Looks like the flt crew is sardines in a can also. How many can you squeeze into a motor home, or how can you spell cheap when the execs get raises. No problem passengers can pay to sit with their kids and for window/isle seats. Congress may step in and ASK the airlines to allow kids to sit free with parents. Perhaps the parents should allow the kids to play at will if they have to pay to have the kids in the seat next to them.

(Written on 27.05.2012)(Permalink)

Just one more way for the airline to charge for Isle or Window seats, and for parents to sit with their kids. Perhaps that is what is needed to pay for the bigger sardine can. Besides you can still buy a snack with peanuts, cheese crackers and water. The 787 however is a nice plane.

(Written on 27.05.2012)(Permalink)

I agree with Marc and all he said. I also knew Dr H. IF he had a cabin pressure failure @ FL270 and it was an explosive decompression the TCU would be about 30 seconds. If he had O2 by his seat it might have taken him this much time to find it not expecting the decompression. Even if there were a co-pilot the outcome may have been no difference. Nothing will be known until the investigation. The flt pattern IMO appears the plane was trimmed up auto pilot off and flew as if no one was flying. At fuel exhaustion one engine may have quit before the other causing the tight circle pattern just before the water landing/impact. Speeds approached 90 knots from the air tracker so the plane slowed siginficantly from cruise power settings. My prayers for Dr H and his family.

(Written on 20.04.2012)(Permalink)

Very dangerous reversing just before touchdown. If the hydraulic prop doesn't release the blade lock it could stay in forward flight resulting in loss of control. Too dangerous for normal ops. Only once have I actually reversed the Herk just before touchdown in SEA (70-71, and I was told not to wear my uniform in public after I returned home) for VERY short fields. New Herks are better able to do this due to more total power and more efficient props. They don't show how close the wing tip was to the main deck structures. Full power is not used to fly the approach and power is used to control rate of sink. Normal landing was target for combat fields at 500 FPM.

(Written on 09.03.2012)(Permalink)

Lots of discussion and truly unfortuant for everyone. I have never flown one of these computer planes, mine had vacuum tubes. I was taught to FLY the PLANE even without airspeed. I have had complete / total pitot/static failure flying over the mountains and used power settings and pitch attitude for control. Granted glass panels must have power but I have to assume that the pitot tube freeze over means they still had electronic pitch control through the ADI and they had more than one of these. Powere and attitude will fly the plane. This looks to me as bad design of the plane for the pitot tube to freeze over, and lack of traning on how to fly on pitch/power coupled with stall recovery. I realize things happen fast and I have had emergencys over the North Atlantic myself that could have resulted in loss of the aircraft. However fly the plane and use what you have is critical.

(Written on 09.12.2011)(Permalink)

Too bad they pulled the video. I flew the Herk E model and was interested in the updates.

(Written on 03.12.2011)(Permalink)

Forget about the Gps as a reason to land, The Mark 10 Eyeball should be able to determine that mail boxes are NOT runway lights.

(Written on 26.11.2011)(Permalink)

As I understand what I have read, If you aren't a distributon you won't be able to download. But then I am not part of gov. so I may have misread the document.

(Written on 26.11.2011)(Permalink)

I totally disagree with banning night GA flights. I do agree knowing MSA is critical and knowing terrain and objects is manditory. It is a true family disaster when this happens and "may God be with them at this time". I don't fly SE at night but have no issues with flying Twins or more at night with proper equipment and flight planning.

(Written on 26.11.2011)(Permalink)

Protect the rights of people. The overweight person should be able to have a seat, Ah Ha,, but so should the person who was forced to stand. If he/she had to stand it is my understanding that FAA requires seatbelts to be on for all pass. prior to take off. Standing won't do that. Standing for the entire flight is unacceptable. Airlines, movie theaters, sporting events size seats for "small" people to max. profits by getting more backsides into a seat with little reguard for comfort. I hold the airline responsible for buying small sardine "sardine in a can seat". Both people had their human rights violated by the airlines search for profits. IF profits wont' allow a person to fit and their ARE some people who won't fit and the world can't afford special planes, the overweight person should consider rail or other modes of travel. IMO "most but not all " cases a person can control weight within reasonable limits. This is also a case of people "not being responsible for their

(Written on 26.11.2011)(Permalink)