totm aug 2023 What funny/interesting thing happened in your life today?

[SunlitZelkova]

19 hours ago, Nuke said:

ive always wanted to fly on one of those. all we get here are 737s. was excited to see the 900 model on my last flight. the 700 is a little cramped.

What I found interesting is that when we boarded in Portland we went on to the tarmac and boarded by staircase, but when we got to Spokane we docked with the transfer hallway arm or whatever it is.

I think when I went to San Francisco (via actual Alaskan Air, not Horizon) it was a 737-800. As much as I think the 737, particularly the early models, are neat little airliners, I don’t find that plane particularly exciting to fly on. When I flew to Spokane two years ago it was a Horizon Dash 8, and that was a lot of fun (although my mom took the window seat because she said she feels claustrophobic on planes if she can’t look out) so I didn’t get to see much even though we had a good view of the propeller from our row).

On another note, I prefer the 787 over the 777 (sorry @AlamoVampire (I think I remember that’s your favorite plane)) when I visit Japan, even though I only flew on it once.

19 hours ago, Nuke said:

as for not having the cruising callout. that also happens on the wrangell-petersburg hop (im in petersburg). i mean we share a power grid. the petersburg-juneau hop is a little longer and we reach cruising there. not long enough to bring out the snack cart though. the anchorage hop is about four hours.

I’m not too familiar with Alaskan geography but looking at the map I’m surprised they’d have flights between those two (Wrangell and Petersburg), they seem pretty close.

Also just looking at the map, the distance seems to be comparable to that between Port Townsend and Seattle (checking just now it’s actually shorter- PT-Seattle by air roughly 65 km, Wrangell-Petersburg by air 52 km). Port Townsend is principally reached by ferry, although there are probably seaplane flights available too, but those are low capacity and more touristy than truly commercial.

I imagine weather might be a factor preventing water transport though.

Okay, doing more research I’m seeing another factor- the waters between Wrangell and Petersburg are apparently a navigational nightmare. Contrast this with the easy peasy Puget Sound and it’s obvious why airlines between the two towns might be more profitable than a ferry service compared to Washington, even though they have smaller populations than Seattle (obviously) and Port Townsend (the latter is 10k people) which in my mind would mean less travel and thus less income to justify maintaining frequent service between the two.

[AlamoVampire]

@SunlitZelkova i do like the 777-300er for sure. But my favorite 2 engine passenger jet by far is an old school MD-80. There is nothing like the scream of the JT8D engines as they roll into full power. 

 

2:40 to hear the start of take off. Its also why im a huge fan of the 727! Im also a fan of the L1011 and 747-400/8. My fav 787s are the 9/10 models. I have 2 787-9 models by skymarks a klm and an american airlines. I have a single 777 model but its a 200. Suffice to say im generally a boeing fan

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[Zozaf Kerman]

1 hour ago, SunlitZelkova said:

On another note, I prefer the 787 over the 777 (sorry @AlamoVampire (I think I remember that’s your favorite plane)) when I visit Japan, even though I only flew on it once.

21 hours ago, Nuke said:

For intl flights I find that the a330 neo outclasses both the 777 and 787 Dreamliner (imo), but that may also be because I had two takeoffs aborted on board a 787.

[AlamoVampire]

@Zozaf Kerman the captain has the ULTIMATE call during takeoff. If they think anything prior to v1 is unsafe they will stop the takeoff. Period. Its the same on ANY aircraft. Md-80, a320, 787, 777 its all the same. Dont fault the aircraft.

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[Nuke]

3 hours ago, SunlitZelkova said:

What I found interesting is that when we boarded in Portland we went on to the tarmac and boarded by staircase, but when we got to Spokane we docked with the transfer hallway arm or whatever it is.

I think when I went to San Francisco (via actual Alaskan Air, not Horizon) it was a 737-800. As much as I think the 737, particularly the early models, are neat little airliners, I don’t find that plane particularly exciting to fly on. When I flew to Spokane two years ago it was a Horizon Dash 8, and that was a lot of fun (although my mom took the window seat because she said she feels claustrophobic on planes if she can’t look out) so I didn’t get to see much even though we had a good view of the propeller from our row).

On another note, I prefer the 787 over the 777 (sorry @AlamoVampire (I think I remember that’s your favorite plane)) when I visit Japan, even though I only flew on it once.

I’m not too familiar with Alaskan geography but looking at the map I’m surprised they’d have flights between those two (Wrangell and Petersburg), they seem pretty close.

