My trip to Kura's Air Pilot Training event in Stratford-Upon-Avon
I finally arrived at 10 to find an array of well dressed gentlemen, this included pilots from various airlines. There is a general buzz in the room as we wait for the 'show' to begin! I feel somewhat underdressed, suits and pilot badges shine over the coffee cups adorning the room.
Standing in the auditorium, it draws your eyes towards the stage. The Kura logo is splashed up high, with mist looming amongst the beams of light. There is an array of stands from flight companies, all ready to get you into the air.
Piles of pens are calling me. A 20p pen with a logo on it can make my day. The biggest thumbs-up right now, is seeing some 10-16 year olds attending. I can't help but feel that had the ease of access to apps such as Event-Bright existed n my teens, perhaps I would have followed this career! I would have liked to see more youngsters embracing the knowledge that this presentation had to offer!
Speaking to the chaps at Virtual Aerospace, their passion for flight simulation is inspiring. Finding out that they build fully integrated cockpits is amazing, and may see me head out for a try one day.
There are so many challenges to pilot training, watching the speakers talk about their careers should push even the most academically shy of people to have a go. This key part of the day focussed on enjoying the overall aspects of being a pilot. The love for flying clearly shines through, though I can't help feel that STEM groups from local school could have had some time here.
What came from this though, was that jobs in aviation, like many industries, are buoyant for periods of time. Landing on the right moment can really help career prospects and starting the progression towards your goal. A useful addition was an answer to a question about the selection processes for training. Personal skills are important! The message was simple, with 30% fail on first time aptitude tests, don't give up. A knock back isn't the end!
The training aspects were very interesting, the key message: Stay away from cheap Type-Rating promises! Just because they offer 500 hours flight time, the door likely awaits you at its conclusion. The prospect of flying on other continents as a means of adding hours was a great one. The cost is a staggering outline though, moving upwards of 50-60k!
They talked about the rosters and the life of a pilot. With the overall use of automatic systems, they answered the ultimate question: Is it really as glamorous? It is evident that it is! The need for new pilots in the near future is substantial. The Magic-8-Ball isn't likely to be needed very soon. With ambition and determination, the path is ready to walk down.
The BA Cityflyer initiative was one to take note of. They are progressing with a rolling program for First-Officers. With a frozen qualification, you can apply for a place. With a bonded 2-year type rating, this is great for those who are ready! Being ready is vital, making your way through the qualifications early is a clear move in the right direction.
The companies here are all offering a way of life. The idea of a career is embedded though, with only the whispers of what expenses should befall you.
With literature in hand, some more pens and a memory stick, I need to find a way of bridging this event with schools! How can we move these ideas, inspiration and experiences into the Primary field? Drawing children towards the idea of flight being closer than they may ever think is the primary goal here! Where there is aptitude with dreams, there is possibility.
All in all a keen event. I was told that it was Kura's first one of these. It was good to see a variation of vendors, all with a goal to get you into the sky, be it real or virtual. As a veteran of flight simming, I would like to have seen more presence from the community, this might have been a good time to own a Fly UK badge.
With the stage set, it is time to bring these together. As engineering firms are grasping onto opportunities in schools, it is time for the air-bound industries to come and play too.
A special mention to Hana from Take Flight, she gave me the answer to my question, and it was before I had to leave for my train! Watch this space as I may be able form the connection that I have been hoping for.
How do you feel about flight? Does it scare you? Are you like me, entangled in a loving relationship with the thought of flight, whilst awaiting the time you might grab a set of real controls?
Tuesday 29 November 2016
The Cold Station Theory
As I stand on the platform at Stafford Station, I remember how cold and lonely train stations really are. It's a brisk morning with dark skies. I am bound by the hat and gloves that keep me cosy, holding jack frost away from my delicate hands and noggin.
