Monday, April 28, 2008
Photos
New photos of my - recent - road trip (through the Canadian Rockies)and my visit to the HAC, have been uploaded.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Some more lessons
I have already posted this a while ago, about how
traveling abroad and staying in a certain countries for
extended periods of time makes you experience it to it's fullest
and is really life's greatest school. Here is something else
that became very apparent to me over the period of time I was here.
The following is just an observation, it is by no means meant to sound
like advice that relates to you - the reader. If however, you feel like you
might benefit from this lesson, feel free to use it to your advantage.
"Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not, Add what is uniquely your own"
- Bruce Lee
Each and every time you learn something new, there lies a new opportunity
for one to grow. The most important thing, however, is that one has to be able
just this: check your ego at the door.
I have seen a lot of people out there who have failed to completely grasp
the concept of something because they were too busy thinking they knew better.
Zen Buddhism refers to clearing your mind or 'being in the present' and - to me -
loosely interpreted, this means exactly the same thing. Check your ego at the door.
Swallow your pride, be grateful to learn new things and listen.
Simply put, at any given moment, there is an opportunity to learn, don't let your ego
ruin things for you.
traveling abroad and staying in a certain countries for
extended periods of time makes you experience it to it's fullest
and is really life's greatest school. Here is something else
that became very apparent to me over the period of time I was here.
The following is just an observation, it is by no means meant to sound
like advice that relates to you - the reader. If however, you feel like you
might benefit from this lesson, feel free to use it to your advantage.
"Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not, Add what is uniquely your own"
- Bruce Lee
Each and every time you learn something new, there lies a new opportunity
for one to grow. The most important thing, however, is that one has to be able
just this: check your ego at the door.
I have seen a lot of people out there who have failed to completely grasp
the concept of something because they were too busy thinking they knew better.
Zen Buddhism refers to clearing your mind or 'being in the present' and - to me -
loosely interpreted, this means exactly the same thing. Check your ego at the door.
Swallow your pride, be grateful to learn new things and listen.
Simply put, at any given moment, there is an opportunity to learn, don't let your ego
ruin things for you.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Return from the road trip + 2 seminars/trade shows
So finished my road trip, looked into a number of helicopter companies/operators
and haven't found anything yet. A lot of companies are kind of waiting things
out, to see how the season will evolve, only hiring people when they really need them.
I have also attended (volunteered for) 2 seminars. They were both productive and the second one which was HAC's (Helicopter Association Canada) gave me the opportunity to hand out business card as well as get new job leads.
So what am I doing right now ? Well - as you might have guessed - I am following up
on those leads. It's just a matter of time now.
On another note, I wanted to share some quotes with you that have shed some light on this whole experience for me :
"Never again clutter your days or nights with so many menial and unimportant things that you have no time to accept a real challenge when it comes along. This applies to play as well as work. A day merely survived is no cause for celebration. You are not here to fritter away your precious hours when you have the ability to accomplish so much by making a slight change in your routine. No more busy work. No more hiding from success. Leave time, leave space, to grow. Now. Now! Not tomorrow!"
Og Mandino
One should always strive to grow, to learn and in all this keep an open mind.
Sergei Sikorsky (the son of the inventor of the helicopter Igor Sikorsky) mentioned something along the lines of : 'Back in the day [just before and after the Wright brothers] pilots would decide when to takeoff and the airplane would decide when to land. Consequently, would separate good engineers (which were also the pilots) from bad engineers rather effectively.'
Being a jack of all trades/renaissance man/polymath has always appealed to me and I don't think that it's because you are good on a computer one should shy away, from oh ...let's say learning how be a bricklayer. In the end it will only make you a more rounded individual and - believe it or not - it is something that you will be able to use down the road. This applies an individual on so many levels: physical, emotional, spiritual, ... . This leads me to my next quote:
"You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." Charles Poliquin
Spending time with people that push you to be a better person or work harder is ALWAYS a good idea. In the future that is something I will always strive to do, that is, seek out people that will challenge you beyond your current capacities, make you think outside the box, make you uncomfortable, make you overcome your weaknesses.
Above all, for me, it's especially important to keep the dream alive. It's hard to envision success when everything else is pointing the other way, still, if your mind is not moving forward (in the future), it's either in the present or in the past. Surely there are times for all 3, but if you want to achieve something, a strong focus on the future and some present 'in the moment' moments is just what the doctor ordered.
Simply put, - with no intention to be corny - here's what Aerosmith has to say:
"Dream On Dream On Dream On
Dream until your dreams come true "
Stay tuned for some pictures of the road trip.
and haven't found anything yet. A lot of companies are kind of waiting things
out, to see how the season will evolve, only hiring people when they really need them.
I have also attended (volunteered for) 2 seminars. They were both productive and the second one which was HAC's (Helicopter Association Canada) gave me the opportunity to hand out business card as well as get new job leads.
So what am I doing right now ? Well - as you might have guessed - I am following up
on those leads. It's just a matter of time now.
