Post New Article

My Pilot’s Nickname Is “Bottom Gun”

Original Article

Posted By: earlybird, 8/11/2019 1:10:32 PM

I have this strong suspicion that the airlines are lying to us every time they say, “We have some weather ahead.” “Some weather ahead” means…a rainstorm. There’s no need to turn back. Didn’t America invent the airplane? Haven’t we had 116 years to figure out how to fly through a rainstorm? Don’t they have guys at Boeing running weather algorithms on the aerodynamics of pushing through a Category 5 hurricane with military cargo planes because the fate of the Western world might depend on it? (Snip I would say about a third of those flights have been delayed, canceled (meaning I was supposed to take a previous

Comments:

Joe Bob on that fun thing known as “air travel”… (Or “maybe air travel"?)

Post Reply

Reply 1 - Posted by: earlybird 8/11/2019 1:11:29 PM (No. 149154)
FTA: The late Herb Kelleher, founder of Southwest Airlines, whose pioneering use of the 737 was the subject of my obituary earlier this year, had a rule for his pilots: Wheels up on time, wheels down on time. You saw the turbulence coming and you flew through the turbulence. Of course, all the pilots he hired from the Navy and the Air Force would know that already because they had thousands of missions in horrendous weather with ridiculous landing situations. When the winds are 20 knots and the aircraft carrier is bobbing in 30-foot seas, you still keep the plane right-side up and get the f**king wheels down. They know how to do this.
7 people like this.

Reply 2 - Posted by: VinGoombatz 8/11/2019 1:22:30 PM (No. 149163)
Bring back the coach-and-four. As in horses.
1 person likes this.

Reply 3 - Posted by: F16 guy 8/11/2019 2:26:19 PM (No. 149197)
I only have 30+ years of flying experience (Navy, Air National Guard, commercial US airline), but we NEVER fly through thunderstorms. Rain showers are OK, and the cockpit radar display clearly delineates the difference. Turbulence can be foretasted, or not. You never know about whether its there or not. The best way to know is by listening to the aircraft ahead of you at the same altitude. The reasons for flight delays are numerous, and a late afternoon flight delay from PHX to ABQ with clear skies might have originated in Maine earlier that day or the night before. There are 87,000 flights per day in the USA. Delays, turbulence, and lousy food are realities in air travel. Give your crew the credit they deserve.
13 people like this.

Reply 4 - Posted by: Strike3 8/11/2019 2:38:26 PM (No. 149209)
JB eloquently describes one of the many reasons that I quit traveling by air. Normally when you have a bad experience with one company, you move on to the competition but what do you do when they all suck? In my long business career I have heard every lie and excuse that could be invented by man. I have been stuck in hellhole airports like Chicago and Philadelphia overnight. I have ended up in West Virginia when my ticket was purchased to northern Pennsylvania. They are especially adept at blaming every conceivable problem on the weather so they do not have to give you anything to compensate for your suffering. I agree on the comments about pilot quality and courage. I have flown on Coast Guard seaplanes in typhoons while the ocean one hundred feet below was nothing but white caps. I refuse to put up with this poor excuse for customer service and prefer four or two wheels now everywhere I go. I don't care if it takes longer. Nothing beats a fourteen hour trip by plane to cover three hundred miles.
5 people like this.

Reply 5 - Posted by: DVC 8/11/2019 2:49:18 PM (No. 149215)
Some of this is just foolishness, some is real. Like the fuel balance case. The fuel in the wings has to be reasonably close to the same amount to keep the aircraft from tilting due to the imbalance. If somebody screwed up and added too much to one side, it has to be pumped over to the other side, and that takes time. As to weather....most of the problem has nothing to do with FLYING through it, it has to do with airport parallel runways. In clear weather, close together parallel runways can be used safely with aircraft closer to each other, because the pilots can see to keep clear of other aircraft. In weather where visibility is gone, the aircraft can still fly, but since they can't see another aircraft to avoid it, the air traffic controllers have to space the aircraft out more, and often parallel runways cannot be used, so the airport rate of landing aircraft is cut in half immediately. Add in longer trailing spacing and it is more like to 1/3 of what can be handled in clear weather for some airports. And regardless of how much this guy thinks we have advanced, a thunderstorm can literally tear an aircraft apart, so you don't just go busting through them intentionally. You have to go around. And even if the aircraft was structurally safe in the thunderstorm, the passengers would be bouncing around and scared to death in severe turbulence. Not scaring the hell out of the passengers is an important airline goal. Dumb, uninformed, misinformed article overall. He gets in some nice digs, and some airlines no doubt deserve them, and I have no doubt that many non-weather related events are blamed on the weather to CYA for crummy airlines. But mostly, weather is still in charge, and slows down everything in air transportation.
3 people like this.