Also just looking at the map, the distance seems to be comparable to that between Port Townsend and Seattle (checking just now it’s actually shorter- PT-Seattle by air roughly 65 km, Wrangell-Petersburg by air 52 km). Port Townsend is principally reached by ferry, although there are probably seaplane flights available too, but those are low capacity and more touristy than truly commercial.

I imagine weather might be a factor preventing water transport though.

Okay, doing more research I’m seeing another factor- the waters between Wrangell and Petersburg are apparently a navigational nightmare. Contrast this with the easy peasy Puget Sound and it’s obvious why airlines between the two towns might be more profitable than a ferry service compared to Washington, even though they have smaller populations than Seattle (obviously) and Port Townsend (the latter is 10k people) which in my mind would mean less travel and thus less income to justify maintaining frequent service between the two.

there's one more direct flight that only hits the bigger airports, juneau and ketchican. and another puddle jumper route, more for people going to various places on the panhandle. usually locals, but a fair number of tourists too. its also the plane they stick you on if you miss your flight. one time i missed my flight and i had to go down to ketchican and catch the same plane on its return trip. petersburg gets two flights daily, one north bound and one southbound. our airport is one of those little single room terminals. if you come up for the may festival you will be greeted by a viking horde when you get off the plane, complements of the local elks lodge.

the alaska marine highway used to be a lot better. we had this fast ferry which could get to juneau in about 4 hours. which if you account for the time spent at airports and going through security could actually save you time. unfortunately the ship was a composite high speed catamaran and they couldnt afford the maintenance. so they sold the boat to spain. now you cant even take the ferry across the gulf, so you have to go to haines and drive through canada.  my sister used to live on the other side of the wrangell narrows on the mainland so ive been across that many times on small boat, but never towards wrangell. seen everything from glass calm to 4 foot waves, and one nighttime crossing which was just freakishly awesome (the wake glows in the dark).

Edited August 5 by Nuke

[AlamoVampire]

6 hours ago, SunlitZelkova said:

What I found interesting is that when we boarded in Portland we went on to the tarmac and boarded by staircase, but when we got to Spokane we docked with the transfer hallway arm or whatever it is.

I just want to point out that tarmac isnt a thing technically. Technically the area around the gates is called the apron. Secondly the “hallway” you walk down from the gate to the aircraft that is “docked” is called a jet bridge or jetway.  sorry the av geek got the better of me lol

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[JoeSchmuckatelli]

1 hour ago, AlamoVampire said:

I just want to point out that tarmac isnt a thing technically. Technically the area around the gates is called the apron. Secondly the “hallway” you walk down from the gate to the aircraft that is “docked” is called a jet bridge or jetway.  sorry the av geek got the better of me lol

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Allright... You've forced my hand. 

 

John McAdam of Scotland in the 18th century. McAdam’s road cross section was composed of a compacted subgrade of crushed granite or greenstone designed to support the load, covered by a surface of light stone to absorb wear and tear and shed water to the drainage ditches. In modern macadam construction crushed stone or gravel is placed on the compacted base course and bound together with asphalt cement or hot tar. A third layer to fill the interstices is then added and rolled. Cement-sand slurry is sometimes used as the binder.

https://www.britannica.com/technology/macadam-road-construction

Tarmac 

Tar macadam 

Invented by McAdam - improved later with tar. 

[AlamoVampire]

@JoeSchmuckatelli im talking about in aviation. The term tarmac does not apply in aviation. It isnt a thing. You have runways, taxiways and the apron and ramp. The tarmac does not exist in aviation. Does it exist outside aviation? Yes. IN aviation? No.

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[JoeSchmuckatelli]

2 hours ago, AlamoVampire said:

@JoeSchmuckatelli im talking about in aviation. The term tarmac does not apply in aviation. It isnt a thing. You have runways, taxiways and the apron and ramp. The tarmac does not exist in aviation. Does it exist outside aviation? Yes. IN aviation? No.

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Well, the airfarce does not appreciate it when I call them 'wild blue yonder wonders' nor do Marine Aviatiors appreciate being referred to as 'Wing Nuts' but that does not stop me. 

Nicknames are a thing 

...so is sending someone out to ask the pilots for 100 feet of flight line. 

High tech stuff! 

Edited August 5 by JoeSchmuckatelli

[Zozaf Kerman]

19 hours ago, AlamoVampire said:

@Zozaf Kerman the captain has the ULTIMATE call during takeoff. If they think anything prior to v1 is unsafe they will stop the takeoff. Period. Its the same on ANY aircraft. Md-80, a320, 787, 777 its all the same. Dont fault the aircraft.

