irrational fear of flying

[Dave Thompson]

This is nuts.

Everyone knows that increased corporate profits today are way more important than the legacy of global environmental spoliation we're leaving for future generations...

A sidenote: we were in Washington DC Saturday for the Cherry Blossom Festival and parade. Walking to the parade route from the Metro station the street passed along the length of the side of the EPA building. The entire side was strewn with everyday litter, trash and debris, astonishingly so. The irony of that sight was not lost on many of those walking along there. Lots of comments were heard, none kind.

[bcm119]

A sidenote: we were in Washington DC Saturday for the Cherry Blossom Festival and parade. Walking to the parade route from the Metro station the street passed along the length of the side of the EPA building. The entire side was strewn with everyday litter, trash and debris, astonishingly so. The irony of that sight was not lost on many of those walking along there. Lots of comments were heard, none kind.

Litter is DC's territory. It would only involve the EPA if that litter contained toxic substances that were present in large enough quantities to affect the air or water supply.

[dogrange]

Litter is DC's territory. It would only involve the EPA if that litter contained toxic substances that were present in large enough quantities to affect the air or water supply.

I am sure the production facilities that made the litter do produce the requisite toxic substances, in addition to producing litter.

[thollandpe]

Litter is DC's territory. It would only involve the EPA if that litter contained toxic substances that were present in large enough quantities to affect the air or water supply.

You're probably correct to assume that the litter is not hazmat. But when the EPA is spending $43,000 on a soundproof booth for Pruitt's office, and $5800 for biometric locks, to fit that into the operations budget you have to lay off a groundskeeper.

But more on topic, how long has the FAA been operating headless? Is that why CFM's maintenance bulletin (voluntary) for the engine that failed did not become an airworthiness directive (mandatory)?

[AngryScientist]

seems like a good place to post this:

had the pleasure of a window seat viewing of United getting my S&S travel bike case airborne onto the conveyor belt last week. good thing i keep a cam buckle strap on the case at all times.

[Mabouya]

seems like a good place to post this:

had the pleasure of a window seat viewing of United getting my S&S travel bike case airborne onto the conveyor belt last week. good thing i keep a cam buckle strap on the case at all times.

How loud was the THUD when he tossed the case onto the belt?

[rwsaunders]

Delta stepping up their game...all that was missing was the smiley face. I also made sure to change my drink preference from H20 to Clamato.

[rwsaunders]

Roll Columbia sang Woody Guthrie...the Grand Coulee Dam from above and an old documentary about the dam.

The Columbia : FDR Presidential Library : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

[Dave Thompson]

I’ve spent lots if time in that area!

[rwsaunders]

Hustling back to PIT from SEA through MSP today in order to make it from our second graduation to the third and last one of the season. The flight crew did a great job escaping this saturated mess and getting us home...it was awfully dark out there when we took off from MSP.

[SteveP]

I just read a book .. The Perfectionists, by Simon Winchester.
excellent read about the evolution of manufacturing from crude to less crude to incredibly microscopically exact.

He cites an example in there that may make you fell less well about flying...
while talking about jet engines.

He cites an Airbus 380 with Rolls Royce engines that, some years ago, had an engine explode ( similar to the 737 that recently had an engine explode causing the death of a passenger ).
The plane had 475 passengers and dozens of crew aboard.. the exploding engine cause much damage to hydraulic systems as well as fire in the engine. Somewhat remarkably the plane was landed safely.

After years of inquiry the cause was found to be a tiny hole drilled in a turbine blade that was minutely at the wrong angle and failed to properly lubricate the engine... causing it to fail where is should have worked. They had to recall these engines .. but, in his analysis, there was indication that the required design required execution that was at the edge of practicality.. very difficult to achieve exactly. Close enough was not good enough.

I cannot remember this incident.. It was years ago... but I do remember seeing one of those planes in Frankfurt… It is a massive plane... far larger than a 747 that was parked next to it..

Believe me... I know air travel is by far the safest way to travel... thinking about it too much is probably not helpful!

[dogrange]

I just read a book .. The Perfectionists, by Simon Winchester.
excellent read about the evolution of manufacturing from crude to less crude to incredibly microscopically exact.

He cites an example in there that may make you fell less well about flying...
while talking about jet engines.

He cites an Airbus 380 with Rolls Royce engines that, some years ago, had an engine explode ( similar to the 737 that recently had an engine explode causing the death of a passenger ).
The plane had 475 passengers and dozens of crew aboard.. the exploding engine cause much damage to hydraulic systems as well as fire in the engine. Somewhat remarkably the plane was landed safely.

