Will you ever fly again?

[moviequeen1]

I don't drive,I've been flying for yrs.Its my only way to visit my brother&family at holidays.I don't know if I'll go this yr
My eldest nephew,Jay is getting married next Sept,I wouldn't want to miss that for anything

 

[Sunny]

Sunny, you strike me as the glass is half empty kind of person.

Ye gads, Carol, you couldn't be more wrong! I am usually very much in the "glass half full" camp, and at times I sound like a Pollyanna.

But there's a difference between normal optimism and seeing the world with blinders on. The situation we are in is truly horrific, there's no way to paint it as being any rosier than that. This is not "spreading gloom and doom," it is telling it like it is.

But go ahead, keep repeating that we should pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

Liberty, the decision to fly usually has little to do with how much anyone likes their living quarters, and has a lot to do with special events, where the family lives (mine is spread out all over the country), business necessities, etc.

 

[StarSong]

Liberty, the decision to fly usually has little to do with how much anyone likes their living quarters, and has a lot to do with special events, where the family lives (mine is spread out all over the country), business necessities, etc.

Most of my travel is also for special events, not to escape my daily lifestyle or living space (which are quite enjoyable). Like Sunny, my family and friends are spread widely across this continent so I travel to see them.

I do love a good party, and weddings are my favorite kind of party - even when I have to fly 3000 miles to get there!

 

[oldman]

I’ll fly anytime, anywhere. Even if I have to wear a scuba tank. I think I have an old one here or did I sell it...hmmmm?

 

[Don M.]

We like to fly, but with this virus, we have no plans to go anywhere for the foreseeable future. My remaining Aunt will have her 95th birthday in October, in Denver, and the family will probably have a nice party for her...which we would like to join. However, it will all depend upon how things look by that time, and what precautions the airlines are taking. That, and our annual Fall trip to Las Vegas, are on hold, for now.

 

[oldman]

Most of my travel is also for special events, not to escape my daily lifestyle or living space (which are quite enjoyable). Like Sunny, my family and friends are spread widely across this continent so I travel to see them.

I do love a good party, and weddings are my favorite kind of party - even when I have to fly 3000 miles to get there!

I always liked flying out of a John Wayne (OC). They have a noise abatement in place, unless they got rid of it. Fun taking off.

 

[Floridatennisplayer]

JW airport runway!!!!!!!!!!! So short! Land, hit the brakes..... I traveled back and forth from Ohio to LA and San Diego a zillion times for work since 1982. JW was more convenient. San Diego landing always creeped me out. Tight quarters, over the buildings and plop!

 

[fuzzybuddy]

I used to fly, and loved it. Then 9-11 happened. Now, I'm not sure I could get through the TSA precautions without decking some one. The last time I flew , it was 50/50. As far as germs are concerned, I don't know which is worse- a crowded plane, or my family reunions.

 

[In The Sticks]

Absolutely. Take away the bad experiences of going through the airport, I really enjoy flying. It really amazes me how something so heavy and so big can fly. Those things weigh tons.

I've flown a number of time with my career and a few times for pleasure.

I have never lost my awe of flying. Not only the magic of the science that gets it aloft, but the fact that so many of we middle class folks can afford such a luxury (and I don't care how many of us they stuff inside, it's still a phenonemal luxury.) The only part I dislike is the lack of gratitude my fellow passengers sometimes exhibit.

 

[In The Sticks]

I’m flying to Florida next Sunday. Staying for a week or so and flying back. Take some precautions and don’t live in fear. I’m not going to hide in my basement like so many others, reducing their immune system to next to nothing. I’ve been outside here in Ohio as much as the weather has permitted. Playing tennis, taking walks. Fresh air, ultraviolet light, natural vitamin d.

If I get it, which is a very slim chance, Ill still have a 97% chance of survival. I have a much greater chance of dying from so many other things. I take the CV19 seriously but I also have common sense.

My brother and his wife are only in their early 50’s. Great health. Haven’t gone outside their front door in 7 weeks. They live like it’s doomsday every day. Get a grip.

