SUGGESTIONS TO MAKE YOUR SAFE TRIP EVEN SAFER
Sensible Clothing • Shirt - Long sleeved, natural fabrics. • Slacks/pants - Long, natural fabrics. • Shoes - Leather or canvas and low-heeled. Child Safety Seat Check with airline for policy on use before arrival at airport and on board the aircraft .• Safely stow carry-on baggage. • Wear seat belt snug and low across the hips. • Keep your seat belt fastened at all times. • If you take your shoes off, put them on before landing. Review the passenger safety card before each takeoff and each landing. • Listen carefully to the safety briefing. • Ask questions if safety information is not clear. • Make a mental plan of the actions you would take in an emergency. • Be familiar with all exits. • Count seat rows between you and at least two exits. Exit Row Seating • Listen to the safety briefing and/or read the written instructions for aircraft specifics. • You must be physically capable and willing to perform emergency actions. If not, request another seat. • You must know your responsibilities in the unlikely event of an emergency. • Ask questions if instructions are not clear. • Consider the effects of alcoholic beverages. • In the unlikely event of an emergency, you should be aware of the following. Evacuation Slides • Jump feet first into center of slide. • Do not sit down to slide. • Place arms across chest, elbows in, and legs and feet together. • High-heeled shoes can damage slides. Decompression • Pull oxygen mask toward you to start oxygen flow. • Put your oxygen mask on as quickly as possible. • Help children and others with their masks. Flotation Devices • Know where they are and how to use them. • Life vests (under seat, if available), life rafts, and some seat cushions and evacuation slides can be used as flotation devices. Evacuating the Aircraft • Follow instructions of crew member (if possible). • Stay calm and proceed quickly to exit. • Leave all your possessions behind. Fire or Smoke Inflight - Use wet paper towel or handkerchief over nose and mouth. - Move away from the source of fire and smoke. On Ground - Stay low. - Proceed by your predetermined count of seat rows to exit(s) and/or - Follow floor proximity lighting to an exit. - Exit the aircraft. - Leave all your possessions behind. Outside the Aircraft • Move away from aircraft, fire, and smoke. • If possible, help those requiring assistance. • Remain alert for emergency vehicles. • Never go back into a burning aircraft.
It Never Rains On A Right Attitude!
by: Richard Vegas
The decision to win in life belongs to you, not to anyone else. No one else can make that decision for you. No one else can open up the top of your head and pour a can of luck down inside of you. The victory is available to you, so is the defeat. Notice I said the victory is "available", not automatic! Feast Or Famine! Have you ever noticed how things come and go in cycles? Everything in nature has cycles and so does victory and defeat. When we are in the victory cycle everything we do just falls in place. When we're in the defeat cycle even our crystal ball will tell us, no, that was just a "snow ball" that hit you! Yeah, Right! It seems the victory cycle always ends too quickly and the defeat cycle always lasts too long. I don't think there is really a great imbalance here, but it really does seem like it especially in the defeat cycle. Why do some people seem to settle into the defeat cycle? One reason is many people somehow think subconsciously they are getting what they deserve. Don't laugh! I have met and talked to them. This may not be a problem with you, and it's strange but they think mistakes they've made, and decisions they've made are the reasons. There is something that gets cross-wired in their brain and actually makes them feel better to cause some form of lasting pain or punishment to themselves. And, the longer they go through it, the better they feel because they're removing guilt. And, Round And Round We Go! But, about as quick as the guilt disappears, then the circumstances suddenly reappear and they realize they didn't obtain what they desired, their emotions hit another bottom and the defeat cycle starts over again. If this has ever happened to you take courage, there is very effective way out of it. But, to the person going through this dilemma it's tragic; because their attitude makes the pain of the circumstances much worse. But, when a person comes to an understanding of their purpose and reason for living, he realizes that it's not something he deserves and opens the way to become a renewed man. It's as if that old attitude has been erased and a new life has been formed. At one time or another maybe you feel like you've failed in life. And, maybe you feel like you're stuck in a rut of defeat. But, just because you've failed and made some mistakes, doesn't mean you have to settle for a cycle of defeat to more failure. All-Out-War! In everyone's life a little rain must fall, but, not everyday. And, if rain is an everyday occurrence with you then it's time to chase that demon all the way across West Texas and stir up some victory stronger than a garlic milkshake. And, the first thing to do is make an attitude adjustment. "Oh No," I can hear somebody saying now! "My attitude is just fine." No it's not! Don't get mad at me now. I'm just a messenger. If you're in a cycle of defeat that's been your best friend so long it keeps you rubbing where you've already got a rash, then we need to do some attitude adjusting. Without the proper attitude toward your circumstances, you will have a near impossible time of turning failure into victory. It's not that an "attitude" by itself changes anything; it's that the right attitude puts you in the right frame of mind to recognize the change when it comes. Do you want to know what a failure is? I thought so. A failure is nothing more than circumstances that need a different perspective. You can take any failure you're going through and turn it into a victory. But, you've got to be able to see the big picture. And, the right attitude is what will allow you to see the big picture. Looks Can Be Deceiving! Without the right attitude you will only see what it looks like. And, what it looks like is not what it really is. There is somewhere hidden in that mess you're