Continued Travels

Oklahoma City Memorial. (looking at the rear of the chairs)
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Our travels continue, but to a lesser degree.  I've decided to write periodic updates into the journal whenever we go somewhere, so here is our latest endeavor.

It's off to wonderful Oklahoma City!  Oklahoma City?  Not a huge draw for vacationers, but site of the Great Lakes and Southwest chapters spring meeting for the FPA, or if you have read earlier blogs, the Flying Physicians Association.  This superhero-sounding bunch is a group of Doctors that own or fly airplanes...and attend happy hours.  Both Anne and I tag along with dad, and enjoy whatever exotic location that is selected.  This time, the heart of Oklahoma.

IQ's diminished with increasing altitudes.

Inside the halls of the FAA.
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We both visited the Federal Aviation Administration, and enjoyed its institutionalized ambiance that only a government building can provide.  Miles of concrete structures are attached by even colder, less inviting tunnels, zigzagging their way beneath the surface.  It's exactly what you would expect from our government...just a few steps ahead of communism and the architecture it has adopted.

Inside however, boasts an amusement park of activities that only the privileged get to participate in.  For starters, I was able to experience the rapid-decompression chamber along with its high-altitude environments that are oxygen-deprived and amusing to say the least.  Basic arithmetic and motor skills vanish within a few minutes inside the chamber (I believe we were at 25000 feet), and also demonstrates the importance of recognizing hypoxia, or lack of oxygen to your noggin.  Most of the chamber was filled with MD's, so everyone had good laughs as their IQ's diminished with increasing altitudes.

Air Traffic Control training.
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Also inside the concrete walls of the FAA, is a training center for the future Air Traffic Controllers.  Here we got to witness them play with toy airplanes and model airports.  It comforted me knowing they had first-class training when I flew the three of us back to Minnesota.

Next on the agenda was the Oklahoma City National Memorial and nearby museum - just a few short steps away.  Both were tastefully done.  Part of the memorial contains chairs representing the 168 victims that perished in the disaster.  They were set up in rows, representing the nine floors in which the particular individual had died.  Smaller chairs were for children, and larger for adults, each containing an engraved name on its respective base.  Anne and I decided to walk the rows and each pick out a name that we could learn more about inside the museum.  Anne had picked a child, and my person was a woman in her forties.  Towards the conclusion of the museum visit, there were photographs and keepsakes along with computers so we could learn more about the particular victims we had chosen.  Not a day-brightener, but glad we did it.

Inside the altitude chamber.
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Finally, and at the last night's meeting, dad was recognized for a lifetime achievement award amongst his colleagues.  They gave him an engraved propeller and he was truly appreciative for the recognition.  I almost saw a tear from a man that is as even-keeled as they come. Almost.

That's it for now.  We did make it home through some less-than-ideal weather, but good flight training for me nonetheless.  And by the way, before I forget, Anne and I even spoke at the Saturday medical meetings.  The Docs all learned first hand about my ailing digestive system in the multiple developing countries that we visited. Diarrhea 101.

Dad and his major award. The box looked like it contained a leg lamp.
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bkh