Comments for Jetwhine

Comment on Will Army Drones Spark Interservice Rivalry? by David

David — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:27:05 +0000

It definitely is an interesting debate/battle that will likely roll on for quite some time. There is one thing you said that is inaccurate. RPA pilots in the Air Force now go through their own specialized training that is much shorter, and much more cost efficient. There may still be a few come out of regular pilot training, but RPA’s now have their own career field.

Comment on Signs of New Aviation Era are Unmistakable by Justin

Justin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:55:27 +0000

Wow it amazes me how uneducated people are about drones..honestly I think that is going to be the hindrance to implementing drones into the NAS. First of all, these drones should not be compared to a WWII blimp..the reaper (aka predator b) can fly at speeds of 250 knots and guess what? They’re developing a predator C that will have a jet engine and fly even faster and carry even more payload. Also the comment about drones not flying in the same airspace as airliners..guess what? We’ve been doing that and do it every day in Afghanistan with great success! Unfortunately the public obviously knows very little about these aircraft and their capabilities and that ignorance is going to lead to delays in implementing new technology that could actually save lives and money.

Comment on VOR Days Numbered in FAA Proposal by Kent Johns

Kent Johns — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:47:32 +0000

Funny you should say that. I have in my garage an Amstrad (British brand) computer from the mid 80′s with an 8088 processor and if I hook it up to a transformer to step the house current up to 220 volts, still runs perfectly. How many computers have you gone through in the last ten years? They don’t make ‘em like they used to…But that’s beside the point.

Sounds like you may have just made a case for going back to ADF as a backup system. The transmitters aren’t bothered by trees, cell towers or windmills and any licensed ham radio guy can build one. Now if we could only remember where we put all that old hardware we had pulled out of our airplanes ten years ago…

Comment on VOR Days Numbered in FAA Proposal by Steve Thompson

Steve Thompson — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:47:36 +0000

“I think what everyone has failed to realize here is that the current VOR systems are based on skylab technology.”

“Now we are told that parts for VORs are getting hard to find. Really? Are you trying to tell me that the VORs and VORTACs are old tube types? And how long would it take to get them to solid state with board replacement (no one does component level repair with Large Scale Integrated Circuits (CHIPS))?”

No, I’d say that wasn’t lost on some of us. Some of us still remember crank phones. Now we have these pesky iPhones. Just like that technology moved on, so has RF technology. A transmitter that used to weigh about 1 ton, now weighs about 80%? less and uses 50%? less electricity for the same power output.

Just need to write an RFP/RFQ and take bids.

As for signal blocking, it would be nice if you knew what you were talking about. The airways would be non-usable if what you are alleging were true.

– I fly using both GPS (IFR) and VORs (DFW area, try to get an IFR clearance without a SID/STAR). I pay attention to min reception altitudes, areas where a VOR can’t be received below xxx MSL if y miles away. I’m not running into a lot of these.

Comment on VOR Days Numbered in FAA Proposal by Dennis Goldman

Dennis Goldman — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:48:37 +0000

I think what everyone has failed to realize here is that the current VOR systems are based on skylab technology. The circuit cards and chips are no longer manufactured by anyone. Environmental situations around VOR’s have caused major problems…it would take millions of dollars to cut all the trees that have placed major restrictions on facilities, not to mention windmills and cell towers. How many of us are still using a computer running on an 8088 processor or a 300 baud modem ?. So I guess the real question with all the current federal budget cuts is.. Where is the money going to come from to design and procure a replacement for the existing system ? The answer is… unless there is a whole lot of outcry to keep the system it is going to become history.

Comment on Signs of New Aviation Era are Unmistakable by deacon of noise

deacon of noise — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:43:36 +0000

Drones are in ascendency until the sad day when one of them fails and downs an airliner. It is not a matter of if it will happen, but when will it happen. Data link redundancy did not prevent the runaway drone last year over the East coast, neither did it prevent a top secret spy drone to falling in Iranian hands. Drones should be restricted to war zones, or restricted military airspace. They should not ever share the airspace with airliners, and they should be separated from such airspace by large buffer zones.

Comment on Signs of New Aviation Era are Unmistakable by Christopher

Christopher — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:58:47 +0000

UAV’s are the future for mail transport, defense, etc. But when it comes time for me to get on an airliner and travel to another city, I need some “skin in the game.” When it comes to human civilian transport, there should always be a qualified pilot at the controls of the airplane, even if the auto-pilot is in control most of the way!

Comment on Signs of New Aviation Era are Unmistakable by Jabber S

Jabber S — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:33:22 +0000

It will be a very long time, if EVER, that a commerical aircraft will be pilotless. If we aren’t running subways and busses that way, why would someone hop into an airliner on a commercial flight without a pilot?

Comment on Signs of New Aviation Era are Unmistakable by John Fair

John Fair — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:23:34 +0000

Too bad the rest of the world has yet to jump on this drone band wagon. Maybe they know something the U.S. has over looked. Like drones would be cannon fodder for even WWII era fighters. They fly straight and level, they fly very slowly (WWI era fighter speed) and would put up absolutely no fight at all. Kind of like shooting down a WWI blimp.

While the rest of the world buys U.S. foreign sale F35 the U.S. transitions to a drone air force. Forgetting that starting with WWI the side with air supremacy almost always won the war. If the U.S. is counting on drones to be their air superior fighter then we all lose.