going through a breakthrough that will cause you to start dancing. Here's a quick question for you to think about if you don't think your attitude can hide your victory from you. How many times have you jumped up and started dancing and shouting for joy with an attitude that's saying "there's no hope, my goose is cooked, I'm dead as a dodo?" Huh? Think about it. And, right in the middle of that "there's no hope attitude", you had a hard time seeing the big picture. What's the big picture? It's the unseen, unobvious, insignificant facts that are staying hidden from you, but nevertheless are still there, and they are the things that will take this mess and turn it into a baptism of fire. Just remember, the things that are unseen are often more real than the things that are seen because the seen is obvious to everybody. But, only a person who's looking for the big picture often sees the unseen. Here's a quick tip for you. If you can see the solution real quickly, keep looking for another solution, that's probably not the one that will work! Easy AS ABC?? Maybe you've never thought about it like that before, but, that's the reason so many troubles in life take so long to solve. The obvious is not always the pathway that ends up solving the problem. But, we just keep beating the "dead horse", of the obvious, till that sucker sings the song we want to hear; it usually doesn't! Just because you can't see them doesn't mean they're not there. The quickest way to bring them to the light is to make an attitude adjustment. Someone said to me one time, "well, if I can't see them then I just don't believe they're there." I said, "Do you believe you got a brain?" He said yes, I said, "you ever seen it?" So, don't tell me you can't believe what you can't see. The right attitude will also give you the motivation to work your work until the changes come. You can seriously delay positive changes by going around with a sour pus; woe is me, just my dumb luck frame of mind. You were not meant to be the devil's whipping boy. Don't act like it. You may think you're down for the count and stuck with a face only a mother could love, but there is no problem that is unsolvable. Form the following attitude, and don't allow your head to talk you out of it; your heart knows what is best. Entertain High Hopes! Tell yourself these phrases everyday. Say them out loud! This is warfare and you have got to take military strength action with your attitude to make an impression on your emotions. This is no time to go around with a mealy-mouth, wussified, Casper the friendly ghost, milky toast type of attitude. You've got to get serious and mean; Say this: "I am a winner", "I am an overcomer" "this game is not over because I strike out"; it's my bat, it's my ball, God is the umpire, and we'll play till I win. You may ask, "Now what will saying all this do for my attitude?" Glad you asked. Go Like The Wind! These words are fuel; fuel for your emotions, fuel for your spirit, and fuel for your attitude. But these words are like aviation jet fuel with power to energize your motivation and make you feel like running through a troop and jumping over a wall. And, heaven knows we all need some of that. Just Do it now!
The Magic of Positive Thinking
by: John Boe Yes, there is magic in positive thinking! In aviation, the word attitude means the angle at which the plane meets the wind, whether the wings are level with the horizon, and whether it is climbing or descending. The pilot who fails to take responsibility for the attitude of his aircraft is in serious trouble. And likewise, any person who has not taken charge of his or her own beliefs and attitudes runs a similar risk. The key to cultivating and maintaining a positive mental attitude is to take control of your thinking and avoid negative minded people. It’s a challenging task to develop a calm, focused mind, but well worth the effort. Every setback and failure you experience also comes with a great opportunity. When one door closes, a window of possibility opens. The key is to look for the opportunity and avoid dwelling on failure. Think thoughts of defeat and you are bound to feel defeated. Your attitude is not determined by circumstances, but by how you respond to those circumstances. Your mind determines your attitude; you always have the choice to respond either positively or negatively. What happens to a person is less important than what happens within them. The great inventor, Thomas A. Edison, was known for his positive mental attitude. In December 1914, the Edison Laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey, was almost entirely destroyed by fire. Edison lost $2,000,000 worth of equipment and the records of much of his life’s work. The morning after the fire, as the 67-year-old inventor walked among the ashes, he was anything but defeated. Looking around, he remarked, “There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.” Yes, there is magic in a positive attitude! Does size really matter? by: David Leonhardt Bigger is better. Isn't that the American dream? Why buy a road-hogging, critter-squishing, bumper-defying, wall-of-metal SUV when you have the delicious option of buying a BIGGER road-hogging, critter-squishing, bumper-defying, wall-of-metal SUV?Why settle for a puny three-bedroom, two-bathroom bungalow of our parents' generation nestled comfortably on a green plot of land with a few nice shade trees? In new "developments" these days, you can choose a two-storey home bulging beyond the property line of today's incredible shrinking lots, complete with a bedroom that can sleep 34 PLUS a walk-in closet that sleeps another 20 AND an ensuite bathroom big enough to store your SUV when your 300-cubit-long garage is full of toys or tools. (That's one arc-full, in case you didn't know.)I remember early in primary school how the teachers made us line up according to height before we could go into the school. I suppose it was a measure of our universally exemplary behavior that I had plenty of time to daydream in line while some of the more spirited children were rounded up by the sheep dogs. My line-up thoughts often turned to dissecting school rules in hopes of finding intelligent life in them. Although my futile quest never succeeded, all was not lost. As one of the