My birthday is coming up (well, it’s in late September) and I was thinking of things that I would like to get as a present.

I want a new watch to use while flying. I spent some time today online trying to find what I want but couldn’t.

- Must be digital

- Must be dual time (show two times at once). Set one to local time, and the other to UTC.

- Must have a timer

- Must not cost $8,000

I saw some pretty crazy watches that included some functions of an E6B on …

I recall the stories of the early arctic pilots draining their oil into a can at shutdown and then using it as a hot water bottle in their tent. This also had the effect of keeping the oil warm with their body heat to make it possible to start the engine in the morning. I suggest taking the extra oil (in one litre plastic bottles) with us into our room so we can then add one each side in the morning, warming the oil a little that way. The captain …