Today was a short flight in the Cessna 172. Repositioning the plane from the mechanic’s shop at Smoketown Airport (S37) to its base at Brandywine (KOQN). Visibility wasn’t the greatest, about 3 miles, and as the sun came up, I expected it to get better. Well, it didn’t. No worries. All went well as you’ll see here.
Another safe flight in the log book. These short hops keep things interesting, giving the opportunity to practice things like short field takeoffs. It’s always good to stay fresh on the maneuvers. Don’t forget the checklist!
The Bent Page 
Star Walk, app review
After lingering in the 19th and 20th centuries for far too long, I’ve finally entered the 21st by purchasing an iPhone. This is an amazing device, as the rest of the civilized world already knows. For me, it’s more than a new toy. It is a productivity tool which has already earned its keep in any number of ways. At the same time, there are some things on here that are just plain fascinating and one of them is the Star Walk application. It’s like having an astronomer in your shirt pocket. You fire up the application, hold the iPhone up to the sky (usually at night) and it gives a rendering of the firmament above, complete with stars, planets, satellites, and the moon. Then you tap on a particular star and up pops all the info about it. There’s also overlays of the constellations. And you get a photo of the day, something usually incredible. For the few dollars this app cost, you get an entire astronomy course delivered to your handset. I wish I had this unit during my college years; I would have aced that astronomy class.
What’s your favorite app?
- Commentary
on November 4, 2011 at 10:29 am Leave a CommentTags: app, astronomy, gadget, iPhone, iPhone app, planets, science, Star Walk, stars