It doesn't seem to matter how many times I have been on a train, it still amazes me how quiet it is. Even sitting on the train, it has the same ear popping hum of a plane coming in to land. There's always one thing that you can count on though, a hot drink. One to heat you back up and help you remember that there are warmer climbs!
So, I wonder why. What is it that makes it like that?
We should think about the general reason for the stations in the first place. Like bus stations and airports, people have a goal. Their eye on that target is held throughout. Only the conversational expert might chat to those around them, finding people who can share their love of trains, planes and, possibly, automobiles.
With that goal, we become single-filed-in-mind, one track (excuse the pun) to the destination. What separates the train system from an airport though, is that the platforms don a baron wind-tunnel look and feel, the odd coffee vendor can be found selling their wares. That explains the cold and damp though, I seriously doubt that the national rail network will start putting doors on the end of platforms anytime soon.
There's evidence of making things better though, look at city stations, they have malls attached to them, sprawling shops linked to an ever growing metropolis.
As cities get bigger, so will airports! What about our trains, let's try to make it a little more homely. I just wish i knew how!
I am currently on my way to Statford-Upon-Avon, going to a pilot training talk and a means of research for my STEM group later in the year.
What's your take on transport hubs, is commuting a sorry endeavour all of the time, given that going to work in the cold is never a 'cool' choice? Take care!
It doesn't seem to matter how many times I have been on a train, it still amazes me how quiet it is. Even sitting on the train, it has the same ear popping hum of a plane coming in to land. There's always one thing that you can count on though, a hot drink. One to heat you back up and help you remember that there are warmer climbs!
So, I wonder why. What is it that makes it like that?
We should think about the general reason for the stations in the first place. Like bus stations and airports, people have a goal. Their eye on that target is held throughout. Only the conversational expert might chat to those around them, finding people who can share their love of trains, planes and, possibly, automobiles.
With that goal, we become single-filed-in-mind, one track (excuse the pun) to the destination. What separates the train system from an airport though, is that the platforms don a baron wind-tunnel look and feel, the odd coffee vendor can be found selling their wares. That explains the cold and damp though, I seriously doubt that the national rail network will start putting doors on the end of platforms anytime soon.
There's evidence of making things better though, look at city stations, they have malls attached to them, sprawling shops linked to an ever growing metropolis.
As cities get bigger, so will airports! What about our trains, let's try to make it a little more homely. I just wish i knew how!
I am currently on my way to Statford-Upon-Avon, going to a pilot training talk and a means of research for my STEM group later in the year.
What's your take on transport hubs, is commuting a sorry endeavour all of the time, given that going to work in the cold is never a 'cool' choice? Take care!
Wednesday 16 November 2016
Movement - From A to Z without the fuss!
Can we really create movement without energy? Not really, energy is always required from somewhere. Whether it is from a power cell or from the sun's rays, it has to be drawn from somewhere.
My point for this post is quite simple, can we make it 'less'? Imagine that in ten years Toyota creates a motor that is able to use 50% less fuel in their cars. With hybrid engineering, this could allow an engine to travel twice, if not thrice the distance on a single tank.
This technology is getting better, and with the move to more sustainable energy options, we could see a time that we continue to use oil-based fuels, spread over more years than what we currently have available. Imagine spreading the oil we still have access to from the 50 years left at the moment, to another 200 years. Aside from the environmental impact, both positive and negative, the engineering prospects would be fascinating.
The negative consequences can be looked at another time. For now, though, let's look closely at the aspects of cutting the energy needed to move an object. I am going to break this down into the '5-Ways' of energy options first:
Way One: Oil-Based Combustion
A quick run through of how this works first. The fuel that is drawn from crude oil, in this case we'll look at gasoline, is mixed with air and then exploded to push sequenced cylinders down, thus turning a central bar. This turn is what is used to move the wheels, often via a transmission that contain several cog sizes. This makes the engine run faster or slower rotations based on their size.
