recently said that the process isn’t difficult but it’s hard to find an airframe to practice with. Fortunately, Airship Ventures offers flight training out of their Moffitt Field home base in Northern California. Being that we were in Chicago, I did my best to convince the crew to let me get at least 1/10th of an hour of time for my logbook. They nicely reminded me that there were other paying passengers onboard who might prefer to have a trained professional at the controls. Besides, Airship Ventures offers a Pilot Experience program that gives you instruction and a fair amount of time at the controls. Ah well. The pilot in me had to ask. Perhaps my American Airlines crew will have a different answer next week.

 

 

woman with head out the window and hair blowingFlying in this airship is much different than you might expect as it’s movements are much closer to those of a helicopter. We took off nearly vertically and made yaw movements more typical for rotocraft. In flight, you are not only encouraged to stick your head out the window but they show you how and help you take pictures as you put your hair in the wind. Coming back, I expected a long approach into the wind, but we merely got over the target area and lowered into into position. I’ve certainly seen this with helicopters but it seemed odd for something so big to do the same thing and to do it so quietly. Helos make lots of noise when hovering, but the airship maintains a more civilized volume.
As time moves on, I’ll always remember flying in the Farmer’s Airship and I’ll always be grateful to Airship Ventures for giving me this chance to fulfill a lifelong dream and to tell their story. It’s a spacious room with a heck of a view. So, the next time you are sitting crammed in row 34 of a commercial airliner, think about Airship Ventures and set up a flight so you can experience what commercial aviation should feel like. Everyone should experience it’s grace and civility.

-Mike

The 2011 Covering Communities Tour continues across the midwest through September before the Eureka returns to California’s Bay area. Along the way, you can take a ride in Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Houston, Austin, and Tuscon. Regular flights around the bay area start up again mid-October. For more information about the schedule and to buy tickets, please visit http://www.airshipventures.com/ or http://farmersairship.com/

Want to know where Eureka is right now? Track her at http://www.airshipventures.com/about/track-the-ship

Of course you can find them on Twitter http://twitter.com/airshipventures and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AirshipVentures as well as read their blog at http://blog.airshipventures.com/

For more photos and video, please visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_miley/sets/72157627367331110/

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Announcing the new myTransponder Mobile Studio

by on July 5, 2011 in myTransponder

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Announcing the new myTransponder Mobile Studio

First Arriving at Airventure 2011

myTransponder HQ, Chicago, IL — (July 5, 2011) — myTransponder, Inc. is excited to bring a new service to New Media producers covering aviation events: The myTransponder Mobile Studio.

“Our goal with the studio is to help increase the quality of the field recordings created by the New Media producers,” said Mike Miley, myTransponder COO. “We know some bloggers and podcasters have great stories to tell but struggle to find appropriate production gear to adequately capture the message. myTransponder wants to help simplify the process and help get these stories out to the public.”

With the assistance of our partners at Sennheiser, Canon, and ikan, the first appearance of the myTransponder Studio will come at Airventure 2011 from July 25 through July 30th.

New media producers can schedule free studio time to use audio, video, and/or lighting either inside the studio or outside under our awning. Additionally, we plan to offer some mobile gear to loan out to those producing content in the field. Either way, producers can transfer the media to their own computer or we can capture the media locally and arrange to get it to the producer later.

This is a free service and we simply ask that users thank our partners in your show, show notes, website, etc. Additionally, we would appreciate an email letting us know when these productions are released so we can let others know about your work.

For more information and to schedule studio time, please contact Mike Miley at mike@mytransponder.com

myTransponder is a leading social media company dedicated to the world of aviation. Find us at http://www.mytransponder.com and http://blog.mytransponder.com or follow us on twitter as @myTransponder. For more information about our site or our consulting offerings, please contact us at ace@myTransponder.com

myTransponder: Making Aviation More Social

—

A downloadable version of this announcement is available at http://www.mytransponder.com/pr/2011-07-05-studio-announcement.pdf

Comments { 5 }

B-17 “Crash”

by on June 16, 2011 in aviation

B17 Nose

This week, the mainstream media widely reported on the “crash” of a B-17 outside of Chicago. While I’m sad to lose such a great plane, I’m pissed off that the media calls it a crash. I didn’t like it when Capt. Sullenberger “crashed” into the Hudson, and I don’t like how today’s events are being reported.

