Comments on: Never Lose Your Way http://middlezonemusings.com/never-lose-your-way/ It's about lessons learned... from life! Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:27:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Robert Hruzek http://middlezonemusings.com/never-lose-your-way/#comment-4217 Robert Hruzek Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:56:34 +0000 http://middlezonemusings.com/never-lose-your-way/#comment-4217 Howdy, Dar! Yep; Mrs. MZM made me do it! (But I like it) Hey, integrity is definitely no silly thing! In fact, I would venture to say it's probably the most valuable thing any of us own! Would that we could ALL remember to "check the compass" <i>first,</i> y'know? :-/ Howdy, Dar! Yep; Mrs. MZM made me do it! (But I like it)

Hey, integrity is definitely no silly thing! In fact, I would venture to say it’s probably the most valuable thing any of us own!

Would that we could ALL remember to “check the compass” first, y’know? :-/

]]> By: Dar http://middlezonemusings.com/never-lose-your-way/#comment-4214 Dar Wed, 05 Mar 2008 23:53:49 +0000 http://middlezonemusings.com/never-lose-your-way/#comment-4214 Hey, Robert. Is that a new photo? :-) Looks great! Silly as it may sound, I've come to realize that my own personal compass is my integrity. And you're so right -- the compass won’t choose your course for you (although it can help). It doesn't keep me from making bad choices in life, either. It's passive mostly, like you said. But, wow, I can sure tell when I'm out of integrity. Funny thing is, the better I learn to read my compass *before* I chart my course(s), the better I seem to do. Yeah, I still occasionally have consequences from not looking first. Great points you made there, Robert. Hey, Robert. Is that a new photo? :-) Looks great!

Silly as it may sound, I’ve come to realize that my own personal compass is my integrity. And you’re so right — the compass won’t choose your course for you (although it can help). It doesn’t keep me from making bad choices in life, either. It’s passive mostly, like you said.

But, wow, I can sure tell when I’m out of integrity. Funny thing is, the better I learn to read my compass *before* I chart my course(s), the better I seem to do. Yeah, I still occasionally have consequences from not looking first. Great points you made there, Robert.

]]> By: Robert Hruzek http://middlezonemusings.com/never-lose-your-way/#comment-4207 Robert Hruzek Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:03:46 +0000 http://middlezonemusings.com/never-lose-your-way/#comment-4207 Augh! <i>(Sound of metaphor shattering into a million pieces...)</i> Drat! I <i>knew</i> someone would come along and set me straight on this! Ah well, it's been over 25 years, after all... *sigh* Warren, thanks for straightening my memory out a bit! That's what I couldn't figure out - why the magnetic compass wouldn't <i>always</i> point to north? Guess I had it and the DG mixed up in the ol' memory cells. Oh, well; the story may be bit off, but the metaphor still stands, don't you think? Augh! (Sound of metaphor shattering into a million pieces…) Drat! I knew someone would come along and set me straight on this! Ah well, it’s been over 25 years, after all… *sigh*

Warren, thanks for straightening my memory out a bit! That’s what I couldn’t figure out - why the magnetic compass wouldn’t always point to north? Guess I had it and the DG mixed up in the ol’ memory cells.

Oh, well; the story may be bit off, but the metaphor still stands, don’t you think?

]]> By: Warren http://middlezonemusings.com/never-lose-your-way/#comment-4203 Warren Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:55:23 +0000 http://middlezonemusings.com/never-lose-your-way/#comment-4203 Not to mess up your metaphor, but a magnetic compass does not drift. It always points to magnetic north, unless some more powerful nearby magnetic (or electrical) source interferes. In an airplane, a magnetic compass needs to be calibrated to account for the metal and electrical devices that can slightly affect its accuracy, but once the compass is "swung" (calibrated), it dutifully does its job of pointing north for the life of the aircraft. What does drift is the directional gyroscope or heading indicator, which in simple aircraft a pilot sets to match what he/she sees on the magnetic compass, and then must reset periodically to keep it synced with the magnetic compass. On more expensive aircraft, a gadget called a flux gate resets the directional gyro (DG) automatically. You have a DG because a magnetic compass bounces around a lot in turbulance and is affected by aircraft acceleration and deceleration, making it hard to maintain a constant course just by watching the compass. So you check the magnetic compass when the aircraft is in a stable state to confirm that the DG is indicating correctly, and use the DG to maintain your course. More than you wanted to know... Not to mess up your metaphor, but a magnetic compass does not drift. It always points to magnetic north, unless some more powerful nearby magnetic (or electrical) source interferes. In an airplane, a magnetic compass needs to be calibrated to account for the metal and electrical devices that can slightly affect its accuracy, but once the compass is “swung” (calibrated), it dutifully does its job of pointing north for the life of the aircraft.

What does drift is the directional gyroscope or heading indicator, which in simple aircraft a pilot sets to match what he/she sees on the magnetic compass, and then must reset periodically to keep it synced with the magnetic compass. On more expensive aircraft, a gadget called a flux gate resets the directional gyro (DG) automatically. You have a DG because a magnetic compass bounces around a lot in turbulance and is affected by aircraft acceleration and deceleration, making it hard to maintain a constant course just by watching the compass. So you check the magnetic compass when the aircraft is in a stable state to confirm that the DG is indicating correctly, and use the DG to maintain your course.

More than you wanted to know…

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