news flash! pilots meet, talk about something besides flying

judypilot

judypilot

Cleared for Takeoff
Joined
Feb 23, 2005
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1,026
Location
Viola, ID
Display Name
Display name:
Judy Parrish
Met Jeff Oslick and his lovely bride for dinner last night. We actually spent at least a half hour talking about something other than flying. We're both geologists, and geologists are almost as bad as pilots. Turns out his thesis advisor is someone I've known for years.

Great fun had by all, and great Indian food as well (yum!)

Judy
 
judypilot said:
Met Jeff Oslick and his lovely bride for dinner last night. We actually spent at least a half hour talking about something other than flying. We're both geologists, and geologists are almost as bad as pilots. Turns out his thesis advisor is someone I've known for years.

Great fun had by all, and great Indian food as well (yum!)

Judy
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Sounds like you had a gneiss time, Judy.

Who would have thought there was something to talk about besides flying?
 
RotaryWingBob said:
Sounds like you had a gneiss time, Judy.

Who would have thought there was something to talk about besides flying?
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I know. It was a shock. B)

Judy
 
...yeah, well, what they didn't tell you, is that they were talking about the geology and subsurface conditions best-suited to runway construction...
 
judypilot said:
We actually spent at least a half hour talking about something other than flying.
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:eek: Weirdos. ;)

judypilot said:
We're both geologists, and geologists are almost as bad as pilots.
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But it was geology which is aviation related. Applies directly to landing surfaces, navigation and things not to bump into...

Speaking of which, I need to remember to pick up my interesting rock collection when I visit the relatives next time round.
 
Yes, Judy and I had a great time - we even deviated from the flight plan to discuss some shortcomings in our country's educational system...

Here's a question for the group:

When did you first learn to read a map? For those with kids, when/where did your kids learn?

Three of the four of us at dinner had clearly been taught map skills first by our parents - the fourth (one of Judy's co-workers) recalled being somewhat self-taught.

As I've been teaching at a community college this summer, I've been fairly shocked that so few of the students were familiar with the basic concepts of identifying which way is "north", latitude and longitude, and measuring distances. Don't even get me started on (gasp) the concept of how long it takes to get from point A to point B.

Jeff
 
Jeff Oslick said:
Yes, Judy and I had a great time - we even deviated from the flight plan to discuss some shortcomings in our country's educational system...

Here's a question for the group:

When did you first learn to read a map? For those with kids, when/where did your kids learn?

Three of the four of us at dinner had clearly been taught map skills first by our parents - the fourth (one of Judy's co-workers) recalled being somewhat self-taught.
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I don't really remember when; but I know that I could read a map by the time I was 6. I was the youngest person to complete the Orienteering merit badge in my boy scout troop, when I was 12.

My Dad taught all of us to read maps, but I also remember learning in school (we had to build a map of the woods near the school, and then using only the map, take our classmates on a walk through the woods. That was 3rd? grade)

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
Jeff Oslick said:
Here's a question for the group:

When did you first learn to read a map? For those with kids, when/where did your kids learn?
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I couldn't give you a particular age, but I do remember having my nose buried in road maps on all our family trips when I was growing up. Mom and Dad joked that I probably couldn't tell you what the area looked like, but I sure could find it on a map. And, after a number of years, Dad finally learned that when he and I disagreed on which way to turn at an intersection, it was better not to argue with the one with the map. :D

Then, when I went to Army ROTC summer camp 32 years ago, I was the only one in my platoon who passed the map reading test at the beginning of camp. I couldn't figure out how anyone could flunk it. It was (to me) brain dead simple.
 
Jeff Oslick said:
When did you first learn to read a map? For those with kids, when/where did your kids learn?
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I was drawing maps at age 5 or 6. Then again I also had quite an imagination.
 
wsuffa said:
I was drawing maps at age 5 or 6. Then again I also had quite an imagination.
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Yeah? I was drawing Sectionals, then progressed to IFR Approach Plates. :)
 
Jeff Oslick said:
When did you first learn to read a map? For those with kids, when/where did your kids learn?
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Seems like I've always known how to read a map. When I was a kid I had one of those maps where the states are blocks. It was one of my favorite toys. I even knew all the state capitols, which I don't know any more. When I was a teenager I always did the navigating for my mom who can't read a map to save her life.

Maps are still easy for me but I spent about 20 years in the mapping/photogrammetry business first as a camera operator, then as a pilot.

Funny, though. I often drive in unfamiliar places and I have much more trouble when people give me left, left, right, left type directions (which other people seem to like). I do much better when I am provided with a map.
 
Jeff Oslick said:
When did you first learn to read a map?
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I don't remember not being able to read a map so it had to be really young. It was partially taught by relatives, partially self learning. I grew up traveling around the country ever summer as a kid. Boats, airplanes, summer road trips, hiking/camping, astronomy, etc meant there were always maps, compasses and plotters laying around. I don't think I've ever been lost. A little off course occasionally way back as a kid but even then I always had a workable solution readily available to getting back where I belong. A long lost friend of mine use to have a game of having me drive somewhere unknown with them giving directions as we go exactly once then see if I can get back there weeks later. I always won that game.

No kids (I'm a handful for myself) but I do have a very intelligent 40 yr old friend that can't wait to hand a map/compass to while in the forest with blatant landmarks...It's going to be edumicational. I'll save the stick/rock solar compass for the second outing...
 
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Everskyward said:
Seems like I've always known how to read a map. When I was a kid I had one of those maps where the states are blocks. It was one of my favorite toys. I even knew all the state capitols, which I don't know any more.
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I remember having one of those too. Hmmm, I think I might be just a little state-capitol-challenged now too... ahh, but now we have Google :D .

Jeff
 
Anthony said:
Yeah? I was drawing Sectionals, then progressed to IFR Approach Plates. :)
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OH yeah? I was designing cities and airports... :)

Your turn.... ;)
 
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wsuffa said:
OH yeah? I was designing cities and airports... :)

Your turn.... ;)
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Yeah, well I redrew the entire known world--from memory--and found an error made my Mercator. I was 3 at the time.
 
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