In the world of commercial aviation, engine manufacturers are required by the FAA to demonstrate that their engines can operate safely in harsh weather conditions. This includes safe operation in icing conditions.
In the past, GE had performed their icing tests in Mirabel, Quebec (just outside of Montreal). But just this last year, GE moved their icing test facility to Winnipeg, Manitoba. And the first engine scheduled to run in the new facility was the one I happened to be working on, the GEnx-1B engine that will power the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Icing test is actually very interesting. The basic FAA requirements are that the engine must demonstrate that it can accelerate and achieve full thrust within a given length of time after building up ice on the fan blades. The ice accumulation is achieved by spraying a cloud of water into the engine inlet for a period of time, where it freezes and builds up on the blades. The list of test points includes various temperature windows and ice accumulation times.
The trickiest part of icing test is that so much of the testing depends upon the weather. The temperature windows required for the tests can be anywhere from between 22 to 26 degrees F to between -8 to 0 degrees F. And many times, the weather windows come and go quickly, requiring the test support team to travel on short notice. For the lower temperatures, sometimes overnight testing is required to reach the window.
I drew the assignment of being the primary on-site engineering monitor for this specific test. So in a stretch of 4 weeks, I've been back and forth to Winnipeg 3 times. Normally during this time of year, the weather in Winnipeg can be pretty unpredictable. So these trips have generally been on very short notice, with the hope of capturing a weather window.
And now that it is April, the temperatures are getting warmer. So we have had to run nearly every point overnight and into the early morning. So I've been up all night long supporting engine test now at least 7 times. I've had to adjust my sleep schedule more than a few times!
The testing itself has been pretty interesting, but I've also found the "joys" of modern traveling amusing. I've done my fair share of traveling in the past, but never so many times in such a short stretch of time. And prior to these trips to Winnipeg, I had only been outside of the US twice.
So here are a few things that I still don't quite get about the way that modern travel works:
1) Airplane Boarding
What's the deal with everyone's obsession of being one of the first to board an airplane? On every single flight I've ever been on, everyone seems to be in such a hurry to board. Why, exactly? So you can sit in a dry and cramped cabin for 20 extra minutes? I can understand if maybe folks want to make sure they get the overhead space for their carry-on (more on that later), but beyond that I have no idea. My goal has always been to be one of the last people to board the plane. This gives me extra time to use the restroom and to keep my legs extended.
2) Carry-Ons
While we're talking about boarding airplanes, I've noticed a disturbing trend in carry-on luggage. While most airlines say they limit you to one carry-on plus one personal item, I've seen many times where people stretch the limits as far as they can go, leading to overstuffed overhead bins. And why do airlines even have a carry-on size limit posted, since nobody enforces it? Usually, this is the sequence: people carry on as much as they can, but at boarding the attendants say their bag is too big so they "tag" it and send it to the cargo area with the rest of the checked baggage. So why not just check the bag to begin with?? If airlines didn't charge for checked baggage, I think more people would check their bags and we wouldn't have this stupid problem. If I were an airline company, I would actually enforce the carry-on limits and do as much as I could to encourage people to check bags, since the whole mess of dealing with everyone's carry-on items is a large part of why air travel is so frustrating.
3) Traveling Attire
This cracks me up too. Airports are funny places. You see such a wide range of dress. Everywhere from suit and tie to sweatpants and flip-flops. I understand that sometimes you need to dress up a little bit if you're traveling on business, but my goal has always been to wear something that will be comfortable, since traveling can often take the better part of an entire day. But the thing I don't understand is why some of these women would willingly choose to travel in high heels. How on earth can that be comfortable when you have to walk a mile through O'Hare airport for your connection?
4) Smartphones
Why are people so obsessed with their phones? From the moment the flight attendant says it's now ok to use cell phones, they bury their noses into them. Yes, people now get emails and news updates sent directly to their phones. But seriously? It can't wait until you're seated somewhere at least? I've seen people walk from one end of the airport to the other without ever looking up from their phone. It may be just me, but I think this is rude. You'll also see people crowding around the power outlets, soaking up juice to power their phones so they can play Solitaire or Angry Birds. Amazing.
5) Hotels
I don't typically have anything against hotels. Granted, they are not home, but they serve their purpose. But sometimes it's the little things that you notice about them that makes you wonder if the hotel designers have ever traveled themselves. Most hotel beds have more layers of sheets and more pillows than I own in my entire house. I usually end up peeling back a few layers of blankets and tossing a few pillows on the floor. I just don't understand why hotels feel that we need 7 pillows on one bed. I also stayed at a hotel awhile back that did not have any clocks! No alarm clock, no wall clock, no clock of any kind! It seems to me that a clock would be a pretty important item for a business traveler to have in the room. And this was a first, but my hotel in Winnipeg had curtains that did not completely shut. So when I was trying to sleep in the middle of the day after overnight testing, the sun was shining brightly in my room. Very frustrating! I had never seen curtains that could not completely close. Strange indeed...
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