Bored and off topic...

[chasfm11]

Sigh, I miss skiing!

Me too. Hmm... maybe I'll use a ski trip next winter as motivation to lose weight "for me".

Me, too. My last trip was to Breckenridge 10 years ago. The trip before that was to Taos. That is much more mountain then I'm ever going to be a skier.

I few one of those 8 passenger puddle jumpers that American used from Harrisburg PA to Raleigh NC. The flight in must have been so rough that half the passengers were sick. We had a similar takeoff and climb to 10K feet with heavy, gusty crosswinds. We landed in Raleigh with the plane appearing to be crabbed about 30 degrees to the runway and I was just sure that we were going to cartwheel wing over wing when we did touch down. The pilot dropped it right on its wheels at the very last second.

That was my last puddle jumper. After that, if it didn't have two large jet engines, I didn't get on it. Now, I refuse to fly at all.

[steveincowtown]

The Old Hong Kong airport had some pretty crazy landings as well. The best part was a ton of 747's flew in and out of there.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PCOcyt7BPI[youtube]


My first trip there was before the airport had closed and moved out onto the island.

During approach you could literally see the faces of folks in their apartments.

[Frankie]

My dad was/is a pilot and he always told me "there are only two types of pilots, bold pilots and old pilots. you don't get to be both"
The first time he gave me the controls, I was 5 and we had just taken off the Lemoore Ca. and I was hooked. I have fond memories growing up around airports and aircraft.


Did someone say "crosswind landings"

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=fJSDaVVAc1c[/youtube]

[jimlongley]

How do you practice that?

US Navy carrier landings, except they stop a lot faster.

[Heartland Patriot]

I've been on a lot of big jets traveling from place to place over my career in the USAF. I spent time in Special Ops when I was younger and had a few "low-level" rides in C-130s through the mountain valleys in Italy. I'm telling you now, I would NOT get into an airplane with the guy in that first video. He's in a twin...with that sort of landing, he doesn't have any time to correct issues if he loses an engine on descent. He can be all the hot dog he wants to...but not with me in that thing with him. Its like people who wheelie motorcycles in traffic at 100 mph...looks real cool...until something goes wrong.

[FL450]

Flying the boss to Gunnison, Crested Butte Sunday for Christmas, the family is flying commercial up to join me for a white christmas.