irrational fear of flying

[Saab2000]

Bees gathering on winglet of a 737 delay a flight from IAH…

https://twitter.com/AnjaliEnjeti/sta...13099932135449

Airbus. Bees don’t like Boeings.

[rwsaunders]

Airbus. Bees don’t like Boeings.

Airbees…sorry.

[gregl]

Bees gathering on winglet of a 737 delay a flight from IAH…

https://twitter.com/AnjaliEnjeti/sta...13099932135449

You really have to read all the comments in that tweet. The person writing the tweet was a great reporter. She chronicled everything done to humanely move the bees. Reader's Digest version: the bees fled as soon as an engine was started. My airplane bee story: when I was a 16 year old student pilot, we had some bees decide to hang out in our airplane. An enterprising ramp worker sat down in the plane, lit a cigarette, and blew smoke at the bees until they left.

Greg

[Saab2000]

You really have to read all the comments in that tweet. The person writing the tweet was a great reporter. She chronicled everything done to humanely move the bees. Reader's Digest version: the bees fled as soon as an engine was started. My airplane bee story: when I was a 16 year old student pilot, we had some bees decide to hang out in our airplane. An enterprising ramp worker sat down in the plane, lit a cigarette, and blew smoke at the bees until they left.

Greg

In order to keep what tiny shards of what remains of my faith in humanity intact I can't read comments on things like this. Over/Under on how many until total idiocy takes over? About 3. Glad it worked out..!!

[rwsaunders]

So I'm on a conference call pacing the yard when I hear and see this bad mamma jamma making a turn and I thought...AF One? No, a Russian-made cargo plane of which there are apparently only 22 in civilian service. Note the destination is unmarked but I do know that it took off from PIT.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonov_An-124_Ruslan

[j44ke]

...

So I'm on a conference call pacing the yard when I hear and see this bad mamma jamma making a turn and I thought...AF One? No, a Russian-made cargo plane of which there are apparently only 22 in civilian service. Note the destination is unmarked but I do know that it took off from PIT.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonov_An-124_Ruslan

Ukraine? Or Poland and then Ukraine.

Or it is a sanctions-busting delivery of plane parts. I think some part of the shipment of repair parts for domestic planes has to be a "look the other way" official unofficial policy. No one wants a plane load full of Russian citizens falling out of the sky due to sanctions on parts.

[rwsaunders]

Ukraine? Or Poland and then Ukraine.

Or it is a sanctions-busting delivery of plane parts. I think some part of the shipment of repair parts for domestic planes has to be a "look the other way" official unofficial policy. No one wants a plane load full of Russian citizens falling out of the sky due to sanctions on parts.

Me being a volunteer aircraft spotter, I kept the phone on tracking and the plane never flew about 15,000’, landing in Harrisburg, PA then went offline. There is a naval weapons support facility in Mechanicsburg, which is near the Harrisburg airport…who knows.

[bigbill]

The military has been known to ship large parts all over the world in Anatovs. Most of a squadron of helicopters can fit inside one.

In other news, my son will attend SERE school in San Diego in September. In November, he will transfer to Corpus Christi for primary flight school. He and his aviator friends that did "powered flight" between their junior and senior years at the Naval Academy will start in T-6s around January. The training pipeline will be at least three years, after which he will begin his eight-year payback for USNA. He'll be in his mid-30s before he can get out. I hope he likes being a pilot.

[rwsaunders]

I guess that a passenger had a tight connection and thought he’d open an exit door while landing, in order to speed up the process…

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-65722391

[72gmc]

Is this the place to confess irrational love for airplane engines? I’m walking the dog in Bend and a P-51 just flew over with that RR Merlin singing away … good gravy that sound.

[gregl]

Is this the place to confess irrational love for airplane engines? I’m walking the dog in Bend and a P-51 just flew over with that RR Merlin singing away … good gravy that sound.

Hi, my name is Greg, and I’m addicted to the sounds of aircraft engines. I’ll run outside from any location when I hear an aircraft engine that’s not a run-of-the-mill A32x or 737 (apologies, saab). A few weeks back it was a pair of F-35s playing in the SYR pattern. I’ll smile at the sound of geared Lycomings bellowing through augmentor exhausts. Any radial engine sound requires a visual confirmation. Four props rumbling overhead is cause for rejoicing. And of course, the rare sound of a Merlin, Griffon, or Allison V-1710 is almost spiritual. If there’s a 12-step program for this affliction, I want no part of it.

Greg

[72gmc]

It’s the season for an occasional flyover by a four-prop bomber from Boeing Field or Paine Field. Puts me at risk of burning the bratwurst.

[Mabouya]

A few days ago I was driving past the western end of Spirit Airport in far western St Louis county and was surprised to see a twin engine WW2 bomber going in for a landing. 99% of the traffic there is general aviation, and rich folks in small jets. I'm nearly certain that it was a B-25. A few days later I noticed a yard sign near the entrance to the main terminal: "WW2 Airplane Rides."

