Penny For Your Thoughts (Ok, I Don't Really Have a Penny)

So, You Want to be a Pilot, Eh? has now been out for three years. The response and interest in the book has been great and I am glad I wrote it. I do think, however, that it may be time to think about updating a few things in it, so, I've been contemplating writing a second edition.

It'll probably be a little before a new edition is out and I'm just in the brainstorming phase right now, however, I'm interested to hear your thoughts on the book.

For those of you that have read it:

What did you like?
What did you dislike?
Was there anything that you felt was missing?
Was there anything that you wanted more of?
Were there any topics that I spent too much / not enough time on?

For those of you who haven't read the book but are looking to become a pilot in Canada, are there specific things that you're looking for in a book?

Please send these suggestions or other thoughts about the book to my e-mail: piloteh@gmail.com

Thanks!

Moves and New Adventures

There have been a lot of changes in the past year. I finished articling, got called to the Nova Scotia Bar, moved to Vancouver, BC, got called to the British Columbia Bar and am now practising as an aviation lawyer in Vancouver.

The road to becoming a lawyer is challeging, and like flying, you learn something new everyday, though with new clients, different files and new events, everyday can seem like a check ride in the sim!

Moving from one coast to the other has not been without its challenges. Canada is a BIG country. I wouldn't say we were rushed on the drive as we did get to stop in Ontario for a few days to see relatives, but we didn't have the luxury of turning the drive into a 2 to 4 week sightseeing trip. It was amazing to see the changes in the country. We drove through a heat wave in New Brunswick and Quebec (with a car whose air conditioning wasn't working quite right); drove again through the expanse that is Northern Ontario; saw Manitoba for the first time since moving away from Thompson almost 6 years ago; stopped in Rouleau, Saskatchewan (a.k.a Dog River) to see the set of Corner Gas; drove through some massive thunderstorms in Southern Saskatchewan and Alberta; stopped in Banff National Park and visited Morraine Lake and Lake Louise; drove through the mountains of BC (and that's when the brakes started to squeal) and arrived in Vancouver on a glorious sunny day.

I will miss our view in Halifax. This is the U.S.S. Wasp entering port for the Canadian Naval Centennial Fleet Review

Leaving Nova Scotia and entering New Brunswick

Pumping Gas in Dog River

Morraine Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta

Vancouver from Stanley Park




I'm loving Vancouver so far. When I lived up north, a number of the other pilots I lived with were from Vancouver, or Vantopia as they called it. It is a gorgeous city.

I'm also quite excited about the new job. It is primarily actin for airlines or their insurers for various types of litigation issues. I've been extremely lucky to be able to combine aviation and law. The work is extremely interesting and having an aviation background is very helpful.