2/26    How does a hot air balloon pilot control the flight path?  I'd think
        one can only control the vertical movement using the flame.  Thanks.
        \_ You move vertically trying to catch wind currents blowing in the
           direction you want.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_air_ballooning

1/4     Honeybee's version of "Alien":
        http://www.csua.org/u/v4i (news.yahoo.com)

1/4     Honeybee' version of "Alien":
        http://www.csua.org/u/v4i (news.yahoo.com)

5/16    "Calm and prayers help steer stricken plane back to Singapore"
        http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110516/wl_nm/us_singapore_plane
        That picture with passengers in lifejackets in the aisle is great.  It
        almost look like it's a staged photo.
        \_ It's like that guy who miraculously survived a week in the tsunami.
           \_ Or like the opening scenes to the beijing olympic games.
              \_ Ah. faked.

7/19    Isn't there an airport tax at SFO where every departing passenger needs
        to pay?  I can't find any info on http://www.flysfo.com  Thanks.
        \_ Sorry for my previous incorrect comment, all enplaning passengers
           pay a Passenger Facility Charge of $4.50.
           http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/pfc.html
           \_ Thanks!  I thought it was in the neighborhood of $50.
           \_ Thanks!  I thought it was in the neighborhood of $50.  -- OP
           \_ There are other fees as well (landing fees, etc.) that the
              airlines pay, and that are therefore factored into ticket prices.
              \_ Yes, but I just wanted to find out how much I can expect to
                 pay at the check-in counter.  -- OP
                 \_ You don't pay anything when you check in.  It's included
                    in the cost of your ticket.  http://csua.org/u/r68
                    \_ Wow!  Thanks. -- OP
              \_ Landing Fees are paid when/where you land, not
                 when you take off.
                 \_ you are a genius
                    \_ I am glad someone finally recognizes this.

1/14    8-yr-old kid, whose mother had security clearance to fly on Air Force
        II with the VP, was on the government's terrorist selectee list for
        seven years:
        http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/nyregion/14watchlist.html
        \_ what do you mean 'was'.  he still is!  you can't get off that list.

1/12    Dear Narita and Taipei flyers. I'm thinking of flying to Taiwan
        and Japan for 2+ weeks and someone suggested that I should get
        a round trip flight from US->NRT->TPE, then TPE->NRT and
        stay in Japan for a few days, and finally NRT->US. Should I just
        book directly on JAL or ANA? Would travel agency be able to
        get a better deal? Advice please...
        \- i have used Kayak fairly successfully for multistage
           international flight planning at reasonable cost ...
           although not in asia (may not make a difference).
           anyway, quite literally, YMMV.

12/1    Is it just my imagination or flight attendants in China are younger
        and more attractive than the cougars I see in US domestic airlines?
        http://curiousphotos.blogspot.com/2009/12/hiring-flight-attendants-in-china-12.html
        \_ you're a pathetic loser.
        \_ Of course this is not your imagination.  Try flying on Singapore
           Airlines and JAL and ANA.  The female flight attendants look even
           better on average.  In some countries it is still okay to
           discriminate against look or weight in order to provide a better
           experience to the customers.
           \_ discrimination KICKS ASS! Let's revert back to 1950s.
           \_ discrimination against fat, ugly, old bitches... KICKS ASS!
              Let's revert back to 1950s.
           \_ maybe JAL and ANA have more pathetic loser customers.
              \_ supply and demand. survival of the fittest airline.
                 this is common in most countries outside of the US.
                 why is this hard to accept?
                 \_ I would definitely prefer to fly an airline that had
                    the stewardesses give blowjobs to first class passengers.
                    Why can't the Free Market provide me with that?
                    \_ link:tinyurl.com/y98k6fy (SFW)
                       link:tinyurl.com/yz8ot75
                       \_ the 60s was a good era to fuck
                          \_ pathetic_loserP = #t

7/24    Another plane crash in Iran in two weeks.
        http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090724/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iran_plane
        In both times the planes were Russian-made, and in both times they
        blamed U.S. sanctions.  Why don't they blame the Russian govt for
        cutting funding for manufacturers that make spare parts (as mentioned
        at the end of the article) that would have actually made a difference
        to the planes in the crashes?
        \_ Is this a serious question?
        \_ Has anyone noticed there's been an US carrier plane crash about one
           month since Jan.  Wtf?  Why no OUTRAGE.
           \_ What does this mean?

5/13    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090513/ap_on_go_ot/us_plane_into_home
        "Airline officials acknowledged at the hearing that Shaw, 24, was paid
        at a rate of about $23 an hour.
        Colgan officials said their captains typically have salaries
        around $55,000 a year."
        1. Someone as young as 24 can be a co-pilot of a commercial jet?
        2. I thought commercial jet pilots typically make six figures.
        \_ That was the old era, new pilots make much less.
           \- while true, airline pilots have a steep seniority system.
              there are a number of WOB pages about this. so you cant
              generalize any more about pilot salaries than you can about
              college teacher salaries ... going from say a full prof at
              the 'fraud to a contract "english 1a" teacher at a community
              college.
              \_ WOB? In any case, new pilots will never make the peak salaries
                 that senior pilots make today, they have changed the whole
                 pay structure industrywide.
              \_ http://tinyurl.com/pw9yhk
                 NYT article about airline pilot pay and working conditions.

