irrational fear of flying

[busdriver1959]

Almost reminiscent of the 1980's, when many trans-Pacific trips required a stop in Alaska.

Do you know if any fully-loaded aircraft (freighter or otherwise) could make the westward trip from East Coast to a location in PR China without having to refuel?

Westbound is tough because of the winds. We don't go any further than Incheon and Narita nonstop westbound. If you look at a globe, the New York area isn't farther than Memphis going that way because we start out going more north than west. This flight would have been able to go nonstop but we're not overflying Russia anymore. The crew that took the second leg stayed off the East coast of Russia until they went past North Korea, then turned almost directly west to Chengdu.
Eastbound is easy though. We fly nonstop from a bunch of Chinese cities to Memphis with good sized loads without stopping in Anchorage.

[vertical_doug]

Shanghai and Hong Kong have direct flights to both JFK and EWR...no Beijing though.

https://www.flightsfrom.com/explorer/PVG?mapview

I think the Singapore Airlines flight 24 from Singapore to JFK is the longest now. It is like 18 hrs 50 minutes. The Cathay Pacific flight from JFK to Hong Kong was about 16 hrs. I've done JFK to HK.

They become brutal boredomfests.

[Mabouya]

They become brutal boredomfests.

Not if you're sleeping... (Emirates 777 First Class)

[72gmc]

From just a few experiences, I know that first class and business class (depending on airline) result in a much happier me after a 9-10 hour flight. I fear even a flat bed in first class wouldn't add much happiness on a 19-hour flight. I'd much rather fly 10 hours, get out and walk around in an airport for a bit, then fly 9 more hours.

[monadnocky]

I recall a 17 hour flight from Newark (I think? or one of the other NYC airports?) to Johannesburg - there was a re-wetting stop in Dakar, but you weren't allowed off the plane.
By the time I stepped off the plane I felt completely dissociated.

[rwsaunders]

Deicing video set to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Winter 1…I can’t make this up.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cx9Dq..._web_copy_link

[jdanton]

I did JFK-HKG in Cathay business and it still sucked. Give me a west coast stop please :)

[echappist]

For those who are familiar with the NY area airports, out of JFK, LGA, and EWR, what's the order, from best to worst, in terms of ease of departure on a Sunday morning?

I'm suspecting it'd be much easier to take a cab from Hoboken to EWR than it is to take to get to either airport in Queens (especially JFK). It's been a decade plus since I've flown out of one of those airports, and taking the M60 across Manhattan and to LGA was never that fun. Thoughts?

[jdanton]

On Sunday morning from midtown (assuming early) it's probably LGA, JFK, EWR in that order. But if you're going from Hoboken, probably EWR.

[echappist]

It would be either Hoboken to EWR or Midtown/Flushing to JFK/LGA.

Hoboken is actually a tad tricky, as i’d have to connect at Secaucus if I go by train, and with an early flight, I’m somewhat reluctant about connecting train trips.

[gregl]

In addition to ground travel time to/from the airports, you can also review the delay metrics for each: https://airadvisor.com/en/worst-airp...20and%20Denver. None of the NYC airports do particularly well for delays...

Greg

[cny rider]

How does this happen?

Southwest to KC: Flight from Baltimore to KC over an hour late. No explanation.
Flight back home, Chicago (via KC) to Albany: We should have left on time.
Then the pilot (thankfully) notices that the idiots on the ground have overloaded the plane with fuel, making us too heavy to take off from Midway.
It took about an hour to get a tanker out and offload fuel.
They sealed the doors, we waited to push back and......nothing.
After 10 minutes of that our livid appearing captain comes out, leaves the plane and I'm guessing rips someone's head off to get the paperwork reconciled and done, and we finally depart after that.
It's so frustrating to have to deal with as a passenger.