Comment on Signs of New Aviation Era are Unmistakable by David

David — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:09:54 +0000

I have no doubt that UAVs will continue to grow at an increasing rate, and that it will have a tremendous impact on aviation as a whole. That being said there will still be pilots for a very long time to come, in the aircraft.

They said there were more UAV pilots trained than fighter and bomber pilots combined, but what they don’t point out is that fighters and bombers are a small percentage of the number of pilots trained period. There are way more pilots in airlift platforms.

I still think we will have a couple of manned aircraft to include the next generation bomber. While many jobs can be filled by a computer, there is simply no replacement for a human being in the cockpit at certain times. Besides that, there are very few platforms with only a pilot in the plane, and if you are going to carry other people, why on earth wouldn’t you carry a pilot or two.

UAV’s are the wave of the future, but they will not be adopted as quickly as some people would like to think.

Comment on Will Aviation Biofuel be New Farm Subsidy? by Marc

Marc — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:47:03 +0000

Hydrogen fuel would be best solution, but no available technology at present.

Comment on Will Aviation Biofuel be New Farm Subsidy? by Daniel

Daniel — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:29:14 +0000

It seems that biofuell is not good option at all.

Comment on Aviation: It’s ALWAYS About The Passengers by Steve Tobias

Steve Tobias — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:51:28 +0000

I learned to fly back in the day when many of the instructors and others that hung around airports were old school commercial or former military pilots. The desire to behave and perform in a professional manner was ingrained in me and my contemporaries. Even though I have never been in a position to get paid for flying my passengers around, they, and their safety, comfort, and perception, were always my number one priority. Captains, both air and sea, were once held in the highest regard. Unfortunately that has been lost. As a training aid, any person who will be in a position to command while serving passengers, should be required to study the well documented flight of Captain Sullenberger and First Officer Skiles. They set an old school example of how to behave during a crisis and also in the media blitz that followed!

Comment on Will Aviation Biofuel be New Farm Subsidy? by Robert E. Coli

Robert E. Coli — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:24:47 +0000

$26 dollars a gallon? Makes me green just thinking about it.

Still, it does bode well for our own biomass refining facility…
http://www.thrombyair.com/2011/03/thromby-goes-green/

Comment on Aviation: It’s ALWAYS About The Passengers by Jason

Jason — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 07:06:18 +0000

Great post Rob, but I also believe that it does not just apply to circumstances where an emergency or crisis is prevalent, but also to all aspects of a flight.

Before a flight in GA I am sure to explain to my passenger what to expect, what to look out for on the active, and just in general what to do when there is an emergency.

Once all that is out of the way there is no reason not to enjoy the flight, and you know that your passengers understand what is going on. In Commercial operations I believe Jeff hit the nail on the Coffin, just remain calm, and reassure.

Comment on Aviation: It’s ALWAYS About The Passengers by Evan

Evan — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:48:07 +0000

Great post Rob, and some excellent responses. I think we’re seeing a lack of professionalism because we (pilots) have lost sight of what it means to ACT like a professional. Perhaps it’s because the pilot profession has lost its luster? Perhaps it’s because some groups feel as though they aren’t treated with respect by their management? … There’s no one answer, but I firmly believe that if we treat others like they deserve to be treated (like a professional), they will act like one when the time arises.

Comment on Aviation: It’s ALWAYS About The Passengers by Rob Mark

Rob Mark — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:06:56 +0000

As someone mentioned to me in a private e-mail, I failed to include a salient fact in the Costa Concordia tragedy.

As the ship began taking on water, the crewmembers making the PA announcements were telling passengers not to worry and that there was nothing wrong.

Whether they actually knew the facts or had been told by the boss what to say matters little to me.

In a crisis, tell them the truth … as calmly as you can … but tell them the truth. When you’re in charge and playing with people’s lives, those passengers have a right to know.

Comment on Aviation: It’s ALWAYS About The Passengers by Robert Mark

Robert Mark — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:18:03 +0000

I guess I’m not sure whether it is a general malaise as Paul put it, but in all the Saturday morning flying club breakfasts I sit in on and then aspects of flight training I regularly see and hear discussed, the Pilot in Command concept may occasionally pop up, but seldom the meat of the discussion … as in how that means the pilot is actually expected to behave.

Rob

Comment on Aviation: It’s ALWAYS About The Passengers by Douglas

Douglas — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:13:34 +0000

I agree with you entirely Rob. All we are taught in flight training (Part 91) is to show the passengers how to fasten the seatbelt and open the door.

I suspect that more information is imparted on the move up to Part 121 or Part 135. Alas how many CFIs do we have with such experience-not many I suspect.

Comment on Aviation: It’s ALWAYS About The Passengers by Paul Heim

Paul Heim — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:10:14 +0000

It seems to me that there is some concern in the whole transportation industry lately on “professionalism” of which “responsibility” is a big part. Many aviation magazines are carrying articles on the subject.

This is probably the result of a number of recent accidents in which the crew members could not or did not function in a professional way. Is this a general malaise in the population?

Back in the old days before GPS and glass cockpits, we seniors and Captains tried to make this an important aspect of the training of new cockpit residents.

Is this no longer being done in the age of automation?