The old Coors brewery in Golden Colorado is a good example of this; they actually originally paid better than union scale.

(Written on 28/08/2020)(Permalink)

That will affect the real estate market at that location, where I used to operate. (I also used to work for Boeing, but down in Kent on the southside) I remember showing a nice new house to one lady up from California on a Tuesday morning at Everett when I had forgotten that that is the time to roll out a new 747 from the assembly building 1 mile away. First time to start up all four engines on a new plane. Well that totally turned off the California lady "Oh, gracious, am I going to have to listen to that all the time?" I assured her it was only once per week on Tuesday morning, but of course she didn't believe me.

(Written on 28/08/2020)(Permalink)

Electra was a great, reliable plane, except attracted insects to it's intakes causing engine to stall. FAA determined sound of turbines was just right to attract them. Fix? ?

(Written on 22/08/2020)(Permalink)

I used to work at FAA Hq in Washington, where NOTAMS are edited and distributed. The same IBM 360-30 which originated and sent out NOTAMS did all the local stuff for us. I wrote the first program to require the 360-40; I tested and wrote it in two pieces, and joined them back when the 40 was installed.

(Written on 15/08/2020)(Permalink)

I remember the undershoots (see my comment today). All I heard later was FAA mandating a change in flap degrees to 40 from 30 as correction; no more after that, I believe. One time coming into Wash National I experienced the "fishtailing". Great plane other than that. I have more hours on a 727 than any of the more recent ones.

(Written on 15/08/2020)(Permalink)

Not mentioned here is the problem that this design had with undershooting runways at times, because of weight distribution and possibly rear microbursts at low speeds at times. At original landing specs the plane could go into a "fishtail", and drop before the runway was reached and at too low an altitude to correct. FAA later corrected this problem by mandating 40 degree flap adjust on landing over the prior 30 degree setting, which worked for the rest of the planes life. The undershoots produced fatalities, one of which I witnessed as a purchasing expeditor for a small company losing their sales manager in the Salt Lake City crash. Very sad as the poor fellow had just moved into a new house in Wellesley after marrying the owner's daughter.

(Written on 15/08/2020)(Permalink)

My first flight was on one back in December 1946. Nonstop Boston to Washington, American Airlines, 2 hours and 5 minutes as scheduled. Fare for a minor: $10.00.

(Written on 05/06/2020)(Permalink)

All corporations should be governed at all times. Reason: Corporate culture, which generates itself in different environments can get carried away with current fiscal matters--you can wind up with a pack of boys in a tree house easily. When this goes international, who is in charge? Boeing had a good reputation before Max; let's hope it can be restored in the future.

(Written on 22/05/2020)(Permalink)

Visited Adak back in July 1959 when sailing on the troopship S.S. Fred C. Ainsworth (single screw, 14 knots) from Seattle to Yokohama; Adak was about half-way. We had military cargo to unload there. That poor island looks God-forsaken. No trees, the island looked like it had just emerged from the sea, and there was a low-lying fog showing only the bottom of the land parts, hovering about 20 feet above the water. I didn't see any dinosaurs that day. It was a Navy air station with necessary personnel. I went ashore for services at the Bering Chapel just to claim I had landed there. I still have the church calendar.

(Written on 15/05/2020)(Permalink)

Only way to fly today. Makes it safer on the plane, too. I, who used to work at FAA Hq in Washington, have been shocked in recent years by all the aircraft being manufactured, and wondered who needs all this production. I can now say safely that we overdid it, and made it too easy to fly all kinds of people all over the world. Too many international students flying here, and also too easy for too many business travelers to be all over the place. Maybe that makes us look prestigious, but look at all the resulting deaths here.

(Written on 17/04/2020)(Permalink)