Time to see

When I fly a non precision approach and use time to deterimne the Missed Approach Point I can get or interpolate the time from the FAF(Final Approach Fix) to MAP(Missed Approach Point) from an Approach Chart. Many charts do not however give me any information about the time from the FAF(Final Approach Fix) to my VDP(Visual Descent Point) (or time to see). The time to the MAP(Missed Approach Point) along with the MDA(Minimum Descent Altitude) protect me from obstacles for that portion of the approach.

I need to have seen my visual references and started my descent to land before I reach the MAP(Missed Approach Point) if I want to make a stabilized approach. The FAA calls this point the VDP(Visual Descent Point); we can call it time to see. Working out the time to commence descent does not involve any difficult arithmetic but I need to repeat my workings to cover a range of ground speeds.

I had an itch so I scratched: "time to see tool":http://neilt.org/aviation/timetosee.php.

More unix filters

I've built some more unix filters for Text Wrangler, each quite simple but useful.

Lynx

The filter sends the whole document or selected text the Lynx browser. This shows me what a web page or snippet will look like without CSS styling. I can then use the style filter to check readability based on the Lynx output.

#!/bin/sh
# From TextWrangler sends document or selected text
# to lynx which then dumps to stdout
#
lynx -force_html -nostatus -nolist -dump "$1"

PHP

The filter sends the whole document or selected text to PHP. I find this useful for testing my PHP code. This filter does not work with code from include files.

#!/bin/sh
# From TextWrangler sends document or selected
# text to php which then dumps to stdout
#
php -f "$1"

Redcloth

Redcloth implements Texttile text processing using ruby. I'm starting to write portions of web documents with texttile formatting. Redcloth processes the texttile mark up and outputs HTML. Redcloth 3.0.4 seems to implement a subset of texttile formats: it does not understand bc. block code. Redcloth 4.04 does understand bc.: I installed 4.0.4 using gem. Works as advertised.

#! /bin/sh
# From TextWrangler sends document or selected
# text to redcloth which then dumps to stdout
#
redcloth "$1"

Time to fly

My updated Canadian CPL arrived a couple of days ago. The license now includes my multi-engine and Class 1 instrument ratings. I'll try to get back to Canada (Pro IFR at Boundary Bay) sometime in the next two months to do some multi-IR hours building. I do need to keep my multi IR skills current.

In the mean time I have a trip booked to fly from "Bang Phra":http://thaiflyingclub.com, Thailand later this month to use my Thailand validation (pending re-issue). I fly HSATE a C172M in Thailand. I intend to practice some basic flying tasks and revise:

• steep turns, 180 reversals
• stalls
• spins
• canyon turns
• precautionary landings
• general circuit work
• short and soft field landings and take-offs

Future plans:

• Malaysian license validation
• FAA CPL on the basis of my Canadian license

traveling in style

When I write I try to check the readability of my work. I use GNU style for this task. Style analyses a document, including sentence length and other readability measures. It comes with the program diction that identifies wordy and commonly misused phrases.

Install MacPorts by downloading the Mac OS X package and running the installer.

Install diction using the port command.

Use:

/opt/local/bin/style [/path/to/the/file/you/want/check]

If you want to avoid using the full path to style each time then you could add /opt/local/bin: to the path in .bash_login in your home folder.

I use a UNIX filter in TextWrangler to send either the whole document or selected text to style for checking. Put it in the Unix Filter folder of TextWrangler and access it from the #!@ shebang menu. Hold down the [Apple] key when you click on a Unix Filter to view filter options.

#!/bin/sh@<br>
# TextWrangler sends the whole document or selected text to style@<br>
# -p outputs passive sentences@<br>
/opt/local/bin/style -p "$1"@

any colour you like

I wanted different colors and fonts for the stardust theme in chyrp.

Plan A

I edited /themes/stardust/stylesheets/screen.css. This worked but screen.css ended up a bit of a mess and I had trouble tracking some elements down.

Plan B

I put my edits in a new file /themes/stardust/stylesheets/screen.neilt.css. I used the excellent Inspect Element facility in Safari to find out the styles for elements. I then put the styles for just those elements that I wanted to change in screen.neilt.css. This works because chyrp loads all the style sheets it finds in the stylesheets folder. Chyrp must of course load them in the correct order for my styles take priority over previous styles. I am not sure of the rules that govern the load order but alphabetic seems to work for this situation.