4/27    "Statue of Liberty flyby startles New Yorkers"
        http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090427/us_nm/us_newyork_plane
        I understand that maybe they didn't want to disclose this to the public
        ahead of time because of security reason.  But isn't it much cheaper
        to fake a picture with PhotoShop give that the picture is not about
        any real events anyway (unless the event is "New Yorkers terrified by
        stupid military maneuver in 2009")?
        \_ Check out the picture at "FAA alerted, but not public"
           http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30435336
        \_ And then there's this video:
           http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn0tMMYEkQU
           \_ Good grief. Wtf were the White House folks thinking?
        \_ The aftermath: "Obama orders review of New York City flyover"
           http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090428/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_low_flying_plane_obama
           http://www.csua.org/u/o4v (news.yahoo.com)

4/7     A different kind of high-speed chase for stolen vehicles:
        http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090407/ap_on_re_us/stolen_plane

3/26    I've never been to Hawaii before, but I just booked a flight to
        Kauai for me and my gf (who has been to Oahu). I'd like some
        travel advice. Which side of the island to stay on, what not to
        miss, etc.
        \_ There's not a huge amount of choice as to "where to stay",
           it's a small island.  Shell out the $$$$ for a helicopter
           ride over the island.  Drive as far around the island as
           you can, too.  I wasn't able to do much hiking 'cause of
           my girlfriend at the time, but I wish I had.  You prob.
           don't need more than 3 days on a single island:  consider
           a flight to The Big Island, which has awesome volcanos if
           you are there for more than 3 days.  Inter-island flights
           run between $100 to $150.  For stuff more specific than
           that, just look in guidebooks.
           \_ Hawaiian tourist helicopters crash and burn at an alarming
              rate.  The pilots tend to be yahoos.  My friends took a
              flight for their first anniversary.  The pilot crashed it,
              and everyone died except my friend, who stayed alive in
              the wreckage with her dead husband until rescuers arrived.
              Being pinned under the wreckage is what was keeping her
              alive, as it turns out.  When the moved stuff, she died.
              Helicopters are statistically the most unsafe way to fly
              with an engine.  That doesn't stop me from heli-skiing,
              but in that activity the chopper is just a ski lift.  The
              pilots don't fly you around to thrill you with the ride
              like those hawaiian tourist rides.
              \_ Man, I'm sorry to hear about your friend and her
                 husband.
           \_ Actually, there's a massive amount of choice in where to
              stay. Megaresorts, small cottages, condos, private houses,
              budget motels, and so on. Then there's the question of which
              side of the island to stay on. If you are up in Hanalei then
              it's a long (2-3 hour) drive to Waimea. So I'm looking for
              someone who has been who can tell me if I should split the
              distance between the two or if more activities are
              concentrated in one area, etc.
              \_ Resorts vs. not would be up to you if you want those hotel
                 amenities or not, I think.  I think you can find better
                 locations with private rentals.  I'd get something on the
                 waterfront though.  Being up in a tall tower sucks, to me,
                 regardless of the view.
                 \_ There are no towers on Kauai.
           \_ A helicopter is good, but a light plane is better. They can
              cover more distance, which means getting into more isolated
              areas, and it's more comfortable to boot. Costs should be about
              the same for a given flight time, although you can probably get
              longer flights in a plane than a helicopter.
              \_ I am debating this. The plane is cheaper, but it cannot
                 hover or get as close to the ground. Helicopters have had
                 some bad crashes lately. I was first leaning to a plane,
                 but now a helicopter (for the reasons above). I have no
                 idea which is better w/o trying both. Have you been on both
                 for a tour like this?
        \_ Take surfing/snorkling/scuba lessons.
        \_ Wear sunscreen, especially the first day.
           \_ A very good advice
        \_ On a serious note - stay in Koloa (south side of the island) where
           it is less rainy than the Princeville (north of the island) and
           Lihue (east side of the island). My wife and I married in the Koloa
           area - PLENTY of cheap but good condo (for $120/nite or less), and a
           lot quieter. Don't expect Kauai to have much of a nightlife like
           Maui (Lahaina) or Oahu (Waikiki), it is a family island (and the
           locals would like to keep it that way). Stay, enjoy the sceneries
           and behave! Check out NaPali coast (either via helicopter if you're
           brave, from a bumpy boat ride or by hiking - it's 2 day worth of
           hiking). Check out Duane's Ono Char-burger place, an island
           institution. Go get the "Blue Book" on Kauai, we swear by it
           everytime we go.

2/13    I'm never flying a Canadian/French built aircraft again.
        \_ you're an idiot.
           \_ Google for French Airbus A380. First fly-by-wire demonstration.
              \_ I googled this, didn't find anything.
        \_ Why? What did I miss?

1/29    Thinking of taking Princess Cruise from Fort Lauderdale (FLL).
        Anyone have experience with them? I'm thinking of LAX->MIA (no
        direct flight to FLL), then shuttle from MIA->FLL, then cruise,
        then the reverse. Is this the optimal way?
        \_ No, fly through DFW.

10/2    Pterodactyls may have been too heavy to fly:
        http://preview.tinyurl.com/3mdyb7 [telegraph.co.uk]
        \_ Nonsense.  Sarah Palin rode one herself!

9/18    Is McCain going to start calling his Spanish Fly Freedom Fly?

8/20    http://tinyurl.com/6cqtb2 (dailymail.co.uk)
        ~150 dead out of 173 in Spanish air disaster
        "The bodies were boiling. We burned ourselves just by touching them."
        \_ الله أَكْ!

8/6     Q: How to defeat a B-2 Stealth Bomber?
        A: Use a water spray bottle.
        http://www.csua.org/u/m0x (telstarlogistics.typepad.com)
        \_ Whoops!
        \_ These kinds of mistakes happen more than you might think.  I read
           the black box account of a plane that had tape over the airspeed
           intakes (to protect them while washing).  The airplane was lost in
           the ocean when it stalled.
           \_ If an airspeed intake can crash the plane that's a faulty design.
              \_ pitot (French) tube blockage (bug) is one of the most
                 common reasons why they crash, esp in IFR conditions.
                 Auto pilot depends on it too.
                 http://selair.selkirk.bc.ca/aerodynamics1/Basics/Page6.html
                 By the way I'm a private pilot, ask me any question.
                 \_ any good air speed measurement technologies that don't
                    depend on pitot tubes?
                    \_ Yes there are plenty, the issue is not alternative
                       technology but rather COST. For general aviation,
                       pitot tube is a proven, CHEAP, and usually reliable
                       instrument. As a pilot, most of your training is
                       failure recovery and safety. For instrumentation errors
                       you need to first 1) recognize instrumentation failure
                       and 2) how to compensate for what you think failed.
                       Your basic GA panel consists of the "Big 6", which
                       are: (top)ASI, AI, ALT, (bottom)TC, HI, VSI. Of these,
                       ASI, ALT, and VSI are independently working pressure
                       static oriented, and AI, TC, and HI are gyro operated.
                       It takes a lot of time to explain this but if you're
                       missing one instrument, you can infer its status by
                       reading and correctly interpreting the other 5. I'm
                       also missing one more instrument: Tachometer. If you
                       know your exact attitude (HI or visual) and the
                       tachometer, then you can infer AS pretty well. Keep
                       in mind that ASI, ALT, and VSI operate INDEPENDENTLY
                       regardless of battery or engine failure so you already
                       have lots of redundancy behind a well trained pilot.
                       In addition, most AI, HI, and TC, are vacuum driven
                       from the pump (and some even have electrical motor
                       backup) so as long as your engine is running it
                       doesn't matter if your electronics fry.
                         For big planes they use a combination of redundant
                       pitot tube+anti-defrost+(GPS+weather estimate) and
                       other fancy stuff. I don't know the exact details
                       because I don't have Type Ratings yet.
                         If you're curious:
                       http://www.flightsimbooks.com/foi/chapter1.php
                       http://www.aopa.org/learntofly/startfly/panel.html
                       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_instruments
           \_ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AeroPeru_Flight_603
              http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birgenair_Flight_301
              second one is another blocked pitot crash.  But yes, it's sort
              of a design flaw and it sounds like they have better
              recommendations now
        \_ To be fair, the problem was the ground crews messing with the
           gauges, which would have been fine otherwise.
           \_ I read an article previously that claimed that this had happened
              before, but the ground crew had dried out the sensors, rather
              than adujsting them, so no failure.
              \_ How does the B-2 fly in rain, or very humid weather where
           condensation can form?
                 condensation can form?  -- OP

