I have to assume that P&W did their homework on this, but can someone explain to me how this is the optimum location for the "5th engine"? I understand that this is an engine test bed, but that location seems unnecessarily inaccessible.

(Written on 2020/04/10)(Permalink)

Idiotic comment, therefore downvoted. Please re-adjust the fit of your tinfoil hat.

(Written on 2020/04/10)(Permalink)

I, for one, applaud this effort. It's definitely time to air out these differences, and address the growing pressures implicit in this situation. Rather than continuing to gaslight the public, we finally see a lawmaker who's willing to raise a stink about this issue and not just go whichever way the wind blows. I don't want to toot my own horn, but I've bean pushing for a long time for this news to break, and now that is has I think I can safely predict lots of skid marks as politicos try to evade the stench of this one. It should be a ripping good time!

(Written on 2019/09/20)(Permalink)

How big do you think a B-52 IS, anyway? (Hint: it's only about 4' longer than a 757.)

(Written on 2019/05/10)(Permalink)

"Remember, Luke, duct tape is like The Force: it has a light side and a dark side, and it binds the universe together..."

(Written on 2018/02/02)(Permalink)

At some point, though, don't you look straight ahead, see the big "L" under the "28," and say, "Hey, didn't they say 'right'...?" Not to mention the small matter of an A320 on the runway...Oh, wait, that's it. The Airbus was probably covering up the runway number...:-)

(Written on 2018/01/12)(Permalink)

Wouldn't you love to see something like "in spite of his best efforts, the pilot was unable to reach the ground, and so had to leap from the aircraft which was left hanging twenty feet up in midair...." :-)

(Written on 2018/01/12)(Permalink)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instrument_landing_system Not a commercial pilot here, but - ILS doesn't mean that an automated system is flying the aircraft. It just means that certain systems, relying on signals provided by ground-based sources, are giving information to the pilot in order to help him or her keep the aircraft on the proper approach path. In an approach using this system, however, there is generally a minimum altitude at which the pilot must switch to using visual reference to the runway, or abort the landing attempt if unable to do so.

(Written on 2018/01/12)(Permalink)

Have you ever flown with a pet? To be in the cabin, you are typically required to have the animal in a carrier which will fit under the seat in front of you, and you are generally not permitted to remove it from the carrier during flight. This means that we're not talking about any but relatively small pets here, and they will not be "loose in the panic" in an emergency situation. The exception, of course, is the case of service animals, but we can reasonably assumed that they have at least the minimum amount of training required so as not to be a concern.

(Written on 2017/09/29)(Permalink)

Sure - but there's nothing special about pets here. I don't want to spend a flight with your dog, cat, child, smelly feet, etc., in my face, and I doubt that anyone else want to spend their flight with mine. It's called common courtesy and thoughtfulness, and if you can't have a given item - whether it be a pet, a child, your lunch, whatever - with you on the flight without it unreasonably infringing on others, then you need to rethink bringing that item with you. On the other hand, it is unreasonable for anyone else to object to my simply HAVING a certain item with me on the grounds that it MIGHT cause them a problem if I am unable to control it, keep it to myself, etc.. People need to be a good deal less concerned with themselves and a good deal more thoughtful regarding those around them.

(Written on 2017/09/29)(Permalink)