For anyone who believes the TIGHAR fantasy, try reading "Amerlia Earhart- The Mystery Solved", by Elgen Long. It's pretty obvious to me that she ditched, probably northwest of Howland. Without GPS, that would be a tough flight to do today. It would have been a long odds flight, if everything had gone perfectly. Unfortunately, it didn't. Among them: -Had to leave Lae with one fuel tank only half full, because she needed the 100 octane fuel in it for the hot/humid takeoff in Lae (Only 87 octane available there). -Higher than forecast headwinds. -A pilot and crew that didn't understand how the HF radio/equipment worked. (some things never change......) -Miscommunication over frequencies to be used, and at what times. -During the search, it was discovered that the nav charts had Howland in the wrong place - A low overcast north and over the island. - The signal fire didn't put smoke in the air, where it could bee seen. -Floatplanes from the USS Co

(Written on 2018/03/11)(Permalink)

Yep. The maintenance end of the business is the same way. Everybody in aviation wants to hire a 35 year old guy, with 20 years of experience, who will work for $12/hour. Got cold called for a DOM position.....currently filled by a pilot who had a wand waved over him and "poof", he is now wearing a DOM hat. An "Aircraft Management company" ( a new oxymoron) with 10 plus planes, from singles to bizjets, scattered between Plains state/BFE and South Florida. Asked me what a guy who knew what he was doing would want to fill the position (pay wise). I told him "Six figures, plus", depending on where the home base was. (And no, there ain't no discount for living in an area with "affordable housing"......the reason it's "affordable" is because nobody wants to live in BFE) Conversation terminated soon after that. I'm guessing they had the typical cheapskate/Flyover reaction, which is "$100K? WTF?". I hate to clue these guys in, but anybody who has the talent/experience/train

(Written on 2015/09/04)(Permalink)

All of the a-holes that run businesses in the US love the free market, until all of that "supply and demand" stuff starts rearing it's ugly head. Then it all about going to Congress for subsidies of one sort or another, or "relaxing the requirements", or (preferably) both. Business leaders always talk about "growth". Any growth in the aviation business in the past 30 years has been subsidized by taking money away from the airlines employees, and giving it to the airlines execs directly, or to the passengers by way of super discounted airfares. Incentives usually mean you get more of something (like crooked Wall Street bankers). Disincentives (1980-present) are mainly created by screwing employees. People aren't totally stupid. eventually means that you are going to get fewer pilots and mechanics, and the quality of the ones you do get are going to be lower. Don't believe me? Go ask any crew chief/floor supervisor on any shop floor in any Airline/Business Aviation/GA mai

(Written on 2015/09/04)(Permalink)

LMAO.......check out the link to the Chicago CBS station. All Arab looking dudes with Arab-like names. A pack of 12 of them, evidently. From San Diego. Sorta like what would happen if I put on a KKK sheet, went to Ferguson, and started yelling racial slurs at all of the locals on Saturday night. Being disruptive/belligerent on a US airliner. If they were in fact being disruptive, it's a wonder a bunch of the passengers didn't get together to beat the crap out of them. OTOH, you can't get much farther from the prying eyes of the bleeding heart media than Amarillo. You can't fix stupid. Is the "Darwin Award" an award for individuals, or can a group receive one? Between these guys, and the "roman candle on the top of the head" guy, Mr. "Eff them alligators" guy is getting a real run for his money as this year's Darwin Award winner. Time to develop "escape/passenger removal" pod for airliners, to eliminate costly diversions due to unruly passengers? Preferably with

(Written on 2015/09/04)(Permalink)

".....maintenance manager......killed himself to apologize....." Too bad the idiots on Wall Street and in DC don't have the same honor system/policy. "Idiocracy" was a documentary.

(Written on 2015/01/09)(Permalink)

"Tis but a flesh wound......."

(Written on 2015/01/09)(Permalink)

Corroded? As I recall, it was because the Boeing guys riveted the repair in with a single row of rivets (should be double row in a pressurized area.) A&P School/Structures 101 stuff. Engineers who drew up the repair should have known better, and the mechs that did the job should have said "WTF"?

(Written on 2015/01/09)(Permalink)

LMAO.......US American management in action......how the hell did we win WWII? When I worked at one of the Wichita OEMs, the "TQM" program was in full swing. we soon found out that your TQM Team's report went to the round file, if it recommended that the company spend any money. My buddy (a manager/supervisor) worked a team on "employee retention" They called several hundred people and interviewed them on their reasons for leaving. The answers were: 1) Money 2) Money 3) Money 4) Benefits Needless to say, the report and it's recommendations disappeared into a black hole.

(Written on 2015/01/09)(Permalink)

Doubt it. They will just buy a new nose assembly, and ferry it to $5/hour BF Egypt to do the R&R.

(Written on 2015/01/09)(Permalink)

As things go, this isn't exactly a difficult fix. I'm guessing that the cockpit plugs into the rest of the fuselage forward of the cabin door. So you order a new Cockpit plug from Airbus; maybe even with Wire harnesses/plumbing/etc installed (as new as the airplane is, there shouldn't be any problems with different configurations of equipment) Remove the cockpit plug, then make sure the fuselage is straight (I've seen several airplanes that were "twisted" at the start of the repair, but straightened out when the damaged parts were removed.......and this is why you want aluminum airplanes, and not composite ones) Aluminum airframe parts are cheap, compared to the engines/avionics/accessories

(Written on 2015/01/09)(Permalink)