View From Above

Time to share an odd habit that I developed during the pandemic.

In early 2020, I removed my social media and news apps from my phone. I needed to reduce my doom scrolling.

Still, I habitually picked up my phone when bored.

So which app did I open?

FlightAware. It's an airplane tracking app that has been on my phone for years. You can also visit it online.

I will explain why I used it, but let me first give you a quick tour.

When you open the app, you will see all planes currently in the air:

You can click on a single airport and see all inbound and outbound traffic.

You can click on a specific plane and see its details. This is the KLM flight from Houston to Amsterdam. It’s a 777 flying at 624 mph over the ground. It normally flies around 55o mph, so we can see that it has a 75 mph tailwind.

There’s more to it, but you get the gist.

Through the lens of FlightAware, I observed these stories and mysteries:

• By March 2020, 90% of the planes on the map had disappeared. It was eerie.
• Cargo flights from China started landing in US cities that don't normally receive flights from China. A quick scan of the local newspaper the next day would often show a photo of PPE being unloaded.
• Private jets were also flying in the middle of the night. This is rare. The planes flew milk-run like patterns to the same cities 7-days a week. Over time, the routes shrank. And then stopped. My best guess: they were picking up covid tests and taking them to larger testing labs.

This Spring I shifted my attention to clear blue water kitesurfing destinations. I needed to recharge. I saw the steady flow of commercial flights to Turks & Caicos, and booked a seat. My FlightAware habit ended after that trip.

The FlightAware lens of the world is the most curious when there are large events. Like the Superbowl. Or when there’s a hurricane.

I took this screenshot a few months ago of this lone airplane. It’s a hurricane hunter flying south of New Orleans.

Recharge 2.0

A few weeks ago I caught up with a close friend. He and his wife are both psychiatrists. I asked how the profession quantified the mental state of the country. His reply:

How do we get out of this mess?

I sense a long road ahead. And we’ll get through it. But you and I probably need more deep rest than we realize.

I thought back to my trip to Turks & Caicos. I remember how I had planned to work in the mornings. Or maybe just clean up clutter on my computer.

It didn't happen. My brain shut down. I couldn’t find the energy to compose an email. I didn’t want to read. The smarter part of my brain had taken charge, and let go. By letting go, I started to feel human again very quickly.

I am starting to think about how to ensure I let go of the world for a few hours, days, or weeks as the end of the year approaches. What about you?

Weary Travellers

Back in March 2020, these elephants gained worldwide attention as they migrated hundreds of kilometers. The Chinese government evacuated people in their path and monitored them via drones.

Elephants in the wild normally sleep standing up. But on long, extraordinary journeys like this, they too needed to fly away to deeper rest.

Better Recipes

I am not much of a cook. But I suspect I would enjoy it more if recipes looked this. It removes the thinking.

If doing this with your favorite recipe energies you, go for it. Or you could order the book and give it to the (aspiring) chef in your family.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. Feedback is always welcomed.

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See you next Saturday.