Reply 6 - Posted by: Penny Spencer 8/11/2019 2:50:43 PM (No. 149217)
This is a very enjoyable read, but I don't agree with Joe Bob. I prefer that the airlines don't, ''Beat me up, twirl me around, give me that weightless feeling when the bottom drops out..." thank you very much. Been there, done that a few times in the past and I didn't like it. I'd rather be late and unruffled than on time and traumatized. More importantly, I want the plane to land where it's supposed to, not in the middle of a jungle or several yards short of the runway! #3 has it right. Thunderstorms are bad news for planes and are best avoided.
3 people like this.

Reply 7 - Posted by: Vesicant 8/11/2019 3:17:56 PM (No. 149231)
Sure, weather could affect fuselages and airport runways, but the real problem is the complaints the airline would get from the self-important scaredy cats who get jostled by a little turbulence. And yes, I've been through "drop 200 feet instantaneously" incidents, and those aren't what I'm talking about.
2 people like this.

Reply 8 - Posted by: red1066 8/11/2019 3:46:31 PM (No. 149242)
When I first started traveling by air I thought the whole process was an adventure. Now after over 35 years of that adventure, I'm just tired of the whole process. My company recently wanted me to go to Syracuse NY for business. I said ok, I'll drive up. It should take about six hours to do so. My boss said, " Don't drive, it's too far. Take a plane". Before I could argue that about the cost of flying versus driving they had issued me a plane ticket to fly from Baltimore to Syracuse. Trouble was, it wasn't a non stop flight. First I flew to Philly. An 18 min flight that flew at tree top level. Once in Philly I sat around for 2.5 hours before the flight 50 min to Syracuse. Coming back was even longer. I left Syracuse at 11am, and arrived in Baltimore after 7pm. The process is just too exhausting anymore.
4 people like this.

Reply 9 - Posted by: czechlist 8/11/2019 5:06:04 PM (No. 149277)
I took my first flight in 1968. Dallas Love to LAX on Delta. Everyone was clean, well dressed and polite. Now passengers are rude, crude and too often reek. Flying has become an unbearable experience for me. When I retired I donated my miles to make a wish. I don't care to ever fly again.
4 people like this.

Reply 10 - Posted by: Chris Jr. 8/11/2019 6:39:59 PM (No. 149331)
A humorous article & a pleasant read - Thank you, earlybird... :)
0 people like this.

Reply 11 - Posted by: thewarden 8/11/2019 8:04:55 PM (No. 149384)
Well, I hate flying. I just don’t like the sensation, turbulence, and being crammed into a tube with strangers. Yuck. Took my first flight across the US in 1970 when I was 6, when people dressed for air travel (mom made me wear a dress), and behaved themselves. We had full meals! I’ve flown all over. But now, I prefer to drive. I was to take a short 1.5 hour flight on SWA upstate this Friday to meet my husband on his way back from a driving trip so we can visit family nearby. Thank God office issues changed his plans and now we will drive the 9 hours together—and I am SO relieved. I admire pilots—what a responsibility! I hate weather, though...and flying now, too. It’s just too much these days.
2 people like this.