[bigbill]

I've probably discussed this before, but in 2000, here is how I got to Bahrain. The DOD chartered a flight to depart from Naval Air Station Norfolk. It was either a DC 10 or L 1011, I recall three engines. The week before, the flight departed Norfolk and turned around about an hour into the flight because of insufficient fuel. We flew to Lajes, unloaded the families transferring to that base. We had to get off the jet while it was fueled (Air Force Base), and the pets were all unloaded and taken to an exercise area. After two hours, we departed for Rota, Spain, arriving in the middle of the night. We didn't have get off the plain unless the final destination was Rota (Naval Base, the best place in Yurp to be stationed). Then onwards to Napoli where the plane was fueled. By this point, we had reduced from 220 passengers to about a dozen. We all had our own row. Then we flew to Sigonella (Sicily) where I had a BK Whopper, my first meal since leaving the US. The final stop was Bahrain, which involved loading us into passenger vans, we all fit in one van, but we rolled in a caravan of five vans to reduce the risk of attack.

Next week, we are flying to Corpus Christi from Phoenix via DFW. I expect it to be easier. We're going one-way and driving a vehicle back. My son is going to show us the flight line and the T-6 II's he will start flying in February.

[72gmc]

We didn't have get off the plain unless the final destination was Rota (Naval Base, the best place in Yurp to be stationed).

This sent me on a quick search, because I'd love to go back to Spain. This base has an interesting back story: https://english.elpais.com/usa/2021-...wo-worlds.html

[bigbill]

This sent me on a quick search, because I'd love to go back to Spain. This base has an interesting back story: https://english.elpais.com/usa/2021-...wo-worlds.html

The Naval Academy does ship selection after service selection results are announced. The biggest group is Surface Warfare Officers, so all the grey ships with available billets are posted on a big board by the home port. Midshipmen pick by class standings. The US has two destroyers based out of Rota; they get chosen first, followed by ships out of Japan. I've only had stopovers in Rota, but I've been to Cartagena, Murcia, and Granada. The ship I was attached to in Sardinia made a stop in Rota on its way to CONUS, but I was still in LaMaddelena working with my Italian EPA-like counterparts to finish the NATO base closure. The guys at Rota are always looking for westbound ships to carry stuff back to the states.

[bcm119]

It would be either Hoboken to EWR or Midtown/Flushing to JFK/LGA.

Hoboken is actually a tad tricky, as i’d have to connect at Secaucus if I go by train, and with an early flight, I’m somewhat reluctant about connecting train trips.

If you're in midtown, you can get a LIRR from their new Madison concourse in Grand Central straight to Jamaica station, where you connect to the JFK air train. But check schedules for Sunday mornings though.

[j44ke]

If you're in midtown, you can get a LIRR from their new Madison concourse in Grand Central straight to Jamaica station, where you connect to the JFK air train. But check schedules for Sunday mornings though.

Yes. This is an improvement. Especially if you are going upstate and don't need to stop in the city for anything other than onigiri to-go.

[htwoopup]

Yes. This is an improvement. Especially if you are going upstate and don't need to stop in the city for anything other than onigiri to-go.

Just remember if you are getting to GCT on the 4,5, or 6 it is about a 30 mile walk to the LIRR part because it is really like Madison and 48th St, albeit the walk is all underground.

[rwsaunders]

Tracking the Pokemon Go liveries...

https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/p...e=sendgrid.com

[echappist]

Just remember if you are getting to GCT on the 4,5, or 6 it is about a 30 mile walk to the LIRR part because it is really like Madison and 48th St, albeit the walk is all underground.

Thanks for the reminder. Didn't quite realize that Eastside Access is now a thing. It and the 2nd ave extension both seemed tantalizingly out-of-reach when I was in NYC.

Yes. This is an improvement. Especially if you are going upstate and don't need to stop in the city for anything other than onigiri to-go.

Speaking of onigiri and train stations, are there now serviceable meal options at GCT at least somewhat comparable to an eki-ben? It's been 10+ years since I lived in NYC, but Penn Station back then had only bland fast food places, and GCT wasn't much better.