Change in Plans

As mentioned in passing a couple of posts ago, I have a new job. I was a manager within the Air Policy and Climate Change Branch. But there was a change in my former boss' plans, and  I am now the branch director.

And what difference does that make?

Well, I'm still sorting that out. One of the things I was going to do as a freshly minted director was travel to farthest Iqaluit in August to attend a meeting of ministers of the environment.

But, there was a cabinet shuffle and what with the remote location and busy schedules, many ministers would not be able to attend. So now none of us are going.

Before that change in plans, I told this story to colleagues when they asked if I was excited to go.

I have been across the Arctic Circle once before in my life. It was the summer I turned 19 - so that would have been 1976 or so - and dad asked me if I'd like to go with him on a Box top Mission in a Canadian Forces CC-130 Hercules.

I don't know why my father asked me to go - other than he knew these trips to resupply the old DEW line outpost of Alert were fun and interesting - but I said "sure."

It really was a trip of a lifetime, featuring a midnight flight - in daylight - in a single engine Cessna over the (long since gone) Greenland glacier and a fly-by in the Hercules of a World War II B-29 bomber (also long since gone) abandoned on an ice field.

I was "crew" on the flight and travelled in the cockpit. Because I was a young girl, some fun was required of me. So the co-pilot vacated his seat and invited me to sit down. As I settled in, and they put the communications headset on me, the pilot explained that the plane was currently on autopilot but if I wanted to turn the plane, I could do so by turning a large dial located between the pilot and co-pilot's seat. So I put my hand on the dial and turned it. Sure enough, the plane turned, too, and then gently reset its course when I took my hand away from the dial.

The pilot then said that the plane would also respond to voice commands. He said, "you can tell the plane to change direction. Just tell it to turn where you want it to go."

Skeptical, but aware that my father's reputation was on some line or other, I spoke into the head set microphone, "Turn right." 

Nothing happened.

The pilot explained that it perhaps was not working because the voice command technology was calibrated to a man's voice. My voice was pitched too high to activate the command.

Oh, right.

So I know I'm being kidded now, and I know there's a whole bunch of people around me praying for a great story to tell in the mess hall, and I have my dad standing right behind me. Completely aware of what was at stake, I lowered my voice and spoke into the microphone.

After everyone had had their laugh and I'd given the co-pilot back his seat, I turned and looked at my dad.

"I knew they were kidding me, you know," I said.

Dad said, "I knew you knew. You're my kid."

**************************************************

The agave at Allan Gardens is almost in full bloom and famous.

Thanks for reading! Have a great week!

Karen