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Still Trying

It's 9 PM and I've been outside in the backyard working with the GATR-Com system again. After the success of last night, I woke up this morning to some issues that I've not yet resolved. I'm not sure why, but I'm not able to get the system back on the network again. I worked on it off and on today as I could. I needed to work around the schedule of the Network Operations Center for the satellite service provider, as well as sneak a couple naps in because I had only slept two hours last night.

I was hoping to do some more work tonight, but I found out at 5 PM that I'd been invited to the MAF Program Manager's house for dinner. After a great meal and a game of Settlers of Cattan, I was home again doing some more troubleshooting. After doing some things on my own I called the NOC to work with them for a bit, but by 10 PM I was still nowhere. So I'm calling it a night and I'll start again tomorrow from the ground up to see if I can't duplicate the success we had Tuesday night.

Being in Africa is a new experience, and I'm enjoying this small corner of the continent. I was out for a run after work on Monday, and I realized there were so many things that reminded me of Papua New Guinea, the place where Ellyn and I grew up. Driving on the left side of the road, the red earth, grass, small ant hills, thistle plants, learner's permit plaques with large red 'L's on them (kind of like a student driver sign like you would see in the States), rain on the tin roof, seeing the Southern Cross, and some of the flowers.

Today I wrote in an e-mail to a friend that Lesotho is the 'highest elevation country' in the world, with the low spot being at 3000'. No other country can claim that distinction. The highest mountains are almost 10,000 feet. It's very windy in the mountains, all the time, and this country has the hardest flying that MAF pilots experience. I've been told it's not uncommon to have wind going in opposite directions at each end of the runway. So, combine short sloping strips of 600-700 meters, high wind, and altitude, and you've got some difficult flying.

Posted by David at February 27, 2008 09:25 PM