Good for you!!

My vaccine is to not watch the news or read articles full of hyperbole (so there's damned little I read.)

Flu viruses kill tens of thousands of people every single year. As you said, there are (and have been) bigger boogeymen. You take reasonable precautions and live your friggin' life.

 

[In The Sticks]

Do I sense an uncertainty about the protection of masks & flu shots? If they work, why the concern about flying?

Haven't you heard?

The masks keep your germs inside, even under the extreme pressure of exhaling, while allowing in the free-floating germs of the unmasked guy standing next to you, who is obviously trying to kill everyone.

I'm not sure exactly how that works. I'm not sure you could actually design a mask to do that.

 

[Butterfly]

I used to enjoy flying when it wasn't such an incredibly frustrating hassle to get on a plane. I understand and appreciate the need for said hassle after 911, but it takes all the pleasure out of the experience and turns it into just a big fat unpleasant chore.

I won't be flying again unless I absolutely have to, covid or no.

 

[In The Sticks]

I used to enjoy flying when it wasn't such an incredibly frustrating hassle to get on a plane. I understand and appreciate the need for said hassle after 911, but it takes all the pleasure out of the experience and turns it into just a big fat unpleasant chore.

I won't be flying again unless I absolutely have to, covid or no.

Back in the 80s I was flying from DC to the west coast with a coworker, flying out of Dulles International Airport. I was running REALLY late and had a hard time finding a place to park.

So I dash to the airport and I'm running through the airport to my gate, and I get there just in time to see the "People Mover" pulling away (there's a central terminal at Dulles and then there are these weird transport vehicles that take you to other terminals scattered around.) My coworker was peering out the back of the thing and he saw me standing there. So he gets the driver to back up, they open the doors to the transporter and to the gate, and I climbed aboard to be taken to my remote terminal and eventually my flight!!! There was no security, no detectors to go through, no inspection process. Just some idiot running unimpeded through the parking lot through the airport and right into the middle of everybody and everything, luggage in hand...as we used to do back then.

It won't be long before younger people here that story and respond the same way they do today when I tell them that you used to be able to smoke in your office: "You're lying!!"

 

[StarSong]

Back in the 80s I was flying from DC to the west coast with a coworker, flying out of Dulles International Airport. I was running REALLY late and had a hard time finding a place to park.

So I dash to the airport and I'm running through the airport to my gate, and I get there just in time to see the "People Mover" pulling away (there's a central terminal at Dulles and then there are these weird transport vehicles that take you to other terminals scattered around.) My coworker was peering out the back of the thing and he saw me standing there. So he gets the driver to back up, they open the doors to the transporter and to the gate, and I climbed aboard to be taken to my remote terminal and eventually my flight!!! There was no security, no detectors to go through, no inspection process. Just some idiot running unimpeded through the parking lot through the airport and right into the middle of everybody and everything, luggage in hand...as we used to do back then.

It won't be long before younger people here that story and respond the same way they do today when I tell them that you used to be able to smoke in your office: "You're lying!!"

Old movies (including Home Alone 2) will bear out what you're saying as regards airports. Same with smoking in the office.

 

[In The Sticks]

Old movies (including Home Alone 2) will bear out what you're saying as regards airports. Same with smoking in the office.

I managed a staff of maybe 15 people when the No Smoking regs hit. Half were smokers, half were not.

The smokers were taking regular breaks, and the non-smokers were whining about it.
I have never been through such garbage with other adults in my entire life.

To further your movie referencing, Kindergarten Cop was pretty emblematic of those days.

 

[oldman]

JW airport runway!!!!!!!!!!! So short! Land, hit the brakes..... I traveled back and forth from Ohio to LA and San Diego a zillion times for work since 1982. JW was more convenient. San Diego landing always creeped me out. Tight quarters, over the buildings and plop!

That's what makes it fun for the pilot, it's challenging. And with the noise abatement in place, the pilot must climb to a given flight level in whatever time period is allowed according to the ordinance in place, which is given to the pilots on a card by the Dispatcher.

