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Showing posts from January 11, 2009

Worst Weather in the World

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I flew up to Maine to see my sister and cousins for a few days. As part of the trip we went up Mount Washington in NH. We went up on the Cogged Railway. It's A unique old vehicle system that only uses a large cog underneath the engine hooked into a ladder type of rack on the tracks all the way to the top. The modern engine uses a 600HP John Deere driving a hydraulic pump which in turn drives several hydraulic motors turning the large cog. Mt Washington is known for the extreme cold and highest wind in the world. Yes, the world. That was not the case when we went up. The winds were 3 MPH and the temp was 62 degrees. the highest ever temp ever recorded was 72 degrees and a 3 MPH wind is generally unheard of. So, the weather was quite kind for us.
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I need to do something different with this blog. I have been thinking about it for quite a while. This is my 836th post over the course of 8 or so years. I originally started blogging because it was new technology and a new way to communicate. It was novel. Now it is mature. I was impressed by the USAIR flight that ditched into the Hudson river the other day. Everybody was unhurt. Wow!! I understand that the aircraft has a "Ditch Switch" that is thrown to seal through-hulls and helps it float a lot longer. That must have helped. The event was definitely impressive in a lot of different ways. I am surprise the engines didn't rip the craft apart when they hit the water. I wonder what the angle of attack was like when it first contacted the water? My flight instructor and I have discussed the philosophical aspects of what our reactions will be in absolute emergency situation like that one. You never really know until it actually happens. A big part of flight training is le...
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I am Chicago for a few days. I haven't had to put a winter coat on for a few days because my commute is walking through a a maze of carpeted corridors and fancy lobbies. It is a pretty good time to be inside with some nasty storms and cold weather. I have had a few really good deep and long laughs with my co-working friends. It is hard to believe that Bonnie and I have been separated for almost a year. I looks like we are going to move my Mom to Florida. It is a challenge on that front.