Originally Posted by bcrosier

Do you have a link by chance? I'm a bit of a Luddite and couldn't find it when I looked.

I'll second the MJ eating popcorn post - this should be an entertaining train wreck to watch from several angles.

Originally Posted by ERJ135

And here is the real SWA pilots blog. Sound familiar?

HUD Approach

By: Ray Stark - Phoenix-based Captain

WEB HUD at Breakout.jpg

(click on photo to enlarge)

This photo was taken from the cockpit jump seat and it shows the view through the Heads Up Display (HUD) that Southwest Pilots use to find the airport in weather. It repeats all the necessary flight instrument data that the main instruments on the dash depict, all in one easy to find location. The nifty thing about the HUD is it allows SWA Captains to remain focused out in the distance looking for the runway at Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA) on the approach. That is the final time the Pilot can continue the approach. If the runway is not in sight by then, the pilot must execute the "go around" procedure.

The airspeed information is to the left (not in view in this photo), altitude to the right, radar altitude below and to the right of the "DH 150" notation (this denotes that the "decision height" is 150 feet--the point at which the decision to land or go around must be made) and most importantly, the Flight Path Vector symbol on or near the runway. That is a pretty accurate instantaneous estimate by the HUD computer where the aircraft is flying to, in this case, just to the right of the runway aside the touchdown point. The Flight Path Vector Symbol also shows the airspeed relative to the speed selected by the Pilots for the approach, as well as whether the aircraft is accelerating (gaining energy) or slowing down (losing energy) relative to that selected speed. This is great information to have because it is often your first indication of an upcoming loss of airspeed, as in a windshear event.

The HUD. Another great tool we use to get our passengers where they need to be, safely and securely. (My partner was flying this approach and I was monitoring through the HUD for this picture.) Note the nifty runway identification lights illuminating where the runway starts.

Captain Ray Stark

Originally Posted by Jughead

I logged on and read it - what a crock. Glad one of DL's most recent hires nominated him for his ethics.

AFA grad, SWA pilot, F16 dude (maybe F15's soon), rescue diver, paramedic, Eagle pilot, seaplane pilot, Habitat for Humanity, NYFD Ladder 2, new hire coordinator, changes water to wine. His picture even shows he does walkarounds in the daytime with a flashlight - is there anything this man can't do?

Originally Posted by vagabond

So the jackass has been exposed as a pathological liar, an impersonator and a whole host of other crimes. The damage he has done to the profession is quite severe, I think. I am not a military pilot or ALPA, but I am embarrassed for the profession that this guy was featured in an article on the code of ethics of all things. At the minimum, I think he should lose his job, lose his certificate, made to apologize publicly, made to remove all offending references in the various social networking sites. The ALPA reporter and the editor should be sanctioned as well.

In the legal community, I am very involved in lawyer discipline. We have mechanisms in place to punish lawyers who do wrong or reflect poorly on the profession. The punishment ranges from a simple admonishment all the way to disbarment (which essentially takes their meal ticket away). If a lawyer did what this guy has done (and apparently continues to do), I would have no hesitation in recommending that he be disbarred.

Originally Posted by Deuce130

Thanks, Hacker, for bringing this to light on APC.

Originally Posted by Tim Martins' Facebook

The 737 has a fully Auto pilot. You just set it and forget it. Put the speed altatude and flight plan in and bam there you go. i get lots of people asking me "What do you guys do during cruse flight?" My answer is simplie. We watch TOP GUN!. What would you do if you were at 38,000 ft for 2+ hrs? It gets bord up there. A good F/O always brings his labtop and movies. Its like a move theather @ 38,000 FT. And we got all the snak packs we can eat. Sometimes Pilots like to act Sifisticated and bring News papers with you. Fun Fact Did you know that 2 full news papers pages can cover up the windshield of a boeing 737. So there you go there is my answer to the most asked question. If you have any questions plese write me as this is a daily Blog.