The Hello Kitty Jet
I’ve noticed that most people not directly involved with the aviation industry assume that anyone who is (or aspires to be) a professional aviator wants to fly for a major airline. Even military pilots are believed to desire an airline career. The logic behind this assumption has always escaped me. There are certainly many pilots for whom an airline job is the proverbial brass ring, and I say more power to them. Someone has got to fly those things. If it’s what you love, do it. For me, however, when I consider the seniority system, financial instability, surly passengers, tough working conditions, low pay, terminal & gate congestion, unions, strikes, and poor management of most scheduled airlines, it doesn’t hold much appeal. Nevertheless,...
Read MoreCheapo Airlines
Flying seems to be getting more painful every day for those confined to the airlines. If you think it’s bad here in the United States, take a look at Irish-based Ryanair. They take cheapness to a new level, both in terms of airfares and amenities. Ryanair is quite famous for this. Far from being embarrassed by their reputation, they actually take pride in it. The fares may be low, but walk aboard their aircraft you’ll find less leg room than on any other airline. They’ve even gone so far as to remove the seat-back pockets in order to save weight and space in the cabin. But that’s just the start. Ryanair charges passengers extra money if they are too heavy (a so-called “fat tax”). You’ll also get dinged if you need to...
Read MoreBest Paint Scheme Ever
When is an airline’s livery more than just a bunch of paint? When it makes a buzz on the internet which goes far beyond the likes of aviation geeks like me. I’d never heard of South African carrier Kulula Airlines until today. And odds are, you hadn’t either. Given the chance, though, I’d fly with them in a heartbeat just based on what’s in these pictures. Typical male response, eh? Only concerned with exterior appearances! Seriously though, it speaks volumes about Kulula that they set aside the laws of corporate branding long enough to acknowledge the oddity of the aviation lexicon. To the average passenger, it’s undoubtedly an off-putting jumble of terms, acronyms, and abbreviations. They acknowledge this, and do it with a...
Read MoreJunk In, Junk Out
The introduction of computerized displays (also known as “glass panels”, or in the FAA’s parlance, Technologically Advanced Aircraft or “TAA”) into general aviation cockpits can mean serious consequences for those unprepared to deal with the complexities involved. Sure, there’s a lot of power and capability present in those computers. They can provide you with wind speed and direction, beautiful color moving maps, an entire continent worth of aeronautical data, and so much more. Terrain databases, traffic alerts, sophisticated autopilots, GPS roll steering, highway-in-the-sky, and so much more. Things we probably haven’t even though of yet. Amazing stuff. Of course, it can be a bit daunting for those who haven’t...
Read MoreThe Clue Phone
Reason #438 to avoid the iPhone: that smug Applesque feeling of superiority you get from owning one could backfire. We push back from the gate and get advised of a ground stop in MEM due to storms in the area. My Captain informs the passengers over the PA. Not one minute later, we get chimed from the flight attendant. “Some guy with an IPhone says the weather is good, and wants to know what the REAL reason is for the delay. Is something wrong with the plane?” Read the rest. Apparently Mr. iPhone doesn’t realize that he flies on that aircraft at the behest of the very person whose judgment and/or integrity he’s questioning. I wish I knew which company employed that pilot! I’d like to give them some business next time I’m forced...
Read MoreAirline Pilot or CFI?
This brilliant sketch manages to encapsulate my daily life as a CFI in the wilting summer heat. At 8 a.m. I’m Dean Martin. By 8 p.m., I’m Foster Brooks. Yes, it has quite a familiar ring to it, right down to the part about running an an hour and forty three minutes late for the next flight.
Read MoreGround Control, New York Style
FAA Administrator Marion Blakey is fond of reiterating how controller staffing levels are sufficient. Yet something tells me this guy might disagree with her. It seems to me that anytime a controller tells a bunch of pilots “you guys really should come up here and see this”, things can’t be going too well. Viva la JFK!
Read MoreGoing Around
I see go-arounds all the time at John Wayne Airport. And not just with general aviation aircraft. The big runway is only 5700 feet long, so there’s not much room for error, especially with some of the larger transport airplanes that fly into the airport. For example, FedEx sends a fully loaded Airbus A300 jumbo into Orange County each day. As far as I know, that is the largest airplane to land at SNA. Anyway, the Southern California geography gives us a semi-permanent inversion layer, and it’s typically accompanied by a slight windshear at that altitude. Of course, sometimes that shear is stronger than others, and a few days ago I watched 6 airliners go around in the space of 30 minutes. One of them was a Southwest 737 which turned final about...
Read MoreThat’s Entertainment
Most corporate aircraft have no identifying marks on them at all because the company doesn’t want competitors knowing where their executives are going. They even go so far as to have their N-number blocked from sites like FlightAware. But not all companies are like that. KFC, for example, used to have a corporate airplane at SNA. I’m not sure if it was based here or just came into Orange County frequently, but it always seemed to be on the field. This thing was a beauty, a Challenger 604 painted in red and white striping. Unfortunately, the clean lines were marred by a giant Colonel Sanders logo on the tail. Also, the 604 fuselage has a wide diameter, but it’s not very long. So between the paint scheme and the logo on the tail, the...
Read MoreAdios, Muchachos
I’m off to Mexico with the Club Zeta crew for a much needed vacation. But I will leave you with this not-safe-for-work video clip. Let it never be said that Pitts pilots aren’t proud of their equipment. “Nice helmet”. Yeah, that’s the ticket.
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