MCAS is NOT an anti-stall system! It was intended to change the flight characteristics to make the Max feel the same as the NG avoiding costly training time for pilots. I expect to hear that the way MCAS contributed to these accidents is by mimicking an actual stall “un-commanded nose down” at a time when some but not all cockpit indicators were falsely reporting a stall. The angle of attack vain is used to provide warning of a stall, thus those warnings were activated by the faulty AOA sensor . This confused the pilots. Remember in an actual stall the pilots should leave the power in and further reduce attitude, or the opposite of the runaway trim, Boeing expected pilots to react to with an erroneous MCAS activation. Three attitude indicators combined with power all indicating normal would mean no stall, but there was apparently a discrepancy between the two airspeed indicators further confusing the issue. The airspeed indicators do not use input from AOA so something else was wrong

(Written on 10/28/2019)(Permalink)

It’s not an article. It is an announcement on the Alaska Airlines web site informing Alaska Airlines customers that the Alaska mileage plan is changing with respect to mileage earned on the Alaska plan for flights actually flown on American. Pronouns are used because this is Alaska.com. You is Alaska Airline customers, us and our refer to Alaska Airlines.

(Written on 10/03/2019)(Permalink)

I worked for Britt Airways at the time of People Express demise. we were acquired because People had trouble hiring Pilots during times of industry "good times." Cheap pilots were available in "bad times" as future pilots were interested in building flight experience then moving to a carrier that paid better when possible. Of course when the industry experience "good times" the cheap pilots left for greener pastures & new hires were hard to come by as anyone with any experience could also go to the greener pastures "real airlines." Peoples then hire some students directly out of flight school and even promoted flight attendants to FEs. Two years later when it came time to upgrade many of these pilots needed to learn how to fly. PBA was acquired for this purpose, but was promptly shutdown by the FAA. Hence Britt even though we had no feeder link to Peoples. The mechanics union at Frontier blocked United from being their savior, so those folks became unemployed. Continental eventual beca

(Written on 02/07/2017)(Permalink)

I have been a professor of aviation in a university flight program for over 40 years. Through most of that time we had about 25% female students. These students general performed at the same level as male students, yet for years the percentage of female airline pilots remained at about 1%. During the same period pilot source study's show that airline pilot source changed from about 80% military to about about 60% civilian. If 5% of today's airline pilots are female we have some improvement in this area, however we are currently averaging closer to 15% female in our collage pilot programs.

(Written on 06/30/2016)(Permalink)

The problem is that while it is only a small difference in cost to have a decent experience in an airliner, no one is offering that. Its either First/business class or no class. I am a pilot so I do fly myself nearly all always but some time I am going to pick a an aircraft so if I can't hitch a ride, I need to take an airliner one way, which I hate to do. I didn't think I would ever find any kind of flying miserable, but I was wrong.

(Written on 12/02/2015)(Permalink)

Only the first 10 hours or so should be about an hour after that it will normally be more and we want an hours reserve, so two hour endurance is woefully inadequate.

(Written on 01/13/2015)(Permalink)

No didn't you read the article? THey just need longer taxiways. :>)

(Written on 12/10/2012)(Permalink)

If you by a ticket you theoretically have a seat. You just don't know which one. Overbooking & cancelations are mostly separate issues from this. When I last traveled by commercial airline (Goes back to the days of Northwest, I have successfully avoided the ordeal for some time now) I learned that if I didn't select a seat early I always got a premium seat as those were the only ones left at go time. They don't charge extra at that point. As for overbooked flights, generally airlines will start with compensating volunteers first before denying boarding to non-volunteers. I have never been actually been denied boarding although years ago as a customer service agent I occasionally had to do it to someone else. So i understand it dose happen. My alternatives to airlines will not allow me to avoid taking a commercial flight to England next May unless i just don't go at all, so I will have a chance to test my practice once again, as I didn't bite on paying again for an early assigned se

(Written on 03/29/2012)(Permalink)