When traveling there is one certainty … at times “things happen,” and if you’re a photographer traveling on assignment chances are you might be looking specifically for ‘things to happen.’ On the road it is best to be prepared, either to maximize your time on the ground or to reduce the time it takes someone else to arrive and help you.

As a traveller, and former professional first-responder, I believe strongly in being prepared for basic medical incidents. This preparation isn’t only to help travelers themselves, but also to enable travelers to help others they may encounter. While it isn’t practical to pack an entire first-responder kit while traveling, especially if you’re not trained in administering first aid,  it is possible to carry the very basic necessities…and Adventure Medical Kits’ “Travel Medic” kit covers the very basic essentials for travelers.

When packing space is at a premium which is why Adventure Medical Kits “Travel Medic” kit is an ideal travel medical kit, sized at 5″ x 4.5″ x .75″ (12.7cm x 11.43cm x 1.9cm) it slips effortlessly into any bag you may be traveling with.

The contents of the Adventure Medical Kits “Travel Medic” kit include:

In my kit I have added two pairs of non-latex gloves should I encountered someone who is bleeding and needs assistance.  Non-latex gloves are an essential part of administering first responder medical care, even if you are completely untrained, and gloves are very inexpensive at any drug store.

Priced at US$10 this is a basic medical kit anyone can afford. Even if you never plan on helping someone other than yourself, the Moleskin pads are great for blisters, the essential medications are ideal when you’ve got a headache or upset stomach and the would care items are great for that unexpected cut you may encounter.

In addition to the Adventure Medical Kits “Travel Medic” kit, if you’re an iPhone users, you should also download the free iPhone App iMedJet, it is an incredibly important first response resource for home or on the road. It is a must have for everyone!

Below are a few photos of my Adventure Medical Kits “Travel Medic” kit.

Happy Flying!

On Sunday afternoon Delta Air Lines Flight 59, a Boeing 777-232, touched down at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport following a 10hr 18min flight from New York’s JFK International Airport.

The flight went as expected until routine maintenance revealed an unexpected piece of cargo that was found by a mechanic in the wheel bay of the aircraft … a dead body.  The dead person is described as a black man, wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt was found with no passport or personal items.  It is likely that the stowaway died due to a combination of freezing and a shortage of oxygen in the non-pressurized wheel bay.

While neither Delta Air Lines or US and Japanese law enforcement agencies are revealing any details about the origins of the dead found inside the aircraft wheel bay this brings up some interesting questions about how he ended up where he was found.

Before you snap your fingers and say “He must have crawled in there during the flight,” the wheel bay cannot be accessed from inside the aircraft cabin (Unless you’re Arnold Schwarzenegger in terrible 1985 action movie “Commando”…don’t rent it, its terrible).

If the unidentified dead man crawled into the wheel bay at New York’s JFK International Airport then the airport has a significant security breach. It is not easy for someone to access the ramp at JFK Airport. Security from the terminal to the ramp is tight and access points to the ramp from the public roadways are tight.  There are always exceptions to the rule, but it is likely that someone would have noticed a man dressed in casually in jeans climbing up the wheel bay of a Boeing 777.

Prior to departing for Tokyo, the Boeing 777 flew from Atlanta to New York as Delta Flight 190 … not likely this person climbed into the aircraft in Atlanta either … so lets go back one more flight …

…what is one more flight back? That would be Delta Air Lines Flight 53 from Lagos Nigeria’s Murtala Muhammed Airport to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Airport security in Lagos, while having improved, is still quite relaxed.

While Dr. Harold Demuren, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’s Director General states that “Nigerian airports are operating within international standards and the U.S. Transportation Security Administration has approved Lagos airport last month [Nov 2009].” it appears that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) standards for approving security Lagos for direct flights to the United States just aren’t good enough.

The TSA standards for Lagos not being good enough isn’t my opinion, it is the opinion of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) who has Lagos on a list of airports with sub-standard security.

Is it possible that this dead body had flown 13,348miles, over the Atlantic from Africa to East Coast of the United States then over the Pacific to Japan before being discovered?  It is quite plausible since the body didn’t ‘fall out’ of the wheel bay; a mechanic looking inside the wheel bay discovered it.

Delta Air Lines Boeing 777-232 arrived from Lagos in Atlanta at 5:30am as Flight DL53, it then departed Atlanta at 7:40am and arrived in New York at 9:55am as Flight DL190…finally departing New York for Tokyo at 12:40pm as Flight DL 59.

