Yes, it does For example, I get sick just by watching this kid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfZ1NyS6Mzw

I guess I could try to force myself to fly, for a short distance, for starters. Maybe a violent method will help me solve the matter faster and more accurate.

That does my head in too. I get vertigo but the difference is, when I'm in a plane and looking out of the window, I know I can't fall. I jokingly tell people I don't mind heights but don't like drops. It happens to be true though.

Maybe you could go to a local flying club, tell them about your fears and ask for just a single circuit in one of their aircraft. I'm sure they'd be very understanding and would let you do the pre-flight walkround with the pilot. Maybe you could spend a few hours with them and take the flight as and when you feel ready. You'd know the initial flight would only take a few minutes and if you liked it, you could ask for a few more circuits. You know you're more likely to have an accident driving to the airfield than flying the circuit don't you?

Nice thread !

I have read so many do`s and dont`s, what is my best chance to get an upgrade ?

Be at the top tier of the airline's frequent flyer program. To do this you will need to fly - a lot.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/f...q9V6WgWjVwszRJ

Every heard of a similar incident? There's a password for access to the cockpit?

Top tier of elite levels is the surest way, but also flying off peak business travel times will help, occasionally. Monday mornings and Thursday nights are very heavy "high elite" periods, so avoid them if possible.

Another sure way is to pay for it.

I won't comment on any specific security related procedures. In reading this story, I'm amazed at two things: (1) the Captain asked this passenger to go to the cockpit rather than simply asking him to go get a flight attendant, and (2) the Captain then told this random passenger anything about gaining access to the cockpit. The First Officer's actions in response to this event seems very appropriate to me.

Certainly the co-pilot isn't in a position to help the Captain. "Hey buddy, hold the yoke here while I go get my captain out of the john".

Every time I listen to ATC I wonder why the f it's so freaking staticy. I can barely understand what they're saying (by that I just mean the words -- not the meaning). Can't anyone improve the audio a bit?

Could just be that the difference is that they're not using a $100 scanner (apologies if you're using a $1000 scanner which even then is way less than one of their tranceivers costs).

I think chiglet may be on to something there, because they sound just fine to me over our radios. The only static I hear these days is when I have to resort to using HF radios (position reports while out over the ocean).

Speaking of scanners, I was listening to ATC at my local airport the other day when one aircraft reported that he'd suddenly picked up a 20kt tailwind at 2000ft on finals and was looking to go around and then come in from the other direction. Within a few seconds, he reported that the 20kt tailwind had suddenly dropped to 2kts at 1200ft and that he would continue with his approach, which he did and landed without further incident. Shortly afterwards, another aircraft reported a tailwind that was out of limits for the runway in use so he did a go around and the airport officially switched runways. At no time did I ever hear the term 'wind shear' mentioned so I just wondered if there was actually a threshold above which sudden differences in wind speed and direction became officially classed as wind shear.

Just getting back to the intelligibility thing again for a second. I have noticed that aircrew flying Russian-built aircraft tend to sound like they're chewing a mouthful of marbles as they speak. Maybe they're equipped with old ex Soviet era throat mikes or something. Have you ever noticed similar on your trips to Moscow W0X0F? I'm sure it's not an accent thing.

This is pretty cool: http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=flights+overhead

I'm talking about the recordings that get posted on news stories and such. I've never listened with a scanner. The only other ATC that I listen to is United channel 9.

Let me add my voice to the chorus that is thanking you for this thread and the peek you've given us into your working world. Awesome thread.

Delta flight 1472 on 11-11-11 Tampa to Atlanta. Waiting at the end of the taxiway at runway 36L (or whatever it is since the #’s were changed for magnetic drift) as a few planes landed. Our plane then moved out onto the runway and in one continuous motion the plane made a full 360 and we wound up back where we started on the taxiway. A plane did land before we moved back onto the runway but it seemed like we would have had enough time to take off before the other plane would have touched down. What would cause a pilot to make this maneuver?

Only one thing, I'd say... instruction from ATC.

Ok smartypants , so what would cause atc to issue such instructions?

It could be that the crew advised the tower (after being cleared to line up and wait, or perhaps even being cleared for takeoff) that they would need "a minute" before beginning the takeoff roll (due to minimum engine warm-up time). In this case, with a landing plane bearing down, the tower would advise him to exit the runway and return to the hold-short point. It's better form if the pilots advise the tower of this before going onto the runway, but I've seen it happen like this.

It's also possible that the crew had some warning indication come on as they took the runway and advised the tower that they would need some time to address this issue. After exiting the runway, the crew might have rectified the minor issue and been ok to takeoff.

aside from Initial Operating Experience (IOE), is any kind of flight instruction (for pilot employed by the company) allowed during revenue pax/cargo flight?

i.e. Can the company test a pilot in the middle of the course on an actual plane during flight? (I guess not takeoff/landing, but crusing level flight)

No flight instruction takes place with passengers on board. IOE is not considered training; it's the transition from training to line operations. The idea is to show the pilot how all the procedures that have been learned in the simulator are applied in the real world. For guys who have been around in several different types, the line procedures aren't really any different so IOE becomes simply an opportunity to get comfortable with the feel of the real airplane.

For new employees, a big part of IOE is learning the pace required for getting everything ready prior to pushback, i.e. time management of such duties as preflight (inside and out), loading the flight plan, getting clearance, having required charts out and available, etc. These are things that aren't really taught in the sim. We often start our sim sessions with engines running and in position for takeoff because the emphasis is on the flight itself.

IOE is also the place where an instructor might impart some of his own "techniques" (the word usually employed when mentioning a method which is not required by company policy) for various duties and/or phases of flight.

Hello, again,

A few days ago on the descent into Kahului the pilot announced that we'd have a bumpy landing. The lady in the seat next to me was nervous and told her that I make the trip monthly and the bumps are normal as we descend between two mountains then make a U-turn to land. But that got me to wondering, do you know why the landing pattern is through the middle of Maui rather than south of the island and then straight through the middle?

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

What's the name of the book you have in the cockpit that describes all sorts of emergency procedures. Like what to do if you have stabilisator freeze or the gear failure. Usually you get a step-by-step solution in this book.

I don't know, but my guess is that this arrival is the least objectionable flight path for the locals. People don't like airplanes flying over their house.

It's called the QRH, which stands for Quick Reference Handbook. This book has procedures for handling all kinds of system failures and it also includes a checklist for evacuations.

I'm curious as to how close you have ever come to touchdown and still aborted a landing.

Many years ago, coming in to Denver, we had already passed over the end of the runway for landing and very quickly: power on, flaps up, and away we go.