iPhone and Aircraft...

[Ashar]

This relates to the commercial with the iPhone and the weather information it provides...

http://www.planebuzz.com/2007/11/we_kne ... _happ.html

[RitterKreuz]

i keep waiting for the day that happens to me.

It is true though, with the average airline passenger it really is a matter of "Weather? what weather the sun is shining outside!"

but if you get drawn into the trap/ conversation of "well the weather 300 miles from here is positively terrible and the destination is fogged in below approach minimums" you will never get them to understand without completing at least 4 to 6 hours of private pilot ground school.

Other lines from passengers i have heard

"What do you mean the destination is fogged in? look out the window! he sun could not beam any brighter! we need to get going"

or

"The thing has two engines, lets just go with one! i mean the thing is certified to fly on one engine isnt it!?... do you really mean to tell me that we are about to board an airplane that cant fly on one engine?"

or

Scenario: i had been off work for 3 days and had JUST got through security and have not even signed in for my trip yet. i had been at work for all of 3 minutes... jolly chap walking by stops me and says "Hey are a pilot for ?"   me: "Yes sir" jolly chap: "Well you piece of $hit you should be ashamed of your self" jolly chap walks off with me standing there with that WTF look on my face.  :-?

and there is no explaining it to anyone... for the average non aviation savvy joe the air inside airport terminals and airplanes has some sort of additive floating around in it which decreases IQs by a good 70% - wait i better not say that... it will be on fox news and CNN at day break!

[eno]

I'll never forget the 3hr delay at the gate in Toronto, waiting to fly back to the UK, because of a fault with a landing gear valve. I'll shorten the story .....

After 10 minutes the Captain informs us about the delay but gives no details of why.

Same at 30 minutes and 45 minutes with the added info that they are changing a faulty part.

After an hour we are pushed back ..... only to be informed that the fault had recurred so we were being towed to another area so the fault could be fixed. The Co Pilot explained that there was a reading of a fault on a landing gear valve and even though they had changed the valve the warning light was still showing. He also explained that because the valve had been changed that it may be an electrical fault, so they would have to test both the valve and the electrics therefore there was a possibility of a another hours delay.

Que the aviation expert from the seat behind me ........ "If it's only an electrical fault surely all they have to do is change a fuse!"

After another two hours of delay with several announcements of progress in the mean time, along with free drinks etc, we are taxing. The fault turned out to be a relay rather than the valve.

Que aviation expert "We could have been away two hours ago, everything was working mechanically."

At this point I snapped explaining politely that yes in hind sight everything was mechanically sound. However three hours ago no one knew that and had we taken off safely, the likelyhood  of us landing safely was certainly in doubt which would he rather have?

There were no more complaints from the aviation expert  ;D

[RitterKreuz]

it gets ridiculous at times with guys like that.

so long as im sitting in the front of an airliner part of my job will be to consider the "what ifs".

"What if the weather is below minimums when we get to the destination, how long can we hold before we have to divert?"

"what if the fuel burn was slightly more than planned?"

"what if we had a larger headwind en route than anticipated?"

"what if that fault light is indicating a REAL problem?"

there are so many what ifs to consider in aviation - when you let ONE thing go... it will be the ONE THING that gets you.

Im glad people like the ones mentioned above are not pilots... we would have a major accident every week if not every day.

------------

lets replay eno's scenario from a behind the scenes perspective if the captain went.

FO: "Captain i have a Left main gear hydraulic failure light activation."

CA: "Noted, i'll write it up, call maintenance and get them out here asap"

2 hour delay and it is "fixed" so the flight taxi's out

FO: "Captain... that left main gear hydraulic failure light is on again."

Tower: "XFlight 123 your cleared for takeoff runway 22L"

CA: "Crap we just got cleared for takeoff and these people have already had a 2 hour delay... its probably just a faulty circuit, lets just go and we will right it up when we get back"

flight departs

left main gear collapses on landing, left engine catches fire, fire trucks race to the scene and the aircraft is evacuated

chief pilot: "Captain... according to the cockpit voice recorder you departed ABC airport with a fault indication, according to the company manual and the aircraft flight manual you are not supposed to do this... what was the reason for this event?"

captain does a rug dance in the office and gets fired

chief pilot: "FO... according to the cockpit voice recorder you did not protest the captain's plan to depart with a fault indication but according to our policies you have to protest any unsafe or questionable decision made by the PIC why did you let the captain take off?"

FO does a rug dance in the office and gets fired

passengers... though none were killed, a few suffered abrasions and sprains during the evacuation of the aircraft and sue the airline for their captains negligence, CVRs and black boxes dont hide things like taking off with a fault light active, the airline must now shell out millions in lawsuit cash to victims.

sorry... but getting Mr. Businessman to XYZ aiport with minimum delay was not worth...

1. Captains career ended
2. Captains licenses revoked by FAA
3. First Officer's Career ended
4. First officer's licenses revoked by FAA
5. One aircraft a total loss
6. 7.9 million dollar lawsuit settlement
7. 13 sprained ankles
8. 33 skinned knees
9. 21 skinned elbows
10. one broken toe
11. 9 spilled coffees
12. One mechanics career ended for reinstalling the broken part

the list goes on and on and on

there is always more to it that "the weather is bad" or "that light is on"... wish more passengers realized that

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

Goodmorning all...

My oh my this post brings back some memories.  

Certainly glad I am retired.      

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

[C]

7. 13 sprained ankles
8. 33 skinned knees
9. 21 skinned elbows  
10. one broken toe
11. 9 spilled coffees

I'm sure they'd live. Sadly nowadays you'd probably be able to sue for several thousand $ for a broken fingernail...

[The Ruptured Duck]

I'm sure they'd live. Sadly nowadays you'd probably be able to sue for several thousand $ for a broken fingernail...

I just about sued NW for terrible food once.  Never, and I say NEVER get the pork canneloni

[Wii]

[quote][quote]7. 13 sprained ankles
8. 33 skinned knees
9. 21 skinned elbows