www.weather.gov/largemap.php

This is a NOAA weatherproduct that is new to me. I am still in bed with a headache etc.today, but I passed by the TV in the den briefly onmy way to delicious morning coffee ... the weather to the East looks a bit dicey. My FB friends who fly are fussing about the weather towards the Eastern and NErn reaches of the country. It brought me to think about a couple of things ... I'm pretty sure that my guys are paid even if they're sitting on the ground ... I'd ask, but that might seem to be beside the point. I'm sure that they are not sitting in terminals getting hammered by the PAX. They do have their cool communication devices and access to a network of friends who might commiserate with them. Maybe we'll be able to beam them up in a few years ... .
I'm thinking about snow ... which I have very little experience (or none)with as an aviator. I have seen pictures of runways covered in snow ... I've seen ice on my plane before, but never anything snow in the areas where I've flown or more importantly perhaps, landed. I recognize the cute little asterisk on the prog charts ... it's always over there or way over there. It seems to me that the guys who can choose their flights would want to stay maybe Westward ... the proflight guys from around here tend to get gigs ATL and Eastward. I am going to start looking at weather on a larger scale ... all those High Pressure systems on the West coast look a lot friendlier then the big sucking Low Pressure system putting weather on the East coast in the toilet.

The graphic that I'm learning how to use is awesome! I can click on geographical areas of interest, and within that area look at specifics such as air quality alerts ... it's interesting to see what's messing up the air ... would it be something that my airplane wouldn't want to
breathe?

I'm interested in the weather in Alaska. I'm starting to look at it because it is so different then the weather here, almost like a different planet. I can see why weather seems to come as a big surprise to people who do all of their training over here ... a lot of our guys go to Alaska for a little visit and pick up their ASES ... when the weather is lovely. I would like to do that, there rather then in the Keys, if I get to do that at all. It's been fun going from the progs to the winds aloft to this National Weather Hazards Chart.

I am also thinking about the life of airline pilots in general. I wonder how many of them finish their careers feeling that they made mostly the best choices. By that I mean, I get to see these guys at the beginning of their careers ... they are smart enough and motivated enough to do anything they might want to, and their training costs would afford them a fast track in most any of the other professions. Aside from the considerable financial costs, many of them will pay a huge emotional cost to fly, it seems to me. And then, how do you share the joy that offsets those costs with the people you love the most? I think it is the most demanding of the professions ... requiring so many different skill sets. ... then the report on bombs at the embassies in Rome this morning ... one more reminder of potential hazards to assess and file
away.

The FI who I enjoyed training with so much ... I didn't know him at the beginning of his journey. At some point he decided to come back to the training environment when his time with the big guys was at it's end. He has some models of fighters and I think it's the A320 and a few other smaller single engine airplanes ... and a shell (idk - didn't ask!). He may be a bit cynical, or is it educated, about aviation in general, but it's far below the surface facets of his personality. He doesn't lead with what a big shot he was before, like a lot of older pilots do. The only thing he does that makes me smile airline pilot wise is his voice changes when he is transmitting outside the cockpit ... he sounds very cool ... intentionally so. When I first heard that Captain voice I didn't know it was him, and he was sitting right beside me. It must be like an alter-ego in a way, 'cause normally he just sounds like a country boy. It was extremely amusing. He said we would get me to sounding that cool ... really, he said that ... but I don't think we ever did. His contribution has been huge with the students. He's not the kind of person who would think about that ... which is a shame, because surely that would go in the life well spent pile. I think he has been successful, admirable ... I think he presents a worthy role model for the young guys as they begin ... WWCD. What Would Captain Do? That is how I think I would judge myself if I were a career airline pilot ... . Would the people who understand what it takes to do this well admire my choices? Not just the flying stuff, but the on the ground stuff ... family stuff ... financial choices ... spiritual choices ... life stuff.