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The captain stated that there was some sort of warning light on, that if had happened during flight, would not affect the flight in any way. The only reason the takeoff had been aborted twice with this warning was to avoid legal issues if something else happened and this warning light was on. With all the mishaps going on with various Boeing aircraft, it’s not really a good look on them as a company.

[AlamoVampire]

@Zozaf Kerman id still not blame boeing or the aircraft. An aircraft such as the 787 is an amalgamation of many manufacturers in a cohesive whole. For example take the engines on a 787-9. You have the following options: Rolls-Royce Trent 1000-A2, 1000-J2, 1000-K2, General Electric GEnx-1B74, -1B75P2. You will note these are not strictly Boeing power plants. Neither Boeing nor Airbus manufacture engines. They buy them from Rolls Royce, GE, and Pratt and Whitney. Similarly the autopilot systems Honeywell and Collins Aerospace are used on both Boeing and Airbus. Similarly both companies use the same companies for their radios. The newer MAX series 737s share similar CFM Leap engines. As to the warning that your flight experienced without knowing specifics I will say the Captain was 100% correct to reject takeoff. 
 

I fly study level 737-700, 737-800, and 777-300ER aircraft in MSFS. I have had cautions pop up during taxi and takeoff roll that have triggered rejects. The caution? An open door. All doors were confirmed closed and armed but my aircraft popped the caution. I do not know what triggered it but I rejected. Any number of things can trigger innocuous cautions. Its not just a boeing specific issue mind you. Airbus experiences it too but people love to hate boeing right now.

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[cubinator]

On 8/5/2024 at 7:41 PM, Zozaf Kerman said:

The captain stated that there was some sort of warning light on, that if had happened during flight, would not affect the flight in any way. The only reason the takeoff had been aborted twice with this warning was to avoid legal issues if something else happened and this warning light was on. With all the mishaps going on with various Boeing aircraft, it’s not really a good look on them as a company.

I'm pretty sure stuff like this happens all the time at every level of aviation. There's rules for individual aircraft types, pieces of equipment, airports, airspaces, and everything in between. They're trying to keep three steps ahead of anything that could possibly turn into a dangerous situation. They say takeoff is always optional, so if everything is not 100% perfect and they still have the margin to stop that is totally the right call.

[Zozaf Kerman]

1 hour ago, cubinator said:

I'm pretty sure stuff like this happens all the time at every level of aviation. There's rules for individual aircraft types, pieces of equipment, airports, airspaces, and everything in between. They're trying to keep three steps ahead of anything that could possibly turn into a dangerous situation. They say takeoff is always optional, so if everything is not 100% perfect and they still have the margin to stop that is totally the right call.

Not saying it was a bad call, just seemed like if the aircraft was properly manufactured/maintained this issue wouldn’t have happened (based on what the captain said, for whatever that’s worth)

Edited August 7 by Zozaf Kerman

[AlamoVampire]

6 hours ago, Zozaf Kerman said:

Not saying it was a bad call, just seemed like if the aircraft was properly manufactured/maintained this issue wouldn’t have happened (based on what the captain said, for whatever that’s worth)

For what its worth air travel is logarithmic orders of magnitude safer than car travel. The notion or idea the issue arose from either poor manufacturing or a lack of proper maintenance is completely wrong. A passenger aircraft such as the 787 is heavily certified and inspected. Every so often the ENTIRE AIRCRAFT is torn apart for an inspection that will take about a MONTH to complete. Every single nut, bolt, screw, push pin, and any other component you can imagine gets taken off and out. The composite hull of the airframe gets ultrasonic exams, metal components get xrayd, the fan blades on the engines and in the apu get inspected to find even the most microscopic flaw. This level of inspection happens after so many hours of time in service.  (Several thousand airframe hours. Less extreme inspections occur much more frequently depending on level of inspection)
Even in between such invasive inspections the airframe and other components get inspected daily. Before EACH flight the Captain or First Officer will do what is called a walk around. They check EVERYTHING they can clap eyes onto. I am going to let a real airline pilot who is TYPE RATED for the 737 and A330 explain:

In the video he shows what a pilot checks prior to each flight. Prior to the flight crew getting the aircraft maintenance crews have inspected the aircraft. 
 

