Oops...

I hate when that happens! I don't know how many of you have seen this little incident in the news (and if you have, you've probably only heard the edited version), but it sure made me laugh when i heard it. For those of you who don't know of this, what happened was, a Southwest Airlines pilot either had a stuck mic or had inadvertently keyed his mic while he was talking to the other pilot while in the cockpit and en route. So, the net effect was everyone on frequency got to hear all sorts of things that i'm sure this pilot is absolutely mortified went out over the air.

Now for the record, i am all for people holding whatever opinions they want about anything at all, even though, as in this case, i may not agree with them, so long as those opinions are discussed and shared in the proper venue. As this was an honest mistake, and the pilot thought he was having a private conversation with his fellow crew mate (although the fact that cockpit voice recorders can hold up to four hours of audio and transcripts of said recorders fall into the public realm if an accident should occur, nothing said in the cockpit of an airliner is really that private), i really don't see why this is such a media circus. I mean, everyone says things in private that they would never say in public, and i'm sure if this guy knew he was live and on the air he would have never said such things. In fact, occurrences such as this are not all that uncommon. It's just that the conversation is usually more benign, such as the pilots accidentally transmitting what they think is going over the PA to the passengers. Hell, even i have accidentally broadcast stuff that i didn't mean to. And considering the conversations that take place while i'm at work, i'm damn lucky the stuff that's gone out has all been G rated.

At any rate, the stuff this pilot said was pretty offensive even to my ears, but i still got a chuckle out of it thinking about how this pilot must have felt when he got call into the bosses office and heard the tape for himself.

Ladies and gentlemen, i present to you the Worlds Most Embarrassed Airline Pilot...

Aerial Photography

The following were all taken in early February 2011 from the cozy confines of my seat aboard an MD-80 using my iPhone (i was too lazy to get out of my seat and grab my good camera from the overhead bin). Not too shabby, aside from reflections in the windows and such. I have been travelling for work quite a bit and unfortunately all my travel has been to Oklahoma City. If you've never been there, don't bother. It's quite possibly the flattest, most boring, featureless, redneck infested shit hole i've ever had the displeasure of visiting.

Anyway, the only reason i thought to post these is because Gauss Jordan mentioned he'd been in Seattle and hadn't been able to visit the Museum of Flight. So, here you are my friend. Not quite the same, but a slightly different view of the outside displays anyway. Next time you're in town, shoot me an email and i'll go to the Museum of Flight with you. I love that place, and they've added a bunch to it sine the last time i was there. And just in case you didn't get a good view of the mountain while you were here, i thought i'd include a shot of it as well. Mount Rainier is one of my favorite place and i can't wait to get some hiking in there this summer.

Enjoy!


^ KBFI as seen from seat 6A on final to 16C @KSEA


^ KBFI as seen from seat 6A on final to 16C @KSEA (Museum of Flight is center frame with various historic aircraft visible below and slightly left of center)


^ Mt. Rainier on climb out from KSEA for KOKC.

A bit of porn...

Well, this ought to give you some idea as to the variety of geek that i am. Airplane porn for the win!

But Jesus! Listen to the sound of those engines! And that an airplane that big can climb like that is impressive. I was flying out of KMSP aboard a Northwest Airlines Boeing 757-200 several years back and watched the runway markers tick past on the take-off roll. That airplane only used 2500 feet of runway on take-off! That is next to nothing for an aircraft of that size. When i stopped by the cockpit to chat the pilot after the flight, he said we were climbing out at 6500 feet per minute, which again, is astounding performance.

Seeing stuff like this really makes me wish i'd pursued flying as a career rather than just for recreation. I highly doubt my local FBO will be offering an aircraft like this one for rent anytime soon.

What a spoiled little bitch I am...

Yes, a spoiled little bitch. I've become one of "those" people somehow. It's difficult to say how the transformation occurred or when, but it did. When i was really young, life was pretty good. My parents hadn't yet divorced, my dad owned a successful business, we lived in an upper-middle class neighborhood, etc. We didn't live extravagantly as my dad was (and still is for that matter) something of a tight wad. But we didn't want for anything either.

Then things went to Hell on a rocket powered sled. My parents got divorced, we were in a nasty car wreck that got blamed on my mother (who was NOT at fault) and moved from a big house to a tiny apartment, from nice car to shitty car to the fucking bus, and from eating delicious meals to instant noodles and mac and cheese. Nothing like being moments away from homelessness to bring a smile to ones face. My paper route money went to feeding my family and paying household bills at the age of 12. Add in the stresses of figuring out that i'm gay and having to keep that bottled up for a couple decades and it's no wonder i drifted into a depression that i never really got out of. Yes, i'm still suffering from depression and subjecting my poor, loving partner to a slice of Hell on earth now and then. Well, quite a bit actually. Why he hasn't left me i'll never know.

But i digress. My point is i am now a spoiled little shit despite all the crap i've been through in my life. I live in a nice house in a snotty, uptight suburban neighborhood (that i hate by the way, and can't wait to leave for an upper crust neighborhood in a historic district in the city), i have not one, but two German luxury cars, and take vacations to places like Maui on a whim. I'm not meaning to brag. Quite the opposite. I have become one of the assholes that i once loathed.

It's got to the point that i refuse to fly coach. I will only fly first class domestically, and at the very least business class on overseas international flights. Even for work. The cheap fuckers only provide for coach airfare. So, i actually pay out of pocket to upgrade to first class each and every flight i have to take for work. The free-flowing liquor and extra ball room in the seat are well worth it however.

I have a need to go and buy a new car. A better car than what i have already. One with more features and more power and more prestige and more look-at-me factor. And this is despite the fact that the car i have is not only in perfect working order (and still under lease for anther 18 months), but a very nice car that most people would love to have.

But you know what? I don't think i could live any other way. I love spending money and having the absolute best of everything. I'm headed to Cabo San Lucas in a few weeks, first class. And to Maui in a couple months, first class. Despite the fact i hate what i've become, i can't seem to live any other way.

Even though i want for nothing and have more than i need, i start to foam at the mouth when i hear about how my hard earned tax dollars are being spent on social programs. Sure, some people are genuinely unfortunate and need assistance to get back on their feet. But far too many abuse the system. Assistance designed to be temporary and help people who are less fortunate get back on their feet becomes a way of life and these lazy assholes suck the system, and my wallet, dry. What's mine is mine and if you want what i have, get off your lazy fucking ass and work for it.

Maybe it's because i had so little for so long and was so poor most of my life that i'm so possessive of what i work so hard for. Or maybe i'm just an asshole who no longer possesses any sense of compassion.

I have no idea how this post has (d)evolved to what it is. And maybe it doesn't matter. This probably makes me sound well prickish. But it's not that i don't care, i just don't give a fuck.

I think perhaps its time to refresh my beverage and have some dinner before i go to bed and rest for another brutal day at work tomorrow.

Goodnight, blogland.