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US Airways Getting In-Flight WiFi in 2010
Hudson Crash Simulation with FAA Voice Recordings Shows Captain's Nerves of Steel
Yale Student Sues US Airways For $1 Million Over Lost Xbox 360
What Happens When an Airplane Engine Blade Gets Loose
Timelapse Video: US Airways Airbus 320 Being Raised from the Depths of the Hudson River
US Airways Waterlanding: Close Up Image of Inflatable Rafts
US Airways Removing All In-Flight Movies, Didn't Want Your Stupid Business Anyways

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Kaiser-Machead
07/23/09

In reply to US Airways Getting In-Flight WiFi in 2010
I quite enjoyed gogoinflight's wifi service aboard the Virgin America flight to and from San Francisco last week. Only thing is that if there's no AC outlet on other flights like Virgin does throughout the main cabin, the experience is seriously gimped, unless you have something that can hold a charge for the duration of the flight.
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Castleknight75
07/23/09

In reply to US Airways Getting In-Flight WiFi in 2010
Hey if it makes the flight seem shorter, i am all for it... plus if i dont like inflight movie i could always pull up my Hulu queue and watch what ever I want
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Kaiser-Machead
07/23/09

@Castleknight75: It works ok, but media streaming can be dodgy. If you don't mind the hiccups and stalls, you'll quite enjoy yourself.
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kingbob337
07/23/09

In reply to US Airways Getting In-Flight WiFi in 2010
I guess it has gotten cheaper. The flights I have had with the gogo service, were 6.95 for flights less than two hours or 14.95 more than two hours. Then I think it was 2.95 regardless of flight time or something like that for handheld devices.

I would have still would have perfered an AC outlet over this though. You only get them in first class, usually.
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Kaiser-Machead
07/23/09

@kingbob337: I paid $12.95 for the service and was up and running for well over 4 hours.
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chauncy that billups
07/23/09

In reply to US Airways Getting In-Flight WiFi in 2010
In other news, US Airways has announced a new "No Wi-fi" fee. If you don't wish to use wifi, you will have to pay a fee of $15.
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PurpleMonkeyDishwasher:
07/23/09

In reply to US Airways Getting In-Flight WiFi in 2010
I think, as part of the infrastructure stimulus, we should create a nationwide wi-fi web so that everyone can have internet access anywhere. I bet that would have a huge impact on things like education etc..
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Edited by PurpleMonkeyDishwasher: at 07/23/09 9:49 AM

jameszhang
07/23/09

@Purple Monkey Dishwasher:
Do you really need WiFI outside of urban and suburban areas? It would really be a huge waste of money to have WiFi in the Rocky Mountains, say.
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North Star
07/23/09

@Purple Monkey Dishwasher: It's a good idea, but not now. We're hemorrhaging enough money as it is now, and that would be expensive. The rewards on that would be more long-term.
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PurpleMonkeyDishwasher:
07/23/09

@North Star: There would be both short and long term benefits as with any infrastructure project. Short term would be the creation of jobs and long term would be the benefits described above. Although getting Wi-Fi anywhere might be a far reach, it would be beneficial to get all the major cities/metropolitan areas covered much like Wiimax is doing with select cities.
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North Star
07/23/09

@Purple Monkey Dishwasher: I agree that it would have good short-term effects. But this is a huge and expensive project (even if we're talking about just major cities), one best left for when the economy is back on its feet. The economy is slowly getting better, so there's a chance for this in the near future.
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Edited by North Star at 07/23/09 10:20 AM North Star was starred North Star was unstarred

Kaiser-Machead
07/23/09

@Purple Monkey Dishwasher: If I could pay a small monthly fee to get open wifi throughout NYC, I'd pay it, so long as the service performed satisfactorily. Free things are nice, but to get nice things, I'm ready to pay.
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N@tedog
03/24/09