7/11    More TSA Craziness:
        http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/07/11/askthepilot283

4/27    Dear dim guru, I need your advice. I have a very good job in
        Santa Monica and my fiancee has a very good job in San Dimas.
        We've compromised and decided to rent a place in Pasadena to
        see how things will work out. However, I'm afraid that
        a few months into this trial period we'll both be burned out
        by traffic fatique and road rage. What is your advice?
        \_ Get a job in Pasadena. -!dim
        \_ The commute from Pasadena to Santa Monica will suck more than
           anyone can imagine.
           \_ My gf commuted from Pasadena to Venice. She did it a year
              before she got an apartment on the Westwide (Westwood).
              \_ A few things. Venice is a dump. Westside (Westwood) tends
                 to be expensive, and dumpy as hell. Their major arteries
                 are Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica Blvd, Pico, Lincoln. It
                 takes LITERALLY 30 minutes to travel 5 miles. My god, I
                 can't believe people actually WANT to live on the Westside.
                 The jobs are ok but the lifestyle sucks. People go to S Cal
                 because they don't know any better. Fucking dumb S Cal
                 Hicks                                  -bitter x-S-Cal

4/11    Dear free market people, what do you think about the government's
        involvement in regulating the airline industry?
        \_ Some regulations are a good thing, like minimum safety standards.
           However, crashes are bad for business and I'm sure the free
           market could do the job just as well. There are airlines lots
           of people still won't fly based on incidents that happened
           decades ago.
           \_ and you think that's efficient?
        \_ TRUST THE INVISIBLE HAND!

2/26    Documentary team says bomb ingredients can still be smuggled onto
        airplanes:
        http://preview.tinyurl.com/39basa (telegraph.co.uk)
        http://preview.tinyurl.com/yqflv9 (thisislondon.co.uk)
        The TSA disagrees:
        http://preview.tinyurl.com/3b6agt (tsa.gov/blog)
        \_ Airport screening is all about making people *feel* safer and
           very little about actually making people safe.
           \- no, it is about political CYA.

11/9    AP IMPACT: New Army chopper overheats
        http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071109/ap_on_re_us/overheating_helicopters
        "The cost of an air conditioning unit per aircraft is about $98,000,"
        Gee, since these choppers are for disaster relief instead of combat,
        why don't they just paint it white or leave it unpainted as silver to
        reflect the heat away?
        \_ because you won't get that jack booted thug  look

10/2    More on Blackwater:
        http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/02/blackwater.afghan.crash
        \_ Blackwater USA: Giving all mercs a bad name!

9/14    Rule 240 in airline: if an airline couldn't get you to your
        destination on time, it was required to put you on a competitor's
        flight if it would get you there faster than your original airline's
        next flight. Airlines were even required to put you in first class
        if that's all that was available. But then, deregulation happened
        and no one wanted to follow Rule 240. It's just not profitable.
        http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20696593
        \_ Deregulation: proving Milton Friedman wrong for years.
           \_ Corporate profit in 21st century: proving commoners will
              always be bitter.                                 -GWB
        \_ On the other hand, most people can now afford to fly frequently.
           \_ Which is bad because I'm sick and tired of being crammed
              with dumbasses who smell or talk loudly on the cell phone.
              \_ I'm willing to tolerate it if my airfare is 50% less.
              \_ If you're rich enough to afford the old-style pricing, you're
                 rich enough to get into business or first class, you prole.
           \_ With the introduction of "Economy Plus," expect that number to
              drop.

9/6     Watching the documentary on Korean Airline 007 that was shot down
        by the Russians. According to the documentary, the Russians somehow
        "forgets" to communicate with the passenger airline, and the central
        command miscommunicated with each other, thinking the nav
        transponders and nav lights were off even though the Russian pilot
        indicated they're on (clearly marking 007 as a passenger airline).
        Man, Soviet central command is incompetent.
        \_ I don't know which is worse, KAL 007 or Iran Air 655.  Remember,
           we shot down Iran Air 655 *IN* Iranian water and we gave the crews
           metal for it.  AND we claim that the crew of USS Vincennes
           was act in "self defense."  Go figure that out.
           we shot down Iran Air 655 *IN* Iranian waters and we gave the crews
           a medal for it.  AND we claimed that the crew of USS Vincennes
           was acting in "self defense."  Go figure.
           \_ "I will never apologize for the United States of America.
               I don't care what the facts are (in reference to Iran
               Air Flight 655)"        -George H Bush 2 August 1988
              Looks like he followed the Conservative Playbook well:
              NEVER ADMIT AND NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR ANYTHING!
           \_ Soviet Union is EVIL and American is GOOD! Mr. Gorbachov,
              TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!                       -Ronald Reagan
        \_ IN SOVIET UNION, huh.  Can't think of a good one.
           \_ IN SOVIET RUSSIA, PASSENGER PLANE SHOOTS DOWN *YOU*!
        \_ Summary: Shoot first, identify later. National security #1
           \_ if GWB is the leader of Soviet Union at the time, he would of
              \_                      "would have" or "would've" ->^^^^^^^^
                 How did you get into UCB!?  Oh wait.  Don't answer that.
                 \_ you are the type perfer putting non-native english
                    speaker into mentally-retarded classes like the good
                    old days, huh?
              invade Korea instead of just shooting down an airplane.
        \_ Voice data recorder of Korean Airlines: "Hey did you know
           there's a new place to exchange currency? Yeah... HEY WHAT
           THE???"
           Voice data recorder of the Russian central command released
           in the 90s: "WHAT IS IT? You don't know what it is? Ack who
           cares SHOOT IT DOWN! SHOOT IT DOWN!"
           \_ Yay, bad English No Good Foh America guy is back!  Welcome
              back!  Where did you spend your vacation?

