Retro Review: Pop Sci

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: PopSci

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.popsci.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Popular Science has been a leading source of science and technology news since its inception way back in 1872. PopSci.com first came online in 1999. With up-to-the-minute tech news, insightful commentary on the new innovations, and even scientific takes on the hottest Hollywood stories, we're your first stop for what's new and what's next.

MY REVIEW: I enjoy the magazine Popular Science, and I enjoy this blog, for all that its similar to other "general" science blogs...I just like the content of this one more.

A few sample paragraphs

Drones can do just about everything autonomously these days, but most systems still require human assistance to land, refuel and take off again. Now, an aerospace startup, Aerovel, hopes to change that with its hover-capable Flexrotor drone that will come with its own automated docking station. No human ground support needed, The Register reports.

The notion comes from Tad McGeer, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who created the small ScanEagle drone for fishermen and U.S. Navy SEALS. ScanEagle relied upon a pneumatic catapult launcher and "SkyHook" recovery pole, but the Flexrotor would do away with either requirement.

Instead, McGeer envisions his new drone using VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) abilities. Tiny wingtip thrusters would do the same job as a helicopter's tail rotor and counteract the torque of the drone's main propeller in hover-mode.

That would permit the Flexrotor to land in its auto-base, refuel and launch back into the air with no human intervention. One human handler could then oversee an entire swarm of drones, which translates into big economic savings from the reduced manpower.

RECENT ARTICLES:
-The Future of...the Hot Dog?
-VTOL Drone Would Land, Refuel and Take Off By Itself
-In Blitz to Kill One Kind of Infectious Bacteria, Other Untreatable Strains Emerge
-The Map-Equipped Treadmill That Can Recreate Any Hike on Earth
-This Week in the Future, February 22-26, 2010
-MIT Stumbles on a Way to Print Flexible Coatings Made of Micromachines

Retro Review: Pampering Campers

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: Yes, with reservations

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Pampering Campers.

WEB ADDRESS: http://pamperingcampers.wordpress.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Travel, Camping and Work Camping Information and Links to useful camping and outdoor recreation services, many outdoor pictures of campgrounds and animals that we share the outdoors with

MY REVIEW: The Blog itself does not have the camping and useful links – that is found on the related web site. The blog is a folksy travel (camping) log that follows these campers on their travels. They document descriptions of campsites, prices, and availability, as well as their experiences along the way. There are many pictures of the campsites, their camper, and the wildlife they come upon. It is not updated on a regular basis.They tend to post when they are on a trip then it will be dry between expeditions. More of a personal travelogue than a helpful blog.

It is an interesting blog if you wish to follow campers on their personal trip. However, the blog itself does not offer all the information the description says it will. The associated web site does.

RECENT ARTICLES:
--Goose Island State Park, Tx
--Brazos Bend State Park, Tx
--Blue Springs (near DeLand) to Henderson Beach (near Ft Walton Beach), Florida
--Manatee Hunting in Florida

________________________
Ann Currie publishes My Life a Bit South of Normalwww.abitsouthofnormal.com/
and also, Silver Pieces: The Strange and Peculiarstrangeandpeculiarsilver.blogspot.com/

Retro Review: Aviation Law Monitor

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

OUR RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Aviation Law Monitor, published by Mike Danko, Danko Law Firm

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.aviationlawmonitor.com/

BLOG'S DESCRIPTION: Insight and commentary on aviation accidents and the law

OUR REVIEW: An excellent blog that every pilot should read. There's no such thing as "accidents" anymore, in the eyes of the law (if indeed there ever was one). Now, regardless of whether an aviation crash is an unavoidable "act of God" or pilot error or what have you, people will come out of the woodwork to sue the pilot, the aircraft manufacturer, the airport from which the plane took off, probably the people who fueled the plane, and the airport at which the plane was supposed to land, not to mention each and every flight instructor the pilot involved ever had, andthe companies that provided the engines or the instruments for the planes, and so on ad nauseum. (It's only a matter of time before the parents of a pilot are sued, for not preventing him/her from taking lessons in the first place!)

Mike Danko is an attorney who specializes in Aviation Law, and he goes into great detail into each aviation accident. Don't worry - he doesn't use a lot of legalese. As long as you know your aviation, you can follow his reports easily. Each report comes complete with a variety of maps, photos of runways, and so on.

Anyone concerned with the future of general aviation should read this blog.

Here's some sample paragraphs:

Once the pilot has reached a safe altitude and has established radio contact with air traffic control, the pilot may attempt the approach procedure again. He may obtain a clearance to fly a different approach procedure from the opposite direction, or he may opt to fly to a different airport where the weather is better.

