Page 25 - Dec22T

creature stirring, not even a mouse. We did find them on the planes every now and then, by the way. Mice, that is, not creatures. Well, perhaps a few grumpy, not in the spirit, humbug-type creatures.
Confiscated
Traveling by commercial air on a holiday is always, shall we say, colorful. Like the scene from the now classic Christmas movie “Home Alone” when mom realizes they’ve overslept, it’s easy to get behind during the holidays. And while masks are no longer mandatory and we may be ac- customed to removing our laptop, iPad, belt, shoes, and posing in the “stick-em-up” position for the full body scan- ner, getting wrapped Christmas presents past TSA is like trying to get DCA flight plan papers stored at Mar-a-Lago past the FBI. Neatly wrapped packages must be scanned and sometimes unwrapped – declassified or not. And don’t forget, even though pot is legal in many states, you can’t take it through TSA.
We Are Empathetic
When traveling in our planes Part 91 or as a Part 121 or 135 crew member, we may often ignore the ordeal of hotel checkout, rental car return, tram to the terminal, ticket counter and TSA inspection and interrogation that the traveling public must endure. It’s no wonder our passen- gers often arrive to our airplane behaving like one of those humbug creatures vs. a meek, mild and humble mouse. We don’t forget the ordeal and we are empathetic, but many of the tribulations of commercial air travel, especially on the airlines, are simply beyond the control of the crew.
Strangers Become Family
Once you make it through security and into the termi- nal, some of the more pleasant aspects of Christmas travel may begin. The commercial terminals and FBOs are nicely decorated with Christmas ornaments, lights and displays. One terminal in Chicago has a very nice “Twelve Days of Christmas” display; each tree is decorated to represent one of the twelve days. And most airline terminals have a chapel in which services are held several times throughout the day.
The main halls are decked with giant ornaments and lights while Christmas music fills the air and sets the mood. Some songs are traditional classics like “Baby it’s Cold Outside,” “Santa Baby,” “Frosty The Snowman,” and “White Christmas.” Others are more modern such as Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You,” “I be- lieve in Santa Clause” by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, and “Christmas Eve Sarajevo” and “Christmas Canon” by Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The decorations and music help strangers to become like family.
Deicing, Uniforms, PAs and CGSD
With a blizzard at the field, do you really expect an on- time departure? A lot of airports (including GA FBOs) will have deicing plans in effect. You should know what types(s) of deicing/anti-icing fluid are acceptable to use on your airplane (I, II, III and IV). It’s based on POH specifications and takeoff rotation speed. The most common uniform change among working crew members will be neckties,
Preferred
http:/preferredairparts.com
Factory Direct
http://factorydirectmodels.com
December 2022 / TWIN & TURBINE • 23