8/20    http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/8/20/world/main3183692.shtml
        China Airlines (Taiwan) 737-800 lands in Okinawa, passengers rush for
        exits as smoke fills cabin, plane explodes.  Safety officials suspect
        fuel leak near engine.
        \_ China Airlines one of the worst:
           http://www.planecrashinfo.com/cause.htm
           Their entire lines killed over 1000 passengers and crews, in
           1970, 1971, 1980, 1982, 1986, 1989, 1994, 1998, 1999, and 2002.
           I esp. remember the horrific 1994/4/26 crash near my dad's
           residence. No wonder everyone's flying EVA these days.
        \_ Fatal events per million flights for each airline:
           http://www.airsafe.com/airline.htm
           Only AeroPeru, Air Zimbabwe, Cubana, EgyptAir and Royal Jordanian
           have worse records than China Airlines.

8/20    China Airlines sucks!!! Crash in 2002, 1999, 1998, and 1994,
        killing over 1000 people. Screw China & fly EVA. Support Ah-Bian!
        \_ In other words flying is still safer than driving. Also
           private planes (general aviation) still kills the most:
           http://www.planecrashinfo.com/cause.htm

7/26    Clean butts while you fly:
        http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/324047_air18.html
        \_ How do they afford the extra space and weight to carry enough water
           for the bidets?
        \_ "ANA executives said they have persuaded Boeing to install an
           automatic window-washing system for the 787 cockpit windows."  The
           Commercial airplane industry is finally catching up with the
           automobile industry.

7/18    Can we put anti-lock brakes on airplanes?  This may prevent landing
        accidents in rainy weather.
        \_ You would think most of the braking comes from the reverse
           thrusters.
           \_ Then the crash in Brazil shouldn't have been caused by the rain.
           \_ http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/php/risks/search.php?query=thrust+reversers
              You'd be surprised that this hasn't exactly been perfected.
        \_ would it surprise you to hear that anti-lock braking systems were
           originally developed for use on airplanes?
           \_ By SUPERiOR German engineers?
           \_ Yes I'm surprised.  How come commercial airliners don't have it?
            \_ Antilock brakes help when your tires are your main braking
               force.  Commericial airliners do not brake via tire friction.
               There isn't nearly enough tire to slow down a big ass 747.
               \_ Yeah, but it's not just about brakeing.  It's also about
               \_ Yeah, but it's not just about braking.  It's also about
                  controling the direction.  When the tires skit the plane can
                  veer off the runway.  These accidents have been on the news
                  before.

7/12    Southern Hopitality-toddler booted from plane for saying "bye bye plane"        http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070712/ap_on_re_us/toddler_booted
        \_ some people just can't control their their fucking kids anymore.
           \_ yes but in this case the kid had repeated the phrase only a few
              times and the flight attendant was a rude unprofessional bitch.
              \_ Okay, I re-read the article. When did flight attendants
                 become total bitches? Since when does a stewardess have the
                 authority to order a plane back to kick off a couple of
                 passengers? Isn't it pretty expensive to turn a plane around
                 land, taxi, and take off again? Why did the pilot agree to do
                 this? The story sounds fishy.
                 \_ They were still taxiing, that said, it's still odd enough
                    to be fishy.
                 \_ She falsely claimed that the woman had threatened her and
                    the pilot turned around based on that.
                    \_ You don't think there's any chance the woman
                       became super upset mom and threatened that flight
                       attendant?
                       \_ No.  There were witnesses.
                    \_ Okay, I finally watched the WSBTV video. The story is
                       a lot less fishy now. All I can say is, somebody's ass
                       is grass.

7/10    http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/10/flying.lawn.chair.ap/index.html
        Walters had surprised an airline pilot, who radioed the control tower
        that he had just passed a guy in a lawn chair. Walters paid a $1,500
        penalty for violating air traffic rules.

5/4     737 abandoned on the side of a road:
        http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6620461.stm
        \_ maybe someone will use it to open a restaurant there.

4/12    The high urban density vs. suburbia flight discussion below promtps
        for a new poll. Do you *personally* prefer the following and why:
        urban living: ..
        \_ I value intellectual stimulation, convenience and the safety
           of my children. Children are much more likely to be killed
           in the suburbs, due to traffic accidents.
        suburban living: ..
        \_ I value having freedom, open space, and safety
        \_ I value not having to see bums defacating in alleys.
           \_ Clearly, suburbs are better for kids. If you raise your kids
              in the city they risk running into drug dealers, homeless,
              weirdos, and gays. I wouldn't want my kids to turn gay or
              become bi-curious.
              \_ if this is not satire, it's incredibly stupid.

4/12    "Bill Gates eyes flight to space: cosmonaut"
        http://www.csua.org/u/igl (Yahoo! News)
        Gates: I'll pay you ten times for the trip if you'll switch your flight
                computers to run Windows.
        Russian Space Agency: Well, did I mention that our trip is a round
                trip?