In reply to Hudson Crash Simulation with FAA Voice Recordings Shows Captain's Nerves of Steel
A lot of people are misinformed about how skilled Scully was behind the controls. In fact, he was very uncomfortable sitting behind the wheel. The many buttons and knobs bewildered him. Instead, would attach reigns to the nose and stand atop the plane steering it with brawn alone. This method was never formally adopted by other pilots or recognized by the FAA since no other pilot besides Scully figured out how to coax a 400 ton aircraft to a cruising speed of 500 mph.
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GitEmSteveDave_HurtHisKnee
03/24/09

@N@tedog: Did he master the skills in the deep desert riding atop the great Shai' Halud?
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henhen
03/24/09

In reply to Hudson Crash Simulation with FAA Voice Recordings Shows Captain's Nerves of Steel
ummm..good pilot and everything...saved a lot of lives and stuff..... but i wwouldnt hype him up like that...its not like a choice he had to land somewhere else...landing on water isnt that difficult...its a wide open place..not like on the highway where you have to worry about cars and brides and streetlamps.....

im sure any qualified pilot could do it....
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GitEmSteveDave_HurtHisKnee
03/24/09

@henhen: You're correct. Any pilot can land on water. It's the whole keeping the plane intact thing that's difficult.

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strider_mt2k
03/24/09

In reply to Hudson Crash Simulation with FAA Voice Recordings Shows Captain's Nerves of Steel
Yeah I really admire this pilot and crew.

It's really down to the right decisions at the right time to avoid disaster, and these folks were in the zone.

AGAIN I applaud, and will continue to do so.

I've always wanted to be a pilot, but who wouldn't want to be a heroic pilot?

THAT'S just the SHIT!
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Super Sonic
03/24/09

In reply to Hudson Crash Simulation with FAA Voice Recordings Shows Captain's Nerves of Steel
Seriously, he was not a hero, he was not brave and he didn't have "Nerves of Steel". He was doing his job and he made a difficult decision.

He should count himself lucky that he wasn't fired for destroying a $75,000,000 aircraft.
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GitEmSteveDave_HurtHisKnee
03/24/09

@Super Sonic: So by your definition, police, firemen, ems, etc are not nor can ever be heros, as it is their job?

But you are right. He should have been fired for saving all those lives+the plane after animals flew into his engines causing them to stop. If he had just nose dived it into NYC, there's no chance he would have been fired.
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GitEmSteveDave_HurtHisKnee
03/23/09

In reply to Hudson Crash Simulation with FAA Voice Recordings Shows Captain's Nerves of Steel
I love the ATC guy. He almost reminds me of the dispatcher from the chimp lady. Sulley is giving him a pretty good indication that he's going down pretty quickly and can't make it to Teteroboro, and the ATC is like, "well, what runway would you like?". Then he disappears from the radar after saying he was going in the Hudson, and he goes "You , uh , also have Newark Airport, if you want to fly over there." I just find it a little humorous.
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Jesus Diaz
03/23/09

@RattedOutAnneFrank!_GitEmSteveDave: Yeah. If you take the control dude into consideration, the captain was even better at keeping his cool. I would have screamed: "ARE YOU FUCKING STUPID, CAN'T WE SEE WE ARE GOING DOWN AND STOP ASKING DUMB QUESTIONS?! AND WE ARE FUCKING CACTUS 15FOURTYNINE. IS THAT TOO HARD TO REMEMBER, DUMBASS?"
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GitEmSteveDave_HurtHisKnee
03/23/09

@Jesus Diaz: Oh Sulley was the epitome of cool. As Pinky said in Heist: "He's so cool, sheep count him at night." The first time I heard it, just him saying the word "Unable" had me going, "Oh shit".

