tulips me right up. I think it stems back to a flight from Glasgow to Luton years ago, which was hit by lightening. Nothing bad happened. Just scary, and quite loud.
So a couple of weeks ago, we land at Luton, and the pilot tells us we need to hook up a generator to the plane before we power down the engines. This is because this plane "doesn't have an APU" - little engine in the tail end called auxiliary power unit, used for starting the main engines, pressurising the cabin, etc.
So "doesn't have" is pilot speak for ****ed. Turns out an APU isn't part of the MEL for short haul.
Then two weeks ago we are delayed at Dortmund. Only by 30 mins. As we boarded I ask a flight attendant "is it fixed" to wit the reply "well I hope so" was returned. Cheeky scamp.
The pilot announced is was a problem with the computer, and " as we are basically a big flying computer it is pretty serious and we needed to get it fixed".
As we landed in Luton, I turned to the scamp, and said, "see it was fixed" to wit the reply "yes but it went wrong again mid flight" came the reply. "Let's hope it's fixed for Monday morning eh?" Says I.
"not really fussed, I'm not working Monday" came the reply
So today, as we are coming in to land at Dortmund, I glance out the window as I usually do, to look at the scenery etc, and I notice the lift dumper is flapping all over the place. A quick squizz at the opposite wing, and the lift dumper is deployed and rock steady as I've come to expect.
So as we disembarked I casually mentioned it to the trolley dolley.
"Oh so you know all about planes do you?" Came the hasty reply.
"No, I'm no means an expert, but I do sit in a window seat within view of the wing twice a week, and I've never seen it do that before. I thought about whether to say anything, and concluded it was better to say something than stay quiet"
"Well the pilot would know, the computer would tell him if anything is wrong"
God help us if it's that faulty flying computer they rely on, rather than visual inspection, handling, gut feel and experience.
Nice knowing yous.
Suity
So a couple of weeks ago, we land at Luton, and the pilot tells us we need to hook up a generator to the plane before we power down the engines. This is because this plane "doesn't have an APU" - little engine in the tail end called auxiliary power unit, used for starting the main engines, pressurising the cabin, etc.
So "doesn't have" is pilot speak for ****ed. Turns out an APU isn't part of the MEL for short haul.
Then two weeks ago we are delayed at Dortmund. Only by 30 mins. As we boarded I ask a flight attendant "is it fixed" to wit the reply "well I hope so" was returned. Cheeky scamp.
The pilot announced is was a problem with the computer, and " as we are basically a big flying computer it is pretty serious and we needed to get it fixed".
As we landed in Luton, I turned to the scamp, and said, "see it was fixed" to wit the reply "yes but it went wrong again mid flight" came the reply. "Let's hope it's fixed for Monday morning eh?" Says I.
"not really fussed, I'm not working Monday" came the reply
So today, as we are coming in to land at Dortmund, I glance out the window as I usually do, to look at the scenery etc, and I notice the lift dumper is flapping all over the place. A quick squizz at the opposite wing, and the lift dumper is deployed and rock steady as I've come to expect.
So as we disembarked I casually mentioned it to the trolley dolley.
"Oh so you know all about planes do you?" Came the hasty reply.
"No, I'm no means an expert, but I do sit in a window seat within view of the wing twice a week, and I've never seen it do that before. I thought about whether to say anything, and concluded it was better to say something than stay quiet"
"Well the pilot would know, the computer would tell him if anything is wrong"
God help us if it's that faulty flying computer they rely on, rather than visual inspection, handling, gut feel and experience.
Nice knowing yous.
Suity
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