3/20    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20070319/ap_tr_ge/travel_brief_europe_a380_to_america
        Airbus A380. 81890 gallons of fuel, 560mph, 550 passengers. So much
        fuel, so much potential. I love it. I love it.          -terrorist

3/19    "China OKs plan to build (large) commercial jets"
        http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070319/ap_on_re_as/china_homegrown_jet
        Regardless of whether their planes will be worthy, the officials sure
        know to make the announcement on the right day to steal the spotlight.
        \_ What spotlight are you referring to?
           \_ "Airbus A380 makes 1st flight to America"
              http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070319/ap_on_bi_ge/europe_a380_to_america
              http://preview.tinyurl.com/35j9xk (news.yahoo.com)
              "For plane builder Airbus ......, the A380's first flight to
              North America, ......, is a chance to show off the superjumbo to
              potential U.S. buyers ......"
              "For plane builder Airbus and German airline Lufthansa AG, the
              A380's first flight to North America, ......, is a chance to
              show off the superjumbo to potential U.S. buyers ......"

12/22   http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16315193/from/RS.2
        Average commute increased by 40 seconds this year, from 21.7min to
        22.4min for a one-way trip. That ain't bad!
        \_ No, that is not what that article said. Go back and re-read it.
           Did you flunk English 101?

11/27     http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/11-008-XIE/2006004/pdf/11-008-XIE20060049516.pdf
        \_ People still like their cars more than mass transit. In addition
           the majority of the population don't mind being in traffic
           for over an hour, it's the only time they have to themselves.
           \_ Haha, why would you want to spend that time in traffic? That's
              absurd.
              \_ Because you can't stand going home to your whiny kids and
                 in your car you can turn up the stereo and be alone.
           \_ err... did you read your own article? Bottom of P. 35:
              "When commute duration and all the other factors included in
               the analysis are kept constant, there is no statistically
               significant difference in liking and disliking the daily
               commute between users of public transport and drivers."
              Also, the article basically shows that more people dislike
              "being in traffic for over an hour," than feel neutral or like
              it:  Daily Commuting Duration(read: ROUND TRIP) of 120 minutes:
              39% (greatly) dislike, 38% neutral, 23% (greatly) like. -nivra

11/7    FedEx cancels Airbus, orders Boeing. Go Eurotrash engineering!
        http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15605861
        \_ It's not the engineering, it's the way the European economies
           work. In some ways this whole Airbus thing has been more
           command economy than demand economy.
           \_ that is very funny.  you really think Boeing is a product
              of free economy?
              \_ Yes.
                 \_ you are an idoit beyond help.
                    \_ What is an idoit?
        \_ The Airbus rollout is delayed largely because of wiring problems.
           Those problems have been largely caused by....software
           incompatibilities between version 4 and 5 of Catia.
           http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/24.46.html#subj12
           \_ From a business prospective, wouldn't the larger problem be
              the attempt to spread control of the company across 3
              different contries?

11/3    http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/11/03/cory.lidle.ap/index.html
        NTSB reports dufuses Cory Lidle and flight instructor attempted wide
        U-turn from center of narrow East River corridor, and pushed along by
        a light wind, went right into the center of a 50-story condo bldg.

9/27    Planning to fly to communist traitor Hawaii. I have the following
        choices (round-trip):
        ATA Air: $259
        AA: $279
        Hawaiian: $290
        What are the pros/cons of each airline? Thanks.
        \_ "Comunist traitor Hawaii"?

9/15    Why can't I bring water to the airplane? Are they trying to
        prevent people making molotov cocktail?
        \_ They're trying to prevent binary liquid explosives coming on planes
           after the very formative "terror attempt" from British airports.
           Nevermind that it would be near impossible to actually combine them
           effectively on the plane...
           \_ Anyone have a clue what the current deal with carryon luggage
              is?  I have to fly to the US in October and am curious as to
              whether they're still being dicks about laptops... -John
              \_ The new TSA regulations say that you have to pull down your
                 shorts as you go through security, and if your johnson
                 looks like any sitting GOP politician, they send you to gitmo.
             \_ flying thru UK or not? seems to vary --oj
                http://www.techweb.com/showArticle.jhtml;?articleID=191902098
                http://www.btnmag.com/businesstravelnews/headlines/frontpage_dis
play.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003121009
                http://tinyurl.com/l796s (btnmag.com)
                http://tinyurl.com/maoql (btnmag - text only)
             \_ flew back from Munich last Wed (to SFO) - no problem with
                laptops, they just swiped the extra mini bottle of grappa
                that the Italian stewardess had given me on the previous
                flight... (no fluids from Munich to SFO, within Europe they
                didn't care) - mds

9/9     http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-baggage9sep09,0,1502706.story
        This is insanely stupid.  All the bad guys need to do is throw
        kgs of TATP in the false hardsides of their luggage on several very
        busy buses and have them all explode at the same time on buses across
        the city.  Let's hope L.A. people are so inherently anti-public
        transportation that those buses never fill.
        \_ uh, from a security standpoint how is this any different than
           checking bags at the counter?  Or bringing a bomb onto any
           bus?  -tom
           \_ there's no difference from a security standpoint as you've
              implied.  however, from the standpoint of the terror impact of
              burning bus shells on TV, the synchronized bombings of full
              LAX transit buses is much more effective and obvious than
              (synchronized) exploding ticket counters or bus lines intended
              for low-income workers / students.
              \_ uh, whatever.  -tom
                 \_ uh, yeah

8/30    The "Doh!" flight you did not want to be on
        http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/08/30/plane.crash/index.html
        "Tire marks indicate the plane's wheels went into grass beyond the end
        of the runway. It became airborne after hitting an earthen berm,
        clipped a perimeter fence and struck a stand of trees before hitting
        the ground ... Runway 22, the one Flight 5191 should have been on, has
        a hump in the middle, so pilots cannot see the whole thing as they
        begin takeoff. Runway 22 and the much shorter Runway 26 can appear to
        be the same length"
        \_ The pilot's sitting 20' off the ground!  How big a "hump" _is_ that?
           \_ What it probably means is that the hump is not like a speedbump
              on a flat street, but that the runway is shaped like two slopes
              joined together, like /\.  I've never been to this airport, but
              I've been to the St. George airport in Grenada 11 years ago which
              had a runway like that.
           \_ The hump is probably 2/3 mile away.  20' is nothing.
              I've been to the St. George's airport in Grenada 11 years ago
              which had a runway like that.

