Sunny Skies Ahead

Over the wing on Fi-Fi coming into Pearson 24R


What a gorgeous day perfect winter weather in my opinion, the canal will be open again in no time. Here is the current METAR:
CYOW 291800Z 27013G20KT 20SM FEW020 M19/M27 A3027 RMK CF1
SLP262

I just got in from a gorgeous bike ride from my father's place in Barrhaven back to my place. My trusty pedal-powered vehicle performed beautifully with her new tube in place. I would love to be among the lucky few I saw doing pattern work in some hard crosswinds on runway 22 but for now I am happy to watch. I am going to be flying to Thunder Bay later today and I will post why when I return. I'll let you know what I was wearing from top to bottom for the ride today because I was perfectly comfortable the whole time:
-On my head I wore my ski helmet and underneath that I wore a thin balaclava that covered my nose and face but is permeable to allow breathing. I also wore a pair of cheap sunglasses because it would have been blinding without them. I carried a scarf but did not wear it, allowing the warm air being generated by my core was to escape and preventing me from sweating.
-On my torso I wore a dry fit t-shirt and on top of that a dry fit long sleeve. I always recommend two layers of wicking fabric to remove as much moisture as possible from your skin. Over top of that I wore a light ski jacket with the armpit vents open.
-For my legs I wore underwear, a pair of light long johns, and light snowpants over top.
-For my feet I had a pair of athletic socks with heavy wools socks over top and insulated gum boots to keep my feet dry.

Now that thats out of the way let me tell you a bit about myself and what my blog is all about. I am 23 years old and I live in Ottawa with two fantastic roomates and a 1 1/2 year old Siberian Husky who is a wonderful companion inside and outside. In the past few weeks for the first time in my life I have really discovered and decided what I love and plan on doing for a living. Right now I am studying Mathematics at the University of Ottawa and plan on continuing in the Systems Science graduate program next year. After that I would like to study computer science and software development at the University of British of Columbia. The goal of this education will be the ability to work for an aviation company working on aircraft performance and control systems. I would eventually like to become self-employed like my mother and work as a consultant from home when I start a family and have my own property.

Until last year I was studying economics preparing to do an MA and possibly a PhD but one of my elective credits was a Mathematical Economics course that dealt with dynamic optimization and optimal control. I instantly fell in love with the subject and have since been trying to practice and learn as much as I can about optimal control theory since. This has involved me filling up all my remaining credits with courses like Algebraic Structures, Real Analysis, and Applied Probability. Also it requires me to take summer school and an extra school semester.

For those who might not have heard of optimal control it is the branch of mathematics that involves choosing the trajectory or path of a number of control variable over time in order to maximize a performance index. Some real world examples might be controlling a chemical reaction to achieve the most end product with the least input of energy and precursor chemicals. Also you might want to minimize the amount of harmful byproducts produced in the reaction as well. Another example would be finding the best route for an airplane to follow that minimizes the amount of fuel burn and time traveled. This is done by considering engine performance, winds, and of course avoiding the other aircraft in your way. The examples are endless.

As far as my personal life I am truly blessed to have a beautiful and talented girlfriend that is passionate about creative writing and documentary making. I could not imagine a better complement to my interests in science. We also share a love for the outdoors, cooking and our parents cottages. I also feel extremely fortunate to have a very diverse, dynamic and ultra-supportive family because what I do would not possible without their assistance and advice.

I have a love for aviation and flying that dates back to my role model, my grandfather Allan Raymond Buchanan. He owned and operated many planes throughout his life and began flying in Aruba at about my age. He was an engineer and worked for a few aviation companies before starting his own business and retiring at an early age to enjoy traveling and the outdoors. His family was always his top priority and I hope never to forget that. I will write a post about him some day.

I am a total outdoor junkie in every season and I could not imagine a better country to live in then Canada for that reason. My favorite activities right now are biking, hiking, canoeing, camping, snowboarding, waterskiing, surfing, snowshoeing, skating... this list goes on and on. But the sport I am most excited about is skijorning for which I plan to own a beautiful female Siberian Husky in the next few years. In the future I see myself working from home, living near mountains and water and owning my own bushplane. So like I said sunny skies ahead.