Evaluation
Evaluation
For the first time this whole update is using Mobile Phone pictures... I have not used my camera for a very long time it seems.
Let's begin with a hot bowl of comforting
porridge
All stop for Covid 19, a
virus from China that has chased happiness from the World and
lead to an unfortunate political - scientific experiment with all
of us as subjects for examination.
What is the effect of this policy? Another policy? Lockdowns,
restrictions, masks, social distancing... These seem to have
varying degrees of effectiveness, and they're all experimental
with us as subjects to be studied to determine their effects.
China seems to have survived the virus very well, what do they
know that we don't? Sweden acts differently, Europe and Britain
suffer badly regardless of their restrictions. British Columbia
has done very well with very little restriction in comparison.
The uncaring Americans have the highest death rate, it's a nation
that does not believe in universal health care, and Covid has
taken a high toll for their 'freedom'.
In England until midnight
Saturday night I could still travel and have socially distanced
tea and food at the local airfields.
The cafés at Popham and at Blackbushe are both very good and
attract upbeat people.
There is 'trouble at mill' at Blackbushe where the very good
Polish crew have been given notice as the Airport wants to run
the café itself... This sounds very 'Thai' to me!
In Thailand successful
restaurants are sometimes looked upon with envy by their
landlords who raise their rents until the restauranteurs give up.
The objective is for the landlord to then set up another
restaurant in their premises to make a profit from the customer
base that has been developed. Inevitably this leads to failure...
A similar thing happened at Chilliwack in British Columbia, but
that Airport Café has continued to thrive, largely due perhaps
to inheriting the excellent staff.
If Blackbushe is successful at kicking out the current operators
of the Bushe Café it remains to be seen if it will make a
success of it.
Do we need any more angst in this horrible time?
I'm missing the Thursday night pub
meetings. English pubs are cosy and very friendly.
One of the main reasons for
returning to England is the amount and variety of social
interactions there are here.
I live a solitary life, which is something that has taken me a
lifetime to come to terms with... As you are reading this perhaps
you understand how important communication and social interaction
is to me.
Canada was very very lonely, especially in the winter. Not that I
didn't have friends, I did, but so very few. And there was not
much variety; too much same same...
Thailand is hugely social, and of course still warm this time of
the year, while England is a little less so.
Life needs continuous renewal, renewal through experiences and
learning, routine is an enemy of life progression... With varying
degrees of success and failure I have acted to try to change my
life path.
While there's Covid, like
many others I am unable to expand my activities and, like so
many, I have to put up with the Covid policies which are so very
damaging to the social fabric.
But I still evaluate the situations I have to deal with.
From the occasional egoistic prima donnas I meet in aviation to
the management of the Post Office Delivery Office at which I
work. I find I am evaluating more with detached eyes, open and
unbiased, seeing things for what they are, and not as 'opinion'
would want.
At the Post Office I have
not been shy about telling the managers how to do their jobs!
It is similar to when I worked at BAe Chester on Airbus 310
wings... I wanted to control the identified components that are
specific to the first batch of wings such as serialised
inspection panels that were not interchangeable between wings. I
asked for these to follow the wings as they were moved jig to jig
around the factory; kept in racks, stored for the specific wings,
too many panels were being lost!
Three weeks later panels were missing... A factory worker
indicated a darkened room to me where I found a big cardboard box
containing panels from various wings back to 162 which was the
prototype Airbus 310, so what panels were on that aircraft?
I was furious, my job was inspection, the quality control of
these wings, so I caught the factory manager and the production
manager on the factory floor and made them aware of my
displeasure!
In 1982 management at BAe
Chester was done on the 'Tell' principal, while I used the 'Sell'
principal. I found that selling the job in a nice way to the shop
floor workers was refreshing for them, and an effective way of
getting the job done.
As for BAe management, I asked them first, then I told
them second, giving them a taste of their own 'Tell' method.
It's never been unusual for me to step well above 'my station', I
still do. Heaven knows what I'd have been with the education
certification to back up my abilities
British Aerospace Weybridge in contrast to Chester was very
civilised.
