While flying to Denver this past Sunday, I entered the arrival into the FMS and then went to confirm the points and proper speed and altitude constraints. The fixes on the arrival are intersections, which are simply Lat/Lon points, each having a five character name. When the facilities name these fixes, they often use names that reflect the local culture. For example, one arrival into Las Vegas has fixes named LUXOR and KSINO. But they can also just reflect a sense of humor.

I saw these fixes on my FMS going into Denver and took a picture of the display to share with you...

And this is why I love this thread. Is there anywhere else you can get this kind of stuff all collected in one place?

Looking through some other pics I took and I don't think I ever shared this one, showing one of the simulator bays in Atlanta. These sims are for various aircraft types, including 737, 767, 777 and Airbus 330.

What aspects of the simulator bay feel the most real and the least real?

I assume you are referring to the experience when inside the simulator. It used to be that the part that felt the least real was ground operations, i.e. taxiing around the airport. All of the ground structures and taxiway/runway markings were generic. During my recent training, I was amazed at the detail of the buildings, including the gate areas. Also, the taxiways and runways were exactly what the taxi diagram showed for the specific airport. The icing on the cake was the feel of taxiing. I could feel the bumps associated with the seams in the pavement. Very realistic.

Here’s a picture from the simulator while lined up for takeoff on runway 08R at Atlanta. Note the building over to the left, with the slanted side. That’s the Renaissance Hotel and it’s where I was staying during my month of training. The view is very realistic.

Can I safely assume you weren't landing in Denver, and those fixes were to navigate around the airport?

I plugged those into https://skyvector.com/ to see where they were located, and that path makes no sense to me for a landing approach.

Then again, I'm not a pilot, just someone who became interested after falling down a Kennedy Steve ATC rabbit hole on YouTube.

No, we were landing at Denver. We were on the KOHOE 3 RNAV Arrival and those fixes take you on a downwind leg for landing to the north on one of four runways (35L/R, 36L/R). After the last fix (BARRK), the approach controller will give vectors to turn right and join one of the approaches.

Hey W0X0F and well done on a great thread! This has probably been answered thousands of times, but what would you recommend to a person scared/terrified of flying? My fair is pretty irrational, I am fully aware of how everything works and have flown hundreds of times including several long haul and ultra long haul flights but still every single time I sit down for take-off I just lose it. I just cannot stand the fact that I am travelling at supersonic speed in a metal box 32 000 feet above ground with two pilots being in control of everything + the fact that the smallest fire or anything could easily take us down.

For me it is usually the first 30 minutes of flying that is the absolute worst. Once we reach cruising altitude I tend to relax and almost enjoy the flight. But 25++ years of flying just haven´t eliminated this irrational fear and I cannot understand how people around me can fly without a single worry.

Would it help to know you aren’t flying at supersonic speed or that you can’t easily be taken down (as evidenced by the millions of flight legs flown without incident)?

But yah, it is a common fear. You could try some counseling/therapy if you find that your irrational fears (whatever they might be) cross a threshold and begin impacting your life negatively (like if you begin to become reclusive and stop traveling altogether).

What works best for me is to take 2 graval shortly before boarding. The drowsy stuff. Literally Knocks you out so hard your unable to even think irrationally.

Also noticed on your Denver picture that northeast (I assume those points are over the South Platte river), fish get involved.

I'm not so sure that is as big on fishing as mountain streams, but a nice touch.

Thanks for sharing that, pretty funny.

Maybe they were instructed to go around or made the decision just prior to minimums. I was always taught to fly the airplane first and talk later (especially with ATC).

There's more gold in there: KOHOE, SLMON, SPAWN, MNNOW.

Oops. Just saw golddog's post above.

Good catch. Didn't notice that.

Well, yes, that goes without saying (I had to fight my first instinct to say "duh"). But it sounds like they never said a word about it. Once the go-around maneuver is accomplished and the plane is stable for another approach, the pilots should make a PA.

Turns out it was already done almost 70 years ago. Minus the parachute.

Delta will be starting 737 service from JFK to SNA this October. That should be a fun takeoff for our OP here. SNA known for strict takeoff rules, and this will be furthest SNA destination.

I flew in and out of SNA a couple of times in the 757. Arrival there isn't bad. It's the noise abatement departure that's "interesting." I would welcome a trip that way.

Just back from a trip with both Saturday and Sunday nights in Las Vegas. I have the same trip coming up this next weekend. Starts off (Saturday) with JFK to Salt Lake City, a three hour sit, and then a short flight to LAS. Next day, we fly to Detroit and then right back to LAS for a 26 hour layover and we finish with the red eye back to New York on Monday night.

Wat, you get no Memorial Day holiday?

Of course I do. I'll just be spending it in Las Vegas.

Ha! Me too. The WSOP starts the day after.

W0X0F:

Maybe you've already addressed this in a previous reply, but I'm curious about something ...

I suppose this kind of situation is routinely practiced under "Emergency Procedures" in the simulator, but I wonder if you've ever been Pilot-In-Command when the ailerons (or the elevator or rudder) either jammed or became inoperable? How serious would it be if one of these major flight control surfaces failed to respond to pilot input? A secondary question: How often does this kind of "emergency" occur? (I'm guessing maybe once every 100,000 flights.)

Given that there are about 100,000 commercial flights per day, I'd say that estimate is a bit high.