Visibility, vis, or viz…matters not the label. You simply cannot see adequately.

ZZ Top (or at least, a darn good clone) came out of the trailer that serves as Base Ops.

“Whaddya think?”

Is this a trick question?

Smoke so thick you can’t see across the runway. (you can barely make out the building on the other side).

He’s one of the good guys. Correctly views his job as more than just paper pushing…but as one of risk assessment, morale management, and personnel assessment. Kind eyes peer out from glasses that are either trendy, or left over from 1966. Gray beard that would give any serious rocker street cred.

I roll my eyes. Laughter ensues.

We’ve been briefing on the fires, listening to the weather, and being prepared. Some days, we fly. Some days, we sit. The fires continue to burn.

Navigation in smoke/haze is difficult. It’s a constant assessment of “where am I?” coupled with “where am I going?” tied together with constant assessment of progress, and avoidance of obstacles. It’s tough enough to see and avoid the snags (dead trees that extend above the forest canopy), and to avoid the side of the mountain when doing the necessary maneuvering.

It occurs to me that this year has been a continual “flight through haze”. From a dramatic loss of income (due to contract cancellation because of COVID) to an unexpected house sale, leaving me “homeless” (or, at least not knowing where I’ll be next), it’s been a constant assessment of immediate threat/obstacles.

Grateful for the decision decades ago to be financially conservative, it’s been possible to survive. (“Where am I?” answered). Seeing and avoiding the “snags” has been harder. So far, I’ve been successful. Navigating to the next safe place remains a challenge.

I continue the flight through the haze.