Partner of a Pilot

There has been a lot of media coverage about Carbon Footprint and the fuel shortage that will ground airlines if an alternative that soesn’t rely on crude oil (fossil fuel) isn’t found. I have also written about it myself. One of my online blog friends has recently commented on it in her blog:

See full blog here

I stopped in my bosses office to join a conversation. Without knowing what the topic was, they turned to me and said “gosh, you must really worry about Cpt J being a pilot.” I was like “what the hell are you guys talking about?” “Gas prices.” I came off like I knew what I was talking about and discussed with confidence a lack of concern.

I am concerned.

It seems to be an issue that you cannot ignore even if you normally don’t follow current affairs.  So I am keenly following a recent news story about biofuel. I have heard talk of biofuels before, but never a time where a large jet actually successfully used one…

Will Bio Fuels Power tomorrow’s planes? By Stephen Dowling (BBC News)

On Sunday, a Virgin Airlines Boeing 747 took off from London’s Heathrow Airport en route to Amsterdam. This short flight may prove to be a giant leap forward for the aviation industry.

The aircraft did not carry passengers - but it was the first commercial aircraft to fly partly under the power of biofuels.

One of the aircraft’s four engines ran on fuel comprising a 20% biofuel mix of coconut and babassu oil and 80% of the normal Jet A aviation fuel.

Biofuels - principally ethanol and diesel made from plants - are one of the few viable options for replacing the liquid fuels derived from petroleum used in transport, the source of about one quarter of the human race’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Existing engines

The airline industry is being increasingly criticised for its perceived part in global warming, as more and more people take advantage of cheap tickets on aircraft powered by kerosene. Environmentalists claim it is a major carbon producer, fuelling rising world temperatures.

Airlines and aircraft designers have been feeling the heat. Plane-makers Boeing and aircraft engine manufacturers General Electric have been working with Virgin to cut down their flights’ carbon footprints.

What is exciting the aviation industry is the fact the aircraft is completely unchanged, using the same engines as any scheduled, passenger-carrying flight. Only the fuel is different.

The flight follows a journey made by an Airbus A380 earlier this month using another alternative fuel - a synthetic mix of gas-to-liquid - in one of its four engines.

It flew from Filton in the UK to Toulouse in France, a journey of some 900km (560 miles), and was in partnership with Rolls-Royce and Shell.

Air New Zealand is also working with Boeing and Rolls-Royce to mount a test flight powered partly by biofuels later this year.

These are the first tentative steps in breaking the aviation industry’s reliance on kerosene. But it is likely to be decades before aircraft are able to take to the skies powered entirely by something other than fossil fuels.

One industry analyst told the BBC News website there were several problems to overcome.

Jet A fuel, one of the standard aviation fuels, has a stable energy content and a low freeze point - meaning it is suited to the very low temperatures encountered by high-flying aircraft.

Biofuels cannot be relied upon to operate as reliably in the same temperatures.

Jet A fuel also burns consistently, which means it provides a reliable and safe fuel source for long flights.

Environmental drawbacks

Airlines also want a biofuel which can be burnt in existing engines - rather than having to replace every engine in their fleets.

There are other issues surrounding biofuels. There are concerns widespread planting and use of biofuel crops could threaten natural ecosystems and raise food prices. It could also mean the deforestation of rainforests, which absorb massive amounts of carbon.

Virgin remained tight-lipped about where its biofuel comes from until the day of the flight but said it would be a “truly sustainable type of biofuel that doesn’t compete with food and fresh water resources”.

Some environmentalists are sceptical. They believe the secret to cutting down aviation’s share of the carbon is cutting the amount of flights we take.

Kenneth Richter, Friends of the Earth aviation campaigner, said: “Biofuels are a major distraction in the fight against climate change. There is mounting evidence that the carbon savings from biofuels are negligible.

“If Virgin was really serious about reducing the aviation industry’s impact on the environment it would support calls for aircraft emissions to be included in the Climate Change Bill.”

Green Party councillor and former chemist Andrew Boswell said: “Richard Branson is making a huge mistake backing biofuels.

“It means a huge amount of fuel we’ve got to produce.”

