Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Getting farther off topic, but I guess air crashes in...

In a message dated 05-Oct-00 01:17:20 Central Daylight Time,
jmelson@... writes:

<< They THOUGHT they knew how much fuel they had!

I believe there were changes in the procedures and minimum equipment
list after this. >>

Gawrsch, le's HOPE so! I was "cockpit guest" on an Airbus 340-??? this
summer, from Houston to Frankfurt, and I gotta tell ya! It was smooth and
fine and I had a five-strap seat-belt, and I could speak German with the crew
(I know the Kapitan personally), but there is NO "stick" in that contraption
(nor "our" 777)! Only a plastic "joy-stick" in the left wall, "for
emergencies", doncha know! NO "instruments"! Only a couple
portable-TV-sized LCD color readouts showing "everything", including the
air-pressure and TEMPERATURE in each of, what, sixteen tires? Not "hundreds"
but THOUSANDS of knobs and buttons, and the pilots were both jabbing calmly
at every one of them (well, except the HUGE "FIRE" buttons on the ceiling,
which dumb CO-2 bottles inside the nacelles). I have "grown up" with
technology and flown across the Atlantic round-trip at least 3 dozen times,
now, but this little experience nearly had me ready to change my BVD's! Oh,
I was reassurred, "there are FIVE computers on board, any ONE of which can
handle 'everything' all by itself! But we let each 'do something' just to
watch that all is well!" Not my seat! Whew! Gimme a "stick" and mechanical
linkage to the rudder, please, any day! I'm not ready for Cap'n Janeway,
yet! Fly by HAIR? Oh, "wire". Difference???

JRR, OLD man!