I believe that a rocket launched from the Kourou (French Guiana) site can handle a geostationary payload about 15% greater than if launched from Canaveral. Perhaps this satellite isn't heavy enough to require the extra performance, and they already have infrastructure in place at the Cape. If they moved the same rocket to Kourou it would still have to be fully fueled, for structural reasons, so they'd just schedule a shorter burn.

 

You're a bit premature. Try to wait until after Thanksgiving, please.

 

Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: What is your major malfunction, numbnuts?! Didn't your mommy and daddy show you enough attention when you were a child?!

 

I see what you did there, Touche'.


Scoop

 

I wouldn't read too much into guys or gals electing to not return. Sometimes there are equities in life that go beyond the mere W-2.

A common theme I've seen is going to work at the family business. Mom n Pop sends you to school, and you get the flying bug. You give it a whirl and make it to the big show. Money's good and responsibility is pretty light....until the BK hits.

While on furlough you go back to work with the family, and you come to realize that owning your own business is really the only way to become truly in charge of your destiny, and one of the few ways to generate true wealth.

Or someone may have married into, or had their SOs work develop into a good situation.

Or perhaps parenting became a priority.

Or they found something they just like better.

Look, I don't deny it's a good gig that pays a fair number of quatloos, but it's hardly the center of the universe.

Nu

 

Ah, picture fail.

 

I think the reality of those returning is comparing their DAL career to where ever they went. I came back in the 1st Recall class in 10'. We had pilots from Alaska, Fed-X, UPS, Net Jets, Frontier, Spirit, Jet Blue, and Foreign Carriers.

For me it was the decision to be near the bottom of a a small 737 airline w/ 4 years Sen or return w/ 10 years to DAL and have more opportunities down range.

Happy TG to all - I'll be in Central America as my 13+ years can't hold Holidays off.

Baja.

 

I got to fly one this last weekend. Don't forget to add that the temp controllers work, when you press recall the lights come on, oh and it flies straight!

 

All of that stuff will stop working after they get good and dusty or someone spills their coffee.

Can it do a vnav descent with a tailwind?

 

I agree with TS. I think these guys just found something better.

I came from the military and had very little interaction with people who had what we would call regular jobs. Once I was at DL I saw there were a lot of ways to make money.

We have a good job but not a great job. I have been lucky in when I was hired so I haven't been furloughed, but I always said that flying is not the only thing I could do. Perhaps that is what these guys have done.