If you ever heard the chimp attack tape, you can almost hear the dispatcher laughing. Yeah, it does sound like a prank at first with the chimp scream, but the terror in that ladies voice was SO real. But hey, these guys(dispatchers/controllers/etc..) deal with so much crap and at a point where they can't do much of anything b/c of the distance, it doesn't surprise me they detatch to a point.
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aerospaceman
03/23/09

In reply to Hudson Crash Simulation with FAA Voice Recordings Shows Captain's Nerves of Steel
wow you can hear the focus in Sully's voice a sort of knife edge concentration...crazy. I'm sure normally he wouldn't be talking so fast and in brief sentences on the radio since it would take a lot of repeats to convey what he wants
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GitEmSteveDave_HurtHisKnee
03/23/09

@aerospaceman: IIRC, he wasn't supposed to be talking, and it should have been the co-pilot, but he was busy getting other stuff ready, so Sulley did double duty.
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Software_Goddess
03/23/09

In reply to Hudson Crash Simulation with FAA Voice Recordings Shows Captain's Nerves of Steel
Wow, that is touching. I was riveted! Thank you Jesus, another wonderful clip.
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BeautifulAgony
03/23/09

@Software_Goddess: Despite the low quality of the video, my heart was in my throat just imagining how frightening that must have been for everyone in that plane. Kudos to the amazing pilot and crew for maintaining such level heads!
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Jesus Diaz
03/23/09

@BeautifulAgony: @Software_Goddess: Ok you two, what's with the high heels?
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GizMadone
03/23/09

In reply to Hudson Crash Simulation with FAA Voice Recordings Shows Captain's Nerves of Steel
With all due respect (and credit) to Sully, I'd say the pilots of Air Canada 143 ([en.wikipedia.org]) or Air Transat 236 ([en.wikipedia.org]) did even more impressive jobs at saving the day.

In both cases, they lost all engines, glided many, many miles, and planted the wheels in specific spots on faraway runways.

Sully did an excellent job, but the decision to land in the Hudson was a no-brainer, and he didn't have to land at any one point in the river. A great job, but perhaps not as challenging as the aforementioned examples.
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Fenister
03/23/09

@GizMadone: Yeah ... the Gimli Glider is the shit!
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Maori_Yelir
03/23/09

@GizMadone: Hitting water is not like hitting a pillow.
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KhaiJB
03/23/09

@Fenister: Aircrash Investigation / Mayday! did a program on the Gimli Glider..

the video of him slipping that jet sideways over the golfcourse is scary!
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Jesus Diaz
03/23/09

@Maori_Yelir: Indeed. Landing on water will result on disaster 99% of the time. What this guy did was masterful @GizMadone and trying to minimize it by comparing it to whofuckingever is just dumb.
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Kaiser-Machead
03/24/09

@GizMadone: I once landed a b
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Kaiser-Machead
03/24/09

@Kaiser-Machead: Stupid enter button.

Said I landed a B-17 with no power on an aircraft carrier in a sim. I think it was on my Dell Dimension. Where's my parade?

Anyway, all this notwithstanding, I feel as though the examples could've come across better than feeling like a "better than Sully" thing. Really, it's still quite impressive.
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musicman119
03/23/09

In reply to Hudson Crash Simulation with FAA Voice Recordings Shows Captain's Nerves of Steel
That dude is the reason a lot of people are still alive.

Tell me he's already been awarded some sort of medal?
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Kaiser-Machead
03/23/09

@musicman119: Key to the city.
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AqueousBeef
03/23/09

@musicman119: He was brought up on stage during the Superbowl kickoff ceremony!
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Kaiser-Machead
03/11/09

In reply to Yale Student Sues US Airways For $1 Million Over Lost Xbox 360
OK, firstly, suing for a million dollars for only $200+ worth of hardware is ridiculous.

But secondly, I have to echo some others about expecting some sort of safety for belongings that are checked in. If I plan a long-term stay overseas or wherever I'm taking a flight to, I may have enough valuables that I couldn't carry them all into the cabin anyway.

Also, some airlines have taken some other measures regarding check-in and carry-on luggage. Spirit Airlines, for example, will randomly select carry-on luggage to put in as check-in luggage. This is particularly bothersome because, more often than not, those bags will not be locked.
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frigg
03/11/09

@Kaiser-Machead: Sure, the hardware is only $200. but without his 360, his semester is shot, and one semester at Yale costs around $1 million dollars.
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