From the Flight Deck

According to Wikipedia, this aircraft was used on a SFO-ORD run beginning in 1927....OMG look at those two passenger seats. I can't imagine sitting there for several hours in an upressurized environment. Its range was 650 miles at 105mph, so I guess there were a couple of bathroom stops, eh?
I guess I shouldn't complain anymore about the deteriorating service we see on present commercial flights - but let's hope and pray we don't go back to this!!! ;-)

Do you see yourself bidding for the Dreamliner when it arrives, Doug? What's the current thought around "expiration" of the Airbus 319/320/321 fleet? What will replace it?

Jack

And speaking of the dreamliner, what's up with that scalloped trailing edge on those big Trents?? (Technical question, wish I could post a pic)

Jack. I suspect the B787 will go fairly senior so it will take about three to four more years of climbing the seniority totem pole.

On the note of seniority, about the third week of every January a new seniority list comes out. I'm presently 1405 out of 3200 and will probably move to the 1260 to 1270 range. It's a cheap thrill.

Good question about the A320 fleet. The 321s and the 319s and even some of the A320s are fairly new. They have lots of mileage in them yet.

Capt. Doug

Whywhyzed. I know the 787's design team thought outside the box. Actually, they danced around the box. Separate pressurization system instead of bleeding air from the engines. Adding moisture to the cabin air. Electric motors instead of hydraulic pumps. Windows in the washroom. No window shades but dimming through a push of a button. The list is long including why the scallop trailing edge of the engine. I hope Discovery Channel does not ask me that one for tomorrow's phone interview.

Doug

YYZ. Just heard Air Canada won the best North American airline award. We must be doing something right. True, one doesn't get spoiled in the cabin food department, but 90 percent of the passengers love the
new entertainment system. And they seem to be enhancing the system every month. I know passengers are charged for headsets, but they can be keep them for future flights. Westjet also charges for
headsets plus the screens are smaller and the satellite T.V fads in and out now and again.

I remember interviewing one of the Air Canada chefs for an article. He said, "passengers look forward to meals for the entertainment value." Now that the meals are gone, passengers are now glued to the screens especially since they can start watching them as soon as they sit down. No one reads a book or talks to heir neighbour. It's one movie or show after another.

So things have deteriorated, but other things have exponentially improved.

Doug

Hi Doug,
In case it comes up in your interview tomorrow, the scalloped engine nacelles (Boeing calls them "chevrons") on the Dreamliner engines are designed to dissapate noise in the rear cabin. I read it on the Boeing website when I was waiting for the live webcast of the first flight a couple of weeks ago. Go to: http://787firstflight.newairplane.com/ffindex.html. Click "View Design Highlights" and then Propulsion. Review the specs on the engines. "Chevrons on the nacelles significantly reduce shock cell noise in the aft cabin". It is also covered in the Unrivalled Passenger Experience/Calmer Cabin section ("Nacelle chevrons reduce engine exhaust noise"). Hope that helps!

Jack

Thanks a million Jack. Just studying up on Frank Whittle the inventor of the jet engine. I always thought the distinction was given to the Germans, Hans Von Ohain but the British lay claim to it.

Here's what I'm being interviewed for:

I am a television producer in Toronto - currently working on a new tv series for Discovery Channel entitled "Inventions That Shaped the World." Each 1-hour of our 10-hour series profiles select amazing inventions of a decade of the 20th Century. Our shows use stock footage, graphics and dramatic re-enactments to explain how each invention came to be, plus documentary-style interviews with our interviewees explaining how each invention really "shaped" the world. One of the inventions we are featuring (we hone in on 4-5 in each show) is the jet engine.


For the jet engine story I am looking for a pilot who:
(1) can explain how a jet engine works
(2) is familiar with the inventor who invented the jet engine, Frank Whittle from the UK, in the late 1930's, and feels comfortable telling parts of the story of how it was invented


We are looking for an "active" interviewee in this story; meaning we want to do more than just interview them in front of a backdrop. We want to see them in action, using the invention that shaped the world. Therefore, in addition to interviewing this pilot we'd like to (after the interview) film with them inside a plane, see them flying it, and have them discuss how important the invention of the jet engine is and how technically advanced it has become.

How did your phone interview go today, Doug? The show concept sounds neat. I will definitely be watching your segment! let us know when it comes out.

Jack

Jack. The rep from the Discovery Channel was very upbeat and thorough. In fact, I just received an email from her regarding further reading on Sir Frank Whittle. I'm impressed with their in-depth research.
I still don't know if I got the job. I may have a person to person interview later in the month.

If people out there know about Frank Whittle, fire away.

Thanks for asking.

Doug