Originally Posted by
Burj
Came across this video about a pilots last flight/retirement flight...was an AA flight from CDG to BOS and apparently there was no water cannon salute in Boston...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTHx35yMF1Q
What are the rules for those? Who decides when a flight get a water cannon salute, the airline, the airport?
I don't know if there are any rules on this. I think it's just a courtesy that is available if sufficient notice has been given to the airport fire department. But it's not like they would have any idea it's a pilot's last flight unless someone tells them about it. For the AA flight you mention, my guess would be that no one made the request.
Like I say, I don't know if there are any sort of rules. It may be that the request has to come from the airline's chief pilot. In any case, the final decision rests with the airport fire department.
I've seen pictures of the last NWA flight leaving an airport in Florida, (forget which) that got the water canon treatment...
Yeah, it doesn't have to be a pilot retirement...any milestone event will do.