Sex ban on the Airbus A380

Well, they just want to take all of the fun out of flying!

It seems Singapore Airlines offers a double bedded suite on their new A380 that includes a locking door and free champagne. Heck, I spend big bucks for the tickets, fill her with champagne, get her into bed and then...nothing? I wonder how long THAT ban will last!

Flying That Rates a 10 on the Sphincter Scale!

More Photos From Central Oregon

Pictures From Central Oregon

Freaking AWESOME (RV-12?) Video From Fleet Week

Just as the aircraft comes into frame it looks like a seagull gets tumbled.

Update:

A lot of people have e-mailed me to find out my condition. I apologize for the delay in responding to e-mails.

I have been going through a battery of tests and physical therapy.

The week before last, I had a Lumbar Puncture (a "spinal tap") that was done in outpatient surgery. The pain from that was pretty intense and the long drive out to my house after I was discharged was rough, to say the least. The following day was physical therapy and the following day was an MRI. the next day was more physical therapy.

The numerous pain medications make me very woozy and drunk. There is minimal pain relief, but at least I do get some sleep. I have been advised to try some marijuana for the nerve pain (I understand that it is being prescribed for other patients with MS). I am just leery of getting high when in so much pain. It's been...gheez...since 1978 since I've smoked pot and I really don't want to start experimenting now. If anyone has first-hand knowledge of the effects of smoking pot and the nerve pain of MS, please let me know.

The good news (bad news actually) is that I no longer have Lyme Disease. The spinal tap came back negative. The downside of that is that it takes away my last hope that I could be cured simply with medication. The prospect of Multiple Sclerosis is frightening. The speed at which this has taken control of my body is mind-boggling.

To all my friends who have witnessed me battling against this process: I have to let you down. It is time for me to knuckle under and get my "gimpo card" for my car. Those parking places up front are becoming too tempting and walking has become almost impossible for any distance at all. I have actively avoided that "gimpo card" for over 3 years, but I can't do it any more. Sorry to disappoint those who were rooting for me.

I will try to answer e-mails and offline messages as soon as possible. My days are sleep/wake/take drugs/sleep/wake/take drugs for the most part. The highlight of my day is driving to physical therapy (cannot take drugs and drive) where Mike and Maria do their best to torture my body into new (old) positions. By the time I arrive home, I'm in tears and almost screaming from the pain. Please be patient with responses.

Well, it's time for Vicodin 1000 mg and Gambapentin 300 mg to end my day.

Thank-you to everyone for your prayers and concerns.

Steve Fossett Update

It looks like the search may be over and that any new searches may be a "recovery operation". The NTSB has now listed the flight as "Injuries : 1 Fatal".

The only hope may be a possible radar track. Given that a month has passed and the fact that he carried little in the way of emergency supplies, there would be no chance of surviving for 30 days and any find would be to recover remains.

No ELT signal has ever been received from the aircraft or the watch Steve Fossett was wearing.

My opinion of what happened:

The Citabria that Steve Fossett was flying, was subject to an A.D. for the wing spar. The winds were very heavy that day and the wind gusts would have been especially bad over the mountains. (I speak from experience.) Mr. Fossett was flying an unfamiliar plane, that he had borrowed, and probably overstressed the aircraft.

I am posting a new poll to get an idea of how many pilots carry emergency supplies when they fly. When I drive through the desert, I always carry a basic kit for water production. This basic kit weighs about 3 ounces, total and should be the de facto part of any survival kit. I know that I can "live off the fat of the land" for some time, but water is essential to sustain life.

Be a Voyeur!

If you would like to see photos as they are being uploaded to blogspot, click here. Pretty cool to see what everyone is uploading. **CAUTION** I do not know if there are any filters, so some material could be objectionable to some people.

North American West Coast Halfcon

Here are some pictures from the North American West Coast Halfcon (Click on image to see full size)

Mt. Shasta by moonlight (time exposure with no tripod)

Driving up to the tollbooth at the Oakland Bay Bridge at morning rush hour
On the Oakland Bay Bridge at Rush Hour
[2fries] in front of the Oakland Bay Bridge along the Embarcadero
[2fries] taking pictures to prove to his wife he wasn't in Burnaby
The ferry Building
Coit Tower
A picture of palm trees for [2fries] who had never seen palm trees growing
[canuck] with his "ride" in the background
[csea] telling us about his boat
[jutta] without the beer she threatened to hide behind
[Hob] in contemplation over what to have for dessert

(L to R) [hob], [canuck], [csea], [jutta]

(L to R) [hob], [canuck], [csea], [klaatu], [jutta], [2fries]

Alcatraz

Leaving San Francisco during rush hour

A rush hour driver. The caption is up to you.

