A pilots reply…..!
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at 03:36 by Inthesandpit.
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openflyParticipantDuring my BA flight from Malaga yesterday I was in the front galley waiting to use the loo.
The First Officer appeared and loudly slammed the flight-deck door. I asked him why it was so noisy and pointed out that the flight deck door on the the upper deck of the 747 is so quiet.
“Oh, is the flight deck on the upper deck on the Jumbo?”You couldn’t make it up….a 10 year old plane spotter would know this! ??
6 Feb 2018
at 17:13
GivingupBAParticipant[quote quote=850082]The First Officer appeared and loudly slammed the flight-deck door. I asked him why it was so noisy and pointed out that the flight deck door on the the upper deck of the 747 is so quiet. “Oh, is the flight deck on the upper deck on the Jumbo?”
[/quote]Was the First Officer young or very young? If so I suspect the 747 could be a plane far in the past [and not relevant] to him / her, so perhaps it’s not too surprising – and maybe then he / she had never even been on one. Good story anyway!
7 Feb 2018
at 12:00
openflyParticipant@givingupBA….he was, at a guess, in his late 30s and very pleasant.
7 Feb 2018
at 12:40
GivingupBAParticipant[quote quote=850229] @GivingupBA….he was, at a guess, in his late 30s and very pleasant.
[/quote]OK, and thanks for your reply – in that case it is a bit surprising that the First Officer didn’t know!
7 Feb 2018
at 12:52
philsquaresParticipant[quote quote=850195]Surprising that the 747 Classic didn’t even have a door to the cockpit, just a heavy curtain. More swoosh than slam.
[/quote]I have about 10,000 hours in all the classic models. Must have missed that, as all the ones I have flown do have doors. Now freighters, that is a different story….
7 Feb 2018
at 21:06
InthesandpitParticipantI can chuckle but to be honest I have found over the last 10 to 15 years or more, some new joiners to the industry do not seem to have the passion and interest in aviation that some of us oldies have or had. Don’t get me wrong I think most aviation professionals have more than an idea what is going on in fact are total aviation anoraks.
Dear readers just let me relate a couple of amusing tales, whilst working in the late 80s at LGW for a wonderful airline, a good friend married and her husband, at that time a junior F/O for a 3rd level airline who had little interest in aviation at all. He paid for his training whilst working as an electrician, which is very commendable. When asked why become a pilot, the answer was you get loads of time off, pay is good, retire early and get to see all the ‘totty’ (sorry ladies his words not mine) you want, oh and a good pension. This man went onto progress to become a Captain on Long-haul and from his own admission he said he progressed probably because he was a Mason!!!. He has only just retired from what he said was the most boring inconvenient job ever at 55. How many youngsters would give their eye teeth for his opportunities.
For my part I was training newly qualifies ATCOs a few years back before they started on the job training, as part of this we would provide them with an airways / route maps of the UK and Europe with country borders but without the airports added and ask them to come up with a route between city pairs. The amount of times Norwich has been pointed out in Northern France was frightening, similarly when quizzed about what altitudes different aircraft would cruise at, the amount of blank stares you would get was comical. Some had no idea of basic geography, aircraft type differences or aviation interest, but they passed the examinations and aptitude tests and went onto qualify. I asked one why join ATC and was told “didn’t know what to do after my Marine biology degree but a mate told me his dad was in ATC and they get a great salary, loads of time off, fantastic pension and retire early”. Seems to be a common theme here – sorry I have wittered on again.8 Feb 2018
at 05:41
openflyParticipant@Inthesandpit….did the great airline that you worked for in the 80s have a big golden lion on the tail??
8 Feb 2018
at 08:24
CheeryguyParticipant[quote quote=850251]
Surprising that the 747 Classic didn’t even have a door to the cockpit, just a heavy curtain. More swoosh than slam.
I have about 10,000 hours in all the classic models. Must have missed that, as all the ones I have flown do have doors. Now freighters, that is a different story….
[/quote]BA’s Classic 747 fleet definitely had cockpits doors as well as the aforementioned curtain. They were just not used till the NBO incident.
8 Feb 2018
at 08:30 -
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