Below, you will find ...
Most Recent Articles posted by "earlybird"
and
Most Active Articles (last 48 hours)
Most Recent Articles posted by earlybird"
Arizona and Montana Take Legal Action
Against Biden Admin ICE Arrest
Regulations
0 replies
Posted by earlybird 3/9/2021 4:01:19 PM Post Reply
Arizona and Montana are taking legal action (pdf) to block new Biden administration immigration regulations, saying that these would cause negative consequences for the states. The new rules would limit the capability of ICE to detain some illegal immigrants unless they pose a threat to national security, entered through the border after Nov. 1, or committed aggravated felonies. The Biden administration says that the rules don’t impair arresting or deporting people, but the officers in the field would need to request permission from their superiors to arrest people outside of the aforementioned cases.“If asked about the poorest policy choice I’ve ever seen in government, this would be a strong contender,”
Reparation H 9 replies
Posted by earlybird 3/9/2021 2:40:45 PM Post Reply
Get ready, black America! You’re about to get forty acres from a fool. President Biden has announced the formation of a commission to study the feasibility of giving reparations to every black American as a way to make up for that slavery thing that The New York Times tells us America couldn’t have existed without. But even as Biden christened the exploratory committee, one of his own senior advisers declared that black America ain’t gonna wait on no “committee” or “study.”“(Snip)We’re going to start acting now,” White House senior adviser Cedric Richmond told Axios last week. Are you sitting down? Richmond is…black! Ha! What a twist! Didn’t see that coming, huh?
DHS Pleads for Volunteers to Assist With
‘Overwhelming’ Surge at Southern Border
12 replies
Posted by earlybird 3/9/2021 2:05:59 PM Post Reply
he Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday requested that its staff volunteer to assist in dealing with an “overwhelming” migrant surge at the U.S.-Mexico border, as the Biden administration continues to deny that there’s a crisis. “Today I activated the Volunteer Force to support Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as they face a surge in migration along the Southwest Border,” DHS Secretary Mayorkas said in an email to staff Monday, obtained by several news outlets. “You have likely seen the news about the overwhelming numbers of migrants seeking access to this country along the Southwest Border,” Mayorkas said.
DHS Alejandro Mayorkas Admits:
‘Overwhelming Numbers of Migrants’
Rushing Southern Border
5 replies
Posted by earlybird 3/9/2021 2:01:08 PM Post Reply
With the relaxed border policies of President Joe Biden, “overwhelming numbers of migrants” are rushing the U.S. border, according to Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). (Snip) “Today, I activated the Volunteer Force to support Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as they face a surge in migration along the Southwest Border,” Mayorkas said in an email to staff, (Snip) “You have likely seen the news about the overwhelming numbers of migrants seeking access to this country along the Southwest Border,” he said. “President Biden and I are committed to ensuring our Nation has a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system while continuing to balance all of the other
Exclusive: Biden Admin Restricts Senior
DHS Officials from Sharing Border Crisis
Info with Reporters
4 replies
Posted by earlybird 3/9/2021 1:54:52 PM Post Reply
A senior-level law enforcement source in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Breitbart Texas they received verbal orders from within the agency limiting their ability to speak freely about the growing crisis along the border. The official with knowledge of the restrictions spoke under the condition of anonymity (Snip) “The situation with media relations now is night and day compared to the last administration,(Snip) “We have been advised not to speak on immigration issues at the border and to rely on DHS’s Office of Public Affairs and the Whitehouse Press Office to handle messaging.” The verbal order applies to senior law enforcement leaders within DHS and has no formal expiration date.
Obama’s Wingmen Set to Take Over Justice
Department Again
2 replies
Posted by earlybird 3/9/2021 1:24:48 PM Post Reply
In his first public remarks, Joe Biden’s acting deputy attorney general promised he would spare no resource in the nationwide manhunt for anyone involved in the Capitol breach on January 6. (Snip) Carlin referred to the Capitol melee as an example of “violent extremism.” If Carlin’s name rings a bell, here’s why. Carlin headed Barack Obama’s National Security Division at the Justice Department for more than two years; his office handled all the evidence presented to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) seeking permission to spy on suspected enemies of America.