If you haven’t seen the pictures, you might want to look at these first: http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110613/news/706139915/photos/

Lets review what we know:

  • The crew reported a fire after takeoff
  • The crew landed in a field
  • All the passengers and crew got out with no injuries.
  • The fire consumed the airframe on the ground

This was not a crash. It was a successful off-field landing following an inflight fire. It’s just too bad the fire totaled the frame. Sad to lose an old plane like that, but I’m thrilled everyone got out when they landed. The CFI in me wonders why they didn’t land with the rows in the field and why the cowl flaps were open on engine number 2, but I’m not one to question those who faced this event and performed so well. I’m certainly no expert on the ’17 so I KNOW I wouldn’t have done as well as they did. Hats off to the crew! Well done.

Someone I know in the mainstream media contacted me about “the crash” since I don’t live far away and, well, I’ve been known to have opinions. At first I, too, assumed it was a crash landing onto the belly. Then I noticed the defined landing gear tracks leading up to plane. Later I saw pictures of the plane on fire but still in one piece. I pointed out that the crew landed it in one piece and got everyone out so it wasn’t a crash. Their next question was:

“How many plane crashes are survivable?”

He didn’t get it that it wasn’t a crash. It was an in-flight fire. He didn’t get it until I asked him, “How many people survive car fires when they pull over to the side of the road and get out to watch?” I’m not surprised the media called it a crash since it sure looked like one. I’m also not surprised they sensationalized so much of it. Headlines made it sound like a fully loaded bomber crashed in a suburban neighborhood. Others questioned why bombers are allowed to even fly outside the military. One TV reporter asked if they even thought about using the parachutes. Nope, I’m not surprised by any of it. I just wish they would be open to actually reporting the truth when faced with facts.

The mis-information continues with laughable results. So, if someone assumes you are an expert because you are a pilot and asks you about the “crash,” give them reason to applaud the crew for doing what they were trained to do… they landed and got the people out.

-Mike

Comments { 4 }

FAA Medicals: Promise vs Reality

by on April 23, 2011 in airline, aviation, general aviation

(Updated)

Anyone who has known me for any length of time has likely heard that I’ve struggled over the last ten years with my medical and I have all but stopped flying.

What started with “your snoring is loud” became “you have mild sleep Apnea” which turned into “I can’t give you a medical” and finally a two year process to get my paperwork. I’m not advocating that a diagnosis of Apnea is unfairly classified as a “Disqualifying Condition” nor am I arguing that extra medical precaution is warranted. I firmly believe that sleep conditions need extra hurdles. But two years for mild Apnea? As my grandmother would say: “Something ‘aint right, there.” I’m now to the point that I’m ready to hang up 23 years of flying experience including 17 as a flight instructor.

How did I get here? I should have guessed that I’d have years of trouble ahead when my initial two-year process stalled rather than face the catch 22 of a denial…. and then included the following advise from AOPA’s medical staff :

“withdraw your application. Wait six or seven months. Then apply again with a different AME. Can you travel to another state?”

I kid you not. A six-month hiatus was part of the process. I know that was ten years ago and I did end up getting my paperwork after repeated sleep studies and Maintenance of Wakefulness tests (more on that ridiculous test later). In the end, I got both the medical and “the letter.” Letter? Yup, I got the golden ticket in the form of a Special Issuance with it’s big, bold title: “Six Year Authorization.” It meant I could both fly AND expect less hassle at my next medical…. or so I thought.

The Special Issuance document outlines what I have to do to renew my medical without having to go through all the tests every time. In theory, this letter lets me go an annual meeting with my personal doctor who reviews my situation and writes a letter to the FAA saying I’m ok and am following my treatment. I should be able to take that letter to any AME along with the Special Issuance letter and expect them to fill out the paperwork and hand me a medical certificate at the same time. While I have to do this annually, I don’t need the full FAA medical exam every time. A golden ticket to be sure.