Investigators report that the accident aircraft, N4175A, "went missed" on his first approach to the airport, and that the accident occurred near the completion of its second approach. On the second approach, the aircraft had successfully descended beneath the clouds. We know that because

a witness on the ground saw the aircraft maneuvering. The witness saw the aircraft suddenly burst into fire, and then saw the aircraft crash. Investigators say that the aircraft exploded in flight because it hit a tree while maneuvering, and the tree ruptured a fuel tank.

The question is not why the aircraft hit a tree. Rather, the question is why the aircraft was maneuvering at all. The approach should have lined up the pilot for landing straight ahead. No turns should have been necessary.

It is true that pilots are permitted, once the runway appears before them, to circle around to land in the other direction if the surface winds require it. But this accident occurred after dark. "Circling to land" in poor weather at night is a challenging undertaking. There is a risk of losing sight of the runway, becoming disoriented in the dark, inadvertently re-entering clouds, or hitting obstacles that are hard to see. That's why the "night circling approach to minimums" is considered the most dangerous of all instrument approaches. Most pilots will not attempt a circling approach at night unless there is no other option. Here, there was an option. If the winds required landing in the other direction, the pilot could simply have flown the other available approach procedure which brings the aircraft straight in to the runway from the west.

The NTSB will now take over the accident investigation. It will be difficult. Air traffic control tapes are often useful in reconstructing accidents such as this one. But there is no control tower at Pine Mountain Lake, and so the pilot would not have been communicating with any air traffic control facility in the final stages of the flight.

RECENT ARTICLES:
NTSB Preliminary Report on Saratoga Crash at Pine Mountain Lake in Groveland, CA (Feb 25, 2010)
-San Jose Mercury News Coverage of the Cessna 310 (Tesla) Crash at East Palo Alto (Feb 25, 2010)
-Piper Saratoga Crash at Pine Mountain Lake Airport in Groveland, CA (Feb 22, 2010)
-Cessna 310 (Tesla) Crash at East Palo Alto: NTSB Probale Cause Investigation) (Feb 20, 2010)
-Eurocoptr EC135 Crash at Cave Creek, Arizona (Food Service of America): Possible Tail Rotor System Malfunction (Feb 18, 2010)

New reviews return July 3

Hi, all

I'm back from my vacation, but now I need a day to decompress... a vacation from the vacation, as it were. So, one more day of three retro reviews.

Starting the next day, the 3rd, we'll be back to at least 3 original reviews and one retro review each day.

Retro reviews are now up to March, 2010. I'll continue to post 1 retro review a day (after the 3rd) until I've gotten up to the end of May, and then I'll start that circle all over again.

In addition to blog reviews, I'm also going to review at least one magazine on offer at kindle ....at least one or two a week. (To date only 60 magazines are available on the Kindle, but I expect that number to increase.)

Thanks for your patience, have a great 4th of July weekend.

Retro Review: Glamorous Life Association

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: Yes

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Glamorous Life Association

WEB ADDRESS: http://marcywrites.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: A humorous look at a not-so-glamorous life of a stay-at-home-mom and wife. Trust me, motherhood is nothing like the brochure. Come on by, just step over the legos and laundry on your way in....

MY REVIEW: An excellent irreverent blog that takes no prisoners. It is well written with witty graphics and photos. This mother has the same take on life I do, "You’ve got to be kidding me?"

She uses this wonderful technique that I can only best describe as alter ego writing. An example is, “Remember my very rude effective front door sign?” Brilliant! She often says she didn’t get the memo, but it doesn’t bother her, because I’m not sure she would have read it or followed it had she gotten it.

Like most us, this is not what we signed up for, but we are going to make the best of it and get even with those who changed the rules – when we find them. In the mean time, we might as well laugh as our way through it, crying will get us no where, besides who has time? Maybe this is just a nightmare dream and when we wake up, prince charming will be there with the household staff. After all, my favorite line from the Sound of Music was when asked what the Countess had planned for the children, her reply, “Darling, haven't you ever heard of a delightful little thing called boarding school?”

This is a great entertaining, well written blog that I highly recommend.

RECENT ARTICLES:
--Looking for me?
--Moving day . . . come on over
--Saturday, what a day!
--We’re off to the circus

________________________
Ann Currie publishes publishes:
My Life a Bit South of Normal:
www.abitsouthofnormal.com/
and also, Silver Pieces: The Strange and Peculiarstrangeandpeculiarsilver.blogspot.com/