Category Archives: conspicuity

Roughing It

Interior of Pilatus PC 12.  Follow LJF97 on Twitter  Tweet A s they struggle to pay their bills, forced to work, the wealthy cope as only they can. By sending their children to summer camp in private jets. In  “To Reach Simple Life of Summer Camp, Lining Up for Private Jets” Christine Haughney, in the New York Times,  July 24, 2011, wrote:

 “A turboprop Pilatus PC-12 carrying Melissa T., her daughter, her daughter’s friend and a pile of lacrosse equipment took off for their home in Connecticut, following the girls’ three-week stay at Camp All-Star in nearby Kents Hill, Me. Shortly after, a Cessna Citation Excel arrived, and a mother, a father and their 13-year-old daughter emerged carrying a pink sleeping bag and two large duffel bags, all headed to Camp Vega in Fayette. … as the economy limps along, more of the nation’s wealthier families are cutting out the car ride and chartering planes to fly to summer camps. One private jet broker, Todd Rome of Blue Star Jets, BlueStarJets.com, said his summer-camp business had jumped 30 percent over the last year.”

A quick check on the Camp All Star web site’s “Dates & Rates” page suggests that 3 weeks will cost about $4500.  Trips, horseback riding and hockey are extra. Getting there on a private jet, would add $6,318 to  $15,240 per party, $2,106 to $5,080 per camper for a camper, his or her mom, and a friend.  As I tell people, it’s the trip, not only the destination.

Tell me again, Mr. Boehner, why the wealthy can’t afford to pay taxes?

Beechcraft 350, exteriorI did some checking. Went to Blue Star‘s website, priced a charter for three (3) from Allaire Airport in Monmouth County, New Jersey to Augsta State in Maine. I was surprised at how affordable it is. Blue Star offered 5 alternatives, all turboprops:

  • A Ratheon Super King BE 350, a 9-passenger aircraft, $6,318, which is $2,106 per passenger,
  • The BE-C90, a 6 passenger turboprop, $11,270, or $3,757 per passenger,
  • The BE-100, an 8 passenger turboprop: $12,151 for the trip, $4,050 per passenger.
  • The BE 200, in a 9-passenger configuration, for $13,043, $4,348 per passenger, and
  • The BE-200 in an 8-passenger configuration: $15,240, $5,080 per passenger.

These data are summarized in the table below.

Plane Trip Per Passenger, 3 passengers Per Passenger If Full
Ratheon Super King BE 3509 Passenger Turboprop $6,318 $2,106 per person. $702 per person for 9.
BE-C90, 6 passenger Turboprop $11,270 $3,757 per person. $1,878 per person for 6.
BE-100, 8 passenger Turboprop $12,151 $4,050 per person. $1,519 per person for 8.
BE-200 9 Passenger Turboprop $13,043 $4,348 per person. $1,630 per person for 9.
BE-200 8 Passenger Turboprop $15,240 $5,080 per person. $1,905 per person for 8.

I don’t know if the airline serves food, drinks, or offers in-flight movies. But caviar is only $115 per oz (Russian Sevruga, Caviar Express, Glendale, CA).

Copenhagen, India, China, the US, and GAIA

I’m beginning to think that Copenhagen was what it had to be, what it could only be. It fulfilled its Buddha-nature. Thus, I don’t consider it a failure. Nor do I consider it a success. It was what it was, what it could have been, what it had to be:

A gathering of emissaries from the 64 corners of the earth.

Courtesy of NASA

Earth From Space, Copyright NASA

Isaac Asimov observed in Foundation (ISBN: 978-0553293357) that “diplomacy, is the art of speaking for a long time without saying anything.” Most of the diplomats in Copenhagen had multiple agendas. Unfortunately for billions of the world’s poorest, the public agendas of sustainability and the abstract “Gaia Hypothesis” were distant fourth and fifth behind the private agendas of power, money, and influence.

The inconvenient truth is that much of Bangla Desh, California, Louisiana, Southern Florida will disappear, submerged, like the mythical Atlantis. China will continue to build 2 coal plants per week. And people will die.

But disregarding this notion, a Chinese diplomat Continue reading →

Mountain Hardwear Stimulus Jacket: waterproof, breathable and REFLECTIVE

Mountain Hardwear now has on offer the Stimulus jacket

.Mountain Hardwear Stimulus Jacket

Which is waterproof, breathable, and has some stretch – but what’s novel is that it’s reflective. 

And is available, therefore, only in a color that Mountain Hardwear calls “Stainless Steel.”

I’ve had a couple of Mountain Hardwear’s pieces – one jacket and a hat. They’re both among the best clothing I’ve ever had. jacket had single defect:  it allowed me to lose it. The hat was, I believe, stolen by one of my children – high praise, indeed.

We’re going to see if we can take a look at one of these – Mountain Hardwear’s website doesn’t provide specs on the reflectivity – but if it meets ANSI Class II or III it might be an  ideal option for clothing emergency responders.

Innovative paramedic bags

Statpacks has made some of its packs and waistpacks with reflective material, and added the option of LED/fiber optic illumination. Here’s one of their models, the Manager.    We’ve seen other trauma bags with one or two strips of Scotchlite – but these are the first we’ve seen where virtually the entire outer surface is reflective.

They’re careful not to suggest that this would comply with ANSI Class III requirements – because a back or pack isn’t generally going to be visible 360 degrees around the person carrying it. We also don’t know whether they’re using  prismatic, higher-visibility reflective materials – like Reflexite – or not-as-reflective material like Scotchlite.

But this is an excellent design innovation. Anyone who’s watched news footage of EU member country emergency workers has seen pant legs and sleeves ringed with reflective material, on every hem and up, down, and around each garment component. Last night in Brooklyn, we saw a near-miss – a uniformed NYPD officer, trying to keep an intersection clear for ambulances and fire apparatus – nearly get hit by a marked NYPD car. Both cops – the one in the street and the driver – were doing their jobs right – but better “conspicuity” features on uniforms would reduce this risk. We would like to take credit for coining the term “conspicuity.” We wish we had.