that's my hope. I actually want to find out more about the subject, in hopes it alleviate some fears.

 

The Boeing 717 is basically a new version of the older MD-95 aircraft, which was once built by McDonald Douglas. When Boeing bought MD, they decided to continue to produce an MD-95 like aircraft, which they now call the B717.



I must say, that's a nice cockpit.



I took a 717 from Honolulu to Maui last year with Hawaiian Airlines. Nice plane and very quiet.

 

so you feel pretty safe and/or comfortable piloting them? what airline do you fly for?

 

I don't fly for an airline (yet). I'm in the USAF flying this:

 

holy crap, what is that? that thing looks huge.

 

I'm a little bit late for contributing to this discussion, but I just wanted to pipe in. I fly every week, 2-3 times per week. I'm usually somewhere between 100-150 flights per year. In that time, the only thing I've been afraid of is getting sick while in the air. I saw a passenger have a heart attack on a flight last month. I realized that he was in big, big trouble when the flight attendants frantically ran back and forth between the overhead holding the first aid kit, the passenger, and the intercom to ask if a doctor was on board. I hope to never be in that position, where access to medical attention is extremely limited, and subject to luck of the draw (is a doctor on the plane?).

Other than that, in over 5 years of flying, I've only once had an emergency landing, when the front landing gear didn't deploy. The biggest inconvenience was having to land at Dulles instead of National, where my ride was waiting.

Commercial flight is really nothing to fear, though the idea of flying is certainly a reasonable way to become agitated. Just try to relax, have a light snack and a drink or two before getting on board the plane. Try to fall asleep before you even take off. Just think, when you land, you'll be in the Florida sun, and what could be better than that?

 

Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker (similar to the B707, which is rarely used in the commercial world anymore). Here's the "office":




I have tons of pics I took over Iraq, but unfortunately it doesn't look like our galleries are working anymore.

 

Hey KD, I've been in one of those. Years ago when I was an E.S.G.R. rep we took some employers on a trip to Washington Dc aboard a KC-135. It was a National Guard plane, I think, and we flew from Moffett Field (Sunnyvale Ca.) to D.C. Had a Pentagon, White House and Arlington Cemetary tour. I remember it was very cold in the KC. Hope you have good heaters in the cockpit. Are you left or right seat?
BTW, we had to land in San Diego with an engine problem. Some part had to be replaced, and the guardsperson that did the work was a female.

 

I'm currently a right seater for about another year or so. Got about 600 hours in it so far.

They do tend to get cold in the back. These planes weren't built with creature comforts in mind. You can jack the heat up pretty high, but the problem is the cockpit gets too damn hot when the rest of the plane is comfortable. We don't take passengers very much though. We did have about 40 people on board coming home from the Middle East last week though. Lots of maintenance troops coming home with us.

 

If you are afraid to fly don't look at this.......

http://www.sky.com/skynews/picture_gallery...10748-1,00.html


I have only been a little spooked on an airplane once and that was severe turbulance and a couple quick drops that had passengers hitting the ceiling of the plane. Drink cups and ice flying all over the place and several minutes of fighting thunderheads before landing. A few pukers on the flight.

But overall I love to fly. I even like the bumpy stuff. The stuff is so high tech now it makes thing very safe. There are thousand of flights a day and sometimes years between crashes. Chances of being hurt are less than getting hit by lightning. I was in the cockpit of a C-130 that landed in a complete fog, could not see the runway until we were at about 10 feet of altitude. The pilots acted as it was just another day at the office ( I had a headset on and they were joking around as we came in) and landed smooth as silk. Big planes, small Cessnas, biz jets, they are all lots of fun. Have several friends with a license and are in small plane co-ops and go up once in a while in a 182 or a Cirrus.


The only thing I don't like is being in a big plane like a 747 that lands in a cross wind. They have to bring it in kind of sideways fighting the wind and then whip it straight at the last second. Happens every time I fly to Hawaii. That feeling of the plane whipping to the side at touchdown can be startling but commercial pilots do that in their sleep.

What you have to keep telling yourself is these pilots, especially senior commercial pilots, have done takeoffs and landings thousands of times in all kinds of weather. It is about as routine to them as you pulling your car through a Burger King drive-thru. You are in good hands.

Most fears are irrational, that is why we can't shake them easily, suuround yourself with some calm people and maybe it will rub off. I was terrified of roller coasters until about age 13. Went with some kids to the amusement park and did not want to be the one scared so I sucked it up. After a couple rides no more fear.

Good luck. Sorry for the long rambling post.