The PlainGeek speaks.

When they turned the post office into a PBO (Performance Based Organization), it was in an effort to streamline the way they do business. Postal rates were supposed to go down and they were going to trim all the fat and become a lean mean competition machine to lock horns with the likes of FedEx and UPS. In case you didn't notice, none of that happened. Sure they run a little leaner than they used to but, overall, not much within the organization changed. It's funny how the politicians sold us on how rates were supposed to go down and there was going to be this big cash savings to us taxpayers/consumers. I don't remember the rates ever going down or getting a tax break do you? So what does this have to do with the price of tea in China you ask? I don't want the government to sell us some bullshit program that a private company can run our airspace system better than it's being run right now. My biggest concern is safety and the implementation of user fees.

During the course of planning a flight, a pilot (private or airline) expects to use the system to insure he and any passengers will be as safe as possible. It starts long before the airplane leaves the ground. The pilot will get weather reports along his route of flight. He will calculate the weight and balance to make sure the plane is within its capabilities to carry all the baggage, passengers and fuel it will need. The pilot will plan on alternate landing zones in the event there is a problem at the destination airport. He will check the upper level winds to determine the most efficient altitude to cruise for his aircraft. If in a small plane, there can be several legs of his journey that he will plan in order to take advantage of bathroom breaks and fuel stops. The pilot will review aeronautical charts and determine the best route to fly taking several things into account like weather, restricted airspace, and warning areas. He will look into facility and equipment outages. Pilots should check the status of their destination airports as well as their alternates. After all, you don't want to plan a night landing to an airport where the lighting is down for maintenance or land on a runway where a temporary crane is set up on the final approach path. When all the research is done the pilot will file a flight plan with ATC (Air Traffic Control).

During a typical flight, a pilot will make an infinite number of calls to controllers.

At the larger airports a pilot will typically talk to three controllers before he even leaves the ground. First he'll talk to Clearance Delivery. This is controller will review the pilots flight plan and issue a clearance based on airport and traffic conditions. Sometimes this controller will amend the flight plan to account for departure procedures and other considerations. After the pilot receives his clearance, he switches frequencies and contacts the ground controller. This controller is responsible for all movement of planes vehicles and other equipment on the taxiways and terminals at the airport. He will issue clearances to direct the pilot to the active runway. Once the pilot reaches the departure runway he will talk with yet another controller who will clear him to take off. After he's airborne, the pilot will be switched to a radar controller shortly after takeoff. This controller never actually sees the physical airplane. This is the typical picture most people get when they think of controllers. Some guy in a dark room looking at a radar screen like in the movie Pushing Tin (which does a pretty good job of showing what radar controllers actually do).

There are basically two types of radar controllers, Terminal and Center. A Terminal controller is responsible for controlling aircraft within a forty or so mile ring around the airport. A Center controller is responsible for the aircraft after it leaves the airports airspace and throughout the duration of the flight at the higher altitudes. The controllers job is to safely orderly and expeditiously move traffic through the system in that order. Safety is paramount above all other concerns to a controller. Followed by maintaining order and moving aircraft as swiftly to their destinations as possible. En route, a pilot will make any number of typical requests. Some examples would be altitude changes for a less turbulent ride or flight path changes to avoid weather that has moved since their planning stages. Many times aircraft are vectored for traffic that they may be in conflict with.

I have nothing but respect for controllers and the difficult jobs they do. They manage workloads and have more responsibility than most pilots and passengers will ever know. They can be responsible for more lives in an hour than a doctor will see in an entire career. When controlling aircraft they can't let up for one second. The concentration required during the busy periods is enormous. Joe public has little idea what these controllers do on a daily basis.

We all know that private companies push safety on their employees. There are only two reasons they do so. One is to mitigate potential law suits. The other is because the government says they HAVE to. Lets face it, safety and profit don't fit into the same categories. Whenever you have to implement safety protocols it directly interferes with the bottom line. So to make an organization, who's primary job is the safety of the flying public, a profit motivated enterprise can only make the system less safe. Lets say the FAA did implement user fees to users of the system. They will probably end up charging per request and for using facilities.