Radial engines sound great and nostalgic, but for sheer volume and power it's hard to beat a jet. Last year I my mother, sister and I were dropping off a rental car at the Avis location right by that same airport as the Blue Angels were practicing for a show that coming weekend. Just as I walked back across the parking lot to my car a single F-18 (don't know if it was the Solo or not) came screeching over in a turn right over our heads. I'm not sure what the altitude was, but judging from the size of the aircraft in my field of view I'm pretty sure that it wasn't more than 200 feet. And it was LOUD.

[72gmc]

Yes, I also love the sound of fighter jets. The Blue Angels’ practice days for Seafair are a summer highlight. I need to go to an air show.

[j44ke]

I understand the premise that loss of cabin pressure at high altitude results in loss of consciousness if supplementary oxygen isn't available - or if the occupants of the plane don't realize cabin pressure is lost - but there seem to be missing pieces here. For one, if the F16 pilots saw that the pilot was incapacitated, did they just turn around and return to base without telling any other authorities or handing the plane off? I think in past episodes - like one involving a golfer I think - the plane was escorted until it crashed to make sure it didn't crash into another plane or into something on the ground where other people would be at risk.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/trans...investigation/

This sort of thing is why I only have one rule for my wife and that's no private planes or jets.

[Scott G.]

[snip]

This sort of thing is why I only have one rule for my wife and that's no private planes or jets.

The commercial airframers are pushing single pilot operation, with a work from home (on the ground) co-pilot.

For private pilots, Garmin has a emergency descent mode, if the Garmin thinks you are incapacitated, Garmin-bot
descends to a lower altitude by itself. There is also a full on autoland button for a passenger to push.

https://discover.garmin.com/en-US/autonomi/#edm
https://discover.garmin.com/en-US/autonomi/

[rwsaunders]

This sort of thing is why I only have one rule for my wife and that's no private planes or jets.

I worked with regional bank that was based in Myrtle Beach and the C-suite was always flying around the Mid-Atlantic on turbo prop charters. Their rule was 2 pilots, 2 engines and no more than 2 C-suiters on a particular flight.

[j44ke]

Reminds me of the MBNA execs who ended up in the Hudson when their helicopter crashed as they were leaving NYC zinc the middle of super-secret negotiations to buy/merge/sell the company. I think those guys were the only one privy to the details.

Helicopters are on that list too.

Scott - I thought you were joking because you have a dry wit and Garmin cycling computers lose their brains regularly. But you weren’t and that’s good information.

My impression is that private airplanes are typically under-equipped and under-maintained due to cutting costs. Anything not required by FAA regs isn’t there.

[72gmc]

I think in past episodes - like one involving a golfer I think - the plane was escorted until it crashed to make sure it didn't crash into another plane or into something on the ground where other people would be at risk.

Payne Stewart. The plane was ghost flying for hours while escorted by fighters, tracked by family and friends and fans until it crashed. His poor wife was reportedly calling his phone during that time. Still gives me the willies.

[gregl]

I understand the premise that loss of cabin pressure at high altitude results in loss of consciousness if supplementary oxygen isn't available - or if the occupants of the plane don't realize cabin pressure is lost - but there seem to be missing pieces here. For one, if the F16 pilots saw that the pilot was incapacitated, did they just turn around and return to base without telling any other authorities or handing the plane off? I think in past episodes - like one involving a golfer I think - the plane was escorted until it crashed to make sure it didn't crash into another plane or into something on the ground where other people would be at risk.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/trans...investigation/

This sort of thing is why I only have one rule for my wife and that's no private planes or jets.

There's a lot of information that hasn't yet been (and may never be...) available to the public. The aircraft was out of communication with ATC less than 20 minutes into the flight. If the pilot was conscious, there are procedures for lost communications. ATC asked other aircraft on the frequency to contact the aircraft, with no success. Why fighters weren't scrambled earlier is a big question. To the best of my knowledge, the fighters didn't intercept the aircraft until it had already overflown DC. They did stay with the aircraft until it ran out of fuel and spiraled in. The Citation has warnings for loss of cabin pressure. Why the pilot didn't don his O2 mask and initiate an emergency descent is another point of inquiry. Some variants of the Citation even have automatic emergency descent modes that descend the aircraft to breathable altitudes in the event of a loss of cabin pressure. Unfortunately, this variant did not. As with all aircraft accidents, we have to be patient while the NTSB leads the investigation. It will take time, but they will determine a probable cause.

Unlike airlines which have much stronger safety cultures (backed up by regulations, training, and oversight), general aviation safety runs from outstanding to dangerous. I was fortunate to work for companies with strong safety cultures. We trained in simulators every six months and received altitude chamber training. The FAA had a cooperative program with the Air Force allowing civilian pilots to experience hypoxia in military altitude chambers. My last employer had us travel to Andrews Air Force base to take altitude chamber "rides." It was an interesting experience (to say the least). In general, we all thought we were doing great without oxygen at 25K ft. Then we put our masks back on and realized just how incapacitated we were. People exhibited a variety of symptoms from "drunkenness" to belligerence. Yours truly was a happy drunk with tunnel vision. IF a company has an excellent safety culture, training (including CRM, Crew Resource Management), and maintenance, private aircraft can be very safe. But it's a big "IF"...

Greg