Thank goodness this current
task as a van driver delivering parcels is temporary.
The Guildford office is not a happy one, with low morale and this
is never a good thing if you want the best out of your employees.
The vans are not well maintained, and many have dents in them...
Not a good image to portray on the roads... And this in itself is
a lack of care the drivers of these vans experience, and so why
should they care?
I for one would never think of leaving my rubbish in a van that I
have used, whilst these vans have the detritus left by those who
drive them. They're often filthy.
A properly run operation ensures that clean discipline is
habitual; the same habits such as teaching children to save and
properly dispose of their sweet/candy wrappers.
The word is pride, pride in the job you do, and
this is a cultural thing to be developed by effective management.
It is perhaps due in some
part to the British tradition of abuse endemic in part of its
culture.
I grew up with a smack over the head when a mistake I made in my
homework was witnessed by my father... Angry off putting
questions would follow with further smacks over the head, with
the biggest smack being when I cheekly gave a correct answer!
This Irish style of conditioning takes a lot of correction on my
part; child abuse lasts a persons' whole life, we need to be
aware of this, and see through the defences a child adult has
developed.
For many years as a flying
instructor I had little praise for my student's efforts. While my
critiques were not accompanied with any sort of smacking, they
needed to be balanced with praise when a student made progress.
As a child I was criticised all of the time, there was never any
praise for what I did well. I did many things well, and a few
things naughty. 'Naughty' and accused naughty resulted in severe
punishment while excellence was totally ignored. I had been born
to prejudice, opinion of what I would become from infancy... It's
hard to change opinion, and the unspoken opinions of others have
harmed me ever since, are they all wrong?
I went to college, but when I was 19 I was evicted from the
family, end of that; a wound of rejection I suffer to this day.
So I know how bad it can be.
Contrary to this upbringing, I changed this modus operandi to
epathatically give my students and those who worked with me a
positive experience.
When I have evaluated them, pilots sometimes said that they did
not know what I expected of them... I expected nothing, judged
without bias, and saw what I actually saw.
Never have prejudice, see human beings for who they are, and do
your best to bring the best out of them. This is 'glass half
full' in a way, add to it, do not drain it, fill the persons'
glass, and avoid shattering it.
If I grew up without abuse would I have the same empathy for
human beings?
Worldwide there's a
modern employment culture that is cold and unfeeling, and this is
leading to low morale.
I don't understand where this 'Victorian workhouse' culture is
coming from?
Carrot indeed is far better than stick.
Work
preparation
Like flight planning, when I know a route I
can organise parcels for efficient delivery.
These days I go to work,
walking down the pathway beside the railway line, often in the
cold and rain, wondering "why am I doing this?"
One of the managers told me and a fellow 'agency worker' that he
was older than either of us... 'Turned out the other chap was
turning 60, and the manager was 59. They both thought I was 55 to
57 years old! I am 66, and when I started work a man would retire
at 65 with enough state pension for both himself and his wife.
How things have changed.
I reckon my apparent youth is due to the need for me to keep
passing a Class 1 medical every six months to keep my Commercial
Pilot Licence valid.
Flying is as important to ones health as ones health is important
to flying.
I tell people that you remain the age at which you learned to fly, I'm 19 years old :)
But make no bones about it,
this is harsh on old bones!
I certainly sleep better for it.
The money I make now will hopefully pay a few months rent in a
place of my own. I am looking towards the West Country for
cheaper rent, and perhaps healthy walks.
Of course I'd also love to be in Chiang Mai where I do have a
flat for which I am paying rent!
Life is not endless, and I am aware that instructing in Canada
would lead me nowhere as it has already lead me nowhere, and so I
am making positive effort towards change.
There is no doubt however that I have had some fantastic flying adventures in Canada.
I just wish that aviation
in England was as welcoming as it has been recently in Canada.
It would be nice to set up something friendly as I did with the
Condor Club, and Sea Land Air Flight Centre.
Happy Christmas
&
I wish you a happier and successful 2021
Year of the Metal Rat ends in February, the Metal Ox takes over, and it should be better!