I truly relish the Boeing bashers that do not fact check before bomb throwing. Oil & Gas companies, and pharmaceutical companies contribute far more than any other entity in this country. B. Littlejohn is correct in his observation about subsidies from five gov'ts in the EU for Airbus Industries. Talk about a flying carpet, there you go!

(Written on 10.06.2019)(Permalink)

Let me state for the record that I feel the Loewy scheme is iconic as well as great. That being said, I do feel that any proposed change should be carefully considered. However San Fran Nan, just wants to stick her nose into anything while she can. I do not think she would have been as much of a gadfly toward the Kennedys had she been in the same spot then. No paint scheme has come close to being as garish as the 'Independence' when Truman was in office! I would also suggest a look at the colors on the E-4 aircraft. Simple, and yet bold.

(Written on 06.06.2019)(Permalink)

I guess San Fran Nan wants to flex her political muscle over the executive branch, hmmm? I wonder if her office has ever reimbursed the SAM office for both times she has been Speaker and demanded one of their aircraft for her personal use. Last time I heard, only the President & Vice President & their families were to use gov't aircraft. If it was for personal use, and not official business, the US gov't had to be reimbursed for the cost. Has this changed?

(Written on 05.06.2019)(Permalink)

Hey sports fans! Look at the second sentence, not just the headline. The New York Slimes, CLAIMS they have once again an exclusive. Translation, more media bulls**t in search of a story. There are no assumptions in flying, only the weather is unpredictable. I, for one am firmly grounded in believing that if the test crews had found something amiss, they would have made it known to their supervisors. It is becoming glaringly obvious to me that far to many are letting the bottom feeders in the media speculate about what could be wrong, and not letting the investigation be completed.

(Written on 04.06.2019)(Permalink)

Mr. Munoz has some real brass making a comment like that considering the misfires that United has had during his tenure. I would feel better flying on a 737 MAX than I did on a Reeve Aleutian Airways Electra many years ago. Besides, pishield is quite correct in observing there is no substitute for experience when snakes crop up on the flight deck. Also, the Diesel 10 is proof of the maxim, "Nothing can be made foolproof, because fools are ingenious".

(Written on 31.05.2019)(Permalink)

Anyone ever notice that when a comrade lib spouts some their usual drivel, they get angry when they are challenged? Any change from the standard airport food is welcome. Just because they do not have the lib values of Starbucks or Wolfgang Puck is no reason to get infantile over it.

(Written on 28.05.2019)(Permalink)

I may be an old-timer, but I do not still live in my parents' basement w/o a REAL job. All sarcastic comments aside, The reason for folding wingtips, is so they can use standard gates. This prevents having to stop the normal flow of ground traffic, which you have to do with the A380 every time it has to taxi. No builder intentionally makes a defective airliner. Far to many are quick to point a finger w/o knowing all the facts.

(Written on 22.05.2019)(Permalink)

Note to those under 35... Folding wings, or in this case folding wingtips have been used for over 75 years, just on Naval aircraft. As a matter of fact in WW2 Cmdr. David McCampbell flew one combat sortie with the wing locks unsecured one side. A testament to the Grumman "Ironworks" products. All this carping and yapping about the 737MAX is more falling prey to the 24/7 news hacks looking for more symbolism over substance. You did not hear one peep from them when the A380 "Beluga" was delayed in delivery almost two years because of cracks in the tail surfaces, and tyre problems that took almost as long to solve, but they eventually did. The mainstream media is too quick to create a headline, then get lost in the sensationalism of fact-checking, and they come up short every time.

(Written on 22.05.2019)(Permalink)

My first instinct is to look at where this story came from. The New York Slimes is good at trumpeting the headline, and the real story is buried eight paragraphs down. No manufacturer is going to deliberately build a faulty aircraft. Where were the American pilots when the tail fell off an A-300 over New York a few years ago? The American media hacks are very polished at slamming a US company, while ignoring the faults of other companies abroad.

(Written on 15.05.2019)(Permalink)

I am always stunned by how journalists set themselves up as aviation "experts". Just as Scott Glenn said as Chuck Yeager in the movie "The Right Stuff", Half of the engineers have never been off the ground." You can let the classroom override "real world" experience to the point you miss what is right in front of you. As one pilot I know said, "You still have to fly the damn airplane". I see nothing wrong with the 737 MAX that cannot be solved with proper training. If there was any flaw it would be not enough experience with a new airplane. Of course with journalists, too often ratings and newspaper sales bloom on fresh graves.

(Written on 14.05.2019)(Permalink)