shorter kids in my class, I developed a theoretic framework for the "lining up by height" rule. That framework took the form of three questions:1.If size does not matter, why were we being sorted by height?2.If size does matter, what do the teachers have against us shorter kids, making a daily display of the height we lacked?3.If big is better, why were the shorter kids given the front seats with the better view?Although the answers to those questions remain a mystery to this day, I am convinced that size does not matter (except when someone offers me a slice of cheesecake – yum!).My wife and I witnessed an awesome display of aviation the other day. Two hawks were flying around across the street, swooping right over us at times. They were trying to establish a new nest.Usually, hawks fly somewhere "up there", distant silhouettes against the blinding brightness of the sky. But on this occasion, they were flying low enough for us to make out the colors beneath their wings: the deep, dark brown and the sandy tan feathers. And low enough to see the colors of the little birds (sparrows, perhaps?) giving chase. It was an even match, or so it seemed. Two sparrows versus two hawks. OK, perhaps not completely even. Each hawk looked big enough to gulp down a sparrow in a single chomp, like a person might swallow a grape. Come to think of it, this match did not look any more even than if I had been placed in a ring with a well-fed sumo wrestler.Yet there they were, two big hawks, graceful and majestic, the scourge of field mice everywhere, managing impossible maneuvers to evade the slightest touch of the tiny sparrows.Why? Because sparrows are more agile than hawks, and can more easily position themselves for attack. Because sparrows are less fragile than hawks, and do not fear feather damage to the same degree. Because sparrows are quicker than hawks, so they can more easily retreat if they have to.Sadly for the hawks, their size was of little comfort against the superior skills of the sparrows. And sadly for us, it appears we will NOT be watching the comings and goings of hawks nesting across the street.Does size matter? No. But if you want to make that slice of cheesecake just a bit bigger, I would be much obliged.
True North & Magnetic Declination - A Trick to Make it Stick by: Will Robertson Magnetic declination is an essential principle to understand when navigating your way through the wilds with map and compass.Yet it’s a tricky thing to remember, at least the way it has traditionally been taught, using an addition / subtraction method. Just when you think you’ve grasped it, the concept floats away, like fog in the morning light.Well there is a simple, practical approach to adjusting for magnetic declination when finding your bearings. The whole explanation begins with a definition of ‘north.”There are 2 Norths A lot of people know that there are 2 norths in terms of maps and compasses. A map shows true north, or the Geographic North Pole where all lines of longitude meet. The earth rotates around an imaginary axis that runs through the North and South Poles. A compass needle points to magnetic north, which is determined by the earth’s magnetic field. The location of magnetic north moves over time, at about 5 miles per hour. Right now it is slowly creeping around somewhere NW of Hudson’s Bay in Canada, about 450 miles away from true north. Magnetic Declination The angular difference between true north and magnetic north is known as “declination,” or “variation” in the aviation world. Declination is different for different parts of the globe. In Washington State, the angle of declination is 20°east. This means that magnetic north is 20° east of true north. In Tennessee the angle of declination is 0°, and in Maine, it’s 20° west. Declination values can be found in the margins or legend on topographic maps. Because the point of magnetic north is constantly moving, it is important to have a recent topo map for finding your way in the woods. A similar point to remember is that compasses are calibrated for different parts of the world. So when you purchase a compass, be sure that it is intended to be used in the area of your big hiking vacations.
How to Find Your Bearing Follow these steps to find your bearing:
1. Place the compass on the map with the arrow on the base plate pointing in the direction you want to go.2. Turn the dial face of the compass so that north on the compass is parallel with north on the map.3. Place your compass level in the palm of your hand and turn yourself until the needle in the compass aligns with the North marking on the face dial.4. The big arrow on the base plate is now aligned with your bearing. Declination Value and Bearings - A Trick to Make it Stick If you walked 10 miles through the woods in Washington State, without factoring declination value in your bearings, you would finish over 3 miles off target. That’s too much! To avoid confusion in finding bearings, keep the central principle in mind: Make map bearing = magnetic bearing. You will achieve this in the field by adjusting your bearings to compensate for magnetic declination. There are 2 ways to account for magnetic declination in finding your bearings: an adjustable compass and marking your non-adjustable compass.The easiest way is with an adjustable compass. Simply turn the declination adjustment screw on the compass to the correct value and all readings are automatically converted to true north. If it’s available, it’s always best to have an adjustable compass on your walk.The next best way to account for declination is to mark the declination value on your non-adjustable compass at the beginning of your journey. That’s simple to do. For example, when the map indicates a declination value of 20° west, you will mark your compass dial at 340°. If the map indicates a declination value of 10° east, you will mark your compass at 10°. Make the mark with a permanent marker and erase later with rubbing alcohol. Now when you take your bearings in the field, place your compass level in the palm of your hand and turn yourself until the needle in the compass aligns with the declination marking on the face dial. Then the big arrow on the base plate will point toward your bearing and automatically compensate for magnetic declination.
