the video taken by the pilot who is in the water,shows the tail of the aircraft and another person in a lifevest floating close to him..he obviously had on a life vest to be able to stay afloat,take video picures and keep saying "there she goes"!!!on boats in lakes and rivers and oceanside aroud the u.s., there are sate wardens,lake patrols and on the coastline,the coast guard to verify ife vests etcetera on board..they don't do it however for every boat in the water..only if there appears to be an issue..as far as flying a private plane over water just for pictures or sightseeing,there are no "patrols" who check at the airport before a personal aircraft leaves the ground,and certainly not in the air..they do require that sort of thing for a commercial ventures that might be doing sightseeing tours over water..

(Written on 08/22/2019)(Permalink)

oh for the good old days of flying! back in 1966 ,despite issues or problems, people were still civil,and customer service mattered!

(Written on 08/21/2019)(Permalink)

the issue is always gate space for a diverted or returning flight,and take off slots..the article is short and only says it was weather related..most pilots (and i do know what i am talking about)will wait for a certain time frame,during which they make announcemnets to the passengers regarding the delays and weather conditions..sitting out on a taxiway,or even close to the terminal for 8 hours is uncalled for...were the passengers offered the alternative to "deplane" and board a bus to get back to the terminal,or were they close enough to walk to a stairs on a jetway?.the issue of gate space is important, as would be deplaning passngers on the pushback area close to a gate,by stairs and then stairs back into the terminal..its a security issue and everyone who gets off has to be re screened and boarding passes and passenger list checked..possibly the captain did not want to deal with it..there is a solution..it just requires thought ,coordination and communication between work groups to

(Written on 08/21/2019)(Permalink)

the story is interesting..if the woman and her daughter were already onboard as indicated by the story,and she just went to the washroom on board,only to return and find someone in her seat,that could have been resolved without a feud or fight or disagreement by the flight attendant verifying boarding passes and seat numbers..people will and do often move around if they think there is a better open seat.. the flight attendant could have gone out to speak with the agents working the flight to see who was supposed to be seated where..if a flight is full and an agent is requested to count heads and seats for verification, the flight attendant could still speak with the agents to see if the 2 boarding passes had the same seat number,or if the man actually took the womans seat,forcing her to look elsewhere...however, since the carrier is not an American one, they may follow different procedures..still,confrontation is easy to avoid if you try the logical approach..

(Written on 08/20/2019)(Permalink)

I saw this on the news..the plane was obviously in very bad shape and broken apart..the news last night said he was not the pilot of the aircraft, and he was lying on the ground when rescuers arrived..glad all are ok...

(Written on 08/16/2019)(Permalink)

southwest airlines did not continue to grow and be in the marketing position they are without a strategic business plan and managers who know the ins and outs of the business..they are known for having only a 737 fleet,so if a decision is made to try another type of aircraft,rest assured it will be well thought out and approved by their unions..

(Written on 08/15/2019)(Permalink)

I don't think this rule would or should prove to be a problem for any pilot..most people,even drinkers,do not realize that the smell of alcohol,partiularly sweeter alcohol like bourbon,goes into your system and stays there for a while..it does not mysteriously disappear because of mouthwash or sleeping for a few hours...

(Written on 08/14/2019)(Permalink)

that would truly be an historical find,on a par with the titanic..with all of the technology there is now, and satellite imageing,it just might work..it has been a mystery for so long and the source of lots of "tall tales" as to what happened to ms earhart and her plane..

(Written on 08/13/2019)(Permalink)

per news reports,they did reopen,but there were massive protests still ongoing and protesters and military police were mixed in with the passenger...

(Written on 08/13/2019)(Permalink)

if there will be an extended, or possible never go back into use scenario, certainly the airlines (at least the u.s. carriers) who have purchased them could park them in the desert where a lot of other old airplanes are..surely there are useable parts that have nothing to do with the computer system and the other issues involved,that could be "recycled",as most of htes airxcraft are not that old..

(Written on 08/13/2019)(Permalink)