I have also flown many times into San Diego (SAN) and yes, it is also a bit challenging due to having to fly over the tops of the buildings at a low altitude, but again, challenging for a pilot. It's what allows us to keep our skills in tact. They keep talking about building a new airport, but when? I think they had a terrible accident at San Diego when a jet hit a Cessna causing both planes to crash killing everyone onboard. I watched that episode of the crash a few times and every time I hear the Captain say, "Ma, I love ya," just before the crash, I get a terrible feeling in my gut.

Here is a recreation:

My favorite airport was always Las Vegas, or McCarran Airport (LAS). Very easy in and out, but flying over those beautiful mountains was always a site to behold.

 

[Ronni]

I’m flying to Florida next Sunday. Staying for a week or so and flying back. Take some precautions and don’t live in fear. I’m not going to hide in my basement like so many others, reducing their immune system to next to nothing. I’ve been outside here in Ohio as much as the weather has permitted. Playing tennis, taking walks. Fresh air, ultraviolet light, natural vitamin d.

If I get it, which is a very slim chance, Ill still have a 97% chance of survival. I have a much greater chance of dying from so many other things. I take the CV19 seriously but I also have common sense.

My brother and his wife are only in their early 50’s. Great health. Haven’t gone outside their front door in 7 weeks. They live like it’s doomsday every day. Get a grip.

Do you mind telling me where you got this statistic from @Floridatennisplayer?

 

[oldman]

Back in the 80s I was flying from DC to the west coast with a coworker, flying out of Dulles International Airport. I was running REALLY late and had a hard time finding a place to park.

So I dash to the airport and I'm running through the airport to my gate, and I get there just in time to see the "People Mover" pulling away (there's a central terminal at Dulles and then there are these weird transport vehicles that take you to other terminals scattered around.) My coworker was peering out the back of the thing and he saw me standing there. So he gets the driver to back up, they open the doors to the transporter and to the gate, and I climbed aboard to be taken to my remote terminal and eventually my flight!!! There was no security, no detectors to go through, no inspection process. Just some idiot running unimpeded through the parking lot through the airport and right into the middle of everybody and everything, luggage in hand...as we used to do back then.

It won't be long before younger people here that story and respond the same way they do today when I tell them that you used to be able to smoke in your office: "You're lying!!"

Dulles was my home airport. Not very easy to navigate through and the parking is still screwed up and will never change. I flew a lot of government people on my planes. Most of them flew in and out of National, but I still had quite a few. The guy I liked most was George Stephanopoulous. His wife is about 5 inches taller than he is.

 

[StarSong]

I use Burbank (Bob Hope) Airport whenever possible, and it's another short runway airport.

Was coming home on a Southwest flight when the pilot hit the brakes hard. As he did, he gave a long, gentle "Whoa -ooa-ooa-ooa" over the speaker, like a cowboy talking to his horse.

It got a lot of laughs and also eased the passengers' minds to know that he realized we were probably anxious at the heavy braking.

 

[In The Sticks]

Dulles was my home airport. Not very easy to navigate through and the parking is still screwed up and will never change. I flew a lot of government people on my planes. Most of them flew in and out of National, but I still had quite a few. The guy I liked most was George Stephanopoulous. His wife is about 5 inches taller than he is.

Back in the 70s I used to fly to Connecticut out of National pretty often.

New Haven Airways, baby. No puddle too small...

My very first flight every was on a chartered puddle jumper. I was managing a Hess gas station in Richmond VA during the Odd/Even days of the gas crisis (heck of a job for a 20 year old kid.) Before that mess hit, they had a manager's meeting at the Playboy Club in Great Gorge, NJ (yeh, the good ol' days. Godfrey Cambrigde was GREAT in person.) The puddle jumper picked a bunch of us up at various airports in central and southeast coastal Virginia, then we flew north. This was the middle of winter in the middle of a snow storm.

You could see the cockpit and the snow pelting the windshield. It was a real roller coaster ride...we would get swept way upwards then BOOM!! the bottom would fall out, over and over and over again. Some of the guys got drunk beforehand and brought bottles with them. Needless to say, that didn't end well, either on the plane or in the limos that picked us up in Jersey.