Here are some ways it will immediately affect safety.

Landing fees.

If a pilot or a company is going to get charged every time they land, they will push their aircraft to the limits of endurance. When filing a flight plan, pilots have to give themselves a reserve of fuel to have on board when they arrive at their destination in case there are delays or they need to land at their alternate airport. As a pilot, I never plan legs longer than two hours to allow for bathroom breaks and to check for any updates in weather. If I get charged every time I land I'll bring a bottle to relieve myself and push my plane to the limit to keep costs down. More time in the air, working with the minimum fuel reserves, and not getting regular weather updates equals a less safe pilot. When I was learning to fly, the best practice I received was when I was practicing landings. Lets face it, flying an airplane is easy. Landing the thing without killing yourself is the tough part. How well do you think the pilots are going to be trained if they get charged every time the wheels of their plane hit the ground.

User fees.

Lets say that the government starts charging users for every request in the ATC environment. Every time someone wants to file a flight plan it will cost them money. If the weather is favorable and you stay below a certain altitude, a pilot is not required to file a flight plan at all. This means that there will be more planes flying around without being in contact with air traffic at all. This is not only a safety issue but a security issue as well. I usually file a plan when I'm flying anywhere outside my home airport. It's safer for me because controllers warn me about traffic I might not see and if I have a problem I can let them know without delay. If fees are introduced, less planes will make adjustments to their flight paths for fear of being charged. The first thing to go will be passenger comfort. You think that Delta pilot is going to request a less turbulent altitude if his company gets charged for every request? Hell no he's not! The airline will, most likely, tell him to make as few requests as possible. A thunderstorm is one of the most dangerous things for any aircraft. Not because of lightning but because of wind and potential for ice accumulation on the wings and tail. What do you think is going to happen when a pilot/airline gets charged every time they want to deviate around a storm? A lot more planes flying in and around thunderstorms will be the result.

These are just a few of the safety issues that I can think of off the top of my head with a pay your way system.

Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?

Imagine if the government decided to turn over the interstates in this country to a single private business. The government puts out bids different management companies to see which is willing to take on the daunting task of managing the highway systems in the country. One contractor wins the multi-billion dollar bid and slowly takes over the management of Americas interstate system. At first everything might seem fine in the transition. The roads are kept up, and all seems normal. At some point the company decides (as many municipalities already have on the books) that they are going to have a premium lane for those drivers that want to pay extra for less congested travel. Initially only a few transportation companies and the well off partake in this service. As time wears on, people see the well-to-do and their rival companies blowing by them in the pay lane. They grow tired of sitting in the congestion while the others wiz by. Eventually they work it into their budgets that they too can pay for the fast lane. The fast lane becomes as congested as the others. The road management companies solution is to make two fast lanes and charge even more to use them. They do it by taking away one of the already existing lanes. Ordinary commuters start to raise up in outrage because their lanes have become more cramped and useless. Some people can't fit the speed lane into their budget anymore. Equal rights groups start suing the road management company saying they are discriminating against the poor because they don't have the income to afford the fast lane. The company takes a huge hit in their already slim profit margin when they lose several cases and settle others. The roads start to fall into disrepair. Their solution is to start charging everyone for access to the interstate. Back roads become more crowded because people don't want to pay to drive on the interstate. People stop driving their cars because they can't afford it anymore. Local communities raise taxes to cover the road repairs from all the cars that avoid the interstate. Gas taxes (which never went away) go up to bail out the management company. All the major US auto makers take heavy hits and file bankruptcy. The Japanese auto industry falters as well and eventually pulls out of the US. With fewer cars on the interstate the management company raises rates again to cover losses and repairs. The only people who can afford to travel the interstates are the major trucking companies, bus lines (who are making record profits), and the ultra rich. The truck and bus lines pass their fees on to the customer. The safety of the highways come into question as the management team pockets as much profit as possible.