‘Blue Anon’ Strikes a Nerve—Naturally,
Big Tech Is Trying to Censor It
3 replies
Posted by earlybird 3/9/2021 1:07:32 PM Post Reply
A new term has entered the political lexicon in recent months, and it appears to have left-wing activists sputtering with rage. Conservatives on social media have been using “Blue Anon” to describe Democrats who believe in various government-sanctioned conspiracy theories, leading some on the Left to attempt to censor the potent term. The very first sighting of “Blue Anon” on Twitter was in August 2018, (Tweet)Aaron Maté, a left-wing investigative journalist, and the Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway helped popularize the term two years later.(Tweets) last month, Nordau used the term “Blue Anon” to frame the left as the most prolific conspiracy theorists.
The Current Balance Sheet of American
Democracy
0 replies
Posted by earlybird 3/9/2021 1:01:08 PM Post Reply
With any reservations about the integrity of the 2020 presidential election being willfully suppressed by most of the national political media and social media, and the Democrats as the governing party in the White House, and the Capitol torquing up to try to secure the adoption of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s bill H.R. 1, it is time to examine the condition of American democracy. (Snip) The roles of the United States and even to some degree, France, were more prominent in inspiring the masses of the world with the vision of democratic rule, (Snip)France proclaimed its faith in liberty, equality, and fraternity
Biden Admin Officials Had Roles in Probes,
Surveillance of Trump Campaign
3 replies
Posted by earlybird 3/9/2021 12:26:03 PM Post Reply
As Joe Biden constructs his new administration, individuals from the Obama administration are quietly resurfacing in positions of power. Some of these people are well known, others lesser so. But they all played critical roles at various times during the Obama administration. Susan Rice, Obama’s national security adviser and now the “top adviser to the president on domestic policy and related decisions,” has admitted to participating in the unmasking of members of the Trump transition team. Unmasking is the process whereby a U.S. citizen’s identity is revealed from collected surveillance. Initially, Rice publicly denied the allegations, claiming that “I know nothing about this.
Biden's German Shepherd has aggressive
incident and is sent back to Delaware
12 replies
Posted by earlybird 3/9/2021 11:08:21 AM Post Reply
The two German Shepherds belonging to President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden were returned to the Biden family home in Delaware last week after aggressive behavior at the White House involving Major Biden, two sources with knowledge tell CNN. Major, who was adopted by Biden in November 2018 from a Delaware animal shelter, had what one of the people described as a “biting incident” with a member of White House security. The exact condition of the victim is unknown, however, the episode was serious enough that the dogs were subsequently moved to Wilmington (Snip) CNN reached out to the White House for comment and did not immediately receive a reply.
Biden Signs Election Executive Order to
Increase Voting by Criminals
16 replies
Posted by earlybird 3/8/2021 10:49:28 AM Post Reply
President Joe Biden signed an executive order on March 7 altering the way the federal government handles elections, including by increasing voting and voter registration access for criminals in prison and on probation. “The order will direct the Attorney General to establish procedures to provide educational materials related to voter registration and voting, and to the extent practicable, to facilitate voter registration, for all eligible individuals in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons,” a fact sheet distributed by the White House states. The order also directs the attorney general to help former prisoners obtain appropriate identification to satisfy state voting requirements.
REVEALED: DC Mayor Bowser & Cabinet
Picks Met With Top ‘Influence’ Arm Of
Chinese Communist Party.
24 replies
Posted by earlybird 3/7/2021 8:52:26 PM Post Reply
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and her appointees have repeatedly met with and hosted leaders from a leading organization in the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front. The United Front functions as China’s premier influence and propaganda organization, raising flags with the U.S. government’s Economic and Security Review Commission. It seeks to “co-opt and neutralize sources of potential opposition to the policies and authority of its ruling Chinese Communist Party” and coerce American leaders “to take actions or adopt positions supportive of Beijing’s preferred policies.”What’s more, the State Department has described the group as seeking to “directly and malignly influence” U.S. state and local leaders.
