Job for life? Overheard in the Smorgasjet marketing department: Olaf Outloud: "Let's do some forward planning for the sub-continent Smorgasfighter campaign." Gripe-n-grin: "How far out are we looking…2008, 2010?" Outloud: "Well let's put it this way, we hope your seven-year-old son is interested in aircraft – ‘cos you'll need someone to keep it going when you retire!"
IT problems Discussing ever-present office IT issues with Monty Orangeball the other day, he recalls how once during a delivery flight he encountered the ultimate re-boot. After failing to take off at the third attempt after a night stop in Iceland, the captain of the Bombardier Turbostretch declared the persistent "config warning" could only be solved if "we just go back to the ramp and switch the whole thing off". Monty says: "So we shut down, and everyone stretched their legs while he rebooted the aircraft!" Just glad he didn't have to try that at 16,000ft over the Denmark Strait.
Welcome to…where? The not-so-recent correspondence on confusing destinations prompts Nephew Tony H (who apparently lives around 7km from the DME at a major UK airport), to offer the following oldies but goodies: *Passenger went to the airport ticket desk, when asked where he was going, he replied "Tunis". Imagine his surprise when he landed in the south of France. *Passenger asks a bus conductor in Liverpool: "Excuse me is this bus going to Speke?" To which the bus conductor replies: "What do you think I am madam, a b***** ventriloquist!?"
Interrogate the caption writer (From the US Air Force's "Week In Photos" site) Friend or foe? Offutt AFB, Nebraska: Staff Sgt Mary Beth Metcalf, aircraft communication/navigation systems journeyman, with the 55th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, checks the International Friend or Foe antenna on a RC-135W Rivet Joint.
Ahhhh Hawker! Just to show you can't keep a good aeroplane down, the US National Aeronautic Association recently announced its list of "the Most Memorable Records of 2004". The list of eight records encompassed a wide range of feats and included: "Mike Keenum set a record piston engine aircraft over a closed circuit of 100km (62 miles) without payload in a unique aircraft: Riff Raff, a Hawker Sea Fury that Keenum restored to flying condition and that is flown each year at the Reno Air Races. On his October 4 record attempt near Chicago, Keenum flew at an average speed of 370mph, more than 100mph faster than the previous record set almost 30 years ago."
Source: Flight International
