I'm one of what I suppose is the lucky few who has always enjoyed their work. Back when, to borrow an airline phrase, I "flew the line" it was always a joy to see what was just over the horizon, what new foods and culture I could experience and/or revisit familiar places. While those days have passed I still enjoy what I hope is paying back an industry that brought so much to my life.
Times like last week try that enjoyment. Once a year we instructors are "clients" and undergo our personal annual training. Last week was my literal turn "in the box". Our recurrent training footprint is three and a half hours of ground school, a break that depends mostly on Sim availability, and five and a half hours of Simulator training (one hour brief, four hours in the Sim, and thirty minutes debrief) for four days. With the best schedule it is close to a twelve hour day for the four days. When younger it made a tough week, today it kicked this old farts ass.
I was lucky enough to have drawn a very good Sim partner, young and very sharp on his first recurrent after getting his type rating in the aircraft. The Sim instructor was also good and it was valuable as always to experience the technique of different instructors. I picked up a few things I will be able to use. No matter how long you instruct there is always something you can do better or different. Perhaps the best part, my check ride was scheduled to be "observed" by our FAA Inspector because the TCE (Training Center Evaluator) was due his annual reinstatement. Not that it is a big deal as far as I'm concerned but it can be a PITA for the TCE.
Thanks to the government shut down The FAA Inspector wasn't able to show and I was able to finish my training a day early. The TCE needing reinstatement, not so lucky. He is a pumpkin until the government reopens and an observed ride can be scheduled.
I spent most of yesterday recovering lost sleep and doing all the things put on hold. One of the "hold" things was buying wood for MsBubba's new desk. I found some nice 6/4 and 8/4 Red Oak at the woodstore. Two hundred and fifty USDs later it is stacked on the wood pile ready to start the desk Sunday. I'm giving a check ride to a client this afternoon.
ken
It is an extremely sad time in this country. A government that is unable to conduct a rational public policy-making process cannot survive long-term.
ReplyDeleteAndy,
DeleteI agree. It has been worst than I thought it would be after the election in '16 and I canceled planned retirement in '17 because of the results. Too much uncertainty, the way it is going I may die with a Sim strapped to my butt.
ken
I'll bring this sort of thing up next time I hear someone in a coffee shop bitching about how the government does nothing with our tax dollars. In Canada, we've got a right wing family owned media empire alongside some shadowy Facebook and YouTube presences that are devoted to turning politics into professional wrestling.
ReplyDeletePaul,
DeleteThe scary part is you Canadians are mostly sane when compared to your southern neighbors. I've been to both Norway and the Congo and in spite of the cold I'd take Norway any day. :-)
ken
Here in Belgium, I don't think the Government could block a budget voted by the Parliament. But we have other ways: when no majority is found at the end of the year to vote the budget for the following year, we use what is called "les douzièmes provisoires" (provisional twelfths) so the government can spend each month 1/12th of the budget of the preceding year. No shut down here.
ReplyDeleteWe have another (unique?) feature when there is no majority to form a new government: the old government operate the shop but can not take any important decision (which is not defined and depends on the circumstances under the scrutiny of the Parliament). So we have the world record with no full government: 548 days. The nice thing (in my view), during this period, was that the government "en affaires courantes" could not take austerity measures.
There is an impact on civil servants:no nomination/advancement during those periods.
Theoretically, the executive power (Government) is there to implement the laws decided & voted by the legislative power (Parliament). But most of the time, the executive power dictates the agenda of the legislative power. Party-cracy softly(?) expressed by "party discipline".
Sylvain
Sylvain,
DeleteThis quote from Michelle Goldberg of the NY Times encapsulates what we are going through.
"Trump has turned out to be the Norma Desmond of authoritarians, a senescent has-been whose delusions are propped up by obsequious retainers. From his fantasy world in the White House, he barks dictatorial and often illegal orders, floats conspiracy theories, tweets insults and lies unceasingly. But much of the time he’s not fully in charge. He has the instincts of a fascist but lacks both the discipline and the loyal lieutenants he’d need to create true autocracy.
That doesn’t mean, however, that the country isn’t coming undone. Trump’s bumbling incoherence, coupled with his declining political fortunes since the midterms, makes him seem less frightening than he once did. But, two years in, the jaded weariness many of us have developed might obscure how bad things are. We’re living through an unprecedented breakdown in America’s ability to function like a normal country."
The frightening thing is it affects the whole world.
ken