RE: Ryanair Plane runs over fellow pilot!

It is nice to see an airline that has a sense of humor, it reminds me of the-gone-but-not-forgotten PSA.

Scott

RE: National Anthems

The US anthem (“The Star Spangled Banner”) is a poem describing a British attack upon Baltimore (no one remembers who won) set to the tune of a popular drinking song that is impossible to sing and only became nationally recognised 70 years ago.

Since 9/11, sporting events have added a second song to be sung before/during/after called “God Bless America” which violates our sworn allegence to the concept of Seperation of Church and State. The tune is much easier to sing, but nobody knows all the words.

At least God Save the Queen is short. We sing that same tune with the title “My Country Tis of Thee” but no one knows what that means.

If I was picking a new anthem for the US, I would go with a popular classic like “Stars and Stripes Forever” written by the same guy who wrote the Monty Python theme.

RE: Airliners you’d love to fly on

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 03-12-02 AT 01:10 AM (GMT)]This thread has ot me thinking about all the different aircraft I have had the priveledge to fly on.

As a kid in the 1960’s, I spent a lot of time on PSA’s Electras between SFO and LAX. The PSA fleet moved to 727’s and finally BAE 146’s, so I got those on my “log book.”

My first flight to Hawaii was on a Stretch DC8 in ’71. Lots of DC9’s with Hughes Air West, various MD 80 models on assorted airlines, 737’s, 747’s, 757’s, 767’s too many to count. I dimly remember a 720 ride somewhere, but I can not remember any 707 rides unless you include a KC135 that was actively refueling B52’s (I was a news photographer at the time).

My first flight to Europe was aboard a World Airways DC10, and I have flown to Hawaii a few times on Hawaiian Air’s L1011’s and DC10’s. I think there was a MD11 ride somewhere, but I could be wrong.

I haven’t had too many Airbus rides, just a round trip on Air Jamaica and a cool ride to Mexico on Aero Mexico with the pilot’s door open (!) the whole trip so you could see the glass cockpit.

A couple different DASH variants, and some wierd three turbo prop short haul machine between Cancun and Cozumel.

A ton of Cessna products, and a couple of rides in a Beech Baron, a King Air and a Citation.

A round trip in a COD with a carrier landing and takeoff (The takeoff was without catapault. The lightly loaded COD started at the arrestor lines and took off without assitance from the deck). I also got a ride in the back seat of a T-6 Texan that included some inverted flight.

I have been aboard, but not actually flown in a C46, B17, B25, UH60, B52, C130 and the Looking Glass variant of the KC135.

Helicopters include Bell 47, a UH-1A, Jet Ranger, Eurostar, Gazelle, Bocall (spelling? the Messerschimt twin engine) Hughes 500 and a Sikorsky whose model number escapes me.

I have had a ride in the Goodyear blimp, but never in a hot air ballon or a glider which I will get one day.

My fantasy rides include a modern fighter and the Concorde.

Scott

RE: Jokes about your own Nationality/Country!!

A Texan walks into an Irish pub and announces, “I’ll pay $500 to any man who can drink 10 pints of Guiness in a half hour.”

No one takes his challenge, but one Irishman runs out the door. About 35 minutes later the same fellow comes back in the pub and asks the Texan, “Is your offer still good?”

The Texan says it is, and the Irishman procedes to down ten pints within a half hour.

The Texan pays off and asks the Irishman where he went.

“I went to the pub next door to see if I could do it first.”

RE: Distance travelled while eating

My only carrier landing was aboard a COD in rear facing seats, (press junket abourd the USS Ranger off the coast of California) Absolutely right about the take-off, but the rear facers were OK for the landing.

My only carrier launch (same trip) was also in a COD but because the load was so light, we did not catapault off. Instead we launched conventionally from the arrester gear along the run off ramp. I could see flight deck above my head as we left the ramp.

RE: Aer Lingus

My sister and her husband fly LHR LAX frequently and they often fly Aer Lingus as a low priced alternative on that route. They say service is OK.

RE: Simple question for Jap buffs

While I do not know for certain, common sense leads me to believe that an arrester system of some sort was the only viable method of landing a plane on a short deck.

Is there any other viable method of taking non-rotary type caft aboard a ship?

Scott