Although I'm not a pilot, I have donned one. They're the type you see below. When you press the red tabs (see his thumb), air pressure inflates the headband. Then you just slip it over your head, release the tabs and it tightens around your head. You can see the accordion-like sections that contract in order to make it snug. Removal is the reverse. It takes about 2-3 seconds---it needs to be quick because at 40,000, the time you have before you start 'forgetting' what you're supposed to do (time of useful consciousness) is only about 5 or 6 seconds..

When you do something so often it becomes pretty routine.

Here's one in it's ready-to-don configuration:

I'll second that.^

Cockpit qualified young man: [after the plane gets out of the ditch] The instruction book said that was impossible.
Joe Patroni (George Hamilton) : That's one nice thing about the 707. It can do everything BUT read.

Not a very likely scenario, but it was cool in the movie.

I've read a fair amount about winglets and that they can improve fuel economy/range by 3-6%. My question for the pilots is: Why has Continental installed them on nearly all of the 737 and 757 fleet but not the 777's? It seems like since they fly the longest haul flights, they would show the most benefit.

Thanks!

This thread should help answer that question: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/conti...lets-777s.html

I believe the 764s have the raked wingtips.

Thanks for referring me to that very informative thread....it was started before my time here. I think the funniest post in there is by ssulivan

Uhhhhhh...where is that 787 again??

Correct.

Someone asked me last week why the 762s did not have winglets installed. I believe the 763s over at American, Hawaiian, Delta, etc are getting them, but I haven't heard of any plan for the 762s.

Any plan to fit the 762 fleet would require a separate flight test program to certify winglets on just the 762 fleet (i.e. The flight testing done on the 763s does not carry over for certification on the 762s). Same issue with the 752 and 753 fleets as each fleet had to conduct separate flight test programs.

It will be interesting to see what we do with the UAL 752 fleet. CAL is fairly big on the fuel savings that the winglets offer (roughly 5%) and I suspect that if the UAL 752 fleet is destined to stay around any length of time, outfitting that fleet with the winglets will happen.

DRW

I foresee a slow draw down of the older 752s in favor of 739s.

Me too. I don't think I've heard a positive comment re: the condition and capabilities of UALs 752 fleet at work, and I wouldn't be surprised to see that turn into 738s and 739s replacing a lot of that metal.

But, we'll see.....

Some of the UA 752 fleet have seen their better days, but given that they have 96 in active duty it will not be a quick replacement process.