Most Active Articles (last 48 hours)
Biden's Incoherence Just Hit Critical Mass,
This Is Scary Awful
48 replies
Posted by Dreadnought 3/8/2021 11:45:49 PM Post Reply
As we reported two days ago, Joe Biden completely made no sense when he was trying to explain the Wuhan coronavirus relief bill. It was really bad and it explains why they’re afraid to have him deliver an address to Congress or do any kind of a real solo press conference, because at this point they have to be afraid this is all going to fall apart if he does anything live and this all becomes too obvious to the American people. But there’s only so long that they can hold this off. And it’s getting worse, as video today revealed. Biden was holding an event to announce the nomination
‘Huge Development’: Democrat Sen. Joe
Manchin Starts To Crack On Filibuster,
Signals Openness To Change
41 replies
Posted by Imright 3/8/2021 12:32:41 AM Post Reply
Democrat Senator Joe Manchin (WV) appears to have started to shift his views on the filibuster with remarks that he made on two news shows on Sunday morning.The shift from Manchin comes after he has repeatedly stated that he would not vote to end the filibuster, despite pressure from the far-Left. During the interviews on Sunday, Manchin repeatedly claimed that he was not open to ending the filibuster because he did not want to strip the minority party of their power in the Senate, but signaled that he was open to changing it.Fox News host Chris Wallace asked Manchin if he would consider “reforming the filibuster” if “Republicans
Evangelicals For Biden ‘Feel Used And Betrayed’
By Biden Fulfilling His Radical Abortion Promises
37 replies
Posted by Calvinesq 3/8/2021 10:37:51 AM Post Reply
In an open letter released Sunday, Pro-Life Evangelicals for Biden urged him to “honor his commitment” and include the Hyde Amendment in Democrats’ $1.9 trillion COVID-19 spending package, writing “we feel used and betrayed.” The letter states: We are very disappointed about the COVID-19 relief package’s exclusion of the Hyde Amendment, a longstanding bipartisan policy that prevents taxpayer funding for abortion. [snip] As pro-life leaders in the evangelical community, we publicly supported President Biden’s candidacy with the understanding that there would be engagement [with] us on the issue of abortion and particularly the Hyde Amendment
Meghan Markle reveals her true
self in Oprah interview
32 replies
Posted by Imright 3/8/2021 9:11:10 AM Post Reply
If you had any doubts that Meghan Markle is a manipulative piece of work, her bombshell Oprah interview Sunday night dumping on the British monarchy would set you straight. Prince Harry’s American wife accused his family of hateful racism against her baby, claimed they refused to protect her and drove her to the point of suicide.She made the incendiary and implausible charge that when she was pregnant with Archie, the royal family decreed that her unborn son would be denied the title of “prince” because her mixed race meant he might have dark skin.
Biden’s German Shepherds Shipped Back
to Delaware After ‘Biting Incident’
Involving White House Security
31 replies
Posted by Imright 3/8/2021 11:38:50 PM Post Reply
Joe and Jill Biden’s German Shepherds were shipped back to Delaware after a “biting incident” involving White House security, CNN reported.Major was adopted by Joe Biden and his handler wife Jill in 2018 from an animal shelter.Major and Champ moved into the White House in January and they’re already gone. The condition of the victim was not disclosed but it was serious enough to remove both dogs from the White House.CNN reported: The two German Shepherds belonging to President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden were returned to the Biden family home in Delaware last week
Pelosi’s HR1 bill a blatant power grab for Democrats 30 replies
Posted by FlyRight 3/8/2021 5:28:52 AM Post Reply
Nancy Pelosi’s top priority is to turn America into a one-party nation ruled by Democrats. Her bill HR 1 trashes the U.S. Constitution in an attempt to rig the system and make it virtually impossible to elect a Republican president or Congress again. It’s a power grab. The bill eviscerates state voting laws and forces all the states to conform to a set of rules that includes automatic voter registration. Anyone who goes to a DMV or applies for food stamps, Medicaid or other social services, or attends a public college will be automatically enrolled to vote. Noncitizens are obligated to identify themselves and opt out,
Biden seems to forget defense