There is not much time between all of these flights to keep the aircraft moving. As there were no mechanical issues, there would have been no reason for a mechanic to climb up into the wheel bay to inspect the interior of the wheel bay…so it is possible this unidentified dead body started its journey the night of February 5th in Lagos, Nigeria.  The nighttime departure of Flight DL 53 at 10:55pm coupled with poor security could be an ideal location for someone to try and stowaway on a flight to the United States.

Hopefully law enforcement is able to identify the deceased stowaway and not only determine where he boarded the plane, but also determine how he was able to board undetected.

Happy Flying… and rest in peace whoever you are.

Today, at 12:39pm PST Boeing’s newest 747, the 747-8, roared down runway 34L and headed into the sky from Paine Field, just one day shy of the 41st anniversary of the first ever Boeing 747 flying.

The new 747-8 is not only the largest commercial aircraft every build by Boeing, but the 747-8F is also the largest ‘Western Built” commercial freighter to ever be build.

So why the leap from 747-400 to 747-8? Much of the technology that is integrated into the new 747-8 is derived from the technology created for the new Boeing 787 series of aircraft. In fact the 787 and 747-8 share common engine and cockpit technology…so Boeing decided to number this aircraft as 747-8 due to the commonality of the two aircraft.

In breaking with tradition with aircraft numbering this aircraft is simply the 747-8, not the 747-800 (previous Boeing aircraft are denoted as -100,-200, 300, -400, etc)

The initial 747-8 aircraft will be 747-8F for freight, followed by the 747-8i, for “Intercontinental” passenger configurations.

Below is some video footage of the first Boeing 747-8F taking to the skies courtesy of David Parker Brown & AirlineReporter.com … Thanks David!

Happy Flying!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGr-EYor2L4

When I pack my bag saving space is a high priority. When I travel one city over or twelve time-zones away I pack the same way, the smallest possible bag to carry the maximum amount of essentials.

When it comes to packing my electronics essentials, which includes USB cords, CF Card readers, mobile phone chargers, etc, I consistently seek out the smallest and most effective items that enable me to save space. For the past five years I have had a simple rule for packing my essential cords, cables, chargers and electronics essentials … everything must fit inside a Think Tank Cable Management 10 pouch.

Traveling with both an iPhone and BlackBerry means I need to pack two separate USB chargers and these two chargers then take up two separate electrical outlets…which is where the Griffin Technologies PowerBlock Dual USB Charger steps in as travel essential.

The Griffin Technologies PowerBlock Dual USB Charger reduces space, reduces outlets used and is useful for many USB charged devices (iPhone, iPod, Blackberry, Motorola devices, Zune MP3, Samsung, etc etc)…but it also charges the devices simultaneously.

The Griffin Technologies PowerBlock Dual USB Charger has features fold-flat blades to streamline the design of the device when packing. For global travel the PowerBlock Dual USB Charger works with voltage from 100v to 240v. The outlet blades are non-polarized so the device may be inserted into an outlet right side-up or upside-down giving you more flexibility in making everything fit into whatever outlet you are using. To protect your devices the PowerBlock Dual USB Charger has an internal surge-fuse that acts as a kill switch rather than having your devices get killed

If you travel with more than one USB charged device…and I always travel with two and at times three (for international travel I fly with an unlocked 3G Motorola Razr to use local pre-paid SIM cards) then the Griffin Technologies PowerBlock Dual USB Charger should be in your bag … if you already own an iPod or an iPhone, the PowerBlock Dual USB Charger also usually costs less than replacing the Apple OEM wall adapter.

Below are three photos of my Griffin Technologies PowerBlock Dual USB Charger.

Happy Flying!

Advertising by nature is intended to catch your attention.

Airlines, and all businesses, create a brand presence to attract consumers. Through branding businesses create slogans, themes, concepts and ads for different venues, different mediums and different target demographics. None of this is new, none of this is not common knowledge…however once in a while you have to look at an advertisement, scratch your head and think, “What the heck were the thinking?”

Well, thanks to browsing the content on a blog I frequently read, The Flying Pinto, whom I have referenced before on Flying With Fish … and whose author Sara has written guests posts for Flying With Fish…I found an ad for Turkish Airlines that really caught my attention!