Mr Boswell, who campaigns for the lobby group Biofuel Watch, said it was unsustainable to try and replace transport’s share of fossil fuel consumption with biofuels - there is simply not enough arable land to grow fuel crops and food.

Sunday’s flight may herald a new direction in aviation. But any massive change in the way we power our planes is unlikely, analysts say, to be just around the corner.

It’s great isn’t it. Bf cannot even take a bottle of water onto the plane in uniform; incase he wasn’t to do something awful with it (because a pilot REALLY needs to carry a bottle of water onto a plane if he wants to wreak havoc right)!?

Yet some fool wearing not one, but TWO rucksacks managed to breach security at London Heathrow today by jumping the perimeter fence. He was arrested as he ran into the path of a plane on the Northern runway!

 See full story here

By Sky News SkyNews -

A man with two rucksacks has run into the path of an aircraft at Heathrow Airport - sparking a major security alert.

He jumped the perimeter fence shortly after 2pm and was tackled by armed officers on the northern runway.

There was a controlled explosion on the bags and early reports are that no explosives were found.

Emergency vehicles are on the scene and the runway in question is partially closed.

“The northern runway is now being partially used while police deal with the incident,” a BAA Heathrow spokesperson said.

“The southern runway is fully operational. Some delays are occurring as a result.”

A British Airways spokesman said: “Flights will obviously be disrupted due to the closure of the runway.”

Sky correspondent Mark White said the security scare comes ahead of the opening of a new terminal at Heathrow.

“Security is tight, especially with what is happening tomorrow morning with the opening of Terminal 5,” he said.

“Her Majesty the Queen will be in attendance to open it and it will be a big day for BAA.”

The state of the art new building is a major landmark in the airport’s expansion.

However, a spokesman for climate change protest group Plane Stupid denied any involvement.

“What we know is that it was a lone man and he was carrying a rucksack, which is worrying in itself,” White said.

“And he was determined to get airside.”

He added: “The question the police will want to answer, and answer quickly, is what this man was doing airside.”

Scotland Yard said anti-terrorist officers were aware of the incident but it was being dealt with by local police.

It is the second time in recent weeks security has been breached at the airport.

Protesters walked on to the runway last month and climbed on to a Boeing 777 before unfurling a banner in protest against the airport’s expansion.

There is something seriously WACKY with airport security in the UK right now!

This site (flyblog) is a big fat pain in the bum right now. I have become utterly fed up with the problems and the way admin NEVER respond to my emails…

Back in November they ‘updated’ the software. But it has done more harm than good.

Firstly, if you have had problems leaving comments (because you are being told you have been reported as SPAM) This is nothing to do with me. I suspect that certain service providers (likely Yahoo, but maybe others too) are being generically blocked. I’ve tried complaining, but I’m not even sure if admin is receiving my emails since I have a yahoo address and I get no response.

I know a few other bloggers on here have had similar issues.

I am going to look into a few other sites, so please email me direct if you’d like to comment or contact me, but cant.

Also as a test, please try leaving a comment to this post, if you get a spam warning rejection, I’d be grateful if you could email and let me know!

I was surfing last night, and did some random search on pilot girlfriends to see what would be returned, and I found this:

Sleazy Pilot Want Ad

“Generous and attractive Airline Pilot from the USA, 35 yrs old, is seeking an attractive Chinese lady (18-35)for fun, romance and just hanging out together.
I usually visit Shanghai twice a month, layover for 3-4 days each time.
You will stay with me in very nice 4 star hotel, enjoy fine dining and whatever else suits you. All expenses will be mine and I can help you out a little if you find yourself short when rent is due!!.
I am not a big nightlife guy, so if you enjoy sitting in bars all night, you’re probably not right for me.
Please reply with photo and I will do the same.
Please understand that I am seeking a mutually satisfying sexual relationship as well. I will not beg and/or if you have a problem with this type of relationship, please don’t respond.”

I was both amused and mortified at the same time. This guy doesn’t imply that he’d like the girl for anything other that paid sex. I imagine he has other ‘girlfriends’ at other destinations, and my sceptical side says probably a wife at home too.