Now that is done, simple, but I believe effective, we can see that it is not only old fashioned to some extent, but also messy. It doesn't take a genius to know that oil is mucky!
How are they solving the amount that is used? Although we could look at the hybrid concept, I want to look at the oil-based part only. Engineers have been able to create carburetor units that, with the help of other units fixed to the motor housing, will reduce the flow, and therefore, need for the fuel. Advances in efficiency with bearings and heat distribution can all make a difference too. What is the future for this technology?
Way Two: Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Sticking with cars and other wheeled-vehicles on this one, the concept, and now, reality of Hydrogen as a fuel has come a long way. With only water as a by-product, it is far cleaner than using oil.
The idea of this will allow there to be a truly sustainable form of energy that could power more than just wheeled vehicles. There is little to support the use of it as a power source for electricity in a home, but with further development, could this be an answer to power shortages around the world. Even if it was only a backup for now, it might be welcomed by many New Yorkers, i'm sure they would prefer that than another hefty black-out.
Way Three: The Wind
Okay, I don't mean the kind from the dark side, the kind that wisps past our faces in the great outdoors. Using the wind for power has been around for some time now, we have seen a big rise in turbines on grassy hills, on our coastal vistas and even on the deck of sail boats.
Talking of sailing boats, we know how the wind causes their movement, do we not? The gust will push the large area of the 'sail' along, thus pushing the hull through the water. There is more to this though, the keel acts like an under-wing to the sail's over-wing. When you discover that air is just like water, you can understand this better. Our nitrogen rich air is very thick! It rolls over the hills and your head, like a tidal flow in the ocean.
Thus, the sail and keel are like a aeroplane's wings but in liquid as opposed to the air. Even though this is a little off-track, it does beg the question of whether we could learn from these similarities, though, this might already be the case.
Way Four: You
'Wheels' it is again! The bicycle has been around for a long time. The Bone-Shaker was a French designed early idea of the two-wheeled frame that we have today.
Looking at the pedal rotation on a modern bike, we use our energy, made from what we eat and drink, to rotate a central wheel that drives a wheel at the rear to move you along. This, of course, is not the only way that we move objects along. As well as Fred Flintstone's epic running-powered rock-car, and the use of hand-cycles, we also move objects with our body heat. Though this is small, it is energy that could be harnessed. Maybe?
Way Four: Unknown Technology from...'THE FUTURE'
So this is a cop-out I know, but really, what could you make in the future? This is the 'People in the Shed' aspect again. That's it really, is there another way of moving things? Solar energy is a great technology. There are fossil-fuels used for steam engines, what about coiled springs? This was an idea that I had a while ago...
Bonus: My Idea
My first concept was based on the use of a coiled spring. Like a 'pull-back' car from the toy chest, what if we could harness the energy that can be stored in a flexible material was used to power rotation of a wheel?
That brings me onto now. I was thinking about the use of hand-launched drones in the military. If we launch the vehicle first, air pressure maybe, this would improve the fuel economy. Fuel? What is the fuel in this case? The coil's 'potential' energy is what! So, the 'potential' might be there, are you ready to get in that shed?
What do you think? What do you know? Is this a 'debunk-able blunder'? This could go on for a long time, I haven't even touched on gravity as a force for movement! Tally-ho!
 |
| Movement - Nice lights! (All-Free-Download.com) |
My point for this post is quite simple, can we make it 'less'? Imagine that in ten years Toyota creates a motor that is able to use 50% less fuel in their cars. With hybrid engineering, this could allow an engine to travel twice, if not thrice the distance on a single tank.
This technology is getting better, and with the move to more sustainable energy options, we could see a time that we continue to use oil-based fuels, spread over more years than what we currently have available. Imagine spreading the oil we still have access to from the 50 years left at the moment, to another 200 years. Aside from the environmental impact, both positive and negative, the engineering prospects would be fascinating.