8/26    CNN will replay 9/11/2001 footage on 9/11/2006
        http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20060825/cnn-9-11-repeatfootage.htm
        \_ Unless there's another attack.
        \_ I won't see it.  I'll be flying on a trans-pacific flight on
           9/11.  I thumb my nose at you paranoid freaks.
           \_ Are there any discounted fares?

8/10    Let's beat this one to death:  Why do airport security wait times
        skyrocket when the threat level is increased? I know there are tougher
        standards, but the number of people going through is the same. Now they
        inspect clear plastic bags instead of x-raying carryons, and pull
        people aside to argue with them(?).
        \_ not sure where this is coming from. i flew SFO-LAX-SFO for a day
           trip on Thursday and suprisingly the lines moved faster than ive
           seen them move in a while. i do trips to LAX often. -shac
        \_ The same reason that when there are only two roads to turn down
           and one of them is suddenly blocked off people have to stop their
           cars in the middle of the fucking road and think about it rather
           than turning down the one open road and figuring out their detour
           on the fly: because most people are fucking idiot sheep.
        \_ because "this is important" so they actually start paying some
           attention to their job.
        \_ You answered your own question.  They attempt to be more
           thorough, so processing each person takes longer.
        \_ Because it takes time for us men of steel to protect the world
           from scum and villainy.  -T.E.A.M. America World Police

7/28    MiniJets are coming!
        http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/biztech/07/27/little.jets.ap
        \_ Time for a nice tourist trip to central Asia, skipping customs
           on the way back...
        \_ 10000lb, not much heavier than a Chevy Suburban.

7/19    Fly a dreamliner today: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13920640
        \_ what?

7/7     Democratic Underground proves the 9/11 planes could not have taken
        down the WTC!
        http://csua.org/u/gcn
        \_ What a maroon.
        \_ Yes, I agree with them entirely.  It was the Greys with the help
           of their Bigfoot warriors lead by Elvis.  Everyone knows that.

7/6     Are the Space Shuttles capable of taking off on a runway like an
        airplane, not to go into space but just to fly from one airport to
        another?
        \_ No.  The thrusters are designed solely for assistive thrust during
           vertical takeoff.  The space shuttle is a glider-shaped rocket.
           It is transported from one airport to another on the back of a
           specially modified 747 (see Moonraker)
           \_ I see.  I thought piggybacking on a 747 is because it's
              cheaper to fly with jet engines than with rockets.
              \_ cheaper, true.  But most likely it's because it's safer
                 and less complicated.
              \_ You know that big orange thing the orbiter is attached to
                 when the shuttle launches?  That's the fuel tank for its
                 main engines.  It contains the liquid hydrogen and liquid
                 oxygen fuel for the rocket engines at the tail of the
                 orbiter.  The orbiter itself doesn't contain a fuel tank for
                 those engines.  If you designed conventional atmospheric
                 flight capabilities into the orbiter, it would come at the
                 price of making the orbiter heavier (and every pound of weight
                 you add is a pound you take away from its payload capability,
                 or an exponential addition to the fuel needed to reach orbit).
                 Most of the time this is a nonissue, because the orbiter
                 usually lands at the same site where they launch it.  The
                 biggest problem this introduces is that the orbiter lands as
                 a glider, so you have to nail the landing every time (because
                 you can't fly around for another pass if something goes
                 wrong).  That's never been a problem, probably because the
                 pilots are really damn good, and thoroughly trained.
                 \_ I thought that the Shuttle basically can land itself.
                    \_ They recently (just this launch?) installed an autopilot
                       system that can in theory land it, but a glider is a
                       glider.  Bad gale of wind?  Slightly sticky aileron?
                       Better hope everything goes perfect the first time,
                       every time.
                       \_ Buran can launch and land by itself.
                 \_ So during re-entry the rocket engines at the tail of the
                    orbiter doesn't fire to slow down the orbiter?
                    \_ Nope, as pp noted, there's no fuel tank on the orbiter.
                       It's all about the heat tiles and aerobraking.
                 \_ When I was a kid, the shuttle age the fuel tank used to be
                    be white.  Why did they switch to orange afterwards?
                 \_ When I was a kid, the fuel tank used to be white.  Why did
                    they switch to orange afterwards?
                    \_ to save money on paint.  The External Tank just burns
                       up in the atmosphere after every launch (it is the only
                       part that isn't reused), so little point in a nice paint
                       job for it.
                        \_ money and weight!  every pound matters

6/20    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060621/ap_on_bi_ge/southwest_seating
        Southwest to stop its first-come-first serve cattle express service
        to test a new assigned seating service
        \_ *NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO*  I used to have this contest with
           my friend to see who can get the larger number but still got
           onto the plane!!!
           \_ They stopped doing numbers years ago. Now (well, until this
              news) you get lumped into group A, B, or C depending on
              when you check in. I loved this system, because you could
              just check in online the night before and always get group A.
              *sniff* -bz
        \_ Lame.  When flying by myself, which I do most of the time, I
           prefered Southwest's cattle call system.  I even liked it when
           I was in the last group.  No fumbling around with seat numbers,
           just find one and sit down.

6/20    http://csua.org/u/g7y (latimes.com)
        American Airlines flight from L.A. to Chicago lands without nose gear
        "We were coming in to land and everything was normal, but then they
        started accelerating and we took off again ... I turned around to the
        [flight attendant] in the jump seat next to me and I said to her, 'Is
        that normal?' And she said: 'Everything is going to fine, everything is
        going to be fine.' And that's when I knew everything was not fine."

6/11    Can you get a ticket for going 65MPH in the carpool/fast lane?
        What if you do what those stupid Atlanta kids did?
        \_ yes, you can.  my brother got the ticket for it and it cost him
           something like $65 :D
           \_ What was the ticket and did he fight it? I don't understand
              how you can be ticketed for going the MAXIMUM speed as posted
              by law? What I hate most about the US isn't Bush or Liberurls,
              it's the stupid speed limit law that allows any cop to
              arbitrarily decide who to ticket bc everyone goes >65mph.
              \_ If traffic is moving at say, 30mph, driving 35mph over traffic
                 flow is unsafe.  Yes carpool lanes should keep moving, but
                 staying at 55 or so is probably a good idea.  That way if
                 people want to merge in/out of the carpool lane they actually
                 can.
                 \_ If you go below the speed limit in the carpool lane you
                    usually get massively tailgated.

