Category: Flying

Second and Third

Reader’s Choice Awards–PDA Software Winner

So CoPilot came second in the poll, which is a real vindication of this wonderful unpretentious and understated free software. Coming second to the flashy, expensive and hugely processor intensive Anywhere WX (which only runs on PocketPC because of the processor requirements) is no shame. If I had a PocketPC I’d probably want AnywhereWX or WXWorks.

But I’m surprised to see that number three is another piece of software that I’m slightly involved with – GPSPilot.com’s Fly 5.1. GPSPilot.com are the nice people who bought me my lovely Sony Clié as thanks for doing my waypoint generator for them. It appears that they’re paying more attention to the connection to AeroPlanner than to my generator now, so I probably won’t be able to convince them to replace the Clié now that it’s getting kind of battered looking. Oh well.

If I can just convince Vicki to replace her clunky old Handspring Visor with a Palm Tungsten E, I might be able to get away with buying a new PDA next year. I’m so crafty it hurts – too bad I’m letting the cat out of the bag here.

I apologize to Plane and Pilot Magazine

In a previous blog entry, I asked people to vote in a Plane and Pilot magazine poll for some software that I’m involved with. In that, I made an ironically cynical remark that “it can’t win against software that actually buys advertising in the magazine” – memories of the notoriously biased and down right fraudulent “Runners World” shoe surveys on the late 1970s and early 1980s and the like dancing in my head. Well, it turns out that Plane and Pilot Magazine, like most aviation publications, are straight shooters, and I insulted them gratuitously. For that, I apologize.

In the good news department, Plane and Pilot Magazine tells that we finished in the top five in the poll. Woo hoo.

Oh, and to give you another indication of why Plane and Pilot Magazine has gone way up in my estimation, the publisher himself posted a comment in my blog pointing out the insult, but NOT threatening me or asking me to apologize. And that’s why I think they deserve the apology.

The Pledge

Quicken Brokerage – News Center: Suspicious Items Found on 2 Southwest Air Planes

Ok, I want everybody who reads this to repeat after me:

I swear, upon my life and whatever faith I might have, that if I’m on a commercial airliner and somebody tries to hijack it, I will do everything within my power, to the point of death, to stop the hijacker. That’s it – either the hijacker ends up dead or I do. No half measures.

Thank you.

Do a better job of voting than California did, ok?

Plane & Pilot magazine is having an on-line poll for the best aviation related PDA software. As some of you already know, I’m rather heavily involved supporting my favourite piece of aviation related PDA software. Of course, CoPilot is free so it can’t win against software that actually buys advertising in the magazine running the poll, but it would still be cool if they actually report the vote correctly. So if you don’t mind on-line votes, I’d appreciate it if you’d go in there, select “Other” in the drop down, and put “Laurie Davis’ CoPilot 4.3” in the “please specify” box.

Thanks.