heymisterk Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 I have been flying quite a bit lately, with more coming up. We all know that commercial flight is akin to experiencing a bank run these days. The fun that was flying is pretty much gone. That said, I have my preferences for what kind of jet to fly once on board. I recently flew from Cleveland to Boise, connecting in Denver. Part of the trip was on a 737 and the other was A320. To a neophyte like me, they seemed like similar planes in terms of size and design, but I must say the A320 was quieter and smoother. In general, the Airbus "A" jets have been better overall to me than the Boeing jets. That said, I did fly a 747 from LA to New Zealand once and for all that distance, there wasn't enough turbulence at any point to put a ripple in my drink! How 'bout you all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 one that stays in the air the whole time its supposed to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dem00n Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 Concord Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heymisterk Posted December 11, 2011 Author Share Posted December 11, 2011 I would have loved to fly the Concorde back in the day. There are some pretty cool YouTube vids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanvillRob Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 I like the plane to be large enough that if it crashes it makes headline news! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigh Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 one that stays in the air the whole time its supposed to +1 Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EpiphoneFan1989 Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 I had the most flights with the Boeing 737-800. I like it. The Airbus A320 is good, too. I wish I can fly with the Airbus A380 sometime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre S Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 I prefer Boeing to Airbus...especially since recently most of the crashes I have heard about have involved Airbuses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EpiphoneFan1989 Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 I prefer Boeing to Airbus...especially since recently most of the crashes I have heard about have involved Airbuses But just because they are poorly maintained in some countries in Eastern Europe. (My opinion) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heymisterk Posted December 11, 2011 Author Share Posted December 11, 2011 Very cool. I used to work at FedEx and got to sit up front a couple of times with the pilots, including landing in a blizzard in an old 727. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 Airbus A340 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 I dig flying, especially take off and landing. I am a little different, because I want excitement and a bumpy ride if I can get it. Also, being an American, AND being one who loves aviation and history, I have a lot of brand loyalty to Boeing. I do have a good respect for Airbus, but I get a little upset that USAIR has a fleet of Airbusses and have not seen a SINGLE Boeing and still calls themselves USAIR. Anyway, regardless of my opinion, Boeing and Airbus have been very much neck and neck with each one making slight improvements to the other with each new plane or model. With the seats, I think the older Airbus' are more comfy than the older Boeing, but the newer Boeing more comfy yet, and back and forth. Same goes for cost, efficiency, and fuel cost per seat. So, both Boeing and Airbus HAVE to have the better one before they even can get an order to build it. Which leads to the 737. The older original ones (and the 727) were designed when airports were still an unknown, and they have much higher performance than it turns out they needed. They can take off and land on extremely short runways, and even dirt. The newer -700, -800, and -900 series are different than the 2 older series, but all are called 737. The -900 has different wings, is stretched, and is a much heavier and larger plane than an older one. So, it is also a completely different ride. Now, at the same time, because fuel cost is king, the newer 737 is replacing routes that were previously flown by larger planes, and even larger and heavier than the 737-900. So, depending on WHAT plane you would have been flying in (Airbus or Boeing) more comfy seats will only make up for so much. But, at the same time, they are going to fly routes that some larger planes have no ability to, where you might have been stuck with a small commuter type. And, they seem to be getting more popular. So, you might be lucky to be flying in a 737. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heymisterk Posted December 11, 2011 Author Share Posted December 11, 2011 Also, being an American, AND being one who loves aviation and history, I have a lot of brand loyalty to Boeing. I do have a good respect for Airbus, but I get a little upset that USAIR has a fleet of Airbusses and have not seen a SINGLE Boeing and still calls themselves USAIR. Very interesting post, and I appreciate it. I will say that the 737 I flew seemed a little longer in the tooth than I preferred. I flew US Airways to Norfolk, VA, and both segments were on 737s... http://www.usairways.com/en-US/aboutus/partnersfleet/fleet.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 I'll never forget flying into Seoul Kimpo - now transliterated "Gimpo" - on a 747 at the edge of a major storm and watching the wings flap. But frankly I like that compared to the DC10 'cuz I think it's a smoother ride. Ain't been on an airplane since '95 and don't particularly care to at this point in time. The most fun flying was in the era of the DC-3 and walking out to the plane with friends to say good bye - before it was a matter of worrying about stuff other than weather. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matiac Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 I like the kind of plane I don't have to get on. I don't fly (since 9/11). Too scared to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc3c46 Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 The one I fly myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lespaulj45 Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 If its not Boeing,I'm not going......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 I like the kind of plane I don't have to get on. I don't fly (since 9/11). Too scared to. This seems backwards to me. When it comes to highjacking, I figured you to be the first to kick the guy's *** and save the plane. I totally size you up as the kinda guy that would'nt put up with a highjacker trying to crash your plane. I think the cowardly AL-QUEDA types got lots more to fear from you than you would from what ever cowardly things they might want to pull off. And firther more, what really gets me is the whole airport security thing where there is all kinds of "items" you can't take on the plane anymore. What the hell is a guy with a "boxknife" gonna do against a plane full of AMERICANS?!?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matiac Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 9/11sealed the deal for me. I'd always have the image of an airplane slamming into the side of a skyscraper in the back of my mind, and flying was really never my thing anyway. The last time I flew in a jumbojet was 1984, me and my ex wife were going to Denver, and were going to fly out, and drive back. We got tickets out of LaGuardia in N.Y.C., and this was at the time they were having problems with cargo doors popping open on DC10s at 33,000 feet. What kind of plane do we board? A DC10! OK, so I'm $#!