Tragedy and risk management

[Update: Husband had his morning trip with John and got more details. No cartwheel, the right main snapped on touchdown and they skidded through the backyard. He tried to radio a mayday in to PHF (the nearest airport) but was too low at that point, but a nearby twin-engine guardian angel heard and circled overhead, communicating with PHF. Within 2 minutes of landing, rescue vehicles showed up at the scene. John's wife had to have a pin put in her foot, but otherwise it was just bruises and scratches. An FAA inspector confirmed that there was water in the fuel filter and that led to the engine failure; the trike runs on premium auto gas, and in VA auto fuel contains (up to) 10% ethanol which allows water to be held in suspension, so the preflight sump tests can't necessarily clear water from the fuel. John was up in the Cirrus today, and he and his wife still intend to take their post-Osh Kosh trip in the plane. Kudos for not being scared off!]


I have a strange bit of perspective to share: Today we spent ~6 hours on I-85 returning home from visiting family down south. On this trip, we heard that our good friend and flying buddy and (former) co-owner of 388, John, had an emergency landing over the weekend in his ultralight with his wife on board; the engine died over a river and though the nearest land was a populated area, he performed the oft-practiced emergency procedures, got down to someone's backyard (the trike luckily doesn't need much room!), and landed. Unfortunately, the landing gear snapped, and the trike cartwheeled. They're banged up, but ok. John thinks there was water in the fuel filter that cause the engine to die (Husband will get more info tomorrow morning when they fly together in the Cirrus). The ultralight is the motorcycle of airplanes, as far as structure and personal protection go (and boy is it a thrill to hang out there in one!)...

~8:30 am, maybe, we passed an automobile wreck (luckily it was in the southbound lanes and we were heading north) where really all we could make out was the charred remains of what looked like a tractor trailer and a car. I don't know what happened, but it was obviously bad and at least one person died.

Then tonight after our childbirth class, we got home to find our street blocked off with a variety of emergency vehicles. A house a few doors down burned, most likely the result of a lightning strike from the thunderstorms we had all afternoon. I was working from home earlier and ~5 pm was IM'ing with husband when an exceptionally loud and close thunderclap nearly scared me out of my seat, and completely freaked the dog out. I am willing to put money down that that was actually that house being struck, that that was what started the fire, though the afternoon's rain must have kept it in a smoldering state until after we left for class ~6:45.

In driving, we rely on our instincts and reflexes to avoid trouble. It mostly comes down to how alert we are and what our immediate options are, but driving is so commonplace that most drivers out there (me included!) are pretty complacent on the road. Heaven help us if something goes wrong or some other person impacts our situation. That wreck could just as easily have happened to US.

In our homes, we expect to be safe. We don't expect to be struck by lightning and have the house burn around us. When that fire starts, though, it's pretty much out of our hands. That could just as easily have been OUR house that got scorched.

In flying, we're taught to be in control at all times, taught how to scan the air and the instruments to maintain alertness and stay ahead of the aircraft. We're taught how the systems work and how to troubleshoot them. If all else fails, the emergency procedures are second nature and from most emergencies, they say, the plane's occupants walk away. Accidents, collisions, failures and so forth still happen, but I like these odds a lot better.

Kind of a lot to take in in such a short period of time. We'll see what other lessons the prego brain extracts during tonight's sleep...

Gut feelings and random thoughts

My feelings on flying are changing as my gut changes, I'm sorry to say...

I'm ~3/4 of the way through the pregnancy, and certain activities are becoming uncomfortable. Like bending to pick something up from the floor. Like sleeping. Like sitting.

Like spending hours upon hours in airport seats or airline seats.

Our 9-day trip to the Canadian Rockies was really a good trip. We hit Calgary, Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper, Edmonton, and points in-between. I'd have to say that Banff was my favorite; a gorgeous little mountain town in a valley on a river surrounded by lush green mountains capped with snow, a town that's big enough to have interesting eating options but small enough to not be overrun with tourist-y shops. (It does have its share...) I'd really like to go back there when I get my body back so's to take advantage of the vast scope of outdoor opportunities -- hiking, rafting, biking, horseback riding, etc.

But spending 8+ hours in planes plus another 3+ hours in airports (thank you, weather delays) -- one way -- had my back screaming for mercy, and resulted in this policy: no travel longer than ~2 hours after the second trimester!

Beyond that, however, are the physiology management concerns, and this applied also to our flight in the 172 down to Asheville a few weekends ago. Amniotic fluid is pretty important for the developing baby (understatement), and it's cumulative; the recommendation is to drink at least 8 glasses of water per day (in addition to whatever other fluids like coffee or juice might be part of the daily regimen), plus another glass for each 15 minutes of exercise, plus 4 additional glasses on hot days with outdoor activity. That's a lot of intake, and it creates a lot of output, and with a shrinking bladder capacity, frequent breaks are necessary.

I'm not typically a germophobe, but airliner bathrooms really gross me out, as they do most everyone I know. The 6-year-old boy in 15b surely doesn't have the best aim to begin with, so throw in a little turbulence and you've got a situation that's less than ideal for any subsequent passenger. Ick and shudder.

And in a 172, that's an expensive potty break.

So you see where I'm going here. Just bitching about the growing discomforts of flying whilst preggers. I'd guess that it's just as bad for driving nowadays, too, but haven't tested it. Discomforts of traveling.

On another note, United gets mixed reviews from this trip. Our layover was at Chicago O'Hare, and the landings there both on the trip out and coming back were really soft and smooth, so pats on the back for those pilots. On the ORD-YYC leg, they announced that ATC would be tuned in on channel 9 in the armrest audio. That was fun, listening to the busy stuff going on at ORD and the calls in transit. (Note to self: what is "metering?" Some kind of departure load-balancing service?) Sometime at cruise altitude, the captain came on and advised us that he'd be "giving a dissertation" if anyone wanted to listen in on channel 9. He was amusing and talked for probably 20 minutes or so about the FO's experience, his experience, the history of the Boeing 737 (such as we were on), fuel ferrying and consumption/performance trade-offs in a time of high prices, etc. He was pretty cool and sounded very friendly.

Other United issues, though, were unusual and unpolished to me. For instance, during the pre-taxi safety instructions, it appears to be United policy to turn the cabin speakers down way low and to select the crew member with the worst diction and recitation skills to do the announcement. The phrasing of the announcements was bad, too; they seem to have accepted the first draft. The one that seemed very odd to me was the prepare-for-landing announcement: stow carry-ons, tray tables and seat backs in their full upright and locked position, seat belts fastened, and "in the case of an emergency after landing, leave all carry-ons behind"... They had already emphasized that in the case of any emergency all carry-ons should be left behind, so why repeat it for landings? Do they have a history of landing problems? Are they just trying to give the aviophobes a little nudge in the last-minute freak-out direction?

Ok, enough blathering for now, back to work! I'll post a few pics from the trip soon, and promise to be more positive! End communication.

Blowhard

It has been extremely windy here the past few days. And gusty. Husband and I were planning to go up this afternoon for one last pre-checkride flight, but alas, 13 gusting to 24 isn't good for me.

But check this out. Emporia, an airport a little farther inland southwest of JGG, is reporting something that looks pretty unbelievable to me:

KEMV 232035Z AUTO 22014G96KT 10SM CLR 11/M02 A3007 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT E

22014G96KT!

(For what it's worth, there are no radar returns in the area...)