Close of the Edmonton Municipal Airport

I earned my private pilot license at the Edmonton Flying Club in 1989. The club was in building 18 at the Municipal Airport and I would fly from the Municipal airport to Villeneuve Airport to fly circuits. I soloed at Villeneuve airport. Later came a Commercial license, multi engine rating and an instrument rating in 1992 - all earned at the Municipal airport and the Edmonton Flying Club. Blatchford Field has a long history of aviation in the west and I am proud to have been a pilot trained there. Edmonton Muni holds a special place in my heart and I will always remember the view from the cockpit on approach to runway 30 as you flew by the city and over Kingsway Mall. Farewell old friend.  Here are some memories of the airport:

A View I have Seen More Times Than I

Can Count - Approach to Runway 30

Unbelievable:  A Lancaster! - That WORKS!!

Another View I have Seen More Times than I

Can Count - Takeoff from Runway 30

Bobble Headed Doll

Frank Ludwig is our conductor.  He was with the rock band Trooper and Randy Bachmann's Ironhorse in the 70's and 80's.  At rehearsal of the Vancouver Concert Band last week, he had us shout out some phrases as if we were an angry crowd.  Here is the result:

Innovation

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower”  ...Steve Jobs

Part of the information that has been surfacing in my PhD research is the fact that all companies die.  They do so because as they grow, they lose that creative edge and become more and more ponderous to manage.  HR departments have profiles and generally the more off-beat and "not fitting the mould" types are systematically weeded out.  The problem is, they tend to be the really creative people and having a location that supports the "misfits" in a  way that allows innovation to exist and thrive is simply not allowed - in as much as these companies strive to be leaders in their areas, few manage the real task of innovation.

It was a group of eight people that broke away from Shockley Semiconductors and started Fairchild Semiconductors.  They left because of Shockley's management style and went on to help create Silicon Valley.  Two of these men in particular - Bob Noyce and Gordon Moore - would leave Fairchild and found Intel.  

Today we ask what went wrong with RIM and their groundbreaking Blackberry.  They stopped innovating.  perhaps they felt comfortable - even complacent.    Apple and Google on the other hand give us a model of companies that have continuously reinvented themselves through phenomenal innovation and in so doing building  the most successful companies in the world.  

Why do I mention all of this?  I am embarking on what I view to be a new segment of a long career.  I am looking to help people innovate in the educational environment as they face an uncertain future and unprecedented challenges to what they have become used to - even complacent with.  Welcome to TOTB Planning & Architecture.  The TOTB is a reminder and a motto -  that what we need to do at all times is to "Think Outside The Box" because thinking within the confines of what is comfortable will not yield anything truly new.  

Celebrating Completion of the Sails With Val

Here we are at the table at the RiverRock Casino and Resort for their dinner buffet.

Carolyn (looking a little startled that I took the picture), 

Christopher and Val (of Val's Sail Loft Fame)

FINISHED!!!!

The genoa has been bent on the furling mechanism.  It looks like it belongs!!

Genoa Now on After a Month Off For Replacement

Of The Sacrificial Cover.

The Physics of Sailing

I like this short video on the physics of sailing

Enjoy

Val's Sail Loft

I won't get any points for neatness, but the sail is almost done (putting the sacrificial cover on).

I Couldn't Possibly Do This On

The Boat - Not Enough Room

The Cover Is The Tan Sunbrella

The Head of The Genoa and The Sunbrella

The Sailrite Ultrafeed is AWESOME

Genoa Sacrificial Cover

Alas, the Blackberry camera is not so good, but here is the work at Val's Sail Loft - i.e.: One Sailrite Ultrafeed and Len.

Doing the hem on the sacrificial cover

Weather Update

OK, we're paying for it now.  We had a beautiful October , so now its raining heavily with up to 80 mm expected in North Van.