Bf laughed out loud and thought the ad extremely amusing, and thought that the guy was a blatant sleaze. He always finds it amazing that anyone would want to pay for sex…

I think that it is guys like this that give pilots their sleazy reputation. They all get tarred with the same brush by people who are shocked by this sort of situation. I am amazed that any woman would want this set up. But then again there are also a lot of sleazy women out there too. I hope that despite not being into nightlife, he is into protection, because otherwise there could be a network of sexually infectious people propagating diseases  as a result (since I doubt this would be an exclusive ‘relationship’ for either party).

I really enjoy social occasions, but I have to confess to growing tired of the SAME old conversations we have with people who we don’t see often.

It’s so repetitive. I understand that Bf’s job is naturally very intriguing to people, but I could almost pre-record the conversation. Bf becomes a peacock who is puffing out his pilot feathers and loving all the attention. I wouldn’t mind, except that I feel like if I contribute to the conversation, he resents it. So, I either have to sit there like a mute or end up with Bf scowling at me for ’stealing his moment.’

He acts like he hates attention, but actually he loves it-he positively laps it up!

I long for a a night, where we can just have a normal conversation, or one that is interesting to me too. Not that I’m not interested in what Bf does, because we have some fascinating conversations about it; but the social conversations about his career are regurgitated every time without fail.

Just once I’d rather talk about something intelligent and different to ‘travel benefits, whether all those buttons are necessary, whether mobile phones really should be switched off in-flight, whether passengers really do get caught joining the mile high club in the bog, or how much work he does per month.’

I hope that over time, this will get easier to deal with, or that at least our own friends will find out everything they want to, and then enjoy other discussion subjects with us.

This morning I dropped Bf off at the airport at 7am. He was off to do a bullet Long-Haul trip (a trip where you fly there one day, and return the next without a clear day’s rest. This means that 3 pilots are required for the trip home instead of the usual 2, to allow for the fact that they haven’t had time to acclimatise to the time zone).

I have to say, that Bf has become quite homophobic since he started working for the airline. He has gay friends that he trained with, and isn’t actually homophobic… However, there is quite a culture with the ‘trolley dollies’ to camp it up; and its this over-the-top, in-your-face campness that irritates him. Apparently a lot of the scandal and bad behaviour on trips can be sourced to a young queen who cannot handle his drink and has let his bitchy tongue loose.

However, on this trip, there happens to be a young gay FA who he finds quite amusing. He is completely over-the-top; but apparently you cannot help but like him. He is very funny and very open without being fake. I’m going to refer to him as Brian

After they landed, the crew had to get on a light aircraft for a 30 minute positioning flight to a different part of the island. Bf had sat down next to Brian, and the crew were in a light mood. The conversation somehow turned around to the subject of ’coming out’. Brian said that he had always known he was gay, that whilst his brother had been out playing football and ‘manly games’, he liked to sit inside and paint or draw…

Apparently it didn’t come as much of a shock to Brian’s parents when he did come out, and they took it in their stride. Bf’s words were that they’d always known that there was something ’wrong’ but I’m sure that these were not actually Brian’s words!

Bf and Brian appear to have struck some kind of rapport, and Bf was, I think, trying to convey this (rather badly) and told him that

“I’ve never really been exposed to a gay community before, and it’s just alien to me. I think you’re okay, I just don’t like it when some of them are OTT”

(I think he meant fake). Then Brian came out with a fantastic OTT one-liner:

“Oh it’s okay, I’ve left my heels at home today!” (PMSL)

I wonder if he was deliberately seeing how far he could push the boundaries? Bf thought it amusing enough to tell me though, so he cant have felt too stupid.

I seem to have noticed a trend though… The longer a straight pilot works, the more homophobic they get… Or maybe it’s a generation thing-I’m not completely sure. Tho older Captains definitely seem to be a lot more discriminatory though.

Apparently Brian took his stilettos on a trip with a very ‘old school’ captain.  The captain commented snidely to Brian at the bar that he seemed to have grown suddenly… Brian said,

“Oh no, it’s my high heels, you can borrow them if you like?”

and with that he stepped out of them, plonked them into the hand of the Captain, and trotted-off bare foot, leaving the red faced Captain with his stilettos! I can just visualise the old boy’s over-inflated ego and macho pride being dented… Quite funny.