If the process worked that easily, I wouldn’t be writing this blog post. Nor would I be considering hanging up my wings.

At this point, I’m frustrated by the practical process I’ve experienced for ten years and how it differs from what I thought was a documented, easy to follow procedure. I guess I’m frustrated by the large gap between expected procedure and observed practice. That golden ticket promises a medical exam on the schedule we all know. When I was under 40, I need only get a medical exam once every five years as long as I update the FAA annually per the authorization. Now, I should only need a medical exam every other year for my third class medical. How do they enforce an annual update? My medical is marked with a “not valid after…” and a date equating to one year post exam. Yup. It turns a third class medical into an annual requirement.

Annual? Fine. All I need is an update letter from a doctor, right? Wohhhh….. Slow down there. That sounds too easy.

Anyone out there tried to get a “simple” letter from a doctor certifying continued treatment? Doctors don’t like that unless there is data to back it up. How does the average general practitioner know if I’m using my c-pap machine every night? Unless they have special equipment to read the data card in my machine, they refer you out to a specialist. Ever tried to have a specialist sign off on a letter certifying effective treatment? Specialists ask for specialized tests. What are the tests for Apnea? Well, first you do a couple of overnight sleep studies so they can observe your apnea and titrate (adjust) the c-pap machine. In other words, they crank the knob to the right until you have enough pressure to keep you breathing without obstruction. I’ve done this test twice and I should do it again to see if I still need the same strength. Do I need it for the FAA? Not any more.

Now that I have an apnea diagnosis, specialists and the FAA want to see an occasional Maintenance of Wakefulness test (or MWT). What is an MWT and why don’t I just get one every year? The idea of the test is to see if you can stay awake all day, even when you lack sensory stimulation. My last MWT went like this… could you pass it?

1) wake up at 5:45, have breakfast, get ready, and drive to the hospital affiliated with the sleep lab. Oh, and no caffeine in the morning. Water only.

2) Arrive at the hospital before 7am to give blood and urine samples to test for caffeine or about ten other stimulants. The hospital lab affiliated with the sleep lab didn’t even have a way to test for some of what the sleep lab asked for. So, it became a $300 blood draw for a special analysis.

3) Arrive around the corner at the sleep lab by 7am and fill out paperwork without the aid of coffee

4) Wait 40 min. (why am I here this early?)

5) Get wired up… get 20+ electrodes attached to your body, mostly your head and face. Oh, expect difficulty if you have a beard and/or thick hair.Mike wired for testing

6) Go to and sit in your room and wait. At this point you can watch tv, email, whatever. Still no coffee

7) At some point, the staff will come in and sit you in a chair and calibrate their night vision cameras to track eye movement. Then they will turn out the lights, close the shade, turn off the TV, etc. so that it’s dark and quiet. It’s now your job to sit in that chair and stay awake. No talking, singing, slapping, shaking your head, etc. Just sit there and not sleep for the 45 min test.

8) This process happens three times through the day. That is two hours and 15 min of quiet darkness through the day.

9) go home and have coffee

Could you pass this test? Really?

My specialist wanted annual MWTs but the FAA didn’t define a timeframe after the initial issuance. Since the FAA doesn’t care, I haven’t done an MWT in at least six years. Why six? Because I haven’t gone to a specialist in at least six years. I refuse to go unless someone tells me I HAVE to go. These days, I write the letter I need my general practitioner to sign and just go talk to him. Mine does a basic, annual physical, puts the letter on his letterhead, and signs it. He doesn’t seem to like the process but it’s what I’ll do until the AME asks for something different. If I do more than that, if I have more tests, it I “try to help” with more information, then I’m offering more data to the AME who could find even more wrong with me. I risk stepping into another invisible pile of poo that could lead to yet another hassle with getting my medical issued.

