Pilots Blog

Spin-a-Wind for Android

Len — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 17:20:17 +0000

I had several requests to port Spin-a-Wind over to Android. After some learning, and finding a suitable spinning wheel widget (thanks Yuri), I was finally able to translate it over. Some notable differences to the iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad version:
- Page tabs are at the top.
- Runway and Wind wheels are continuous.
- No clicking when wheels are moved.
- Radio buttons used instead of selector bar in settings page.

Otherwise, I don’t think that you will find any difference between the versions.

Spin-a-Wind for Android

Thanks to the thousand plus who have purchased Spin-a-Wind on iTunes.

Khadafi Ordered Lockerbie Bombing?

Len — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 23:51:39 +0000

This New York Post article quotes an interview by Sweden’s Expressen with Libya’s Justice Minister Mustafa Abdel-Jalil.

In the interview, Abdel-Jalil says that Libyan leader, Moammar Khadafi personally ordered bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi to destroy the Boeing 747 Pan Am Flight 103 and kill all on board, and that he had written proof of this. 259 people on board the flight were killed along with 11 people on the ground.

As you may know, Scotland released the bomber, al-Megrahi on “compassionate” grounds, saying that he had only 3 months to live. That was August 2009, and Mr. al-Megrahi is still living a comfortable life in Libya. The interview said that getting al-Megrahi released had been a priority for Khadafi.

I was with TWA at the time and temporarily based in Frankfurt Germany when this event took place. I visited our operations center at the airport on that morning and remember a Pan Am Boeing 747 pushing back from the gate when I was there. So this issue is a personal one for me.

We all hope that justice will finally be meted out to the perpetrators, to all government officials who ordered the bombing, and to the bomber(s).

Pan Am Flight 103

Spin-a-Wind 2.0 Now Available

Len — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:33:49 +0000

Spin-a-Wind 2.0 is now available on iTunes. The update addressed a suggestion from a user in Germany who wanted a graphical representation of the runway and wind direction. Also, after talking with other airlines pilots, it seemed like a no-brainer to add another page with a temperature conversion from Celsius to Fahrenheit. And, since I had some leftover screen real estate, I employed the somewhat complicated wind-chill formula used by the U.S. National Weather Service and Canada.
It works with all versions of the iPhone and iPod Touch, and probably the new iPad. It doesn’t need an internet connection to function. Visit The Spin-a-Wind Site.

Here are some screen shots:

Spin-a-Wind

Spin-a-Temp

Goodnight Loran C

Len — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:09:25 +0000

World War II-era navigation system shut down
By Mike M. Ahlers, CNN
February 8, 2010 9:25 p.m. EST

Coast Guard Loran Station Attu in Alaska is one of five that will remain open until June.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
U.S. shut down 19 of 24 land-based Loran-C navigation stations on Monday
Administration says Loran no longer needed in era of Global Positioning System
Critics warn GPS is vulnerable to cyber-attacks, suggest keeping Loran as backup
Washington — Good night, Loran.
In a series of small ceremonies, the U.S. Coast Guard on Monday shut down Loran-C, a navigation and timing system that has guided mariners and aviators since World War II.

Frappr Map, New Apps, and Others

Len — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:17:45 +0000

In th pages of the left column, you can find out about my cell phone apps at MechCheck and Spin-a-Wind. You can also see the email that I received concerning the end of the frappr map. If you wish to download an archive of the frappr map, click on it and follow instructions.
The podcast isn’t over yet, just on a long hiatus. Keep checking back here to keep up to date.

Len

Other Pilot Podcasts restarting their Engines!

Len — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:23:56 +0000

To all of you who have listened to my podcasts, I thank you. I will start up again at some future date, but for now, the news is that the Pilotcast and the Fly With Me podcast are starting again.

Please give a listen to both of these very enjoyable podcasts.

My Second App, MechCheck is now available.

Len — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:21:05 +0000

MechCheck is now available for the iPhone and iPod Touch on the iTunes App Store.

New iPhone App

Len — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:11:04 +0000

Well, it’s my first effort. Spin-a-Wind is now available on the iTunes app store. You can learn about it here.

Joseph Balzer releases new book “Flying Drunk”

Len — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:00:27 +0000

I had the pleasure of flying with Joe Balzer several times. Many of you probably remember a news story about a Northwest Airlines crew that was convicted of flying under the influence of alcohol. Here is a link to his website, fllyingdrunk.com.

The book about his experiences will be released on July 15th, and is available for preorder on Amazon.com

Air France Airbus A330 Missing over Atlantic

Len — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:45:40 +0000

All of the major news services are talking about the aviation tragedy that happened last night/early this morning. Air France flight 447 took off from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil en route to Paris, France, and lost contact with its controllers over the Atlantic Ocean between Brazil and Senegal.

News reports are talking about electrical problems while in an area of thunderstorms, at 35,000 feet. Having flown in the area of the equator in summer, I can personally attest to the strength of these thunderstorms, sometimes organized in a line hundreds of miles long.

The Airbus 330 uses a fly-by-wire flight control system, which is shielded against lightning strikes.

We all hope for survivors, and our thoughts and prayers go to the families of the victims.