More and more the government is leaning towards privatizing the national air traffic control system in this country. Currently it is free for anyone to use air traffic control (ATC) services. Think of the national airspace system (NAS) as an interstate system in the sky. The government wants to make ATC a performance based organization much like the post office. The problem with this concept is ATC is purely a safety function. The way they want to collect revenue from users of the system is to implement user fees. This will destroy grass roots aviation, compromise the safest air traffic system in the world, and cost you more money when you board that airline flight.

Airport vs Community.

I used to work at a community airport in Florida. This airport had been in the same spot since World War II. When the runways were built, there was nothing around the place but trees and a couple alligators. After the war the airport was turned over to the municipality to do with as they wish. The city kept it as their own and it became the biggest general aviation facility in town. As urban sprawl swept through during the post war era, the community grew around and enveloped the property on all sides. The airport continued to train pilots and funnel money into the community through taxes. It provided jobs to the locals and a direct port for corporate and tourist alike to infuse capitol into the local economy. The community was growing but the airport never had. It's two runways were in the same configuration they had been since it was a staging area for bombers to fly to Europe in the forties. Sure it had undergone modernization but it was essentially the same size it was during the war.

In the late nineties, the local managers and city planners proposed to lengthen one of the runways to accommodate the more modern corporate jets people are flying these days and also to strengthen the runway in the process in order to use the airport as an emergency landing spot for the jets at the international airport nearby. The local community got wind of this proposal and immediately went into an uproar. Petitions and complaints were filed by the truckload complaining about the noise that the airport already generated. They assumed that the lengthening of the runway would bring in commuter airlines and louder jets that would fly over their houses. The runway proposal was shot down.

On the surface, the communities arguments seemed reasonable. Most of their concerns, however, were unfounded. First of all, the airport was there long before there was much of a community to speak of. Complaining about aircraft noise that passes over the house you chose to build or buy near a runway is not a valid argument. The airport was already there and you invaded it's territory, not the other way around. Second, most modern corporate planes are bigger, faster and much quieter than their previous incarnations. A Lear-24, for example, is a much louder jet than a Lear-60 even though it's much smaller. Not much consideration was given to noise early in the jet age. Third, the chances of the airport becoming a commuter hub were slim at best. The International airport had just been expanded and there was no incentive for commuter airlines to set up shop at the smaller airport where people would not be able to make their connecting flights. Finally, lengthening a runway always provides a margin of safety. Too much runway is always better than not having enough. Just ask the parents of six year old Joshua Woods from Leroy, Indiana.

Mission accomplished

Sweet! Florida was a success. We camped, shopped, ate, drank, drove on the beach, and got much needed solar energy. Now I'm locked back in my dungeon for another week.

Happy Mothers Day.

Mom,

I lack the vocabulary to express how much I love you and miss you.

Glenn

Date with sunshine.

Ahhhhh! I can feel it now. The Florida sun beating down on my body as I sip a cold beverage on a white sandy beach. L and I are hitting the road tomorrow. It seems Georgia hasn't received the global warming memo, so we're heading down the east coast and not stopping till we have sun and eighty degree weather. We have no plans. We're going to see where the coastal winds blow us. In the car will be good tunes, a tent, tons of crizzy, and good conversation. We always have our best verbal exchanges in the car and seems fitting that we celebrate nine years of marriage by spending quality time together with none of the daily distractions.

I'm a lucky man.

Civic dooty.

I served on my first jury this last week. Unfortunately, it fell on my weekend so no work was accomplished at the house or on my car. On day one, I reported to the courthouse at 8:30 as instructed. This is when the waiting began. They assigned everyone numbers and mine was high. I sat there all day as they called peoples numbers. I read a magazine that I had the forethought to bring with me. That was good for about an hour of entertainment. I was excited when a little over half the day had passed and they still had not reached my number. At a quarter till one they dismissed us to go home. I was ecstatic. I thought I was through until they added that we were required to report every day for the rest of the week. WTF? I always had the impression that if you didn't get picked for a trial, your obligation was fulfilled. Just goes to further prove that assumption is the mother of all fuck-ups.

