Ask me about being an airline pilot or flying in general
I wasn't even aware of OOT until someone recently suggested I start this thread here. (I had posted a question about Ve
Dear Penthouse...
After parking the plane, the controller invited me up to the tower to watch the sunrise. One of my favorite log book entries.)
I kid. Won't you join me in this comfortable and hardly wet and dirty gutter?
Really love this thread, thanks for all the stories/insight!
It took me about a year to get used to it, and I still miss the job tremendously. My last six months was extremely disappointing because it was the height of Covid. There was such a cutback in flying that I probably only had 3 or 4 trips in my last months.
One of my biggest regrets was that I went non-current in late June. I had a trip tio San Francisco and I flew out and let the First Officer fly back to JFK, even though I knew I needed one more landing to stay current (regulations require a minimum of 3 takeoff and landings within any 90 day period).
I should have just told the FO that I needed the flight back. Although this is not usual, I'm sure he would have understood. He still had his whole career in front of him. But by not taking that flight, I went non-current and, with the surplus of pilots available, Delta wasn't going to pay to send me to Atlanta for 3 hops in the simulator to regain currency (which is normal practice to regain currency). Thus I sat out until my birthday on August 29, and forced retirement. A very sad ending to a career I loved.
I will say that I've gotten used to having all the free time in the world. Golf and poker are my two major activities.
Dear Penthouse...
I kid. Won't you join me in this comfortable and hardly wet and dirty gutter?
Really love this thread, thanks for all the stories/insight!
hilarious post
walksoff confirmed an extra fluffer in the next top gun movie
I will say that I've gotten used to having all the free time in the world. Golf and poker are my two major activities.
would enjoy connecting if you ever happen to long haul clubs toward the left coast
The other day, a flight had to return to DEN after an animal strike made them lose an engine.
Now, it's suspected to be a rabbit. Link to story.
I'm curious how a rabbit got into the engine. Way too high; would it get sucked up and in, off the runway, you think?
Fortunately, everybody came out ok (except the bunny; it was a bad day for it).
The other day, a flight had to return to DEN after an animal strike made them lose an engine.
Now, it's suspected to be a rabbit. Link to story.
I'm curious how a rabbit got into the engine. Way too high; would it get sucked up and in, off the runway, you think?
Fortunately, everybody came out ok (except the bunny; it was a bad day for it).
You'd be surprised. From: https://www.boeing.com/content/dam/boein...
That "D" dimension seems pretty close to the ground to me. Given the amount of air being ingested at take-off thrust, it wouldn't surprise me at all that a critter could get sucked in off the ground.
The other day, a flight had to return to DEN after an animal strike made them lose an engine.
Now, it's suspected to be a rabbit. Link to story.
I'm curious how a rabbit got into the engine. Way too high; would it get sucked up and in, off the runway, you think?
Fortunately, everybody came out ok (except the bunny; it was a bad day for it).
If the bunny happened to be in front of the engine intake when takeoff power was applied, it could certainly be sucked in. The only instance close to this that I can remember personally is a turtle on Runway 4 at JFK. We could see it slowly crossing the approach end. We notified Ground Control and a car was sent out to pick it up. (The driver simply released it north of taxiway K, not too far from the water.)
If the bunny happened to be in front of the engine intake when takeoff power was applied, it could certainly be sucked in. The only instance close to this that I can remember personally is a turtle on Runway 4 at JFK. We could see it slowly crossing the approach end. We notified Ground Control and a car was sent out to pick it up. (The driver simply released it north of taxiway
Yes, the engine intakes sit very close to the ground. The diagram you included shows a ground clearance of 1' 7" for a plane at max gross weight. That's pretty tight.
If you look at the nacelle on the later 737's (700, 800, 900, and probably the Max, though I haven't confirmed it), the bottom is flattened solely to provide a little more ground clearance. If the nacelle intake were completely round (as on most jets), there would probably only be at most 12" of ground clearance at max gross weight. I guess the engineers thought an extra pad was worth the modification to the nacelle.
anyone know the process to nominate W0X0F memoirs for repository in the library of congress?
Wow! That's a very flattering comment.
The other day, a flight had to return to DEN after an animal strike made them lose an engine.
