Aviation safety tips from AOPA

Boeing 787 Dreamliner powerpoint

If you are an aviation buff, you might enjoy this powerpoint by Boeing Chief Pilot, Mike Carriker on the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. I loved the new Electronic Flight Bag - it’s a vast improvement that brings the old ‘brain bag’ into the modern era.

787 Cockpit visualization

Full body airport scanners and radiation

According to the Unversity of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter (April 2010 issue) the radiation dose you are likely to receive while going through these new, high tech, security scanners is about the equivilant to flying for two minutes in a commercial jet at 30,000 ft.

According to Mr. Maven, who spent a considerable career at 30,000 ft and higher as a commercial airline captain, this isn’t a big deal. If folks aren’t concerned about the radiation at altitude, why be concerned while walking through the machine at the airport?

According to the American College of Radiology, you would have to walk through nearly 1,000 airport scans to get the same dose of radiation as you would from one chest x-ray.

It doesn’t sound to maven like this is anything to be concerned about, but I’m sure some people will be since it is so obviously the slippery slope to the rampant socialism envisioned by Obama, Reid and Pelosi.

Snort.

Kyle Franklin Air Show Comedy Act

From ever alert reader, Bob N.

Thanks!

This is perhaps one of the most amazing examples of ‘cross control’ I’ve ever seen… that’s when he’s got the tailwheel, one of the mains and the wingtip all on the ground at one time, going straight down the centerline.

Masterful.

Kyle Franklin is an airshow professional. He is the son of legendary airshow pilot Jimmy Franklin. Kyle has been performing in airshows for over 10 years has been around aviation his entire life.

Here he’s seen at an air show routine where he plays a supposedly drunk guy who can’t fly but steals an airplane and goes for a joyride.

Up close and personal with a U-2

The opening sequence of this is so very cool. Mr. Maven spent a couple weeks flight instructing several years ago over at Beale AFB in northern California, and watched the U-2 do this crazy landing manuever with the very, very fast cars. They need the cars - with their drivers - to give them additional information as they come in to land, since visibility from a U-2 stinks.

Having known a few U-2 pilots over the years, they’re a bit of a crazy lot. Fun, but a little different. They’re usually quite small, since the cockpit of a U-2 is extremely small and cramped - especially for hours on end during missions. One guy I knew was a bit tall for the mission, and told me how he’d have to push his back up into the plexiglas canopy really hard to relieve the cramps in his back muscles.

It’s simply amazing that there is still a mission for these very old aircraft, which are essentially a relic from the early Cold War.

Get ready for a ride:

Miles O'Brien nails it: Colgan crash and deregulation

In his usual unflinching way, veteran reporter and pilot Miles O’Brien takes a hard look at the causes of Colgan/Continental Flight 3407 that crashed in Buffalo, New York.

Here is an excerpt:

When the wreckage of Colgan/Continental Flight 3407 was still smoldering near Buffalo, I blogged that aircraft icing was a likely potential cause of the crash. Turns out, it was just icing on the cake - a cake that has been in the oven for more than thirty years now.

It was October 24, 1978 when President Jimmy Carter signed the Airline Deregulation Act.

Click to read more ...

Carrier landing video

This home video was taken to give you the experience of landing aboard an aircraft carrier. Remember the good weather, minimum speed, and landing in a 100’ area on a moving ship traveling about 30 MPH.

One thing you’ve got to remember, though, is that these folks are always landing into the wind ( the ship is turned )- unlike ground based pilots who have to just deal with wind direction, choose another runway, or an alternate airport.

Does anybody out there want to hazard a guess as to aircraft type?

Friend, Bob, who sent me this link, had this to say:

Here’s some video footage of an A-6 approaching anaircraft carrier and landing.It was taken from thecockpit by the co-pilot. The conditions are ideal…..Calm sea, daylight and a stable aircraft.

This is for all ofus who have not had the privilege - - With the volume up,you can even hear the power changes necessary to maintainprecision glide slope and prepare for bolter (a.k.a. Abort the landing) in the event the arrest wire is missed. Feels like you are in the aircraft. Imagine what this would be like at night in IMC (instrument meteorological conditions- a.k.a. Pea soup)! This is a very neat video. If you look very carefully, shortly before the plane touches down, you can see the ‘meatball’ to the left; the orange light between the row of green lights that tells the pilot he’s on heading and on glide slope. If you can’t imagine landing on a moving postage stamp, this is it!!