january

My FS9 is long gone so i'm going from memory. Not sure what you mean by copilot seat vs captain seat. There is only one seat- but you can change the views for it- such as View Forward, View Left Forward etc. As well, you can shift that view up or down or change the eyepoint. Also, you must be sitting square to the monitor center or you will get a distorted view that may seem like a copilot seat. january

Try this- (lower seat) Eyepoint Move Down- key Shift+Backspace (raise seat) Eyepoint Move Up - key Shift + Enter The atached site lists all FS9 commands january http://fsrijnmond.airworld.nl/PDF%20bestanden/FS2004-Toetsenbordcommando's.pdf

Kevin you raise an interesting point - that by installing a "Defender", one conceivably might end up in court charged with modifying an airplane without legal authority from FAA etc. !!!! And I have had meal service delayed with the instruction to close trays, fasten seat belts snugly & raise seatbacks to upright due to expected turbulence. (raised seats & trays presumably to avoid having one's teeth knocked about!) january

It's doubtful that a court would uphold that you "own" the space behind your upright seat. You use that space at the pleasure of the airline and upon the authority of the flight crew. Try exerting your right to recline when the attendants have ORDERED seats to be placed in an upright position due to turbulence or imminent landing !!!! There is a good argument that reclining one's seat is a privilege to be exercised solely at the pleasure of the airplane commander and/or his delegate(s) january

The solution is simple- just add some nitrous oxide to the cabin atmosphere system. (Best to avoid this for the flight deck - ATC would be puzzled to hear wild laughter in response to their instructions.) january

Good idea! Then the airline should refund most of that extra ticket, since the airplane will be lighter in passenger load & use less fuel. And because no one will be sitting in that seat, the airline should also physically remove the seat itself and save some more weight- and provide a further refund!!!!! january

Anaesthetic reverser after surgery. On reflection, a perhaps simpler solution would be to pipe Nitrous Oxide gas through the airplane cabin- and have all aboard laughing their silly heads off for the trip. (Probably best to have the flight deck airtight from cabin atmosphere!) january

The obvious answer is to pipe an anaesthetic gas thru' the plane's ventilation ducts.so that every one gets fully rested during flight- then 15 minutes before landing, the FAs give everyone a shot of Narcan to wake 'em up- all fully rested and ready for a good day's work! january

Further to previous comments on airplane seating, it's worthy of note that Airbus recently filed for a patent on bicycle style seating for airplanes. Awfully close to standing room only !!!! See the attached clip. http://business.financialpost.com/2014/07/15/airbus-files-patent-for-bicycle-style-seating-on-airplanes/ january

In the early 60's- (oh my- that's 50+ years ago!) I flew frequently on Air Canada- DC8s. (At that time if I recall, it was called Trans Canada Airlines- TCA). Economy seating was 3 abreast with legroom for a 6 footer to easily cross one's legs. With any luck on an AM flight to the west coast, there would be no seatmates- so stretch out over all 3 upholstered seats for a morning snooze !!! The Stewardess (now Flight Attendant) seeing your "discomfort", would usually bring you a soft pillow and a blanket !!! In that era, if you flew Canadian Pacific Airlines - Toronto-Vancouver, you could return via Mexico City- including stopover there- for no extra charge !!!! It truly was the golden age of air travel - sad to see how the standard has descended into near cattle trade. january

As a 6 footer, on an Air Canada 767 flight from Honolulu, the seating was so uncomfortable, I seriously debated sitting in the can for a half hour. instead I walked the aisles for extended periods. No wonder air rage is a problem these days. january

Still working for me. 16:15 hrs PST Aug. 23 january

BBC is reporting some new, interesting details on the search for 370 - to be resumed this autumn. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-28900565 january

Quite possibly you will miss that "next flight, while the joystick is being investigated by the security folks at the gate. january

There's an old rule about cars- "Never buy a new model in its first year of production." Applies also to software and just about everything made by humans! january

Ray- In Canada also, we tend to use "month" first - as in today "July 7". (Ask for the date and the verbal reply may be- "july7th") My guess is that the custom derives from the North American agricultural heritage- where month had greater importance than day- such as- "grain harvesting is carried on in September and should be complete before the end of October". (Day was unimportant, except on Sunday everyone went to church!) Actual "day" had little relevance- it was the season that was most important. I think most Canadians still place more significance on month - ie mention December and everyone instantly thinks of Christmas. And I suppose this topic leads to the concept of time zones- of which, Canada has 4 1/2 zones !!! (Newfoundland runs 1/2 hour ahead of Atlantic time.) World wide time zones were first proposed in 1879 by Sanford Fleming of Canadian Pacific Railway fame. How in heck do you run a 3000 mile railway system without standardized time- on which the world agrees -even if we can't agree on how to write or speak the date!!! january

We Canucks also see the sun travelling from right to left- that's because we always try to keep an eye on the North Pole so we can grab it quickly in case a gravity wave washes ashore! january

For David P- haven't seen any pet kangaroos here in Canada but my daughter raises Aussies ! I understand the concept of Christmas being celebrated at the same time everywhere- regardless of winter snow or summer heat - but how is it that folks down under, don't fall off the world - since they are always underneath and facing down. Gravity must be a lot stronger down there! january

All the foregoing, of which, suggests that we may be reaching the limits of aviation growth - unless new technologies emerge to solve the conflict between expanding people populations and ever growing numbers of larger commercial airplanes. january

BBC is reporting a new location for the resumed search for MH370. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-28031741 january

Q. from a rank amateur- I wonder what role, thermal air currents may play in landing at KSFO ? Imagine a hot sunny day with a light & cool westerly breeze from the sea. Thermal currents would be rising from scorching hot runways and then would be pushed easterly over the Bay into the path of a descending aircraft- giving it an unexpected lift. This rising warm air mass however would be cooling on its underside by the frigid waters of the bay and thus would be falling. An aircraft on approach would first experience unexpected lift as it penetrated the thermal - and then perhaps quite suddenly, experience loss of lift- at the very moment when a stable path is most needed. A sudden reversal of apparent lift that might surprise an unwary pilot???? january

For an interesting read on the SFO T7 crash and the role of auto throttle, see this item from Bloomberg News. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-22/asiana-crash-debate-goes-beyond-pilots-to-automation.html january

Well said Mel- For an an interesting and very recent paper on the relationship of pollution particulates & clouds to global cooling - read: http://hockeyschtick.blogspot.ca/2014/06/new-paper-shows-ipcc-underestimates.html Time to buy a new snow shovel? january

BBC is reporting tonight, June 16, that Inmarsat is confident on the MH370 crash "hotspot", but that searchers have not yet examined that area. Read full report - http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-27870467 january

Or "Hamlet" - HORATIO What news, my lord? HAMLET O, wonderful! HORATIO Good my lord, tell it. HAMLET No; you'll reveal it. HORATIO Not I, my lord, by heaven. MARCELLUS Nor I, my lord. january