As you can tell, I understand the process well and all was working routinely until my AME went missing. I went in last fall and started the process by getting the FAA exam completed. I paid. The AME wanted a letter from my doctor with certain verbiage so, as expected, I left without the medical while I visited my GP which, unfortunately, took several weeks to schedule. When I had the letter and reached back out to my AME, he wasn’t answering his phone nor was he returning calls. No information from his office. Then I noticed he wasn’t listed in the FAA’s database. Uh oh. My AME is gone. By the way, if anyone knows Dr. Tesmond, please say hi and wish him well. I just hope he is alive and playing golf somewhere warmer than here in Chicago. In my mind, he decided to stop playing the FAA’s games. I just hope he isn’t dead.

So, I went looking for a new AME. Based on much feedback, I settled on Dr. Ostrom in Elgin IL. I liked that he answered his phone personally and that he only does only FAA exams. “If you go in an office and it isn’t full of airplane pictures, you are in the wrong place.” Great start, but it didn’t last. When I visited, he spend the entire exam bashing my employer who makes “worthless stuff.” This from a man who had World of Warcraft (or something like it) running on his computer on the desk in the exam room. Fine. He is certainly not the first to offer a less than professional opinion of my employer. Besides, his exam was up to the standards and was quick. To each his own. I paid my $100 and again left with no medical. Why? He wanted a change to the verbiage of the letter I brought in. So, I went back to my GP with the change and faxed the results to the AME within 48 hrs. Dr. Ostrom has everything he needs, but now won’t sign it and won’t call me back. Its been almost a month since my visit and I’ve called several times to follow up. Each time I’m met with the realization that the office manager doesn’t have my file and the doctor may well have lost it on his desk. Perhaps it’s under that WoW computer.

So here I am. I have a golden ticket but can’t get a medical. I’m again shopping for an AME… my third in six months. I’ve flown a couple of times as a non-PIC CFI, but I can’t get in the plane myself and I’m on my second hiatus in ten years. I have lots of credit with my club banked up and I’d sure like to use it before it expires and I loose it. I’ll find that new AME and get this done because I’m an optimist and “third time’s the charm.”

If it doesn’t work out this time, I’m hanging up the spurs. Done. No more flying. I’ve had enough of this crap and it’s just not worth it! The mere thought of going through this again makes me wonder why I do it at all. It fills me with frustration and a bit of anger. I’m finally in a place in life I can afford to fly and I can’t even go around the pattern. I’m in a club that I helped found and that I’ve help keep afloat, but I can’t get a simple bit of paper to let me turn the propeller.

I understand that my last round of medical interactions might just be bad luck, but when I look at this as part of the 10 year saga, I just can’t help but think the process is broken. Any process that doesn’t allow the system to work 15% of the time needs review. I’m on my second hiatus… and the FAA’s medical process may make it permanent.

-Mike

An Update – I just got a call from Dr. Ostrom who apologized for his staff dropping the ball on my medical… and for hassling me about my employer. My thanks to whomever might have tipped him off that I was annoyed about that.

The system still needs improvement, but my hiatus may well be at an end.

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Aviation Photography at O’Hare

by on March 29, 2011 in airline, aviation, general aviation, technology

This weekend, I took a bunch of aircraft photos from outside O’Hare’s western fence. I hoped I might also get a photo of a train or two, but I ended up focusing on planes landing at sunset. After posting them on my flickr account, I started getting some interesting questions from folks on twitter, facebook, and email. They wondered if I got hassled by the TSA or police as I took the pictures. One person even asked if it was legal to take pictures of jets in the first place.

The simple response is: no, I wasn’t hassled and yes, it’s legal to take pictures of airplanes. Aviation photography isn’t inherently dangerous to anybody.

I think the questions I received show the continuing fears our society feels even this long after 9/11. Combine that with a lack of understanding as to what photographers can record and people will be suspicious. I fully understand how people might (and probably should) question some guy like me who is standing on the sidewalk with a camera and fairly large lens taking pictures of planes landing. People might get nervous thinking they had just seen some terrorist. I understand. I do.