After years of inquiry the cause was found to be a tiny hole drilled in a turbine blade that was minutely at the wrong angle and failed to properly lubricate the engine... causing it to fail where is should have worked. They had to recall these engines .. but, in his analysis, there was indication that the required design required execution that was at the edge of practicality.. very difficult to achieve exactly. Close enough was not good enough.

I cannot remember this incident.. It was years ago... but I do remember seeing one of those planes in Frankfurt… It is a massive plane... far larger than a 747 that was parked next to it..

Believe me... I know air travel is by far the safest way to travel... thinking about it too much is probably not helpful!

Sounds like a great read, I'll get it, thanks!

[rwsaunders]

Approaching the Windy City from the East on an early June morning.

[rwsaunders]

From one extreme to another...all in 3:32 minutes.

[mnoble485]

RW,
You change planes and locations like I change socks. Not sure that is a good thing or not but great pics as usual.

Mike

[Dave Thompson]

I’m an unabashed airplane geek ever since I can remember. I’ve flown on everything I possibly could, from a hot-air balloon to the Concorde. In between, a P-51, a B-17 & B-25, float planes and helicopters. Damn near cried when I got bumped from a ride in a TF-106 and a Goodyear blimp. Spent 8 years in the USAF as an aircraft mechanic working and flying with my airplanes.

The pic (of a photo) is of me, wearing my BELL newsie hat, taken at the Monterey airport waiting for the fuel truck after having hauled a load motorcycle enthusiasts to watch the 1973 races. The plane is my Piper Seneca which was pretty nifty and when not carrying passengers would take my wife and I, our luggage and two Honda CT-70 mini bikes most anywhere. Good times!

Adding on to this, the Collings Foundation The Collings Foundation - Preserving Living Aviation History brought their Wings Of Freedom Tour through Spokane this week. A veritable flying circus, they fly their TF-51D, B-25, B-17 and B-24 to airports all around the country. After many years, they’re finally offering flights in their B-24J, the only one in the world still flying. The B-24 has been on my bucket list for a long time, so I had to check that off. I posted a good cockpit video on my Facebook page Facebook (I know,I know but I can’t post videos here)

[chris7ed]

What was it like to fly in the B-24? A few years ago there was a huge old war plane flying around and it seemed to move so slow. I assume it was taking people on flights.

[Dave Thompson]

What was it like to fly in the B-24? A few years ago there was a huge old war plane flying around and it seemed to move so slow. I assume it was taking people on flights.

WWII bombers were slow with a top speed of only 290mph. Nowadays they fly them around at 180-200mph, tops, to save on wear and tear and keep the 75 year old planes from undue stress.

Flying on the B-24 was exciting of course. It was noisy, like flying in a 55-gallon drum with 4 engines attached and about as comfortable. It was a bomb bay with wings with little room for niceties. In the hour we were up I went all over the ship, from the tail gunners position to the bombardiers in the nose. I spent a majority of my time watching the pilot and co-pilot fly the plane, absolutely fascinating. Talking to them they told me the B-24 is not a stable plane in it’s pitch and yaw axis, it takes constant attention and control inputs to fly it smoothly. They were in awe of the wartime pilots that flew them in tight formations for hours.

I could not help but think of the ‘kids’ that flew in these planes during the war everyday, not knowing if they’d return to base safely, or alive. Many months of that, I can’t comprehend what it took to be that mentally strong.

[SteveP]

WWII bombers were slow with a top speed of only 290mph. Nowadays they fly them around at 180-200mph, tops, to save on wear and tear and keep the 75 year old planes from undue stress.

Flying on the B-24 was exciting of course. It was noisy, like flying in a 55-gallon drum with 4 engines attached and about as comfortable. It was a bomb bay with wings with little room for niceties. In the hour we were up I went all over the ship, from the tail gunners position to the bombardiers in the nose. I spent a majority of my time watching the pilot and co-pilot fly the plane, absolutely fascinating. Talking to them they told me the B-24 is not a stable plane in it’s pitch and yaw axis, it takes constant attention and control inputs to fly it smoothly. They were in awe of the wartime pilots that flew them in tight formations for hours.

I could not help but think of the ‘kids’ that flew in these planes during the war everyday, not knowing if they’d return to base safely, or alive. Many months of that, I can’t comprehend what it took to be that mentally strong.

It is remarkable ... and well stated.. they were kids flying these planes. Heroic in every way.
a flying tin can.

[rwsaunders]

You two would enjoy the book Flyboys...it's all about the kids that flew those planes and what they experienced in doing so.

BOOKS OF THE TIMES; The Devil's in the Details of a Hellish Account of War - The New York Times