Now, it's suspected to be a rabbit. Link to story.
I'm curious how a rabbit got into the engine. Way too high; would it get sucked up and in, off the runway, you think?
Fortunately, everybody came out ok (except the bunny; it was a bad day for it).
They actually trap and kill a lot of jack rabbits at the Denver airport to avoid this very situation. They save them for my uncle that you met in Wyoming so he can use them as bait for his projects.
Yeah, guy they interviewed on that video said that (though not the part about giving them to your uncle). Did rabbit-proof fence work in Oz?
Mostly, but it is a very long distance, and I gather that recent (manmade) diseases have also been very helpful.
obviously should increase the owl and coyote population with a gradual increase of the number of feral emus
and they prey monty python doesn't get wind of the shenanigans
Whenever I have an aviation question, I avoid the rest of the Internet and I come here.
W0X0F,
How hard/easy/fun would it be to fly the NASA Super Guppy Plane? Due to it's size, is weather ever an issue?
Is it easier to fly than it looks? Is the cargo contained within the determine factor.?
Voyager aircraft - the one that flew around the globe is that easier or harder to fly?
If you could be a space tourist would you do it?
Have you have watched the film - " The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell" Suuuuuuuuper dated but one of those stories where you're like, yeah he knew waaaaay before everyone else knew.
Whenever I have an aviation question, I avoid the rest of the Internet and I come here.
W0X0F,
How hard/easy/fun would it be to fly the NASA Super Guppy Plane? Due to it's size, is weather ever an issue?
Is it easier to fly than it looks? Is the cargo contained within the determine factor.?
When I first started typing a reply to this question, I was conflating the Super Guppy with the DreamLifter. Both are specially modified aircraft with oversized fuselages to allow for carrying extremely bulky components as cargo. The Super Guppy is a 4-engine prop plane. The DreamLifter is a modified Boeing 747.
I don't know anything about flying the Super Guppy but as for the DreamLifter, I think it would be no different than flying any other heavy jet. To the pilots, the only thing that matters concerning cargo is that it's loaded securely (not subject to shifting around in flight) and whether or not it's HAZMAT. I've seen this plane a few times at an airport in the south...I think it was either Savannah GA or Charleston SC.
Have you ever visited the YouTube channel 74 Gear? The pilot on this channel is Kelsey, who recently upgraded to Captain. He flies the 747 worldwide, mostly cargo flights but his company also does charter passenger flights. Kelsey is very good and I enjoy his videos.
Click here to see a video in which Kelse.... (The airplane makes its appearance at about the 4 minute mark in the video.)
Voyager aircraft - the one that flew around the globe is that easier or harder to fly?
That was an amazing accompishment, wasn't it? I remember when that took place...hard to believe it's been over 38 years since that round-the-world flight. I can't remember if the plane had any sort of autopilot but I don't think it did. Weight was a big consideration in the design of this unique aircraft. In fact, one of the factors in favor of choosing Jeana Yeager (besides her qualifications as a pilot) was her light weight.
I tried to find any discussion about flight characteristics and was unsuccessful. Burt Rutan, being a very experienced and innovative aircraft designer, and knowing the importance of stability for a flight circumnavigating the globe, probably had dynamic stability as a top issue in design... second only to having the required fuel capacity.
Click here to visit a website showing th...
If you could be a space tourist would you do it?
It depends on what version of "space tourist" you're talking about. To be part of the payload for a quick ballistic flight into space with an immediate return, I think I would pass. But if I had the opportunity to be part of the crew on a multi-day space shuttle mission, I'd jump at it.
Have you have watched the film - " The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell" Suuuuuuuuper dated but one of those stories where you're like, yeah he knew waaaaay before everyone else knew.
I've never seen the movie, but I know a bit of the story of Billy Mitchell. He was one of the first (certainly at his rank) to appreciate the enormous potential in air power.
The last few days, planes have been on approach to DEN over my part of town. This part makes sense to me, I'm about 18 WNW, there was a very slight SE wind--landing into the wind, as you've taught us.
The bit that surprised me was how much difference there was in the planes' x and y coordinates. I'm not sure I'm explaining this right, but some approaches were quite a lot NE of my area, and some quite a lot west/SW. I'd guess they spanned about five ground miles.