New Advertisements For Flyers

From Reuters:

Giant ads set for world's busiest runways
Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:30am EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - Advertisers aiming to reach high-flyers with no alternative distraction will soon have a new method: adverts the size of three football pitches seen by plane passengers coming in to land.

UK-based Ad-Air launched its new service in London on Tuesday, offering brands the chance to place huge adverts near the runways of some of the world's busiest runways.

Ad-Air, backed by 5 million pounds ($10 million) of private equity finance, said it had spent five years securing sites around the world's busiest airports including London Heathrow, Paris, Geneva, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Abu Dhabi.

The first advert will appear in Dubai next month.

Paul Jenkins, managing director of Ad-Air, said the adverts would appear in "clutter-free environments and moments free of any other commercial messages."

Operations Director Haakon Dewing told Reuters the adverts could develop to produce a moving image that starts each time a plane comes into sight.

The adverts, which are low to the ground and 20,000 square meters in size, will only be illuminated where local legislation allows.

© Reuters 2006.

Winter Weather Flying Hazards

Another Flying Car Idea

Flying cars have been tried in the past without success of any type. This new flying car may be different, but I doubt it. My opinion is that planes fly...and cars drive. When you attempt to do both with one vehicle, the compromises give you a 1) Plane that suffers from poor perfomance and 2) A car that suffers from poor perfomance.

At a price tag of about $150K, a half-assed plane and a half-assed car just doesn't sound like a great way to spend my money.

I'm still holding out for the RV-12.

RV-12 Wing Removal and Installation

This looks about as easy at it gets. When there is no flying to be done, pick up your toy and take it home.

Ever Dream of Flying Like a (Very Fast) Bird?

Here is a link for a different view and a higher quality video. Bird Man

Edit: If you are wondering what the music is in the video, it is Moby's Natural Blues.

Prospects Dim For Finding Steve Fossett Alive

Authorities have dealt with numerous false leads and historic crash sites and are still continuing to search for aviator Steve Fossett. It seems that hope may be diminishing, however.

But, before you give up so easily, you may want to take a look at this story which recounts a pilot lost in the Canadian wilderness for 58 days in temperatures that often reached -68° C.

There have been a number of leads from witnesses claiming to have heard a crash on the day that Fossett disappeared. The National Guard is using technology, unheard of in the past, to continue the search.

La Cabina

A 34 minute movie that will make sure you never use a phone booth ever again.

Modern Mechanix on Aviation

If you have about 15 hours to spare, there is great reading here. It shows what is under "current" development (in the 1920's, 30's and 40's) and what lies ahead in the future. Pretty fanciful stuff.

Redneck picnic in Okie-la-homa

Here is how you picnic in Okie-la-redneck-homa. This little company in Oregon (Go figure!) makes legal explosives to make your picnic a "blast".

Got an hour to spare?

If you do, go to this site to read about a ferry flight from Chattanooga to Anchorage in a Cessna. Great pictures along the way and Google Maps showing locations of the pictures. GREAT detail that makes you feel that you are along for the ride.

10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...BLASTOFF!

NASA has some great new video from the last shuttle launch. What is amazing while you watch the video is the quantity of #$%! that flies off as it is going to orbit.

Reminds me of a time flying to KPRB, direct, over mountains during a period of strong winds and severe turbulence. My little PA28-112, the "Traumahawk" was going up and down so fast that the VVI was pegged at either 2000 FPM up, or 2000 FPM down most of the flight. Every lost pen, nut, bolt, screw, meal leftovers and about 10 pounds of dirt and gravel (this was a rental aircraft) was flying about the cabin along with my flight bag and all of my charts. My logbook simply stated "TURBULENCE!" in the flight details section. Now, mind you, I was still a student flying solo on one of my first cross-country flights and my instructor had been adament that I fly direct instead of the more cautious route that I had planned out. I got back and told Jerry that I was the PIC and that in the future I would choose the route.

Anyhow, enjoy the video that will launch (pun intended) in Media Player.