On this particular day, nobody said a word, but I did get a few odd looks. Perhaps it was fear. Perhaps it was the camera with long lens. Perhaps it was just the weird guy standing on the side of the road. Who knows why they looked at me, but if anyone was nervous they didn’t tell me. I saw two or three police officers but they didn’t even look. To be fair, I was in an area that commonly draws photographers so they may not have even cared having seen my type so many times before.

That said, I was prepared for the questions that didn’t come: I love airplanes and love taking pictures of them as a hobby. Yes, it’s a camera and not a weapon. Yes, I’m on public land taking pictures of planes in public airspace. No, I’m not a terrorist. Yes, I have a business card if you want me to email you a link to what I post. Did I mention I’m a flight instructor?

If none of that worked, I had one more answer up my sleeve: “Would you like to see my ORD Airport Watch ID? Now, I know you are thinking “You need an ID to take pictures? I thought you said you said it was legal? What gives?”

ORD Airport Watch is a cooperative program started by the Crime Prevention Unit within the Bensenville Police Department. By volunteering to have a background check and paying $10, the Bensenville PD will vouch to any of the regional law enforcement agencies that I’m not a threat and am there just to take pictures of planes and trains. From their website:

This crime prevention initiative is composed of people who have an interest in various aspects of aviation and who spend time in the vicinity of the O’Hare Airport to observe the various airport operations.

Some members also combine their aviation “spotting” activities with their photography hobby to produce very interesting photos, some of which are found on various internet sites dedicated to aviation topics. The Bensenville’s Airport Watch Program members also assist on occasion at various area events related to aviation in surrounding airports. From time to time, the Watch enjoys familiarization tours of aviation facilities primarily at the O’Hare Airport.

At the same time, Airport Watch volunteers provide the same sort of security as the Neighborhood Watch Program. Members monitor aviation procedures, the condition of the fencing, wildlife activity, parking lots, suspicious behaviors and flying debris (FOD) while they enjoy their favorite pastime.

They are simply an extra pair of eyes and ears outside the perimeter fence. Their task is to “Observe, Record and Report”.

While I don’t legally need any ID to take pictures, I also don’t need to be hassled when I do. When I heard about the program, I debated long and hard about joining an organization that I don’t think should need to exist. By my thinking, I shouldn’t need to register with anyone in order to take the perfectly legal photos I take. Still, I want the kind of national security that only comes from local, county, state, and federal police and law enforcement agencies asking questions of the people who are hanging around airports and train lines. Heck, I’ve been known to ask people what they are doing hanging around airports.

Security is a balance and as long as the police understand the needs of the photographer, then I hope they do stop and ask me what I’m doing there. It’s their job and we are safer for it. If having a $10 ID will help make that process simpler, then money well spent. I’ve spent more on the right to take pictures at a one-day visit to a botanical garden… and I wasn’t a threat there either.

As long as I’m not required to register, then I’m in favor of this kind of program. Now I can just concentrate on trying to take nice photos knowing I shouldn’t be hassled.

-Mike

If you want more information about or wish to join the ORD Airport Watch program, you can email Officer Joel Vargas at jvargas@bensenville.il.us or call 630-350-3455. You can also apply in person atAviation World ORD which is my favorite aviation store. Even if you don’t want to join, please stop by and visit them. They are plane and train spotter friendly with a nice place to sit and watch in their front yard while you listen to ORD tower over the loudspeaker. You should be sure to step inside and pick up a little (or big) trinket for yourself. Find them at http://www.aviationworld.net/aw_usa/ or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/AW_ORD

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FlightPrep’s PR Nightmare

by on January 6, 2011 in technology

 

 

First of all, I’m no lawyer. I’m merely a communications guy. As I see it, FlightPrep‘s patent is in force and they have the right to follow the process they are following… to seek reward for technology deemed as theirs. I have no problem with them having the Patent and I think they should be rewarded for any unique products they created or enabled. Am I defending them? No. It’s just the reality of our system.