I expected that close to the airport, they'd be more lined up--i.e., coming down a pretty narrow chute. Obviously, that isn't the case. How close until they line up?
Also saw a couple flights from the more-local airport taking off as these were approaching DEN. A couple of times, their paths had apparent closeness enough that they seemingly intersected. Didn't think to pull out my phone and snap a picture, but that was a pretty interesting view. I'm sure their Zs were quite a bit different.
I assume both flights got messages from ATC and confirmed visual on each other. Would that be the case?
The last few days, planes have been on approach to DEN over my part of town. This part makes sense to me, I'm about 18 WNW, there was a very slight SE wind--landing into the wind, as you've taught us.The bit that surprised me was how much difference there was in the planes' x and y coordinates. I'm not sure I'm explaining this right, but some approaches were quite a lot NE o
There are two very plausible reasons for the differing flight paths you are seeing. Denver has 4 North/South runways: 17L/35R and 17R/35L on the east side of the airport; 18L/36R and 18R/36L on the west side. So it's possible that the planes you are seeing are going to different runways.
Another possibility is that they are going to the same runway but via different STARs (Standard Terminal Arrival Routes). If you lived within 5 miles of the airport, I'd expect planes going to the same runway to follow almost the exact same path to the runway when visible from your house (we like to be established on centerline and approximately 1500' agl at that distance). But you live 18 miles from the airport and planes coming from different directions (e.g. one from JFK and one from SFO) will very likely be issued different arrival routes. Those arrival routes will converge when closer in to the airport.
I remember flying a certain STAR into Denver. This one was for aircraft coming from the East and landing north on the Ease side runways. The STAR had several fixes which took the flight south on a downwind parallel to the runways before turning on a base leg. The fixes on that arrival were: DHATT FFATT DOGGG DONTT BARKK
Another classic set of named fixes exists at Pease AFB in Portsmouth NH. These are positional fixes for the ILS approach to Runway 16. Here they are:
ITAWT ITAWA PUDYE TTATT
In case of a missed approach, the pilot then flies to the Missed Approach Fix which is named IDEED
Also saw a couple flights from the more-local airport taking off as these were approaching DEN. A couple of times, their paths had apparent closeness enough that they seemingly intersected. Didn't think to pull out my phone and snap a picture, but that was a pretty interesting view. I'm sure their Zs were quite a bit different.
I assume both flights got messages from ATC and confirmed visual on each other. Would that be the case?
They are almost assuredly separated vertically by at least 1000'. Denver is Class B airspace and any airports within 30 miles will have specific blocks of airspace carved out for approaches and departures underlying the Class B. Quite often there can be an illusion of conflicting flight paths when viewed from the ground.
Yeah, guy they interviewed on that video said that (though not the part about giving them to your uncle). Did rabbit-proof fence work in Oz?
It would be hard to make a rabbit-proof fence. I have an ordinary chain link fence in my yard. The openings are maybe 2 inches square. I watched an adult rabbit hop through the fence like it wasn't there. I thought there was a huge hole in the fence, but no, just the ordinary chain link.
It depends on what version of "space tourist" you're talking about. To be part of the payload for a quick ballistic flight into space with an immediate return, I think I would pass. But if I had the opportunity to be part of the crew on a multi-day space shuttle mission, I'd jump at it.
What, you don't want to hold a daisy on tv like Katy Perry?
The other day, a flight had to return to DEN after an animal strike made them lose an engine.
Now, it's suspected to be a rabbit. Link to story.
I'm curious how a rabbit got into the engine. Way too high; would it get sucked up and in, off the runway, you think?
Fortunately, everybody came out ok (except the bunny; it was a bad day for it).
They actually trap and kill a lot of jack rabbits at the Denver airport to avoid this very situation. They save them for my uncle that you met in Wyoming so he can use them as bait for his projects.
I talked to my uncle about this and he said they are actually catching the rabbits more to keep the hawks and eagles out of there than to keep the rabbits out.
Makes sense. Seems as if flying critters would be a greater danger to aircraft than rabbits. Though neither is zero, obviously.
W0X0F,
Thanks for answering my questions.
Cool links!
