XPost: rec.aviation.piloting, rec.travel.air   
   From: whiting@epix.net   
      
   Dudley Henriques wrote:   
   > "Bertie the Bunyip"  wrote in message   
   > news:Xns99283707081C9nunyfjukkinbidness@207.14.116.130...   
   >> "Dudley Henriques"  wrote in   
   >> news:0MSdnbmigYQxuKDbnZ2dnUVZ_uSgnZ2d@rcn.net:   
   >>   
   >>> "Bertie the Bunyip"  wrote in message   
   >>> news:Xns9928FDE82AC5nunyfjukkinbidness@207.14.116.130...   
   >>>> "Dudley Henriques"  wrote in   
   >>>> news:BsGdnWSSXoUdi6DbnZ2dnUVZ_o6gnZ2d@rcn.net:   
   >>>>   
   >>>>>  wrote in message   
   >>>>> news:1178399818.924719.9430@p77g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...   
   >>>>>> On May 5, 5:10 pm, Mxsmanic  wrote:   
   >>>>>>> Aircraft normally wait for thunderstorms to pass before taking   
   >>>>>>> off. No aircraft is safe in a thunderstorm.   
   >>>>>> So most likely the Kenya Airways flight didn't follow procedure or   
   >>>>>> receive clearance?   
   >>>>> Hard to say not knowing the exact situation, but in my opinion, only   
   >>>>> a pilot with a death wish accepts a takeoff clearance in the middle   
   >>>>> of a thunderstorm.   
   >>>> It doesn't neceesarily follow that he took off in the middle of a   
   >>>> CB...   
   >>> I agree. To do that would have been against all my sense of logic   
   >>> anyway. Stranger things have happened, and pilots do indeed from time   
   >>> to time push weather for one reason or another but I'd hate to second   
   >>> guess this poor guy at this point. It's been my experience that what   
   >>> appears almost certain immediately after these things seldom carries   
   >>> through the investigation.   
   >> Precisely. I've flown in that part of the world quite a lot and the CBs   
   >> have to be seen to be believed. I've been at 310 and had the tops   
   >> further away than the bottoms as often as not. The size of them is also   
   >> astonishing and seeing into a large, tight group of cells is next to   
   >> impossible, even with the best radar. It's hard work but it has to be   
   >> done or you're on the ground for the best part of six months there.   
   >>   
   >> Bertie   
   >   
   > Reminds me of an old story I heard once that was going around UAL for   
   > awhile;   
   >   
   >> A major airline hired a new first officer right out of post graduate school   
   > and stuck him in the right seat of a 737 with a crusty old Captain who came   
   > up through the ranks after dropping out of high school.   
   > On  their first flight together, the Captain told the first officer to just   
   > sit back and watch and do absolutely nothing.   
   > The Captain took off, climbed to FL 360 as filed and leveled off. He set the   
   > autopilot and inertial nav for waypoints and told the first officer that he   
   > was going to take a nap. The first officer was to touch nothing.......do   
   > nothing! Under NO circumstances, was he to disturb the Captain.   
   > The Captain went to sleep.   
   > The first officer sat there watching the panel. After a while he noticed on   
   > the weather radar a HUGE storm ahead directly in the path of the airplane.   
   > He watched with interest and gathering alarm as the storm got closer and   
   > closer.   
   > At about twenty miles, the storm looked absolutely frightening; the biggest   
   > thing he had ever seen in his life. He just stared at it on the screen while   
   > he pondered the Captain's request not to be disturbed for any reason.   
   > Finally, fearing that if a course correction wasn't made immediately, the   
   > storm would tear the airplane apart, he decided he couldn't wait any longer   
   > to wake the Captain.   
   > "Captain.......Captain" he said, "wake up sir...look at this!! It's my   
   > sincere recommendation sir, that we circumnavigate that storm   
   > immediately!!!!!!!!!!!"   
   > The Captain awoke in a start and took one look at the radar screen;   
   > "Circumnavigate my ass!!!!!!. We're goin AROUND that son-of-a-bitch!!!!!"   
      
   Good one!   
      
   I also like the one about the young student flying with the old crusty   
   WW II veteran instructor.  It was the students first flight into a busy   
   field and the pattern was packed with airplanes.  The student was   
   getting pretty nervous and agitated and asked the instructor if this   
   wasn't dangerous with all these airplanes so close by.  The instructor   
   looked all around, up and down and slowly said, "Don't worry, son, they   
   aren't shooting at us."   
      
   I guess stress is all relative.   
      
   Matt   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)