On another note, I wanted to share some quotes with you that have shed some light on this whole experience for me :
"Never again clutter your days or nights with so many menial and unimportant things that you have no time to accept a real challenge when it comes along. This applies to play as well as work. A day merely survived is no cause for celebration. You are not here to fritter away your precious hours when you have the ability to accomplish so much by making a slight change in your routine. No more busy work. No more hiding from success. Leave time, leave space, to grow. Now. Now! Not tomorrow!"
Og Mandino
One should always strive to grow, to learn and in all this keep an open mind.
Sergei Sikorsky (the son of the inventor of the helicopter Igor Sikorsky) mentioned something along the lines of : 'Back in the day [just before and after the Wright brothers] pilots would decide when to takeoff and the airplane would decide when to land. Consequently, would separate good engineers (which were also the pilots) from bad engineers rather effectively.'
Being a jack of all trades/renaissance man/polymath has always appealed to me and I don't think that it's because you are good on a computer one should shy away, from oh ...let's say learning how be a bricklayer. In the end it will only make you a more rounded individual and - believe it or not - it is something that you will be able to use down the road. This applies an individual on so many levels: physical, emotional, spiritual, ... . This leads me to my next quote:
"You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." Charles Poliquin
Spending time with people that push you to be a better person or work harder is ALWAYS a good idea. In the future that is something I will always strive to do, that is, seek out people that will challenge you beyond your current capacities, make you think outside the box, make you uncomfortable, make you overcome your weaknesses.
Above all, for me, it's especially important to keep the dream alive. It's hard to envision success when everything else is pointing the other way, still, if your mind is not moving forward (in the future), it's either in the present or in the past. Surely there are times for all 3, but if you want to achieve something, a strong focus on the future and some present 'in the moment' moments is just what the doctor ordered.
Simply put, - with no intention to be corny - here's what Aerosmith has to say:
"Dream On Dream On Dream On
Dream until your dreams come true "
Stay tuned for some pictures of the road trip.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Part I
So far I have made it up to Edmonton.
I am staying in the Youth Hostel there for Easter Weekend.
Apparently there's a huge mall around that everybody keeps talking about.
They claim it's the biggest in the world. We'll have to go check that out.
What's new ? Well I visited Chilliwack, Hope, Kamloops, Salmon Arm, Kelowna,
Revelstoke, Fernie, Nelson, Banff (passed through it), Calgary, Red Deer and
Edmonton. My car's reading approximately 2500km's more than it was when I left.
Good times...
It's been quite the road trip so far. The drive through the Rockies
was particularly enjoyable, so was Kelowna (lot's of vineyards, a real touristy place).
The thing about those long drives is that once you get to your destination for the night you are so dazed, it's not even funny. I can't tell you how many times I went looking for my car keys not knowing where I left them last.
But all is well so far.
So, right now, I'm playing the waiting game here. All companies are closed for Easter.
I'll let you all know how things progress job-wise.
Take care and Happy Easter !
I am staying in the Youth Hostel there for Easter Weekend.
Apparently there's a huge mall around that everybody keeps talking about.
They claim it's the biggest in the world. We'll have to go check that out.
What's new ? Well I visited Chilliwack, Hope, Kamloops, Salmon Arm, Kelowna,
Revelstoke, Fernie, Nelson, Banff (passed through it), Calgary, Red Deer and
Edmonton. My car's reading approximately 2500km's more than it was when I left.
Good times...
It's been quite the road trip so far. The drive through the Rockies
was particularly enjoyable, so was Kelowna (lot's of vineyards, a real touristy place).
The thing about those long drives is that once you get to your destination for the night you are so dazed, it's not even funny. I can't tell you how many times I went looking for my car keys not knowing where I left them last.
But all is well so far.
So, right now, I'm playing the waiting game here. All companies are closed for Easter.
I'll let you all know how things progress job-wise.
Take care and Happy Easter !
Sunday, March 16, 2008
The Road Trip
The job search begins ...
As promised, here is my planned routing:
Click on 'view larger map' at the bottom to get a better
view on things.
View Larger Map
As promised, here is my planned routing:
Click on 'view larger map' at the bottom to get a better
view on things.
View Larger Map
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Passed my flight test !
Just completed my flight test on Friday the 7th of March. I have got 3 more hours to go before I get my 100 hours and thus, receive my pilot's license. Now for the hard part ;-)
I will be off on a road trip to visit possible employers in a couple of days.
Will be uploading my routing information and hopefully some pictures too. Plan on leaving in a couple of days.
I will be off on a road trip to visit possible employers in a couple of days.
Will be uploading my routing information and hopefully some pictures too. Plan on leaving in a couple of days.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
The latest news.
Hi there !
Another month just zoomed by. I'm currently 70 hours in. 30 more to go.
Approximately 20 more to go until the flight test, so if things work out right and the weather cooperates I'll have completed my flight test by early March.