In looking at this ad for Turkish Airlines on the side of an escalator I have to wonder which advertising designer thought it was a good idea to have an airplane flying straight into the ground. I also have to wonder which advertising executive OK’d this ad.

For future reference, and this goes for all airlines, when you place a vertical ad for your airline, try and ensure your airplanes are facing up, soaring into the sky … rather than facing down and crashing into the ground.

Happy Flying (well flying up…not down)!

It appears the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has placed Richmond (VA) International Airport (RIC) in a troubling situation regarding the issuing of a security access badge to a convicted felon … and that the TSA’s own policy for criminal background checks of Transportation Security Officers (TSO) has a gaping loop hole that has allowed this situation to arise.

Richmond International Airport (RIC) like many airports controls the security badges issued to those with access to secure areas of their airport. Like most airports, RIC will not issue a secure area badge to those convicted of a felony or convicted of ‘disqualifying crimes’ … unless of course they are forced to issue a security badge by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) & Transportation Security Administration.

This problem begs the following question … should the TSA employ someone convicted of Felony Robbery within the past 10 years?

Now that I have your attention…let’s get to the details here.

The TSA has recently hired a front line Transportation Security Officer who at the age of 17 committed felony robbery. Although a minor at the time of the offense, this person was convicted of the crime when they were 18, thus they were convicted as an adult and their records were not sealed. The TSA claims that since the crime occurred when the person was a minor it is not disqualifying crime … however they served their entire felony sentence as an adult and they have direct access to passenger’s personal property.

At the time the TSA TSO submitted their employment application, and again at the time they were hired, they failed to disclose their felony conviction to the TSA. All applicants are required to disclose a felony conviction within the past 10 years, as per FAR 108.33(c)(5).

Upon being hired by the TSA the TSO was required to submit to a routine background check by the Capital Region Airport Commission to be issued a secure area display badge. The TSA TSO failed to disclose their felony conviction, as required in the security badge application process, to the Airport Commission. The background search discovered the conviction and RIC refused to issue a security badge.

Following the Capital Region Airport Commission’s discovery of the undisclosed criminal history the TSA stood behind their Transportation Security Officer, rather this fire them, and further demanded that RIC issue a security badge to the TSO.

The TSA’s demand that a badge be issued to this TSA Officer is disturbing on a number of levels, but two really stand out in this situation.

1) RIC’s security badging policy is a Transportation Security Administration approved security program. This program expressly prohibits issuing security badges to people convicted of any disqualifying crimes.

2) The TSA policy for criminal background checks at time of employment, as dictated by FAR 108.33 (c)(5) leaves holes for felons to slip through. In this policy, those applying for jobs must disclose felony convictions in the past 10 years, however criminal background checks are only conducted if there are specific deficiencies in the applicants employment history.  This means someone can easily create a faux job history to cover their felony convictions and be hired by the TSA.

FAR 108.33(2) Is even a bigger loop hole, stating that felony conviction must not disclose conviction by reason of insanity, or espionage, murder, rape, interfering with an in-flight crew, extortion, sedition…but it does include armed robbery…but not “robbery.” Felony convictions not on the list and over 10 years old may not disqualify applicants from being employed by the TSA as a TSO.

(This info can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 14, Volume 2, Revised Jan 1, 2001, CITE 14CFR108.33, between pages 340-344)

To make matters worse for the TSA, rather than admit its error, the TSA’s Principal Deputy Chief Counsel, Margot F. Bester, who has been with the TSA since 2002, is quoted as stating the following when confronted with the agency hiring convicted felons:

“Our  [transportation security officers] are highly motivated and talented individuals who have come from law enforcement, the military, the business community or out of retirement following 9/11 to make air travel secure for the American people”

While Ms. Bester may be correct about many of the TSA TSO’s, clearly in this case the Agency has hired a convicted felon. The TSA must admit what happened, since it has already been discovered and rather than follow its usual course of action, stonewalling the outside world and facing no oversight penalties, it should handle the situation properly.

The system in which travelers must place their trust to protect them is not working.

When will the Department of Homeland Security and Transportation Security Administration start focusing on real solutions to real problems in passengers’ transportation security? When will the Transportation Security Administration begin to at least follow its own guidelines?

…also would it be so hard for the  TSA to lose its  RMA tone with those it should be partnering with. What is RMA you ask? “Respect My Authority”

Happy Flying!

