andrewnicol.net

Planning for growth

Planning growth these days involves a greater focus on resource acquisition, retention and improvement.

- Tony Alexander (BNZ)

Productivity in NZ

By international standards New Zealand has a poor record of productivity - that is, we are not as efficent as other developed countries in turning the hours we work and our investments in equipment into products and services.

- Phil Lough (Chairman NZTE)

Never be afraid to try something new

Remember that amateurs built the Ark. Professionals built the Titanic

- Dave Barry

Transport and Logistics is boring.

Last week I attended a presentation by the Road Transport Association about the changes in log books.

IT WAS BORING!

Now an important disclaimer: This is not a criticism of the RTAs intent. They genuinely desire to have a positive impact on the industry and the logbook rule change is really important.

But…

The presentation was boring. The power point presentations were too long. They read straight from the slides, didn’t paint pictures, tell stories or sell the changes well.

And to top it off there were the grumpy old truck drivers there who thought it was a good time to relitigate the law. Not the RTAs fault but they should have shut them down.

Fortunately, with the exception of a couple of people I was with, there were no Gen-Y there. They would have been bored silly. They would have thought that the transport and logistics industry was boring, stayed and unchallenging.

Based on what they saw last week. They would be right!

If we are really to compete for talented, energetic, young people, we need to start being a heap more upbeat and edgy and passionate.

Not slowly, but now!

   

Talk is cheap!

If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.

- James

I had a moment.

It’s called a moment.

And it often only lasts an instant.

Its defined as “an indefinitely short period of time.”

a moment.

Recently I had a moment. A time where I sat down and thought about some of the things I want to try and fit into a week. Good things generally. Things that I know will make me, by my own high expectations, a better human.

A better leader. Dad. Husband. Friend. Things that will help me to impact the world I live in more positively.

Things like journaling; which for me is a blend of slowing down and spiritual growth.

Or exercise: which relieves stress, fills my lungs with fresh air and generally makes me more productive.

Or reading; which challenges my thinking, sharpens me, keeps me at the edge and ahead of my team.

Finally writing; I have this desire to learn to write creatively, passionately and evocatively.

Now what I realised in this moment was two things. Firstly each of these things takes between 3 and 4 hours a week to do them well. That’s 12 – 16 hours a week before I start work or spend time with family or fly planes or anything. No wonder I never fit it all in.

Secondly I realised that I have never really nailed down which of these I am really passionate about and built a strong resolve to do them. The result is that they all happen sporadically, just like this blog.

I know I need to resolve to change things, but I haven’t. If I am not careful another 6 months will pass before I have another … moment.

I hope not.

Saying and doing

If someone has to explain to you the things he is doing; he probably isn't doing them!

- Alf's dad.

Day Light Savings

This is old news, but I didn't realise until my Flight manual had to be updated.

New Zealanders will soon be able to enjoy more summer days. The Government has decided to extend daylight saving another three weeks, to a 27-week period.

Daylight savings now starts in the last Saturday of Sep (used to be First Sunday of Oct), and ends on the first Sunday of April (used to be Third Sunday of Mar).

Cool. I think.

Andrew Nicol: Licensed to Fly…

What’s that distant scream I hear?

WARNING this post is full of Acronyms. It’s a pilot thing, definitions are below.

More screams…

After almost 3 years in the making, yesterday I passed my flight exam for my PPL.

It was a weird day. Initially I was mean to fly to NPL, so I got up early and did my flight planning. As the sun came up, NZNP tower woke up and issued a METAR and TAF and it became self evident that for the second attempt in a row I was going no where.

At 08:00 I called the Aero Club and told them I was clearly not going down and they told me to get out to the club as Wayne (the Flight Examiner) was coming up IFR.  The weather was still crap, but we would aim for a break.

Around 11:00 Wayne arrived and I did the ground school component, questions about the WX, NOTAM, SPARs etc. Then I was asked to calculate TO and LDG distance, blah blah.

Now for the hard part, out to the Flight Exam in WCD.

I pre-flight WCD, do the briefs and checks, go to start the plane and NOTHING. A flat battery! I arrange for an external power pack and get the plane started, get taxi clearance and taxi to the other end of the airport to do engine run-up checks. The oil pressure was showing NOTHING.  The aircraft at this point is OS, so I taxi back to the club. On the way back, the gauge comes to life but it is too late. (For interest oil pressure dropping is one of the things you would do a forced landing for, so not a plane you should take flying)

Now for the hard part, out to the Flight Exam in WKF, but this time the nerves are at an all time high!

Once we got back on the ground I honestly thought I had failed.

It was clearly one of the worst flying days I have had. My selection of paddocks in the FLWOP was not good and I came in high (the lack of wind got me). My steep turns were not that sharp and my wing drop was decidedly average.

Over all though I was very competent at most things, and competent in the above.   

Net result. I PASSED!!

3 years, 77 flying hours, 96 flights, well over 100 TO & LDG. Self studying the theory, easily 300 hours ground work, and countless hours going through checks while driving my car, sitting at my desk.

I need to do some more FLWOP practice and it takes 4 – 5 weeks before I get the actual licence, and I need to pass a fit & proper person test (which fortunately has nothing to do with fitness) but the hard work is done.

Thanks to all my instructors at the Waikato Aero Club - Roger, Paul, Greg, Dave, Ash, Marie, Lorreen!

Definitions

• PPL – Private Pilots Licence
• NPL – New Plymouth
• NZNP – Another way of writing New Plymouth just to confuse you.
• IFR – Instrument Flight Rules (Can fly through clouds and over large buildings)
• VFR – Visual Flight Rules (Can’t fly through clouds but can still fly over large buildings)
• WX – Weather
• NOTAM – Notice to Airmen. (info about runways etc)
• TAF – Aerodrome forecast
• SPAR – Special Aerodrome Report (issued when the weather turns to crap)
• METAR – Current Metrological Conditions at and Aerodrome
• TO – Takeoff
• LDG – Landing
• WCD – Plane Registration for an Alpha 160A
• WKF – Plane registration for the Alpha that I flew
• NOTHING – is not an acronym it is a sign of my frustration &(*%&$( !!
• OS – Out of Service (broken!).