Next up is the mind-numbing and often frustrating process associated with getting the work visa. I got the number of a good immigration lawyer. Now it's just a matter of making things work.
You have to keep believing that it's going to work, forcing your subconscious to work for you. And most importantly, not get intimidated by the immensity of it all.
Takin' it step by step.
Your imagination can play out the most beautiful and horrific scenarios, depending on how your mood is flowing. The key is to focus on the next step, not 10 steps ahead, but just 1 single step. Like when you're climbing a mountain, you'd rather look up, than look down...
And in all this I'm maintaining a healthy dose of aggressiveness, to be ready to pounce and face the next step, never backing down. Click on the picture below, for an even better illustration (video) of what I'm talking about.
Another month just zoomed by. I'm currently 70 hours in. 30 more to go.
Approximately 20 more to go until the flight test, so if things work out right and the weather cooperates I'll have completed my flight test by early March.
Next up is the mind-numbing and often frustrating process associated with getting the work visa. I got the number of a good immigration lawyer. Now it's just a matter of making things work.
You have to keep believing that it's going to work, forcing your subconscious to work for you. And most importantly, not get intimidated by the immensity of it all.
Takin' it step by step.
Your imagination can play out the most beautiful and horrific scenarios, depending on how your mood is flowing. The key is to focus on the next step, not 10 steps ahead, but just 1 single step. Like when you're climbing a mountain, you'd rather look up, than look down...
And in all this I'm maintaining a healthy dose of aggressiveness, to be ready to pounce and face the next step, never backing down. Click on the picture below, for an even better illustration (video) of what I'm talking about.
"This is the decision that lies before you now: the sheep or the wolf ? The choice is yours"
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Beautiful, brightly-lit skies, 30 miles visibility.
Those 2 are key ingredients for a beautiful day, down here in British Columbia.
I had a fellow pilot take some shots, with me and the mountains and moon in the background. (Photos have been added to the second flickr photoblog, so check it out) !
More to come soon...
It's really refreshing to see the sun shine like this when you have had weeks and weeks of nothing but overcast skies.
I'm up for a longer flight today. Check out my approximate routing (in the air everything is more or less a straight line. In this case: a triangle.
I had a fellow pilot take some shots, with me and the mountains and moon in the background. (Photos have been added to the second flickr photoblog, so check it out) !
More to come soon...
It's really refreshing to see the sun shine like this when you have had weeks and weeks of nothing but overcast skies.
I'm up for a longer flight today. Check out my approximate routing (in the air everything is more or less a straight line. In this case: a triangle.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Exams and Confines
So, I passed my theoretical exams. I just booked myself in for 2 flights each day (weather permitting) for what remains of the month.
I also got to go to Widgeon Creek (solo) twice so far and it's been lot's of fun. For those of you who have a hard time visualizing what it looks like, these should give you an idea:
Here's what I see first when approaching the creek, the huge, majestic mountains.
After doing a high and low recci, I pass through the top canopy and things look kind of like this. . Here, we would usually find a bed of small river rocks to land on. They are similar to the ones you see lying in the water.
The trees around the creek are around 200ft tall. (+/- 65m), so here's a shot of what it would look like if you were standing close to the creek.
I didn't take the above pictures, as we are not allowed to take pictures when going solo. Nevertheless, this should give you an idea of what things look like. Add a couple of black bears and a whole bunch of golden and bald eagles and you'll be pretty close to what I see around the creek. Bald eagles usually sit at the top of the tallest trees around and when you are flying around the area at around 350ft-400ft (115-135m) you can see them watching you, turning their heads as you fly around them...
Next up, gradual preparation for the actual flight test. Will be reviewing emergency procedures and in flight hazards and just cramming the specifications of the helicopter.
Stay tuned for more pictures, once I get my Mini SD card reader set up...
I also got to go to Widgeon Creek (solo) twice so far and it's been lot's of fun. For those of you who have a hard time visualizing what it looks like, these should give you an idea:
Here's what I see first when approaching the creek, the huge, majestic mountains.
After doing a high and low recci, I pass through the top canopy and things look kind of like this. . Here, we would usually find a bed of small river rocks to land on. They are similar to the ones you see lying in the water.
The trees around the creek are around 200ft tall. (+/- 65m), so here's a shot of what it would look like if you were standing close to the creek.
I didn't take the above pictures, as we are not allowed to take pictures when going solo. Nevertheless, this should give you an idea of what things look like. Add a couple of black bears and a whole bunch of golden and bald eagles and you'll be pretty close to what I see around the creek. Bald eagles usually sit at the top of the tallest trees around and when you are flying around the area at around 350ft-400ft (115-135m) you can see them watching you, turning their heads as you fly around them...
Next up, gradual preparation for the actual flight test. Will be reviewing emergency procedures and in flight hazards and just cramming the specifications of the helicopter.
Stay tuned for more pictures, once I get my Mini SD card reader set up...
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