by CarlValeri
on October 25, 2007
I was enjoying my favorite form of relaxation, reclining at a small airport, viewing the sun setting in a grand showcase of blue sky and soft orange glow reflecting off wispy clouds. I lean against the chain link fence and watch the planes take their position on the runway. The pilots bring the power up to full throttle and the planes move slowly at first, gaining speed gradually. Within short order the airplane's nose is pointed towards the sky, as if asking the wind to assist the human engineered bird to fly. Slowly the plane separates from the ground and becomes a part of the sky above. I envision myself in the cockpit, enjoying the feeling of escaping the grasp of earth's gravity.
Watching planes during this lazy summer day, I notice a friend approaching me with one of his student pilots. His wide grin I interpreted as his shared joy in being at an airport. He gave me a friendly hello and strong handshake. Turning to his student he introduced me as a professional pilot flying for the airlines.
My friend and I agreed as to the beauty of the day, all the while relating how blessed we are in being able to enjoying the wonders of flight. After discussing different landing techniques, my friend and his student returned to their aircraft to finish their discussion. I began pondering my friends description of me as a professional, all the while hoping he further considered himself a professional. I then considered the question, "what is a professional?"
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by CarlValeri
on October 2, 2007
Slouched over my coffee, the morning fog in my mind had not lifted, I held the warm cup in both hands helping extract the heat. Raising my eyes, slowly focusing on the television, a 747 jumbo lumbering into the sky came into focus. As always, a plane on television was a greater boost to my state of awareness than the caffeine in my coffee.
Luckily, I caught the beginning of an episode from The History Channel’s Our Generation titled “Fly With Me”. This is one part in the The History Channel’s Our Generation series, depicting life changing events of the baby boomer generation.
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by CarlValeri
on September 28, 2007
As a child the sound of an airplane made me stop and look skyward wondering how the plane can stay aloft without flapping its wings. As an adult I find myself looking at the passing planes but with more insight into the physics involved in keeping these sleek machines aloft. Growing up in Basking Ridge, New Jersey I would ride my bicycle to Somerset Hills Airport and watch the wonders of flight take place before my youthful eyes. Mesmerized by the planes taking off and landing I would pretend I was the pilot at the controls and make airplane sounds while watching. The planes departures and arrivals reminded me of the Canadian Geese I would watch while walking through the Great Swamp located next to the airport. Most days I would daydream and wonder what direction the planes where traveling and what new discoveries they would find flying to their destination. Unfortunately, the airport was demolished and condominiums grew from the paved runway which once housed small aircraft of all shapes and colors. My childish mind assumed the planes moved on to other airports similar to birds finding a new nest when their old habitat is destroyed by a predator.
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by CarlValeri
on September 27, 2007
If you are like me and enjoy hanging around small airports you tend to see the same familiar faces. Many enjoy visiting the airport for some "hanger flying" , while others use any excuse to jump in a plane and fly somewhere for the "hundred dollar hamburger". One day I noticed that a friend of mine was missing from the normal airport crowd.I had become friends with a student who had been flying with me. We spent many hours flying and discovering new places to visit while fulfilling his obligation to the insurance company of a minimum 25 hours in the aircraft before flying solo in his new plane.
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by CarlValeri
on September 26, 2007
I love flying because I enjoy the people I meet, the places I visit, the amazing sites only seen from the air, and the sense of freedom I get while flying like a bird through the sky. I know many of you are thinking of becoming a pilot or know someone who has an interest in flying. There is an outstanding new resource in the form of free e-newsletter from the Experimental Aircraft Association, Reach For The Sky.
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by CarlValeri
on September 22, 2007
For the past few years of flying, I have relied on a dispatcher to file my flight plan and provide the required information to the FAA. Recently, a failure of equipment on my aircraft required me to fly in the Non RVSM airspace at or below FL290. When the controller asked "what's your new equipment suffix?", the First Officer turned to me with a puzzled look. With a blank stare followed by shrugging of shoulders I responded to his implied question with, "let's look it up".
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by CarlValeri
on September 19, 2007
Assigned seat 15B and squashed between two large men, you are tired, uncomfortable, and getting frustrated because weather is causing your vacation to be shortened. Why can’t the planes just fly around the weather and then to your destination? You watched the weather channel and noticed the only rain is a small area of storms one hundred miles south of the airport. The captain then announces air traffic control is anticipating 90 minutes before they will begin allowing departures. In harmony with the passengers around you let out a sigh of frustration.
What is causing this delay since you know there is only a small area of weather? You have watch television and are aware of the congestion and delays these days, but who is to blame?
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by CarlValeri
on April 11, 2007
I am glad to see the FCC has upheld the ban on Cell phone usage on airplanes. I feel more research is needed to determine the effect of cell phones on both the communications and navigation equipment on aircraft before allowing unconditional use on airplanes.
I have seen first hand the dangers of allowing the use of cellular phones during critical phases of flight such as takeoff and landing. As Captain of a flight departing Newark's Liberty International Airport we where told by the control tower to taxi into position and hold on the runway. This command from the tower tells us to taxi onto the runway and wait for a takeoff clearance from the tower.
While in position for takeoff we heard another transmission from the tower that was garbled due to interference on the radio. The buzzing sound was similar to what I have heard when using a cordless home phone and a cellular car interference with the call. I turned to my copilot and asked "what did he say?". Then I called the flight attendant and asked her to make an announcement that all cell phones and two way pagers such as blackberry devices are off. After the tower repeated that we where cleared for takeoff, we departed for our destination.
Communications is important especially while aircraft are operating in close proximity to each other such as during arrival and departure from an airport. This incident inspired me to do begin research on the use of cell phones on airplanes. I discovered there are studies showing cellular phones have interfered with the navigation and communications equipment on airplanes. I also have discovered that the type of cellular device has some significance in the amount of interference that is caused.
I feel we need more research to determine the safety of using cellular phones on aircraft. From discussions with passengers, I found many feel the only reason cellular phones are turned off in flight is for technical and business purposes required by the cellular phone companies. I hope from my incident more people realize safety is the reason we ask to turn phones and pagers off during flight.
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