My point is: no matter how perfectly built or maintained an aircraft is, it is a machine. Machines break. That 787 goes from ground level to 35-40,000 feet and back down. It does this while carrying people, cargo and what ever else on the regular. It goes from a dead stop to nearly mach 1 back to a dead stop. It will see components fail and the odd errant warning pop off from time to time. That is part and parcel to the life of a machine doing its job. Lets put this into a clear perspective. Why do things like you experienced stand out? Because they are RARE. Every 5 seconds a 737 (yes im serious) takes off somewhere on Earth. Thousands upon THOUSANDS of flights happen daily with 0 incidents. 
 

To put it another way: In 2007, the National Transportation Safety Board estimated a total of nearly 24 million flight hours. Of these 24 million hours, 6.84 of every 100,000 flight hours yielded an airplane crash, and 1.19 of every 100,000 yielded a fatal crash. This is down from an all-time high of 9.08 accidents per 100,000 hours in 1994.

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[cubinator]

Recently I learned how to solve a 4x4 Rubik's cube blindfolded. Today I looked at a 5x5 blindfolded tutorial, and it's quite similar. I think I can do it, it's just a much longer memorization that'll take me more time.

[AlamoVampire]

@cubinator neat! Good luck on the endeavor!

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[cubinator]

5 minutes ago, AlamoVampire said:

@cubinator neat! Good luck on the endeavor!

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Thanks!

[AlamoVampire]

I keep forgetting just how abyssal it feels to be over open ocean at night. Im doing a flight from Honolulu to LA in the 777-300ER and as i type ive been airborne 1 hour and im out over the Pacific. Im scheduled to land 0940z my aircraft suggests 0925z. Either way its just me and my aircraft flying through just the darkest dark you could think of. Sure the stars are above me. But the moon a sliver at my 8 oclock as the last faint oranges of sunset fade behind me. BTW im at FL370 and my aircraft says its +9°C up here. Cant even escape summer heat over the Pacific. Welp ive another 3.5 hours to go. I wont see any lights beyond my own for at least 3.25 hours…

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minor correction. My FUEL was at +9°C now its at +6°C while its -19°C outside. I feel dumb for misreading my displays. But its been more than a week since ive flown so lol. 1h28m elapsed flight time. Still on track for an 0925z arrival in LAX just 3 hours away!

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im showing 549 knots across the ground or un water lol. In mph? 631.778mph! A near direct 70 knot or 80.5546mph tail wind is helping! TAS or Total Air Speed is showing 481 knots or 553.525mph. Cant say this 777-300ER is being slow huh.

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just shy of 2 hours to go! 2h44m elapsed so far. Fuel at -5°C. Its now -15°C outside. Passengers are likely sleeping lol.

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1 hour till landing, 30 minutes until top of descent! Been a smooth flight. I can see the Pleiades Cluster in the sky out ahead of me. Fuel has now reached -9°C still -15°C. Fasten Seat Belt signs will be switched on in 30 minutes. Make efficient use of the time.

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descent has begun. Ive switched on the fasten seatbelt signs. Please return to your seats, return your items to the over head bins or the space below the seat in front of you and securely fasten your seatbelts. We will be on the ground in about 30 minutes.

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4h45m flight time. Thank you for joining my flight. Hope you enjoyed it. I enjoyed telling you about it  PHNL-KLAX

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Edited August 8 by AlamoVampire

[Kimera Industries]

Tomorrow I am moving. Wish me luck.

[BA-Forums]

11 hours ago, Kimera Industries said:

Tomorrow I am moving. Wish me luck.

Good luck!

[AlamoVampire]

14 hours ago, Kimera Industries said:

Tomorrow I am moving. Wish me luck.

Did you remember to turn the gas off before leaving? Lol. One of us had to ask. But really, good luck!

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[DDE]

3 hours ago, AlamoVampire said:

Did you remember to turn the gas off before leaving? Lol. One of us had to ask.

My mom be like...

For three times in a row (we'd dropped gas stoves about two decades ago... so we worry about lights and taps instead)

[AlamoVampire]

50 minutes ago, DDE said:

My mom be like...

For three times in a row (we'd dropped gas stoves about two decades ago... so we worry about lights and taps instead)

Lol just as scary!

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[CatastrophicFailure]

19 hours ago, Kimera Industries said:

Tomorrow I am moving. Wish me luck.

[Kimera Industries]

The move was successful. I am ready to crash for 36 hours straight now.  

Thanks for the kind words! It means a lot.

@AlamoVampire Thankfully, we have an electric oven, so gas was not a concern.  

Edited August 11 by Kimera Industries