6/7     Private companies are more efficient at generating revenues, period.
        If BART is willing to cut 1/2 of its unprofitable stops/destinations,
        it would get a lot more profit as well. Ditto with toll roads and
        bridges and the production of milk, wheat, and other things. All of
        these services would get much more revenue if they're allowed to be
        privatized and cut its abundance of supply to maximize return.
        Wait, why don't we privatize FBI, CIA, and outsource our Marines to
        the Indians and the Chinese as well? It'll be a lot cheaper and
        efficient to run, and we'll all profit at the same time! Yeah!
        \_ FBI, CIA, the military and such, provide public goods, which
           means they're non-rival and non-excludable. The market can't provide
           such services efficiently. What about public tranportation?  It
           doesn't necessarily have to be public. I heard the private urban
           rail systems in Japan are generating healthy profits.
                \- hello, a public good isnt necessarily non-excludable.
                   so a lighthouse isnt like medical knowledge
                   ["excluding" by IP law]. also the govt could contract
                   a private agency to provide a public good ... of course
                   you can get into a debate about who is doing the "providing"
                   in that case [vaccine stockpiling], but this does take you
                   into the area of efficient regulation, which is an issue
                   when the govt desires to regulate a (natural) monopoly. i
                   think it is better to say the govt has a role not in the
                   when the govt desires to regulate a (natural) monopoly.
                   [see e.g. (UCB Dept of Econ) Ken Train: Optimal Regulation]
                   i think it is better to say the govt has a role not in the
                   case of public good but in the broader case of 1. market
                   failures 2. when "public policy" considerations trump
                   "efficiency considerations" [like the post office
                   delivering to each and every address for the same
                   price]. [n.b. i am admittedly somewhat broadening this to
                   "when should the govt intervene or regulate, rather than
                   "provide". it's a somewhat slippery distinction when you
                   consder something like say the SEC]. and now we return you
                   to tom's ramblings ...
                   failures (mkt fail not just public goods, but also address
                   hold out problem, externalized costs, IO structural factors
                   like natural monopoly perhaps in cases of high barriers to
                   entry depending on your view of "contestability theory,
                   and asymmetric information) 2. when "public policy"
                   considerations trump "efficiency considerations" [like
                   the post office delivering to each and every address for
                   the same price or profitable bus routes to subsidize
                   unprofitable ones or not letting rich people easily
                   buy their way out of traffic congestion by making HoV lanes
                   "for pay" lanes]. [n.b. i am admittedly somewhat broadening
                   this to "when should the govt intervene or regulate, rather
                   than "provide". it's a somewhat slippery distinction when
                   you consder something like say the SEC].
        \_ "Maximizing profit" is not equivalent to "efficient," or even
           particularly close.  -tom
        \_ BART is not efficient. Why have a proprietary train system
           instead of something more common? Why have such an expensive
           system for such limited usefulness due to sprawl? Companies
           make more money by being more useful to their customers. Governments
           get their taxes either way. Military and police have different
           considerations so there's no point lumping that together.
        \_ I'm not exactly aware of BART's charter, and though I agree with the
           above poster about stupidity of their lack of standardization, a
           lot of private suppliers of exclusive goods (i.e. only 1 radio
           station can occupy a certain frequency in a given area, only one
           highway can be in a certain space) have a mandate/charter/whatnot
           to provide certain services (such as a train system stopping in a
           given locality, even if only 1 person gets on.)  So they won't
           necessarily be able to either operate at top efficiency or maximize
           their profit by their very nature.  -John
        \_ Amtrak. Nuff said.
           \_ what about it?  They have the government undermining their
              business by building roads at taxpayer expense, and powerful
              airline lobbies keeping them from providing better service
              (bullet trains) which would make them more attractive.  -tom
           \_ Amtrak should be allowed to go out of business instead of
              keeping it alive. Businesses can't manufacture demand for
              their products, but the government can continue to produce
              products no one wants.
              \_ Hello, is it not possible to also have products that people
                 want and need which are simply not profitable to provide but
                 which are convenient and contribute to better standard-of-
                 living?
                 \_ No. If they want them then they will pay for them. We
                    aren't talking about a bridge which needs government
                    subsidies. We're talking about a mode of transport
                    that very few people use and which has been obsoleted.
                    \_ you mean, auto traffic?  Because there's nothing
                       more obsolete and subsidized than auto traffic.  -tom
                    \_ Excellent. We should allow all airlines to go out of
                       business as well, then.
                       \_ Sure, if they cannot fund themselves. However,
                          you would not see that happen if all subsidies
                          were eliminated. You'd just see higher airfares
                          and fewer carriers.
                          \_ This is where the public good becomes impacted.
                             It's in the interest of a vibrant economy to
                             provide a means by which more people can travel
                             to other parts of the country to spend their
                             money, just as it's in the interest of the
                             economy to keep the transportation costs of
                             goods low. When these costs go up, the overall
                             harm is greater than then amount saved by not
                             subsidizing. But I have no figures to back this
                             up, so I will admit to such now.
                             \_ If it makes sense economically then it
                                will happen on its own. You don't make,
                                for example, transportation costs go away
                                by subsidizing them. You just shift the
                                cost onto the taxpayers.
                    \_ I would agree but trains are not obsolete. They
                       can be pretty efficient, especially long haul
                       freight. We don't invest in them though. Investing
                       in a good rail system is in the government's
                       interest. The gov't basically subsidizes trucks
                       versus trains which is kind of silly. Trucks take
                       more drivers, more energy and pollution, impact
                       traffic, and damage roads which are expensive.
                       Perhaps passenger trains should go dodo though,
                       except in denser areas.
                       \_ Trains are obsolete as mechanisms for transporting
                          people across moderate-to-long distances. The
                          freight companies are doing just fine.
                          \_ Passenger trains do just fine in every
                             industrialized country which doesn't put
                             impossible barriers in the way.  Specifically,
                             in Europe, high-speed rail's market share is
                             at least 75% of traffic for trips 3 hours
                             or shorter by train, and is still 25% for trips
                             of 5 hours by train.  Not many would take the
                             train to NYC from SF, but a high-speed line
                             between SF and LA would be enormously
                             successful (again, if the state and the country
                             don't let politics and corporatism get in the
                             way of providing useful services to citizens).
                              -tom
                             \_ Passenger trains are heavily subsidized in
                                Europe, population density is much
                                higher, and distances are much shorter. What
                                is a train going to get me that a $150 plane
                                ticket (LA<->SF) won't except for a longer
                                commute time? I used to dream about a
                                bullet train between LA<-> Las Vegas, but
                                after taking the plane I don't see the
                                point to such a train, which is probably
                                why the plans never get off the ground.
                                \_ Airlines and roads are heavily
                                   subsidized, too.  Trains are much less
                                   stressful, more flexible about luggage,
                                   and more enjoyable than planes.  They
                                   also stop downtown instead of, you know,
                                   way the heck out at the airport.  If
                                   there were a three-hour train ride between
                                   SF and LA, at least half of the people who
                                   currently fly would take the train.  -tom
                                   \_ Not if it costs the same as flying. Last
                                      time I checked, it actually cost more.
                                      \_ EuroStar carries 71% of the
                                         London-Paris traffic and 64% of
                                         London-Brussels.  How is that
                                         different than SF-LA?  Do you have
                                         any facts at all?  -tom