That said, I contend that the way Flight Prep is dealing with this situation is detrimental to their current and future business prospects. If FlightPrep doesn’t change their communications tactics, they will quickly find themselves permanent outcasts. I just don’t think FlightPrep understands the image they are creating for themselves by handling things so badly. Image and brand are everything these days and theirs is now tarnished.

Ask yourself… if you were a new company or website looking at ways to do flight or travel planning online, how likely are you to approach FlightPrep to discuss using their technology? I know I wouldn’t want to do business with a group that has raised the ire of the very customer-base I might be targeting. Would you?

FlightPrep needs to remember that they are not the only ones out there who have a way to put a route on a map. To this day, I can’t figure out why their system might be better or even different than anyone else’s way. If FlightPrep wants new companies to pay for their technology and not use someone else’s product, then I need a bit of help beyond “we have a patent.” So what? So do others. Google has great mapping and planning technology. Why is your system better than theirs? What is FlightPrep’s value proposition?

I applaud co-founders Kyle Everson and Roger Stenbock for a long history of great products. I’ve used several of them and, based on that history, have to assume that their controversial patent covers some technology that is somehow unique and useful. Unfortunately, their skills with managing marketing and communications are obviously lacking an ability to sway potential customers into wanting to use FlightPrep’s products. I’m a good example as I started out in their camp but I just can’t watch as they continue down this path.

So what happened? How did they change my mind? Not long after this whole issue first surfaced, I read their 10 Dec blog post “An Open Letter regarding our Online Flight Planning Patent” and was left thinking… these guys are ok and are just doing what they need for their technology. ANN may take issue with a few of the details, but it was a good letter. You should read it if you haven’t already.

Unfortunately, they didn’t stick with this type of positive, open communication for very long. Their very next posting on 13 Dec “FlightPrep grants RunwayFinder temporary license” begins on the attack:

“Although we believe RunwayFinder infringes on our patent…”

I’d bet they intended to announce “look! See! We are willing to work with RunwayFinder. We are good guys!” It’s too bad that the overall message is a legal one which doesn’t resonate with the general public. Plainly: the post backfired and didn’t offer the positive impression they intended.

How did they follow this post? The next day they wrote “Regarding RunwayFinder shutting down” where they outline their position that RunwayFinder shut down on it’s own with no influence from FlightPrep. If I was with RunwayFinder having read the offer of temporary access to their technology, I’d be tempted to shut down as well. Why? Because it’s obvious that Flight Prep will want lots of cash for their technology…. at least, that’s the impression. If I’m a small company or site, I might not have the resources to do much more than run the servers let alone take on software costs and legal fees. Did FlightPrep make them shut down? Not in so many words, but their actions come across as “pay us or get sued” which likely forced a business decision at RunwayFinder of “it isn’t worth it. Good bye.” FlightPrep got what they implied… either pay or stop using their product. RunwayFinder chose the latter which might not have come to be if FlightPrep had approached this differently. Was FlightPrep in the right to want compensation from RunwayFinder? Of course. Is one potential outcome that RunwayFinder shuts down? It is. Somehow, FlightPrep seems surprised by this reaction and, yet, takes a “it not our fault” attitude.

While that post made me wince from a communications standpoint, I still understood where FlightPrep was coming from and I was still sympathetic to their process. They lost my sympathy five days later with their post on 18 Dec “Myth vs. Fact regarding the FlightPrep patent issue.” What changed? This new post was a great post IF you are a lawyer, but I’m not. That post might be great if you are entering evidence into court. How is that helpful to all if us… their customers? Do they really assume that the flying public will wade through all the links and legal language to see if FlightPrep is within the law? I already think they are within the law and it irritated me. I have my doubts anyone got past the fourth paragraph. Strictly quoting me legal positions as to why you are acting the way you are just comes across as arrogance.

I’d put money on it that Mr. Stenbock wrote that post. Why? Besides being a CFII, he is also a lawyer. It completely misses the point of the problem they face and sounds like a legal brief to boot. So what if what they are doing is legal? If the public is reacting negatively to your actions, then listen and find ways to appeal to the public before moving on down the legal path. Tell us THAT position rather than take us to law school.

