Sojourner - Traveling with the “Canman”

International Test Pilot School  Did you know there is a London Canada?   I certainly didn’t.   Originally a British armory, London is now a quaint city that in some ways reflects its UK namesake.   Downtown Indian food and presence abound with street names that reveal its British heritage.   Being north of the Great Lakes, I was prepared to brave icy cold.   Even though it was late October, I was fortunate to arrive in a warm spell that didn’t even require a jacket...at least until the last day.   I flew into Toronto, which was a 2-hour drive away from London.    Opting to take a large van shuttle to avoid a costly rental I was able to entertain my driver and other passengers with songs playing my guitar from the backseat of a 12-passenger van.   It was fun and I think made the trip go faster for all.  It was a first for me to play in the dark and a litmus test on how well I had mastered some songs.   The Armory Hotel I had traveled to London to attend the annual Society of Flight T

FTSW Banquet at RAF Club The  European 2022 SFTE /SETP   Flight Test Safety Workshop was an amazing event with its combination of lessons, networking, elegance and great fun!  My slightly heretical talk on, " The Evolution of Risk Mitigation in Flight Test for Complex Systems "  seem quite well received (at least by those younger than 60).  I finished my talk by highlighting exciting emerging technological developments, but caveated them by emphasizing,  humbleness, culture and meaningful relationships are foundational keys for risk mitigation.  Famed CEO Margaret Heffenan, has a 2019 TED talk, " The Human Skills We Need in an Unpredictable World " puts a nice "point" on this i.e., the essential nature of human interaction being more important than a new technology especially in the Cynefin "complex" domain.  The workshop was held at the Royal Air Force club which is a historic and iconic landmark just across the park from Buckingham Palace.   R