The negative consequences can be looked at another time. For now, though, let's look closely at the aspects of cutting the energy needed to move an object. I am going to break this down into the '5-Ways' of energy options first:
Way One: Oil-Based Combustion
A quick run through of how this works first. The fuel that is drawn from crude oil, in this case we'll look at gasoline, is mixed with air and then exploded to push sequenced cylinders down, thus turning a central bar. This turn is what is used to move the wheels, often via a transmission that contain several cog sizes. This makes the engine run faster or slower rotations based on their size.
Now that is done, simple, but I believe effective, we can see that it is not only old fashioned to some extent, but also messy. It doesn't take a genius to know that oil is mucky!
How are they solving the amount that is used? Although we could look at the hybrid concept, I want to look at the oil-based part only. Engineers have been able to create carburetor units that, with the help of other units fixed to the motor housing, will reduce the flow, and therefore, need for the fuel. Advances in efficiency with bearings and heat distribution can all make a difference too. What is the future for this technology?
Way Two: Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Sticking with cars and other wheeled-vehicles on this one, the concept, and now, reality of Hydrogen as a fuel has come a long way. With only water as a by-product, it is far cleaner than using oil.
The idea of this will allow there to be a truly sustainable form of energy that could power more than just wheeled vehicles. There is little to support the use of it as a power source for electricity in a home, but with further development, could this be an answer to power shortages around the world. Even if it was only a backup for now, it might be welcomed by many New Yorkers, i'm sure they would prefer that than another hefty black-out.
Way Three: The Wind
Okay, I don't mean the kind from the dark side, the kind that wisps past our faces in the great outdoors. Using the wind for power has been around for some time now, we have seen a big rise in turbines on grassy hills, on our coastal vistas and even on the deck of sail boats.
Talking of sailing boats, we know how the wind causes their movement, do we not? The gust will push the large area of the 'sail' along, thus pushing the hull through the water. There is more to this though, the keel acts like an under-wing to the sail's over-wing. When you discover that air is just like water, you can understand this better. Our nitrogen rich air is very thick! It rolls over the hills and your head, like a tidal flow in the ocean.
Thus, the sail and keel are like a aeroplane's wings but in liquid as opposed to the air. Even though this is a little off-track, it does beg the question of whether we could learn from these similarities, though, this might already be the case.
Way Four: You
'Wheels' it is again! The bicycle has been around for a long time. The Bone-Shaker was a French designed early idea of the two-wheeled frame that we have today.
Looking at the pedal rotation on a modern bike, we use our energy, made from what we eat and drink, to rotate a central wheel that drives a wheel at the rear to move you along. This, of course, is not the only way that we move objects along. As well as Fred Flintstone's epic running-powered rock-car, and the use of hand-cycles, we also move objects with our body heat. Though this is small, it is energy that could be harnessed. Maybe?
 |
| Do the colours make a difference? (All-Free-Download.com) |
Way Four: Unknown Technology from...'THE FUTURE'
So this is a cop-out I know, but really, what could you make in the future? This is the 'People in the Shed' aspect again. That's it really, is there another way of moving things? Solar energy is a great technology. There are fossil-fuels used for steam engines, what about coiled springs? This was an idea that I had a while ago...
Bonus: My Idea
My first concept was based on the use of a coiled spring. Like a 'pull-back' car from the toy chest, what if we could harness the energy that can be stored in a flexible material was used to power rotation of a wheel?
That brings me onto now. I was thinking about the use of hand-launched drones in the military. If we launch the vehicle first, air pressure maybe, this would improve the fuel economy. Fuel? What is the fuel in this case? The coil's 'potential' energy is what! So, the 'potential' might be there, are you ready to get in that shed?
 |
| Are you still 'droning' on? (All-Free-Download.com) |
What do you think? What do you know? Is this a 'debunk-able blunder'? This could go on for a long time, I haven't even touched on gravity as a force for movement! Tally-ho!