secretary’s name, calls him
'the guy who runs that outfit'
29 replies
Posted by Ribicon 3/8/2021 8:37:17 PM Post Reply
President Biden on Monday seemed to forget Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s name at a White House event—calling the Pentagon chief “the guy who runs that outfit over there.” Biden was announcing the nomination of two female generals to lead US military combatant commands. “And I want to thank the sec—the, the, ah former general. I keep calling him general, but my, my—the guy who runs that outfit over there,” Biden said.(Snip) Earlier at the event, Biden mentioned the Defense Department leader by his name, “Secretary Austin,” while appearing to read from a teleprompter.
Oprah interview bombshells: Meghan claims
she was suicidal when she was five months
pregnant, Kate made HER cry and Royals
refused to make Archie a prince because
they were worried how 'dark' he would be
27 replies
Posted by Imright 3/8/2021 8:21:02 AM Post Reply
The Royal Family was left reeling this morning after Meghan Markle tearfully revealed that the stress of royal life made her suicidal when she was five months pregnant, claimed Archie was denied the title of prince because he is mixed-race and said Kate Middleton made her cry before she married Harry in a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.The couple also chose to reveal that they are having a baby girl to the tens of millions of people watching the CBS show broadcast in the US before accusing the Royal Family of racism and revealing the deep rift 'Megxit' has caused with Prince Charles and Prince William.
Meghan Markle openly
accuses the Royals
of racism
26 replies
Posted by Magnante 3/8/2021 5:26:07 AM Post Reply
I’m probably second to none in my dislike for Meghan Markle. There’s something unattractive about a mature woman marrying into the British Royal family with one of the world’s most expensive weddings, hanging out with the Queen, living in insane luxury…and then whining non-stop about the horror of her life. There’s something even less appealing when that woman accuses the Royal family of race hatred. And the problem is that, when it comes to that left-wing diva, Meghan Markle, it’s hard to believe most of what she says. After weeks of hype, CBS finally televised Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s interview with Oprah.
Watch: John Solomon Gives Stunning Update
in Durham’s ‘Russiagate’ Investigation
24 replies
Posted by Imright 3/8/2021 4:56:55 PM Post Reply
Without question, the vast majority of Americans who support former President Donald Trump were angry and frustrated throughout 2020 passed with barely a mention of then-U.S. Attorney John Durham’s criminal investigation into the FBI’s fraudulent “Russiagate” counterterrorism operation directed at his 2016 campaign.In the weeks before the November election, word got out that then-Attorney General William Barr wasn’t going to announce any indictments or even a report on Durham’s investigation because he did not want to influence the outcome.So far, in fact, the only indictment to come out of the Durham probe is that of former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith, who essentially got a slap on the wrist
Democrats renew calls to remove
J. Edgar Hoover's name from FBI building
24 replies
Posted by Ribicon 3/8/2021 2:56:29 PM Post Reply
Rep. Steve Cohen vowed to renew the push to remove former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover’s name from the bureau’s downtown Washington headquarters, according to an interview released Monday. Appearing on Yahoo! News’ Skullduggery podcast, the Tennessee Democrat said the effort is getting a fresh look after the release of a new movie highlighting the FBI’s secret program to discredit civil rights activists. The Washington Times in 2019 first reported Democrats’ bid to strip the longtime FBI director’s name from the bureau’s headquarters. Mr. Cohen said the impetus to revive the bid is the new movie, “Judas and the Black Messiah.” The movie details
Jill Biden, the Meghan Markle
in the WH, is egregiously
guilty of elder abuse
23 replies
Posted by Magnante 3/9/2021 4:40:38 AM Post Reply
“There must have been a moment, at the beginning, when we could have said –-no. But somehow we missed it.” Tom Stoppard The millions of Americans who were paying attention throughout the 2020 election campaign all became painfully aware of the fact that Joe Biden’s cognitive abilities were slipping and slipping fast. His wife, as the person closest to him, should have been the one to call the campaign quits in order to reduce stress on the man. Instead, apparently so anxious to become the First Lady by any means necessary, Mrs. Biden continued to push her failing husband’s campaign forward as if he were mentally qualified.
Post New Article