New Mission Applications: These aircraft will cause the most fundamental change to the US airline system since the first arrival of the jet airliner 40 years ago. The name is a misnomer: The 50-seat jet is no more a “regional” aircraft than a… ( read an analyst’s opinion )
All posts by cs
drama
The passengers were in a buoyant mood and prepared to celebrate something-or-other. 10 minutes prior to departure a champagne bottle went off and doused the flight attendant. The captain was not amused. With numerous flight crews caught lately in media cross hairs for intoxication, its a situation. Too have the FA reeking of alcohol, no matter how innocent the circumstances, would not do. I’m sure that there is a jumpy trigger happy security screener waiting for his moment of glory and hero status. One can’t leave such things to chance these days. Its guilty by association and guilty until proven innocent. Head for the laundry and a shower, the celebration will be delayed.
futureama
Hey! Check out them wheels! GM’s Hy-wire concept vehicle powered by skateboard chassis and hydrogen fuel cell tech.
sure! come on up!
Once every so often a young person(s) will squeeze into the flight deck during pre-boarding for a peek. Most of them will gaze with a fixed stare others you can see their eyes rolling all around and you realize that they are overwhelmed by the myriad of switches and dials and not really absorbing anything. Like a deer in headlights they can’t focus at all but I know it makes the trip more memorable for them to at least to have stepped into another world for a moment. I try to break their unease by exchanging a few simple pleasantries (although the standing warped humor/joke is — with my best Captn. Over voice — “So Johnny, have you ever been in a Turkish Sauna before?”). Never mind.
road rage
Jogging the greenway trail, (wide enough asphalt path for a medium truck), there was a right of way conflict. Dawg and I were off to the far right side but approaching head on — a road block — 5 girls wide (likely an afterschool athletic group) jogging and hogging the whole place oblivious. I suppose that I could have stepped off into the rough and let them blow by but my age and tax payer status said hold yer course. And I imagined I’d have to hunker down and take them on with a dropped shoulder. Closer and now in range I hollered “STARBOARD!” and startled, they bunched up some and cleared my way. Thankyou very much.
Now I’m sitting here wondering if I’d have done the same thing if these had been from the school football team. Hmmmm. Maybe not so tough after all…
wired
I found How Al-Qaida Site Was Hijacked to be an interesting read. It gives insight into the domain name underworld. I was especially intriqued by the use of anti-cybersquatting.
summers end
Wow! First day of school today. Butterflies and schpilkies all around. S’man explains that today is beauracracy session (BS ?) and quoting the teach’ with a sappy drawl, “okay! you know who I am — let’s get to know youuuuu”. Meanwhile the Flowerchild is taking the car with her. Another milestone. Good luck kids! Take notes!
tight shot
Rob flies by in tight formation for this shot. I’m adrift on the tube trying to keep the camera out of the spray action. Slap me 5 bro’ and hang on!
sense of security
Regarde the spare tire, a mere vestige of its former self. This one is the ubiquitous ‘space saver’, good for a limp home. It is difficult to access and requires 3 arms to put back. Not that a person is actually going to ever put this wheel on an axle. With 24 hour road side assistance and cell-phone help is on the way. But I figured, as the vehicle owner/caretaker, it is my responsibility to check it for proper inflation because you never know… This is when I realized the thing is just for show. A selling feature, or rather, something not easily explained away if it were eliminated by design. I wonder who was the first manufacturer to do away completely with the hand crank and rely totally on the electric starter and how much hand wringing anguish that decision took. The spare tire is on the endangered list.
disclaimer
Approaching an airfield inrange we pickup and transcribe a recorded message which describes current weather and field conditions. Important info like wind direction and velocity, temperature, cloud cover and visibility. Lately these broadcasts read like a book. They get longer over time with useless trivia like “Caution! Bird Activity in the vicinity of the airport”. BTW, what exactly is ‘bird activity’? Can’t they just say BIRDS? Further, why do they need to tell me this and what could I do if I saw one? Swerve?