I don't think it will pass as it stands. This has a lot of fluff and BS in it. The ODA already has many of these provisions. The Administrator already has the authority, and responsibility, to review and approve all, procedures, individuals and holders of ODA. SEC. 7. REVIEW OF HUMAN FACTORS ASSUMPTIONS, is just that a review. If you think you are doing something right and review it. It won't change the process. SEC. 10. CERTIFICATION PILOT OPERATIONAL EVALUATIONS. So a manufacture has to bring in a representative selection of pilots, foreign and domestic, with varying levels of experience? Do they take Canadian, British pilots or some small third world country?

(Written on 19/06/2020)(Permalink)

It's been a while since I flew the B767 but I believe that at 10,000 ft cabin altitude the crew gets a warning horn/siren and light. The Seatbelt and no smoking lights automatically illuminate. The masks drop at a cabin altitude of 14,000ft. The cockpit has the option to manually drop the masks. My guess would be that they were busy enough to just let the masks deploy on their own. There's a lot going on in the cockpit donning their masks and coordinating the descent.

(Written on 20/09/2019)(Permalink)

I don't see any advantage to the ACF configuration. 197 people take a long time to plane and deplane. The L2 door boarding works great. Adding window exits restricts who and sit them (most understand English, be able to operate the door, must be 15, etc. and requires the time for a F/A to brief the exit rows. Passengers fighting to get the exit rows and dealing with additional fares for those seats all add cost. The 8 door, no overwing exit eliminates all that mess.

(Written on 17/12/2017)(Permalink)

Delta learned it's lesson about relying on a sole source vendor. Boeing screwed them when they announced that they were going to have a "2015 fleet" that would share a commonality. Also, you want to play games with fuel and the crack spread? They buy their own refinery. They know it is all about business and will take the best offer. Even if they mix the buy among vendors.

(Written on 18/10/2017)(Permalink)

Kirk Tuttle - There is no violation or mitigating FAR 121.533. There is no difference between a voice, ACARS PDC, DCL (used at some non-US airports) or CPDLC-DCL. 99% of the changes are the SIDs where they airport assigns a SID rather than allowing you to pick the SID. The other case is to rapidly move aircraft on the departures due to weather closing a certain departure. The advantage of CPDLC-DCL is that it also feeds into the FMS (via FANS) so the crew does not have to re-type the departure. When you hit "ACCEPT" it also loads the departure. You can also hit REJECT or StandBY. If all else fails you revert to voice. The dispatcher also receives a copy of the CPDLC-DCL so he/she can verify. Enroute it is no different. If I need 20 right for weather, I send that message. So messages are pre-formatted to make that even easier. The controlling agency then responds. The same happens if they send you a clearance change. You review it and either accept it or reject it.

(Written on 17/06/2017)(Permalink)

Chris Trott - Thanks but I think that we are both a little wrong. I could find the fuel vent diagram for the 767-300. I did find a 777 diagram. I THINK that the 727, 73 and 76 vent systemas are similar. The 777 actually does both. They vent from the inner tank across to the other surge tank and the outer portion vents into that respective side surge tank. I THINK that the vent line is tied into the fueling manifold. I believe that it was designed that way and severed to cover both over fueling and a surge due to aircraft attitude change. Thanks for keeping me straight.

(Written on 16/06/2017)(Permalink)

German Coding is 100% on. CPDLC has been used internationally for a long time. It's the FAA/ATC with their "...but that's not how we did it in the DC-3." mentality that has kept it from US domestic flying. Plus the airlines have to spend $$$ to FANS equip their fleets.

(Written on 16/06/2017)(Permalink)

I have crewed for this airship and another. They do have to meet all FAA requirements. However, they are not US registered. They are registered in England. The FAA does have a lighter than air - airship category. There aren't that many in the US. The last I knew there were only about 6. That may have changed as I haven't crewed in a while.

(Written on 16/06/2017)(Permalink)

I've got about 2400 hours in the OV-10 "A" and "D" models. A great aircraft for the COIN mission. It had more capabilities than most services ever used.

(Written on 16/06/2017)(Permalink)

Hard to tell if it's the fuel dump or the wing tank vent/overflow. They are both in the same area. The vent/overflow is under the wing, the dump nozzle sticks out of the trailing edge. If the right wing was at full taking a hard turn while taxing can cause the wing tank fuel to surge out the vent/overflow. And yes the right tank vents out the left and vice versa.

(Written on 16/06/2017)(Permalink)