Airline created iPhone Apps are often run-of-the-mill. A few stand out among the Apps I have written about on Flying With Fish and I have skipped over countless Apps that I have felt offered virtually no benefit to users. This week’s iPhone App of the Week lives up to everything I expected from its creator…

…this week’s iPhone App of the Week is Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines is long known as an airline driven by customer satisfaction, their customer loyalty is among the highest achieved by any airline globally…often teetering on cult status… Southwest Airlines was one of the first airlines to embrace emerging media technologies and all of this is evident in its iPhone App.

Southwest Airlines iPhone App is simple, straight forward, extremely user friendly and allows users to book flights, check flight status, book car rentals, manage their Rapid Rewards account, check in for flights, access Southwest’s DING! fares, as well as other useful tools for Southwest Airlines flyers.

Some airline apps often users a lot of secondary travel tools, which are nice, however Southwest Airlines’ iPhone App keeps to the Southwest tradition of straight forward functionality focused on the needs of their customers.

If you fly with Southwest this iPhone App is an absolute must … if you design iPhone Apps for airlines … Southwest Airlines’ iPhone App is an absolute must.

Below are 10 screen shots of Southwest Airlines from my iPhone…DING!

Happy Flying!

After a week or so of computer transition issues, lost URLs, remembering logins, passwords, installing software, setting up preferences, rewriting and installing Photoshop Actions, attempting to learn Final Cut Express and sending my “TSA borrowed hard drive” off for data recovery (its still out for data recovery) I have moved into a new 13” MacBook Pro (still awaiting the TSA covering the costs of replacing the MacBook they damaged and recovering the data they damaged) …and now I’m getting back to work.

Over the past week or so I have primarily been online, handling email, Twitter and doing much of my work on my iPhone and BlackBerry while getting the new MacBook up to speed…and today I am happy to jump back in and get back to writing Flying With Fish.

On a side note, if Fish v Final Cut Express was a competition, the score would be Fish – 6 and Final Cut Express – 63.

Happy Flying!

At 1:56am this morning I clicked on NWA.com to take a final look at Northwest Airlines’ website, when I hit the reload button five minutes later at 2:01am the site was no longer there, redirecting me to Delta.com.

As Delta.com appeared on my screen all I could think of was this line from The Sound Of Music “So long…farewell…auf weidersehen goodbye…”

In a few weeks it seems the final traces of Northwest Airlines will be gone forever. The “Big Six” is now “Big Five” This is business, nothing anyone says or does can change the disappearance of a once great Legacy Carrier.

In the next year or two we’ll probably see the “Big Five” become the “Big Four” and once again I’ll find myself watching the death of a storied airline…although for me, I really said goodbye to Northwest Airlines back in May 2005 when I flew my last Trans-Atlantic flight with Northwest Airlines.

Below is a screen shot of NWA.com’s final moments…so…So long…farewell…auf weidersehen goodbye…

Happy Flying!

Sometimes I wish I received more reader mail with questions I could answer on Flying With Fish, rather than very specific questions better answered in an e-mail response. Yesterday evening glancing at my BlackBerry I read this simple e-mail headline “What the heck is a mileage run?”

The headline of the e-mail summed up the entire question…no need to even read the rest of the email.  So in response to Josh from, Sweetwater Florida, this is what the heck a mileage run is…

…simply put, a mileage run is a flight, or series of flights, taken for the purpose to increasing a travelers frequent flyer miles. Often a mileage run is to maximize elite qualifying miles to maintain a status level or achieve an airline’s frequent flyer program elite status level.

When creating a mileage run most flyers choose the maximum amount of miles for the lowest cost per-mile.

An example of this would be a United Airlines frequent flyer with 1K status, which is achieved at 100,000 qualifying miles, earning 95,000 miles at the end of the year. To not lose 1K status a frequent flyer seeking to maintain their status would fly 5,000 miles to maintain their 1K status rather than dropping down to United’s Premier Executive (1P) status, which is earned at 50,000 miles.

The drop in status may not seem significant to those who are not frequent flyers, but to those who fly often enough, status is important for gaining lounge access, skipping check in lines, accessing preferred seats and in being at the head of the line for upgrades.

Personally, I have not flown pure mileage runs, I have however flown some very unusual routes to increase my miles, such as flying from San Francisco to Los Angeles via New York for an extra 5,061 miles.

So Josh…hopefully that answers “What the heck is a mileage run” is.

Happy Flying!