Airplane geek thread

[Wally Fairway]

I didn't see an airplane thread , so here it is
Post random things you like about airplanes, new or historic

So today it looks like the people at Boeing decided to screw around on a test flight

 

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/BOE4

[dennyjones]

crazy...My neighbor's son works for Boeing.

   

[Wally Fairway]

Meant to post this photo in the original post - it shows the flight plan

[Foot Wedge]

That's awesome.  When I worked there, one engineer told me that they were left unsupervised in the flight simulator for a minute so they did a barrel roll.

[nevets88]

I did the tour at the plant near Seattle. Worth it. Place is huge obviously. If you're ever in the neighborhood, try and take it.

[dennyjones]

On a related note:

Have you ever been to the Air Force museum?

The National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 6 miles northeast of Dayton, Ohio.  It's full day journey.  

We were there several years ago to see a radio controlled show and decided to see the museum in the same day.  It's a must see.  

It was cool to see the many Air Force 1 retired jets along with some of the older fighter jets

[David in FL]

My buddy flies MD 11's for a living.  This from last week as he's flying over Iran and Pakistan.  Y'all be careful now...  

 

 

[Wally Fairway]

2 hours ago, dennyjones said:

On a related note:

Have you ever been to the Air Force museum?

The National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 6 miles northeast of Dayton, Ohio.  It's full day journey.  

We were there several years ago to see a radio controlled show and decided to see the museum in the same day.  It's a must see.  

It was cool to see the many Air Force 1 retired jets along with some of the older fighter jets

Going to Wright-Patt is awesome.
My favorite historical plane there is Bockscar, the B-29 Superfortress that dropped the 2nd atomic bomb; an awesome piece of history right there. 

[krupa]

3 hours ago, nevets88 said:

I did the tour at the plant near Seattle. Worth it. Place is huge obviously. If you're ever in the neighborhood, try and take it.

The Boeing tour is really cool.  There's a great museum at Boeing Field (south side of Seattle) as well.

If you're in the Pacific NW, the Evergreen Air Museum (hour or two from Portland) houses the Spruce Goose and a lot of other cool shit.  That is... if they're still open; I was there 2-3 years ago and it sounded like they were having financial difficulties.

 

[mchepp]

12 minutes ago, krupa said:

 

If you're in the Pacific NW, the Evergreen Air Museum (hour or two from Portland) houses the Spruce Goose and a lot of other cool shit.  That is... if they're still open; I was there 2-3 years ago and it sounded like they were having financial difficulties.

 

It is still there. Tons of cool planes and memorabilia. They have a water park also for the kids which is really popular. 

[Kalnoky]

I currently run a small Aerospace & Defense company supplying most of the big OEM's with flyaway components and tools. I've had the pleasure to see some really amazing stuff first hand. But I think the coolest place I've ever been to is Edwards AFB. "Balls 8" was still on the Flight Line at that time, this would have been 2003 or so..

I think some of my favorite memories are of growing up in the South Bay of Los Angeles. Our neighbors were scientists who worked on the Apollo program. Many of those old guys from the neighborhood knew Howard Hughes personally. These were household names: Jack Northrup, Howard Hughes, Chuck Yeager, Kelly Johnson. My adoptive grandfather was a lifelong Northrup man, I remember he and my dad talking about the Flying Wing, and later, how McDonnell Douglas stole the F/A-18 program.  

Here in Oregon not far from the shop is the Spruce Goose and a very nice aviation museum with an SR-71, B-17, F-102, and a few others. The now defunct Evergreen Int'l Airlines operated from across the street. As many of you know this was a front company for a lot of secret/covert operations of the US Gov't. Stories abound from former employees about the Cold War and even 911.

@Wally Fairway I am glad you started this thread, I think time will show the airplane and air power (and now space) are as important to the History of the United States as the Navy was to the British, and the road system was to the Romans.  I think American History and the airplane are inextricably linked.

 

[krupa]

24 minutes ago, Kalnoky said:

As many of you know this was a front company for a lot of secret/covert operations of the US Gov't.

Holy shit.  I had never heard that before.  When I lived in Portland people were too distracted by aliens and chemtrails... and the beer, of course.

 

[mchepp]

1 hour ago, krupa said:

Holy shit.  I had never heard that before.  When I lived in Portland people were too distracted by aliens and chemtrails... and the beer, of course.

Some things never change.

[nevets88]

I always regret not going to a space shuttle launch but I was not going to miss the space shuttle's last flyby in New York. It was so cool seeing it piggybacked on the jetliner. Must have been really cool to see it land too. I've flown in little helicopters as part of scenic tours but I'd like to fly in a big helicopter. Like a Huey. And hard as it is to believe I wonder what awful chop feels like, if I puke, I puke. 

[David in FL]

Stay away from helicopters.  Like bumblebees, they can't really fly!

[Braivo]

Watching airplanes has always been a hobby of mine. I can kill hours on airliners.net just looking through pictures. Whenever I have a trip planned I will research everything I can about the plane I will be flying on, etc. My hope is to fly on a 747 before they retire the last of them. 

[chilepepper]

On 8/3/2017 at 8:33 AM, dennyjones said:

On a related note:

Have you ever been to the Air Force museum?

The National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 6 miles northeast of Dayton, Ohio.  It's full day journey.  

We were there several years ago to see a radio controlled show and decided to see the museum in the same day.  It's a must see.  

It was cool to see the many Air Force 1 retired jets along with some of the older fighter jets

Saw that back in the 70's. I imagine it's larger now. Pretty awesome place then

  There is a smaller military aircraft museum at the old March Field off the I 215 in riverside county CA. Lots of cool stuff there.

[billchao]

I always loved airplanes. I think if there was one thing I could go back and change, I would go to school for aviation repair.

I still want to get my pilot's license but the wife frowns upon that. Come to think of it, maybe that's why she lets me golf with little objection these days