5/22    http://www.white-history.com/hwrdet.htm
        THE MULTI-RACIAL DECLINE OF CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
        - A PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY
----------stupidity above this line----------
        \_ These posts are here as a joke, right?  Please?       -mice

4/4     I am glad I don't live in the suburbs where thing like this happen:
        http://csua.org/u/ffh
        \_ The chance of this happening is /1000 than the chance of your
           kid doing acid or weed in the city.
           \_ You think there's not a similar or greater chance of your kid
              doing acid or weed in the burbs?
           \_ I'm glad you compare being murdered with doing acid and weed.
              It really helps bring out the crazy.
           \_ ooh yeah, kids in the suburbs never do weed
           \_ You missed Frontline last night; the odds of this happening
              are 1/1000th the chance of the same kid getting hooked on Meth
              in the 'burbs.
        \_ Bitter. Young. Poor. Single. Carless. Sardine.
           \_ Huh?  Enthusiastic, young, well-off, 10 year relationship, 2
              cars, big apartment.  -John (not op)
              \_ Old, foreign, !op, DINK.
        \_ I'm not sure why people are making this a suburb vs. city debate,
           and basing it on spurious anecdotal arguments.  If the posters
           above actually care about this, why doesn't someone find statistics
           on homicide and drug crimes in the city vs. suburbs, scaled per
           capita to account for population differences. -dans
           \_ Another reason this "debate" is silly is that no one is bothering
              to define what they mean by suburb or city.  It's like the
              richest counties list that someone posted that showed that the
              richest counties are all in the West, where counties are the
              size of eastern states.  But all that is beside the point.  The
              point is that this is just another battle in the Great American
              Culture war, and that there are people on both sides on the motd
              who hate each other.  This is just another excuse for us to snipe,
              and I appreciate it.  I don't actually deal with the other side
              in the culture wars in my daily life, so the chance to tell
              someone like Dim to go fuck himself is a golden opportunity for
              me.
              who hate each other.  This is just another excuse for us to
              snipe, and I appreciate it.  I don't actually deal with the
              other side in the culture wars in my daily life, so the chance
              to tell someone like Dim to go fuck himself is a golden
              opportunity for me.
              \_ It's shocking that both sides are so out of touch with
                 reality that someone needs to formally define the difference
                 between a suburb and a city before a reasonable discussion
                 can take place.  Hmm, maybe this is something that can bring
                 the two sides together!  Either both sides are smart and
                 utterly, totally disingenuous and intellectually dishonest,
                 or both sides are absurdly petty naive and stupid!  Awesome!
                 -dans
                 \_ You're ignoring my second point, which is that reasonable
                    discussion is not the goal here.
                    \_ You're ignoring my point that you're either a liar or
                       a fool so I'm not interested in either of your points.
                       -dans
           \_ Pft.  What fun would actually *knowing* be?
              \_ Good point.  I stand corrected. -dans

3/29    Woman gets a ticket for having a W BUSH bumper sticker:
        http://csua.org/u/fdg (Atlanta Journal) (Reg required)
        \_ To be clear, she got a ticket for having a bumper sticker that
           read, "I'm tired of this BUSHSHIT."
                                    \_ BUSHIT

3/29    http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,189525,00.html
        Hooters Air to stop flying, mostly.
        \_ I misread the the headline as "Drooping"...

3/29    Woman gets a ticket for having a W BUSH bumper sticker:
        http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/dekalb/stories/0328metsticker.html

3/28    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4858484.stm
        Airbus A380 passed crucial tests and approved as a 853-person
        jet. Go superior French communist engineering!
        \_ Communist or not, I am just looking forward to the day when it
           takes 2 hours just to board the plane!
           \_ Multiple boarding passages.  It's already done at a lot
              of airports.  -John
              \_ I don't know... In some Asia airport, it takes a bit more
                 than a hour to board 747.  I don't know if multiple boading
                 passage would be able cut the boading time down to, let say
                 30 min
                 \_ It's interesting that you mention Asia--a colleague of
                    my girlfriend's is the daughter of the CEO of Thai
                    Airways; according to her, a lot of Asian outfits
                    (Thai, Singapore, Emirates off the top of my head) only
                    use the shiniest new planes for Asian routes, because
                    European and American travellers are more used to
                    crappy old stuff.  I can imagine the same happening
                    with airports; many of the cramped, overcrowded
                    airports you get in Europe and the US wouldn't be
                    capable of multiple boarding entries, but many of
                    the newer ones I've seen have bigger waiting areas,
                    room for at least 2 tunnels, and generally more
                    allowance for greater planeloads.  There's also
                    a divergence in how airports are viewed--many
                    airlines seem to be betting on smaller planes
                    going to less-cenral airports directly, rather
                    than the traditional model of feeder->hub
                    flights.  Maybe this will take strain off some of
                    the current big hub airports that can handle the A380,
                    and let them adapt their terminals for fewer big
                    planes.  -John

3/25    Lego Aircraft Carrier:
        http://www.ezprezzo.com/crazypics/lego_aircraft_carrier.html