So I report on day two with novel in hand and fully expecting to get some serious reading done. No such luck. I get picked up for a civil trial. I detest lawyers and my most recent courtroom experience has made me less than ecstatic with judges and police officers. None the less, I was happy to take part in a situation where my common sense might be able to make the difference in someone else's life. To be honest, I would have rather been a juror in a criminal case. Criminal cases are more important than the civil variety in my opinion. For selfish reasons, I was glad that I was assigned to this particular case. The rumor running around the jury room was that the other two cases were murder trials. I had terrible visions of myself getting caught up in a prolonged case that would last several weeks or even months.

Now that the case is closed, I can discuss the particulars of the matter. The whole case was about a terrible tragedy that happened to this poor gentleman. He was a real estate appraiser who was dispatched to conduct an appraisal on the owners/ defendants home. He went to the house, and during the course of his inspection he fell down the basement steps. He was severely injured and had to be flown to a local hospital. His injuries were multiple and serious. The bills were more than significant, especially since he had no medical insurance. I felt sorry for him and his family for the pain and suffering he went through. He contended that the owner of the house was negligent in warning him about the "defect" at the top of the basement stairs. The owner, who was trying to refinance her home at the time, wasn't even there when the accident happened. She testified that there was no defect at the threshold of the stairs.

As it turns out, the "defect" was a rounded over piece of wood at the top of the stairs. The home owner had wood floors installed at one point and the plaintiff contended that owner was responsible for inspecting that floor and making sure everyone who ever entered her house knew about the problem. The plaintiff had several pictures of the threshold at the top of the stairs. The rounded over portion turned out to be nothing but an end piece where the hardwood could be terminated and still look finished. Anyone would encounter this type of "defect" whenever there was a transition from one type of flooring to another. Where carpet would end and the hard floor begins for example. I would have to say, if anything, this is a safety feature so you don't trip.

So I sat in the jury box listening to the plaintiffs lawyer spill all his bullshit for a day and a half about how the owner was responsible for causing this poor guy to fall down the stairs. He was an old school Matlock type of dude. He was slow and deliberate, he entered all kinds of photos and bills into evidence. He called paramedics, doctors, family members, and the plaintiff to the stand. After he was finished presenting his case, the defense lawyer took a whole hour to shoot down everything he had to say.

During the break, before closing statements, I sat in the deliberation room examining my fellow jurors. I had already made up my mind in the case and I wondered how my peers felt. I had terrible fears about a dead locked jury because I had no intention of changing my mind based on the facts presented to me. There was no way I was awarding that poor guy one red cent. It's one of those bad things that happen to good people. The guy took a header down a flight of stairs and hurt himself really bad, but it could've happened in his own house as easily as it did in the house he was inspecting. Hell, I almost fell on the courthouse steps earlier that morning. I wasn't going to punish a poor lady for just owning the home in which he fell. Through my mind went all the retarded law suits I've seen on the news where some idiot received millions of dollars because of some loop hole or the company settled to avoid embarrassment. I wondered how the juries in those cases had ever been able, in good conscience, to award those people. The poor home owner in this case didn't set a trip wire or a bear trap for the guy to fall over. The wood at the top of the stairs wasn't loose or in disrepair. The homeowners own children lived in the furnished basement. She has a fused ankle and still managed to negotiate those stairs every morning to get her kids out of bed without killing herself. For once I felt I was in a position of power. I held these peoples fate in my hands. I wasn't going to back down under any circumstances. I was going to sleep with a clear conscience even if they had to retry the case because of my stubbornness.