I have to assume that FlightPrep isn’t looking for the same amount of money from a little site as they are from a big one. I’d assume what they want is to gather a few small companies who have licensed their technologies…even if it’s a $1 in a secret deal. Why? So that when FlightPrep talks to the big companies, they can get bigger dollars since there is a cadre of companies that have already licensed the technology. Unfortunately, all the communications from FlightPrep takes a hard line and strong tone implying simple greed and inflexibility.

As I read several stories, I kept thinking things like “isn’t there some metric that they could apply that, if not met, would allow them to grant an inexpensive license that grandfathers existing sites and protects them from further legal action?” I bet FlightPrep would (and does) consider these options… but there is not one communication that hints at flexibility other than a paternalistic stance of the technology being free during negotiations. That lack of flexibility combined with their aggressive and broad legal notifications, the public is left with an impression of greed.

As an example, using a blog to announce you are granting a “temporary free-pass at our technology” gives the reader the impression that “free” is forever off the table. Even if the company does think its off the table, putting this out in a blog post makes you look like all you want is cash. If a free license IS part of a “mutually beneficial long-term solution,” then say so! If you don’t say it, then readers will only think you are giving RunwayFinders a temporary deal … before you soon overcharge them for the license and legal fees.

In the 14 Dec post, FlightPrep said:

“Mr. Parsons response was to elect to try this case in the court of public opinion instead of employing professional and good faith business practices”

I contend that FlightPrep is the one who fails to understand that managing public communications IS part of good faith business. How you represent yourself and your company to the public is how the public perceives and attaches value to your brand. How did they represent themselves? through their blog posts and interviews which are part of the court of public opinion. They are responsible for their own words and actions.

In the “Myth vs. Fact” post, they stated:

“We urge those wanting to form an informed opinion to seek the advice of a qualified professional prior to making final judgement”

FlightPrep had better learn that this statement applies to them as well as to the public. I think most lawyers are well prepared for court documents but few are good at managing public opinion. FlightPrep would do well to hire a communications/marketing professional to defend them in the public court where they are so obviously floundering under the leadership of their resident JD.

To help them out if they don’t hire someone, here are some hints for those looking at managing public opinion…

  1. don’t post your position so strongly with legal phrases like “…we have offered to grant a free-license to RunwayFinder to operate its website during this negotiation phase our legal dispute.” If you are trying to show your compassion and express your understanding that this is a difficult situation, then don’t write a post from an assumed winning position. That position changes your compassion to something between condescension and outright arrogance.
  2. Even if you internally assume a company must pay handsomely for your technology, tone it down in public posts during times of contentious coverage. Give the impression of flexibility and understanding. What the public hears and what happens at a negotiation table do not have to be worded the same way
  3. Deleting negative comments, even if they have no basis in legal reality is tantamount to saying “your comment doesn’t matter because I am right and you are wrong.” Again… arrogance and condescension will make you look, at best, heartless in the eyes of your customers.
  4. If you do delete posts, at least be smart enough to edit your own posts to remove references to the removed comments.
  5. Help the public understand how your technology is worth all this fuss. A page outlining “here is what we make and why we think it is worth defending in court” would have helped this situation quite a bit.
  6. Consider outlining potential options beyond the implied “you will pay us or else” position. If you would consider a tiered price structure based on company revenue… say so! You don’t have to say what the costs are. Just imply that you know there is a need for tiers. This way you come across with compassion and understanding.
  7. Take a step back and see what your actions are doing to your customer base. Rather than put up legally-worded defenses, decide if your actions are considered too aggressive to appeal to your customer base.
  8. Start small rather than attack everyone all at once.
  9. If you accept feedback and don’t like it, you still have to protect it so that it isn’t used by someone who turns around and attacks those who provided the feedback. By the way, news sources are a great place to hear feedback. Even if you don’t like what they say, don’t attack them either.
  10. Learn that sometimes not saying anything is the right thing to do

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