What aircraft, past or present, would you like to fly that you have not?

What aircraft do you NOT like as a passenger?

With the weather mess at IAH yesterday evening, the captain announced that winds limited take-offs to one runway. We waited 45-50 minutes in a 2-mile queue for take-off.

IAH has multiple parallel runways, so if planes must takeoff against the wind, shouldn't IAH have at least 2 runways oriented along the same axis?

Would the other parallel runway be restricted to landings, thereby limiting take-offs to 1 runway?

I'm not a pilot but I've seen, depending on the wind and other WX factors, 15L used for departures and 26R/L and 27 will be used for arrivals. I've seen it reversed where 8R/L and 9 were used for arrivals and then times were only 26R/L and 27 were used for all operations. Just depends on the wind.

Who is permitted to ride in the jumpseat (provided Capt. approval of course)?

Mechanics, FAA, ATC(?)...

So no airline execs?

Good question! I'm sure Gordon could ride in the jump seat since he's a pilot but what about Larry??

It would be fun to take a 777 for a spin, but not at the expense of dealing with 16+ hour flights every time you step on the plane.

Always wanted to strap on an F-16....but never had the chance. I know a lot of Air Force pilots who would like to say they have a carrier landing, and I have 600, so I guess I've managed to do some things that others have not.

Generally the RJs. My tall frame doesn't fit in those seats, and I always get home with a shoulder/neck muscle tension headache. Having said that, it is my primary ride home, and I'll take it anyday over the 14 hour drive, which would be the next option available.

Mostly pilots. Our own commuting to/from work, but also those from other carriers with whom we have a reciprocal jumpseat agreement. Check airmen sit up there while conducting 'line checks' on us. FAA inspectors. Mechanics who are commuting to/from work (somewhat rare, but we have a few). Airline Dispatchers (even more rare, but they are authorized). Flight attendants are not, although at some airlines the pilots are allowed to jumpseat in the flight attendant jumpseat. Northwest allows that with the caveat that F/As have priority over the seat before a commuting pilot. Great policy......a butt in every seat is a good thing if you are a commuter.

DRW

Actually, management can ride up there, although I'd have to look in our Flight Manual to see the caveats. They generally don't like to sit up there for too long, because we spend the flight trying to pump them for info and rumors, and I'm sure that gets old for them REAL quick.

DRW

Ah, the JS.... never mind CW or F cabins, these were the best rides I enjoyed on BA... when such things were allowed. This would be utterly impossible now, on CO or other airlines. And as for BA, well, they're useless to FF who don't have clients that pay for F or J.

But that is now, this was then....

My favorite semi-pilot's eye views from the cockpit were:

Landing with a 25-30 kt crosswind component at a northern UK airport in a HS Trident. The yaw angle on final approach at low IAS has to be seen from the cockpit to be believed, although in a Trident, the view wasn't that great compared with other types. These guys work hard and well for their money under such conditions. And that machine could block LHR-ABZ in under an hour, 50% faster than it can be done today by sluggish 735s or 320s doubly impeded by the departure procedures.

Watching from within the stack at LHR in the mid-80s, on a clear day you could see multiple a/c in the track, all turning around you. It really is busy up there!

Ah yes, the 742 over Baffin Island on the way to ANC....watching the shadow of the a/c crossing the ice floes from up at 350. I can attest that the view from the cockpit of the 747 is awesome. And its fuel burn seems low once settled in cruise. Such a great machine in so many ways. Sometimes it doesn't even want to land....floating in the cushion over JFK once, in a light 742, it didn't seem to want to kiss the runway...waiting, watching IAS, rad alt, still nothing happening. I sensed a little crew stress once they had MLG contact, rapid deployment of full reverse and heavy braking. Even so we overshot the departure taxiway and had to execute a tight turn, like the MH734s do at JHB. Not easy turning a 742 in limited space, you can't see anything of the monster once it's on the ground.

Then, of course, there was the politically incorrect dialog among flight crew carried by the intercom which shall not be recalled in any detail. Or at all. It seems unlikely that this is the same now, given the composition of newer flight decks and the omnipresent CVR.

The other evening (April 12) at IAH I noticed that they were using 26 L/R for arrivals and 9 for departure. There was obviously enough space for the planes to safely maneuver in and around the pattern, but I was wondering how common it is for them use the IAH runways in such a way?

600? That is awesome! I must admit, I have always wanted to try a cat shot and landing.

Another question, how many of the pilot group are former military?

My boss was an A-4 pilot in Vietnam and related that landing on a carrier was a b!tch.

At night on the 9p bank, they'll use 9 or 26s for departures (depending on winds) due to many dep's / few arrivals. Works out well, saving a lot of taxi distance and time. Runway for departure is always predicated on your departure procedure and fix. Anything south, west, or NW will generally go out on 15s at night, while the east and north go off 9 or 26L.

You know, it really varies by airline. You almost had to be military to get hired at Delta in the old days, but my brother had a civilian background and is there now. Here at CAL it's a mix, but probably more civilian background. In my new hire class of 16, there were three of us with military background.....most of the rest from Express and other RJ backgrounds. If I had to guess, I'd say it's maybe 30 mil / 70 civ here at CAL.....just a guess though. At Northwest, I think it might have been more around 60 m / 40 c.

Of the military here, I think most are Air Force or Air National Guard. Of the Navy guys, most are maritime background (P-3). I can probably count the number of carrier pilots I've met here on one hand.