Moses,

Did you guys lose an engine? Almost sounds like it, especially if the plane started descending. Hard to tell without being there but that would be my first guess...

I would say an engine problem. Bird ingestion, compressor stall.....

Man I'm glad you guys train as thoroughly as you do.

Forgot about that... Miami... takeoff and birds. Not a good mix.

Moses,

When Michael or I go in the simulator its 20 to 40 hours in a week of solid sim. About 20% of the time in the sim we have both engines running, the rest of the time its single engine, hyd out, simulated one engine on fire, no landing gear and so on. Its not fun and as we said before, if you pass the sim you can fly the plane.

The bad part about this is that after you have been doing this as long as Michael or I have, the instructors in the simulator usually have fun with us. One of them told me recently "you have seen all the old fashioned stuff, we have to make up new things for you old farts!"

Reminds me of an old favourite.....

Right after reaching cruise altitude, the mandatory 'welcome aboard' speech was due from the cockpit. The grizzled old (probably tired looking) Captain did the usual speech to the cabin over the PA, and on finishing, replaced the handset in it's holder, but forgot to shut off the system.

His words, meant only for the co-pilot's ears, were "Now all I need is a good hot cup of coffee and a blow job from that cute new flight attendant in back."

Of course, all of this went out to the cabin over the PA. The new F/A in the back, hearing this, thinking only of the good name of her airline, got up from her seat, and began walking briskly up to the cockpit door to tell her Captain that the switch was still on for the Cabin PA.

A little grey haired lady seeing her racing up the aisle, reached out and stopped her in mid-stride, and with a straight face said... "Don't forget the coffee."


Yes, an old one, but a good one. That and the billy goat one.

We definitely lost the right engine. Passengers on the right side in front of the wing could see it. I think we might have had issues with the left one too, but had enough power to land safely.

Love the coffee and BJ joke. Classic.

Gahan Wilson. Anyone in aviation is familiar with his cartoon work.

Two favs.

Two little pilot types flying along in their airliner; fluffy clouds, smiles on both of their faces.

Both of them suddenly see the same thing. A little billygoat standing on a cloud right dead ahead.

They look at each other and say.... "How do you suppose that little billygoat got all the way up here????"

The other... Gahan Wilson is known for his 'monsters' characters. These people with really ugly caricatures. All of us pilots have to submit to the 'every six month medical check'.....

A one page cartoon... a doctors' office. The craggly old doc, with the reflector thingy on his head, rumpled white lab coat and clipboard in hand is looking at the poor pilot-type sitting on his exam table.

The forlorn-looking pilot, in a wife-beater t-shirt and polka-dot boxers, has this horrible alien monster thing with claws and bloody teeth buried in his back, unseen by the pilot.

The doc, looking at the pilot says... "I think I might have found your problem..."