Slow work day thoughts...

Here I am stuck at work again on what would be the second day in a row of perfect flying weather.

The nature of my job translates into frequent periods of inactivity due to fluctuations in my customers shipping needs.

Today is one of those days... I've been idle for 45 minutes, and will likely be so for another two and a half more.

I guess all-in-all, I shouldn't complain - I'm getting paid by the hour if I work or not, and my job keeps me outside, as opposed to being inside a windowless office cubicle or a factory on beautifull days like this.

I'm sitting in a nice patch of grass typing this on my PDA, enjoying the breeze coming off Lake Ontario..

Ok, so I'm not so hard-done-by afterall. It could be better, though - I could be flying.

Lots of planes passing overhead again today, seemingly teasing me. Not flying this weekend is going to be tough. Thankfully the weather is supposed to be mediocre, probably not flying weather at all, so that will dampen the pain. :-)

Over the last few days I've been conversing in email with a fellow student in New Zealand whom is a visitor here at my blog. Those who read the comment threads wil llikely recognize the name Euan.

Its been very interesting reading all about his experiences and how similar a lot of things are in the overall scheme of overseas flight training. There's just enough "different" however to make it intriguing at the same time.

If by some stroke of luck I ever get the cash together to fly (commercial, that is) to NZ, Euan, I'll be sure to drop by and we can go flying together. :-)

As much as I've always wanted to visit the area (NZ and Australia alike) I have my doubts on that happening anytime soon, unfortunately... For the last 6 months or so, the airport has somehow managed to grab every last penny of spare money from my pockets. Go figure.

Looking at the price of crude oil, Mogas, and Avgas recently, I had the following deep-thought - what will airplanes do if/when the world *does* ever run out of oil?

You can't exactly convert a Cessna 152 (or a Boeing 747) to run on batteries, solar, or whatever else there are alternatives wise with current technology.

"Awww crap, the D-Cells just went dead! Time to look for a place to land!".

Or perhaps:

"The reactor needs new plutonium! Time to set this bird down at the nearest airport for a fill up.."

Yep, neither very practical options.

Now, I'm no "tinfoil-hat" wearing theorist who's convinced like some that the earth is going to run out of oil in a few years, but one must accept that at some point in the future its a possibility.. Its safe to assume we are pumping oil out of the ground faster then its replenishing.

That would certainly put the brakes on General Aviation...or aviation in general, for that matter, unless some sort of "Star-Trek" Sci-Fi technology makes signifigant progress in the next few decades.

I guess the next generation (or the one after) will have to worry about that.

With that now out of my cranium...... Back to my regularly scheduled programming.

It seems Chicago's Mayor Daley is in Toronto right now speaking to Mayor David Miller about "Big City Revitalization". One point of conversation was Toronto's City Center (Island) Airport, which I posted pictures of a few blog entries ago.

I hope to fly into CityCenter sometime soon... Perhaps I'd better rush - read on...

Now, my USA and Canada based readers will probably be familliar with what Mayor Daley did (illegally) to Meigs Field in Chicago, ordering it bulldozed overnight several years ago while there were still planes on the Aprons.

Google the story for the full details. Suffice to say that Mayor Daley has a real bug up his rear end for General Aviation, and his strongarm and illegal tactics against GA are historic.

He was again in the paper last week stating that Chicago should have an ADIZ/FRZ around it, and fighter jets on standby just in case.. This is basically what the situation is at the White House in D.C, of which there have been several high-profile breachings of recently.

Mr. Daley somehow feels that Chicago is now a prime terrorist target, and that Cessna's, Pipers, Etc that frequent smaller GA airports are a terrorists first choice for aircraft.

So, Chicago no longer has Meigs Field as a result of his fears.. Wow, Mr. Daley, You must sure be glad there's no more of those scary airplane-thingies near Chicago's skyline anymore!

Blissfully, he's unaware of the proximity of Chicago's O'Hare International airport, perhaps?

Anyhow..

I don't know what this goof has against GA, but sadly he was spouting his anti-GA filth yesterday in Toronto, trying to convince Mayor Miller that the Toronto Island Airport should be also bulldozed and turned into parkland.

His "story" for both Meigs and what would also be Toronto City Center airport (the "proper" name, although everyone just calls it the Island Airport) is that the lands are better used as "parkland". All of us involved in GA know that this is a thinly guised veil for his unfounded hate of small aircraft.

Dear Mr. Daley: Kindly screw off and leave other airports alone. Your scaremongering tactics are not welcome here, nor does most of Canada live in perpetual fear of the "Evil" aircraft that fly overhead that seem to terrify you so much.

Sadly, Mayor Miller seemed to entertain the idea... I'm sure a strong representation of the rights of GA will soon ensue from the likes of the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA), of which I'm a member.

Oh well, with Millers record so far, one can only guess that he won't be mayor come the next election anyhow, so it may all be moot.

And Mr. Daley, go home and hide under your bed, some evil Cessna 152 might be bearing down on you. It would surely leave a nasty smear mark on one of your big shiny office towers if by some freak chance one was ever to collide.

Ever seen a housefly hit a tractor-trailer windshield at 100 KPH?

Same difference.

Sheesh.

In the meantime, may the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits.

There, that rant done, its back to work....er, back to sitting in the sun for another 2+ hours.