I totally miss the old ‘referers’ tab (in blog admin section) that used to tell me where my hits were coming from. I also used to have the ability to block particular/specific IP addresses from readers who make offensive comments (’Acid-face-Ken’, that’s you)…

A while before Christmas, several of these great features just dissappeared. I emailed Flyblog admin just before Christmas, and got a reply saying that they had ‘upgraded’ the software, but that not all the features had been compatible. I was assured that this would be ironed out over the festive period, but alas they are still missing :-((

My latest email to admin has not being responded to. I just wondered if anyone else knows what’s going on!?

I REALLY want my referers info and enhanced privacy settings back Any ideas when it’ll be sorted out?

Well, things are starting to settle back down in my life. My new job is starting to feel more like home. I feel like I am getting to grips with it, and I am getting more feedback than I was; which is great. I have got my head around the differences between the way this company does things, and it doesn’t feel so alien to me any more-I think that I am performing against expectations satisfactorily too.

Bf is away in, yes, you guessed it, the Caribbean (AGAIN) at the moment, he gets home early on Wednesday… I’m looking forward to seeing him, but it’s funny, but I’d actually quite like a few more days to myself to get stuff done before he comes home.  I feel like my time-management is all over the place at the moment, and my social life is what gives I’d love to steal some of the wonderfully care-free time out that Bf has when he’s away on his trips.  His biggest time-management concern seems to be whether he’ll be able to fit a long enough phone conversation in for me between lying on a beach and his game of tennis with the Captain! (I can talk for England, but still)!

I haven’t really been able to make time for my friends recently, which sucks.  The kids are on half term holiday this week, and trying to juggle work, home and kids is hard enough… When he gets back-it’ll just add another time demand into the equation… Well two, because then I’ll have an excuse to be able to get to the gym too, which I cannot factor in with three children to care for full time. The gym creche wont take my oldest son, as he’s too old, so whilst I do enjoy going, it’s been a break to not be going, and to have an excuse not to feel guilty about it!

Still, on Thursday evening, the boys are going to my ex to spend a couple of days with him, which gives me some quality time to spend with Bf before his next Long-haul trip on Sunday.

I wish I could have a magic remote for time, so that I could pause life whilst I get work done, then be able to resume things without missing out on time with my family and friends. I’m sure I’ll work it all out in the end. I just find it very hard, because I want to be a fantastic mummy, perfect partner, career girl, athlete and a social butterfly all rolled into one! Blatantly there will have to be compromises though, as I cant do it all without either wasting away, or making myself ill!

Love is a funny thing. Sometimes it’s the most wonderful thing ever and other times it’s pure pain. Being in love with an airline pilot who flies long-haul is a cliché double-edged sword.

Sometimes I adore my time out, then other times I get extremely fed up with it. On these days I find myself questionning whether I can be bothered with it. I fantasise about having someone who is home for all the special occasions, and weekends, who I can rely on when something goes wrong.

Then I realise, that I would get bored with anyone that isn’t Bf. I would find it more frustrating having the routine back than not having one at all!

I know the grass isn’t greener elsewhere, but on certain days it can look that way.

I sometimes wonder if I’m actually a repressed sado-masochist! :-S But seriously, why else would I date a pilot? Why else would I love a man who is married to his job? I’m telling you-it has to be a secret desire for emotional self-harm!

Confusing, eh?

I just heard something sad. Polaroid have announced that they will be ceasing to manufacture their classic instant polaroid cameras AND film! Noooooooo!

Polaroids are a piece of my family history! I have vivid recollections of my grandma taking polaroids of my brother and I in the garden. We’d sit impatiently waiting for the grey square to come to life in front of our eyes, often rubbing it against a soft patch on our clothing in a bid to warm the film and speed up the development process…

It was undoubtedly tacky quality, but there is something special about the white bordered pictures that made them a piece of my childhood heritage! I even used them in my previous company to take snap shots of candidates I interviewed, as a visual reminder on their hard-copy candidate file. I used to write the candidate name on the thick white lower boarder in marker pen.

Apparently, Polaroid plan to focus on digital photography now. I guess they are just moving with the times, at £1 a pop for a picture you couldn’t even preview, their days were numbered-but for me, Polaroid just won’t be the same in digital!