The current issue of Vanity Fair has an excellent story on the crash of AF 447. A tale of unbelievable incompetence, but also one that highlights a weird feature of Airbus aircraft pilot controls.

The story concludes that it is only a matter of time before planes fly themselves.

Here is a link with some of the same information:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tec...-going-to-crash.html

John: This does not surprise me one bit. With ever increasing simulator time in lieu of actual flying (also now sadly happening in the military), these kinds of accidents will continue to happen. Witness the crash a few years ago over PA (I think) where another crew got themselves into an accelerated stall situation, and were CLUELESS as to how to recover. The issue? for the most part, civilian pilots just don't train in near the edge of the envelope flight regimes.

Back in the sixties for example, the now defunct Eastern Airlines had a practice airfield in the Fla Everglades where pilots used to take commercial airplanes and actually learn to fly IN the airframe vice simulators.

I am willing to be those Air France pilots had no military experience. When I was learning to fly in the Navy back in the early 80s, virtually every flight involved unusual attitudes, accelerated stalls, stall/spin recoveries, etc., which I will concede is hard if not impossible with large airframes. BEAT ARMY. jorge

Jorge:

They were French, so how could they have any military experience?

Just kidding my French friends.

Seriously, I don't think they did. One major issue in the story is the 4 striper brought his GF to Rio for his three day layover and only had one hour sleep before the flight. He retired to a crew berth very soon after takeoff and only came to the cockpit after the situation was out of control.

As for football...

quote:

4 striper brought his GF to Rio

Taking a GF TO Rio is indeed crazy---------

just saying--

+1

quote:

Originally posted by Sean Russell:

quote:

4 striper brought his GF to Rio

Taking a GF TO Rio is indeed crazy---------

just saying--

quote:

Originally posted by shotgun46:
+1

quote:

Originally posted by Sean Russell:

quote:

4 striper brought his GF to Rio

Taking a GF TO Rio is indeed crazy---------

just saying--

Especially if you have really blue eyes...

Never been to Rio, but I think Sean has a point. Doesn't seem like a good plan.