Sunday, December 29, 2013

In Retrospect: Year 2013

Enlightened.

As the sun sets, the sky radiates beautiful red and orange rays. We always wanted our day to end up like that. But before witnessing such amazing phenomena, one must experience the harsh realities of the day - the searing heat of the sun, air pollution, and other distractions that would hamper one's activities. In the end, what matters most is how you overcome all of it. I'd still call it a beautiful day.

That is how I'd like to describe my year 2013. It was indeed the longest race I've experienced so far.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

It's Good to be Home This Christmas

The sunrise and the sharkie. Aboard PAL809. Turning final for ILS RWY 05 approach.

Happy holidays everyone!

How did you spend your Christmas? Well, I went home last December 21 because we were still allowed to have a break since we were not part of the shift complement yet, but once we have our permanent facility deployment, we are not allowed to file a leave from December 15 'til January 5. But the most challenging part of going home this holiday season was beating the holiday rush.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Florida: The Ultimate Family Holiday Destination

Florida beach landscape. Photo courtesy.

Is Florida the ultimate family holiday destination? According to the millions of visitors who flock to this sun-soaked corner of the States every year, the answer is a resounding 'Yes'! So what makes Florida holidays so special - and why is it the be-all and end-all of family holidays?


Friday, December 13, 2013

Missin' the Long and Winding Road

If you are an avid reader of this blog, you will notice that I seldom publish post about my travel stories. For the sake of updating this blog, I include the progress of my new career as an air traffic controller. Well, it is still part of my journey, the adventure of my life.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

The Cessna 172 Experience

Inside the Cessna 172

Controlling air traffic at a particular facility (whether aerodrome, approach, or area control), is not a piece of cake. Before giving clearances, the ATC must be knowledgable about the local traffic procedures to ensure the safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of air traffic, the different aircraft performances, and a whole lot more. Pilots, on the other hand, rely on the voice of an air traffic controller before executing such actions.

But I've always wondered what it feels like to be inside the cockpit of an aircraft.