First and foremost, let me give a huge THANK YOU to knfenimore for taking two hours out of this day with us this morning. And Thank You to Canarsie for arranging this, it was such an incredible experience for me, it is hard to find the words to adequately describe the total experience.

Let me also say, before everyone sends knfenimore a PM asking for simulator time, Canarsie and I are working on how to possibly incorporate some of that into the next DO. So fasten your seatbelts - literally.

That is putting it mildly. The motion based flight simulator with the HD graphics is incredibly realistic. I have the sweaty palms to prove it too!! I particularly liked the comments of the pilots standing outside the simulator when we exited asking, "Are you guys ok?" Without a doubt, we put that equipment to the full extent of its limits today.

The 777-200LR is one incredible aircraft. Most of us see it from the comfort of the passenger cabin, but as a pilot, I can now appreciate the state-of-the-art technology built into this aircraft. Not only is the technology extremely sophisticated with a level of automation I have never experienced before, it has to be one of the safest aircraft in the sky today! The simulator is equally unbelievable. The hydraulic motion and sound, coupled with HD graphics that look so convincing, you absolutely forget that you are in a simulator. I could even see the cars and trucks moving on I-85 during the 8R approach to KATL.

As Canarsie stated, the first flight was almost completely automated, and I was thinking, that's cool, but the aircraft essentially flew itself. It even has autobrakes to stop the plane. Well, all that soon changed. I had the opportunity to not only fly the plane manually, but also take it through a normal flight, a take-off that encountered a bird-strike to the left engine, a engine out landing, a take-off in very low visibility, a wind shear, and two encounters with severe wake turbulence - the second wake turbulence resulted in the flat spin that knfenimore referred to. Trust me, that would never happen on a regular flight, and that is a good thing! The aircraft handled each situation unbelievably well! I would like to take credit for being a good pilot, and it wasn't easy at all (my leg is still shaking from holding the rudder during the engine out landing), but it is really is the way this aircraft is built that allowed it to handle and come through these emergencies so well. Great job Boeing!!

Canarsie also got a chance to take the left seat, and even very successfully fly the Canarsie approach into KJFK. Yes, there is such an approach - but it was probably named that long before he chose that as a FT name. He also manually piloted the plane during an engine out landing.

Delta has made a huge investments in their pilot training, and has spent millions of dollars on the lastest and greatest state-of-the-art equipment to train it's pilots. With these simulators, pilots can be trained to handle almost every situation that can arise with the aircraft and flight. The experience today, was a huge affirmation of why both the pilots and the equipment at Delta are some of the best in the industry.

From a pilots point of view, the 777-200LR is an absolute dream and one incredible aircraft. Rest assures that you are flying in one of the most sophisticated and safest aircraft in the sky today!

Sorry that the new SkyMiles program, even at the Diamond level, won't allow this kind of upgrade on your flight! Today was an experience that will last a lifetime.



That's me flying the approach to KATL on Runway 8R



That's Canarsie flying the Canarsie approach into KJFK.