AIRFRAMES

Snapshots from the flying desk of a traveling pilot.

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Beachy peachy. Last #sunset of #nicaragua #vacation 2013. #maderaslife #latergram #travel

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¡Español ahora! Last ditch effort to be a doofus in two languages for the lovely folks down in Nicaragua. #vacation #whoamikidding #aydiosmio #mighthurtmyself #instavirgin (at Barnes & Noble)

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Just some morning coffee for today's high-bypass unducted turbofan service to...wherever you're going. At your service!

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The radio: we really only use two of these buttons.

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"Slant-Alpha" aka "Unable direct" aka "My leg". Flight computer is sick and needs to rest so we're back to the radio basics for finding our way with VORs, their distance, and their radials. Didn't get lost too badly.

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Brace for acronyms: some folks have ACARS for their ATIS but we prefer to go retro. With illustrations.

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March, 2012.  The crew of this Austrian Dash 8 pass over the Inn (river) after winding through the Alpine Inn valley.  A high right downwind and a distant course reversal (gibberish) are standard fare for Innsbruck arrivals on this runway.  Of course, anything else and you've got a mouthful of rock.

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March, 2012.  Street signs aren't the only way to get your bearings in Innsbruck: other ways to know you've landed in the capitol of Tyrol include lively pastel colors, big mountains and super hospitable drunks (I swear, I've only heard about that last one).

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March, 2009.  One-way to the Highway, useful only if you're in a strange rush to leave Innsbruck, Austria.

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March, 2012.  "Hamburg", in Frankfurt, to LA.

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March, 2012.  The flagship of Frankfurt before launching for Los Angeles.  I was headed to Miami one gate over on the double decker doppelgänger, but this ship clearly wants to play.

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October, 2009.  Why did the Delta 757 cross the road?  To land in Los Angeles and bring me a few thousand miles closer to completing a journey to China.  Naturally.

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Hit the red button to disconnect. A single click turns off the autopilot and turns on the blood flow to your brain: Wake up, you’re flying! You can tell some guys need to blow the dust off this little feature, but I like to ‘make sure it works’ for more time than most on each flight. Keeps it fun, simple as that.