++ing my pants and we haven't even taken off yet! Now the only airplane I'd ever been in prior to that was the stump-jumper with leaky windows we took from Groton Ct. to New York. So our seats were right on top of the wing, so I want the window seat. We take off. We're at altitude, and I notice the wing actually FLAPPING (didn't know at the time they're designed to do that), and saying to myself, "we're going to die!!!", so the stewardess asks if I need anything, and I said, "double whiskey, keep 'em coming!" Well, we had a stopover in Dallas for 4 hours, and they had to carry me off the airplane. According to my ex, I was quite entertaining during the flight. After sobering up at Dallas, we board a 727 for the remainder of the trip to Denver. We land at Denver right in the middle of a RAGING thunderstorm, when I got off that damned airplane I kissed the ground, and swore off flying from that point. I will never get in a jet airplane again, I don't give a rat's a$$ HOW safe they are. I look at it this way, if I get in a car wreck, or am on a train and it wrecks, unless I'm going off the side of a mountain, at least I'm not falling 5 miles to the ground before the thing crashes. If God meant for me to fly, he would have given me wings. Stein, I'm PETRIFIED to fly. I white-knuckle the steering wheel going over a bridge. Got a morbid fear of heights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAS44 Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 one that stays in the air the whole time its supposed to And one that lands properly! I'm not picky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookieman15061 Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 And firther more, what really gets me is the whole airport security thing where there is all kinds of "items" you can't take on the plane anymore. What the hell is a guy with a "boxknife" gonna do against a plane full of AMERICANS?!?!? That's the question that should have been asked before 9/11. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookieman15061 Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 My wife and I usually fly couple times a year and she loves the take offs and landings. I on the other hand enjoy the ride at 35,000 feet because rarely do they just drop like a stone out of the sky. quick story Our first vaca to Jamaica back in 04 was a Usair flight and I've got the window seat over the wing and as were taking off the guy in front of me says "I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing but there's duct tape on the wing". I look out the window and sure enough there was an area with duct tape. It must have been a good thing because we made it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heymisterk Posted December 11, 2011 Author Share Posted December 11, 2011 My wife and I usually fly couple times a year and she loves the take offs and landings. I on the other hand enjoy the ride at 35,000 feet because rarely do they just drop like a stone out of the sky. quick story Our first vaca to Jamaica back in 04 was a Usair flight and I've got the window seat over the wing and as were taking off the guy in front of me says "I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing but there's duct tape on the wing". I look out the window and sure enough there was an area with duct tape. It must have been a good thing because we made it. LOL! I have seen that too! Once I also saw a wing with about fist-sized chunk missing from the rear side of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I finished my ground school many years ago. Took some lessons this year but had some issues with my back. I flew in a 152 (great two seater) but then my back was sore the next day. Then I went up in a 172 (four seater) thinking it would be a smoother ride. But my back went out again. Both flights were on clear days. I'll get my back in shape enough to go again because it was a blast! I understand all the equations of motions but nothing beats the real deal. Both times I got to fly the plane for about 30 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy R Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 9/11sealed the deal for me. I'd always have the image of an airplane slamming into the side of a skyscraper in the back of my mind, and flying was really never my thing anyway. The last time I flew in a jumbojet was 1984, me and my ex wife were going to Denver, and were going to fly out, and drive back. We got tickets out of LaGuardia in N.Y.C., and this was at the time they were having problems with cargo doors popping open on DC10s at 33,000 feet. What kind of plane do we board? A DC10! OK, so I'm $#!++ing my pants and we haven't even taken off yet! Now the only airplane I'd ever been in prior to that was the stump-jumper with leaky windows we took from Groton Ct. to New York. So our seats were right on top of the wing, so I want the window seat. We take off. We're at altitude, and I notice the wing actually FLAPPING (didn't know at the time they're designed to do that), and saying to myself, "we're going to die!!!", so the stewardess asks if I need anything, and I said, "double whiskey, keep 'em coming!" Well, we had a stopover in Dallas for 4 hours, and they had to carry me off the airplane. According to my ex, I was quite entertaining during the flight. After sobering up at Dallas, we board a 727 for the remainder of the trip to Denver. We land at Denver right in the middle of a RAGING thunderstorm, when I got off that damned airplane I kissed the ground, and swore off flying from that point. I will never get in a jet airplane again, I don't give a rat's a$ HOW safe they are. I look at it this way, if I get in a car wreck, or am on a train and it wrecks, unless I'm going off the side of a mountain, at least I'm not falling 5 miles to the ground before the thing crashes. If God meant for me to fly, he would have given me wings. Stein, I'm PETRIFIED to fly. I white-knuckle the steering wheel going over a bridge. Got a morbid fear of heights. I have been flying my whole life. It never bothered me as a kid/teenager but as I got a bit older I had a flight that startled me and I started thinking about all the mechanical things that can go wrong etc... After that I was very nervous every time I flew. A friend of mine had asked me a few times to fly in his "Buddy Holly" special and I had passed. He asked me again one day and I thought of all the people I know, he is the most responsible and particular when it comes to maintaing everything he owns. So I went up with him... I was terrified at first but finally relaxed enough to start to enjoy it. Afterward I started learning more about flying and also went through ground school. I have to say that learning some of the physics around flight and airplanes it really helped relieve my anxiety about flying. There is always a little fear but I look at it like getting in my car every day and the risk I take.... Even if you never fly again you should read or take some ground school. It is quite interesting. I don't fear heights... I fear rapidly hitting the ground Regards, Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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