Credit

When you are a part of a team, the rules are different.

A team is made up of individuals, who play their part, who perform to their abilities.

When someone doesn't do what they are supposed to, fingers are pointed.

Fingers might even be pointed at those, who shouldn't be blamed.

That's where a leader is tested.

That's when the resolve of a team is questioned.

Criticism is a tricky attribute. It needs to be aimed at those who deserve it, or those who don't deserve it but can take it.

Acclaim, too, is a tricky thing. Given to those who can't handle it, acclaim can cause complacency.

But I've seen the guilty walk free and the battlers take the hit.

People who have slogged all day and night over a poster without even starting on their assignments, haven't been told what a wonderful job they have done.

People who have done the running around at the last minute when there was nobody else to do it, when there was no other option, haven't been told that it wouldn't have been a success without their effort.

People who have worked their asses off to make a beverage that the layman would sit and sip and marvel at in the cold, haven't been told that it was the reason that the event was a success.

If criticism has to be handed out by the numbers, then why not applause?!

Maybe it's just not enough by my standards.

This is my way of paying tribute to them!

Pardon my French

I have had some really entertaining professors and teachers over the years. But none of them have come close to Don Talleur, my AVI 455 - Aviation Accident Investigation class instructor. He is the typical good-guy, Jim Carrey look-a-like dude.

In our previous class, this is what one of his explanations sounded like:

In accident investigation, you come across everything even remotely related to Human Factors. Some one or the other will eventually make a mistake. Sometimes increase in automation, decreases situation awareness (SA). I was once flying over lake Michigan, getting ready to turn over for my base leg towards the landing strip. The flight was on auto-pilot and I bent over to my right to grab the approach chart. When I come back up to my seat, I look out the window and the freaking plane's making a 20-degree left turn for God-only-knows what reason. I had no idea why the turn was being made, where I was headed or what I need to do to get back on track for the next 5 minutes. That's 300 seconds. Situation Awareness, you see.

As I said before, human errors are the major part of the pie in accidents. I know this investigator, who I had met over somewhere last month and he was investigating a particular incident. I asked him the reason for the accident, actually the probable cause. Was it mechanical failure? Or a design error? I didn't expect an informal answer from this gentleman, I barely knew him, but he went on and gave me a very frank reply. He said, and pardon my french here, "The guy fucked up, plain and simple".

I've just never heard an instructor say stuff like this before. The whole class was silent for about 40 seconds. We didn't even laugh. It was the truth, it was the plain truth said by him in a very frank manner.

Falling short...

Have you ever had that feeling inside of you, where everything you do is turned around and thrown back at you? No matter how much you strive and slog, it is never good enough.

Someone once told me, "I don't think people will appreciate you, because you don't know how to get that appreciation out of them".

And I said that if they really and truly do appreciate what I do, then I won't have to.

There is nothing worst than having that feeling deep inside. Knowing that you are not good enough. Not capable. Not worthy.

The best part is sometimes people are really trying their best and truly deserve some appreciation, but they are not given it, which makes them perform poorly.

It is swimming against the current that defines character.

It is doing a good job without any sort of appreciation in life that demands respect.

And it is your belief in your goodness that will make you rise up and deliver even when you are told you're not good enough.

Weekend

It's hard to say no to someone you love. When they have that smile on their face or that look in their eyes. My heart melts. Even when she asked me to post this (just because), I couldn't say no, even though it was through a chat window. It becomes harder after you've just met her a few minutes ago and she has looked the best you've ever seen her look. Beauty redefined. Seriously. It's hard to not sound flattery, but sometimes you are stunned by the beauty around you.

I can't dance for nuts. I know that. But I also know that there are very few things and very few people in the world that could get me dancing (alcohol included). Today I danced like no one was watching. All I could see was my friends in front of me, and none of them were judging me. We all were just super-elated to be with each other and enjoy that moment, even though I know everyone missed Pinky in some way or the other. Dandia Raas, Garba and Bhangra.... awesome!

It's hard to find time for these things when you are a grad-student. The weekend comes in a jiffy and goes even quicker. You never know what hit you. I am sitting here in the comp lab on a Saturday night trying to do my research. Yes, it's a Saturday night, I've just returned from the Garba party and I intend to finish my quota for today in this secluded lab while listening to loud music. Well, being a grad student, I'm happy that I have the keys to the department building. I wish sometimes though, that I would be joined by her, who wouldn't join me here (for various reasons).

It's been a while since I'm written about current affairs. I'm happy about the effort I'm putting in all around. But I can always do better.

Goosebumps

I've taken 3 courses related to hardcore aviation this semester. One of them is a research project on a new breed of attitude indicators, the other is a runway and collision hazard analysis course for the Lambert International airport in St.Louis, MO and the third and most interesting course I've taken is Aviation Accident Analysis.

A part of me has always wanted to get into Air Crash Investigation, but I've felt that it isn't correct that my livelihood will depend on people dying. Well, this course has definitely changed my perspective on that. It is the job of the investigator to determine probable cause of the crash and prevent further such incidents. So, you're saving lives.

But a part of me always reacts in the same way. On my first day, the instructor told me that an investigator needs to be inquisitive and objective, not emotional. We've had several case studies throughout the semester and understood the process as a whole. Site anaylsis is just the beginning, then there's wreckage mapping, evidence sampling, witness interviewing. It's all part of a long process which will always have the media hovering around and misinforming the people. Hence, informing the media as and when we get any new information is critical. It will also have legal bindings and redundant jurisdictions which can be bent, not broken.

At the end of it all, the investigators will determine the probable cause of the crash and construct a virtual simulation on the computer of what actually happened during the last few moments of the crash. This information is determined using the data from the Flight Data Recorders(FDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorders(CVR) among other things. When the last few moments of the flight plummeting are analyzed and explained a shiver runs down my spine. Everytime. During every investigation. This is because as an investigator, I must know how many people were on board, how many children. I must know how human error played a role in the accident. How some idiot forgot to check the pressure guage or the construction company would rather spend 4 million less on a flammable insulation for the cockpit instead of the non-flammable expensive one. And how, even today, there are so many things done wrong in aircraft manufacturing and maintainence, that if I'd mention them here, you would never fly again.

After gathering all the evidence, resisting your desire to shoot the person responsible for all those people's deaths, preparing your report and making the flight simulation, you have to get ready to explain the harsh reality to a room-full of people.

In the simulation video, the minute the flight slams into the ground or water, I have the same prolonged reaction.

Goosebumps!

What about now...?

Lately I've become a huge fan of Daughtry. I was sitting in Subway munching on a sandwich when "What about now" started playing.
"I like this song" she said. "I think it's Daughtry.... Actually I'm pretty sure it's Daughtry" I said. Since then, this song has been ringing in my head.

And the other song here "Over You", is pretty darn difficult to pull off vocally.

Also check out "Feels Like Tonight" by Daughtry.

Awesome tracks!!