Posts

Showing posts from August 14, 2011

Honshu and Okinawa

Image
I am back. I spent 10 days in Japan, 5 days for work on the main island of Honshu and 5 days of solo adventure in Okinawa. Travel is so invigorating dispite the uncomfortableness. Jetlag, anxiety, crowds, and other discomforts aside, it is mind-expanding and rewarding. Work went well. I flew a new airline (Skymark) from Tokyo to Naha. I am always wary of strange discount airlines and all the traps they set. However, I had a great expereince with "Sky". I was actually shocked. Super easy checkin at the airport, no extra fees even with extra luggage. The primary mission in Okinawa was to visit the Peace Park and the suicide cliffs of Okinawa. From what I understand, at the end of WW2 the inhabitants were encouraged to commit suicide rather than surrender to the Americans and get tortured and eaten. Besides other types of suicide, they jumped off the cliffs at the Southern end of the main island. If you have seen the original color footage taken at the time, I am sure you ...
This study has come up through the wires (many different wires). It makes perfect sense to me. http://newsinfo.nd.edu/news/25416-flying-bosses-new-study-highlights-why-ceo-pilots-make-good-leaders/ Study http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1785413
Image
Flying was fun last weekend. It was very gusty. The Metlife blimp was in town for the PGA thing. It couldn't fly because of the winds. There was a special NOTAM regarding the airship at the end of the runway. Between the airships, banner towing, and small jets Gwinett County airport it is a great place to maneuver as a new pilot. I was in Jacksonville, FL. Monday with my Mom and Sister. I flew down for the day.
Image
I walked the next section of the Appalachian trail. I am doing what they call "In and Out Hikes." That means I hike, turn around and go back where I started. There are no downhill or uphill hikes when you do it that way. This hike was a bit extreme. It was really too much, but I feel good today. I hiked about 15 miles with lots of vertical in about 7 hours. There were lots of squirrels and I almost stepped on a decent sized snake. Even after I drank 5 liters, I almost broke out my reserve liter of emergency water.