Summary: THE CAREER MUSICIAN PODCAST by: NOMAD Episode 8: Dale & Mark Ranz (“PJ” Pilots) Flying High in the Music Biz “Like a G6, I mean G5, but who’s counting anyway?!?!” Topic Agenda - What is a PJ? 1. Often referred to as a “PJ”, the new standard of ultimate status symbol, this mode of transportation is simply a “Private Jet”, or as civilians refer to it, “a damn airplane”! Flying in a PJ for a gig, what’s next? Well, you could say you’ve arrived but that might be an overstatement. Slow down there kiddo, and take stock of what really matters. Discussion Notes Pilots: Father & Son team Dale and Mark Ranz ○ Dale and Mark plus Mark’s 3 other brothers are all pilots. NOMADIC by nature: Seattle, Bowman, Riverside, Edwards Air-force Base ○ Flying is in the blood! ○ Motorcycles, boats, cars, planes, you name it! Flying at ease? Stats, facts, and other trivial tidbits ○ If you’re a nervous flyer like me, the cockpit view often times puts you at ease. ○ There is Auto-pilot, however there’s lots of initial programming involved. ○ Average Ground speed 450-500 mph. ○ This flights wind vector = 24 knot head wind, 7 knot crosswind. ○ Altitude for commercial is typically 30,000 - 35,000 feet, PJ’s typically 45,000 - 50,000 feet allowing for greater weather clearance and less air traffic. ○ Ergonomics of flying particular aircraft at designated altitudes. ○ Flying time: 747’s and 777’s average 15 hours, 737’s and Airbuses average 8 hours while PJ’s typically average 13 hours. What’s your trajectory NOMAD? ○ Seattle to France and back in a day...well, almost. ○ Around the World and back: Seattle, Switzerland, various other European cities, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and finally back to Seattle, 37 flight hours total. What happens when (the pilot) you’re bored and need a break? ○ Play cards, read the newspaper, take a nap. ○ On longer flights the pilots rotate and take turns at the helm. Fascination with machinery ○ On a commercial flight, you can’t FULLY appreciate the specimen of the vessel as you board through a “jetway” tunnel and can’t really touch the craft or admire it from the ground with your own two feet on the floor. ○ However when flying a PJ, you literally drive right up to the plane itself, grab your bags and board! Not without taking a few selfies with the beautiful beast first of course! Action Items Listen to those around you who may have some insight that perhaps you aren’t privy to just yet. Expanding your horizons literally and figuratively is never a bad thing. Focus on your strengths and try to delegate when possible. The time you save in the long run will be worth every ounce of anxiety over what you should’ve been doing, like cultivating your skill(s). Picking Up What I’m Putting Down? In closing, the bottom line is simply this...are you happy? Are you content? Is your family fed? Or is your dog, cat, goldfish well nourished with ample shelter? Well then great! Keep doing what you’re doing and don’t measure your success by society's barometer. Instead, start talking stock of everything you have to be grateful for. What next? Keep your nose down and continue working toward your goals! Trust me, when you least expect it, you’ll be wheels up in a plush faux leather bucket seat with libation in hand in no time. Life has its way of popping little morsels of pleasant surprises in our path when we least expect it. Like true love, or good sex...it’ll happen, just give it time. ~ Nomad #CareerMusician