Every commercial flight I've had throughout my career was uneventful by comparison, regardless of what storm we flew through.

 

[oldman]

Southwest flight crews are noted for their jokes and such for the reason that you stated. It was nice prior to 9-11 when we (the pilots, one at a time, of course) could walk out into the aisles and speak with the passengers momentarily. Unfortunately, those days are gone forever.

I just did a quick workup for landing a Boeing 737-8 or 737-800 if you want to be specific. The longest runway at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, CA is 6886 feet. If the plane is fully loaded with passengers and with everything else, including the weight of the aircraft and has :45 minutes of reserve fuel remaining, the plane will need approximately 5000 feet of that 6886 feet for landing. That's 5000 feet from touchdown to completely stopped. Compare that to a Boeing 757-200, which would need 6500 feet and the next size up for a Boeing plane would be the 767-400, which would need 8800 feet. These are only approximations because I don't have the exact weights and amount of fuel and of course wind speed and direction also come into play. Thank God for computers. Also, keep in mind that the plane needs more runway for takeoff than it does for landing because it is heavier on takeoff.

 

[oldman]

Back in the 70s I used to fly to Connecticut out of National pretty often.

New Haven Airways, baby. No puddle too small...

My very first flight every was on a chartered puddle jumper. I was managing a Hess gas station in Richmond VA during the Odd/Even days of the gas crisis (heck of a job for a 20 year old kid.) Before that mess hit, they had a manager's meeting at the Playboy Club in Great Gorge, NJ (yeh, the good ol' days. Godfrey Cambrigde was GREAT in person.) The puddle jumper picked a bunch of us up at various airports in central and southeast coastal Virginia, then we flew north. This was the middle of winter in the middle of a snow storm.

You could see the cockpit and the snow pelting the windshield. It was a real roller coaster ride...we would get swept way upwards then BOOM!! the bottom would fall out, over and over and over again. Some of the guys got drunk beforehand and brought bottles with them. Needless to say, that didn't end well, either on the plane or in the limos that picked us up in Jersey.

Every commercial flight I've had throughout my career was uneventful by comparison, regardless of what storm we flew through.

As a pilot, I avoided flying through storms like the plague. In the summertime, thunderstorms can have tops on them as high as 55,000 (some higher) feet, so instead of flying through them, (we couldn't fly over them), we would divert around the storm. My Dispatcher knew that if I was flying in or out of Dallas on a late summer afternoon and a storm was brewing, I would probably be changing the flight plan. As for flying through a snowstorm, no problem. Let it snow. I would fly right through it.

 

[In The Sticks]

As a pilot, I avoided flying through storms like the plague. In the summertime, thunderstorms can have tops on them as high as 55,000 (some higher) feet, so instead of flying through them, (we couldn't fly over them), we would divert around the storm. My Dispatcher knew that if I was flying in or out of Dallas on a late summer afternoon and a storm was brewing, I would probably be changing the flight plan. As for flying through a snowstorm, no problem. Let it snow. I would fly right through it.

That's funny you should mention Dallas. It's the only time I've been in a plane and seen horizontal lightening.

That flight (headed for DC) got grounded en route in St. Louis, I believe. What a nightmare. I didn't know that Dallas was a hotspot for that stuff...I was doing a lot of business in Richardson at the time, and was always leaving at the end of the business day.

 

[debbie in seattle]

My daughter flew up for Mother’s Day. There was zero spacing between people and very, very few had face masks nor gloves on. The plane was packed. An elderly woman behind my daughter asked about how full the plane was and was told by a flight attendant, I don’t make the rules, if uncomfortable, you can get off the plane.”

 

[Butterfly]

Dulles was my home airport. Not very easy to navigate through and the parking is still screwed up and will never change. I flew a lot of government people on my planes. Most of them flew in and out of National, but I still had quite a few. The guy I liked most was George Stephanopoulous. His wife is about 5 inches taller than he is.

I never liked taking off from National. It always made me nervous.