Wednesday 2 November 2016
Bringing STEM Based Learning to Everybody.
The Fight Begins
We are a race of creators, builders, people that like to put two and two together and find out how to make it five. With the ever burdening reality that 'stems' from our need for more engineers, it is now that we need to bring new ideas for luring candidates into the fold.
I have been interested in 'everything' for as long as I can remember. You name it, I like it. Okay, so there are some things that don't float my boat, cricket for instance, I have never been able to get on with that sport, though strangely enough, I have always been able to bowl at a reasonable level. I have talked in previous posts about some of the things I enjoy, sometimes this leads to conflicts though, so it isn't all fun. I have mentioned the love of VR, its practical innovations have tickled me since the early 90s. Although the concepts of it were extinguished by the mid-90s, the modern resurgence of technology is showing that there are possibilities for it in our future.
It has long been my thought that VR could open up a gateway to more than just data or gaming applications. Whether it is used to teach building in a virtual environment, or perhaps utilising it for training surgeons, I believe that it has a place in education, if not many other aspects of life. What if, it could be used for emotional well-being? Could it be used to calm autism? The headsets would need to be less intrusive in this field, but the possibilities are there. The concept of Microsoft's Lens is intriguing. This allows you to create an AR (Augmented Reality) platform, placing the virtual items and scenery like a projection onto the real world. This would allow an open view for claustrophobia or those with difficulties in close proximities.
What are the options then? With a modern headset, it is easy to get drawn into the virtual scenery. I have made myself nauseous from spinning around in a sand buggy. whether it was graphically well defined or not, it fooled my brain anyway.
I have placed the applications into three distinct groups:
We are a race of creators, builders, people that like to put two and two together and find out how to make it five. With the ever burdening reality that 'stems' from our need for more engineers, it is now that we need to bring new ideas for luring candidates into the fold.
I have been interested in 'everything' for as long as I can remember. You name it, I like it. Okay, so there are some things that don't float my boat, cricket for instance, I have never been able to get on with that sport, though strangely enough, I have always been able to bowl at a reasonable level. I have talked in previous posts about some of the things I enjoy, sometimes this leads to conflicts though, so it isn't all fun. I have mentioned the love of VR, its practical innovations have tickled me since the early 90s. Although the concepts of it were extinguished by the mid-90s, the modern resurgence of technology is showing that there are possibilities for it in our future.
It has long been my thought that VR could open up a gateway to more than just data or gaming applications. Whether it is used to teach building in a virtual environment, or perhaps utilising it for training surgeons, I believe that it has a place in education, if not many other aspects of life. What if, it could be used for emotional well-being? Could it be used to calm autism? The headsets would need to be less intrusive in this field, but the possibilities are there. The concept of Microsoft's Lens is intriguing. This allows you to create an AR (Augmented Reality) platform, placing the virtual items and scenery like a projection onto the real world. This would allow an open view for claustrophobia or those with difficulties in close proximities.
What are the options then? With a modern headset, it is easy to get drawn into the virtual scenery. I have made myself nauseous from spinning around in a sand buggy. whether it was graphically well defined or not, it fooled my brain anyway.
I have placed the applications into three distinct groups:
- Create and Build: Use the virtual environment to produce items for certain jobs, puzzle building and solving, materials and design aspects.
- Environmental Awareness: The virtual scenery could be used to apply happiness routines. It could allow for the user to experience calm or even seclusive scenarios.
- Anywhere, Anytime: Fulfil fantasies, send the user to places they may never visit in their lifetime. Move beyond the bounds of economic or mental insecurities.
These three areas are the start of more to come. These can almost be seen as my own 'Rules of Virtual Engagement'. Watch this space. I wonder where I should begin?
Let me know your thoughts on VR and AR implementation. Could it help you in anyway? How would it effect our everyday lives, might it create an affect on the current social issues that digital technology is causing? For now, we can only speculate and debate.
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