After the closing statements, we retired to the deliberation room for the last time. Finally being able to discuss the case with one and other, I found that my peers were in complete agreement with me. To say I was relieved is an understatement. It took us all of ten minutes to rule on behalf of the defendant and the only reason it took that long is because we all wanted to get our words in on why this was a lame lawsuit. We all agreed that dooty happens and, sometimes, you just have to suck it up and drive on.

It's all about the sleep

My career is still in a holding pattern. (see new years post) I need closure on this thing. I talked to the guys who are supposed to be helping me out yesterday and the outlook for me getting some well deserved retribution looks good. The problem is that the organization I work for is as bureaucratic as they get and there is no time frame as to when I might get to finish my battle.
My experience taught me to stand by my principals and not be afraid to vocalize. I already knew this lesson but put it on the shelf because I thought discretion would be the better part of valor. I came to this last job with the intention of keeping my head low and staying under the radar because I've had "issues" in the past when it comes to standing my ground at work especially. I thought this was the best course of action at the time but now that I look back I regret, more than anything else, not speaking up for myself when I had the opportunities. Regret is a tough nut to swallow and will keep you up all night at times. At any rate, I decided that I was going to get off my idealist horse because the job was the culmination of several years of work, and personal as well as financial sacrifice. When I landed the job, it never occurred to me that I wouldn't make it because I had never failed at anything (up to that point) I put my full effort into.

After talking to some of my coworkers about my demise, it turns out that their overall opinions of me were marginal at best. Their opinions probably had as much to do with my firing as anything else I suppose. When I was working , I never made an attempt to be overly social with my coworkers so it seems they developed the opinion that I was a prick. I can see it now that I look back. As a general rule, I just look like a pissed off person most of the time. I don't do it on purpose. So if you look pissed off and you're quiet, people naturally develop their own opinions. That's why they tell you to smile during job interviews. A smile is the only facial expression that can't be misinterpreted.

I never go looking for fights. I'm naturally non-confrontational. People that know me, really know me, will tell you that I'm the nicest, most laid back person you will ever meet. Maybe that's why I have problems with people feeling they can step on me. They must think "Glenn is as harmless guy." They must feel that they can get away with it. I guess I give than a false sense of power or something. What they don't realize is, when I reach a certain point, I crack like thunder. There is no warning. Just happy old me eating all the BS people throw at me until they push the wrong button or push me too far. Then I unload on them like a double barrel shotgun and they're stunned. I think it's blessing and a character flaw. There are some serious benefits and drawbacks to having a spine. So after this whole ordeal I've decided to go back to my old ways of standing up for myself when I feel people are pushing me too hard or being unreasonable no matter what the situation. At least I'll be able to live with myself and get more sleep.

Lazy grease monkey wannabe

I've been slacking again. No entries for almost a week. I spent the last three days sleeping in and spending all my other time locked in the garage working on my dune buggy. My time working on my fun machine seems to give me purpose in an otherwise dull spot in my life. I actually enjoy working with my hands. Getting down and dirty is fun for me. I will say the results seem to come way too slow. I expected to be driving the thing by now but it doesn't have wheels, axles, an engine, or even a body. When I'm done, it should look to be almost show quality until I roll down my driveway to the dirt road in front of my house. It will never be a show winner.

I went to a VW show a week or so ago. I saw a bunch of cool cars there and I was in awe of the quality of workmanship on some of them. On the way home, I passed ten cars that were at the show. Eight of them were on trailers. What a waste. You spend years building this beautiful car and then you tow it around everywhere you go because you don't want it to get messy. Lame! So you have a trophy... Big deal! You can put it on your garage shelf and polish it every time you wax your car before you load it up on the trailer to take it to another show. Cars are for driving. If you want art, take a picture and hang it on your wall.

I'm an air-cooled VW guy from now until they outlaw gas. My next car is going to be a VW bus and it's going to be my primary transportation until I'm too old to work on cars anymore or it rusts into dust, which ever comes first.