cal..of course the pilot is devastated and also probably in a stunned condition..such a tragedy..the flotation devices this helicopter is equipped with did not inflate..the ones you seen in later photos were used to get the chopper out of the water where it had sunk and floated down the river..the videos taken by observers have been shown a multitude of times,and even to a novice,not an faa investigator,the aircraft descended very quickly as if it were landing on a flat surface,and then it tipped over rapidly with rotors spinning...may those passengers rest in peace...

(Written on 13/03/2018)(Permalink)

the basics of the flight attendant position and the requirements are the same as they were 25 years or more ago..the difference these days is there are more hiring cycles because there are so many new aircraft and routes,and in todays world, training includes self defense techniques,psychological profiling and the use of computer technology..in "olden days",the application process was not online or in a video, but a resume and a cover letter,carefully worded,and depending upon the competition, you might or might not get a reject letter or an invitation to a first interview..experience in customer service and a college education was a plus, but not necessarily required..the interview process was a 3 part one,first one if they might be interested,2nd one to get to know your interest in the job and give you a "once over" as far as physical appearance,and a 3rd one to possibly "close " the deal and set a training class..training classes have always and will always include personal grooming

(Written on 12/03/2018)(Permalink)

rwtimmons...the seat cushions are replaced (cloth ones)by the crew who cleans the aircraft if there are visible "bodily fluids" on the seats..if not they are brushed off or vacuumed if there is time when a plane lands,before the next takeoff..overnighters are always cleaned and sanitizing sprays are used..if a seat is deemed "unuseable", it is literally "roped off" and put in the maintenance log for replacement...

(Written on 10/03/2018)(Permalink)

ken...baggage fees began when the fuel costs were quite high and that was one way of balancing costs..meal service became non existent, and airlines began to charge for snacks,not just alcohol,and also service fees on using or adding miles to a frequent flyer program..carriers have not reduced capacity,but rather restructured the interiors over the past 10-15 years to add more and smaller seats to accommodate more passengers..now even the regional jets have a very small first class cabin..the fares are changed periodically as in any business, to offset some costs, but also to compete in the marketplace.. there are many "cheapish" fares available if you choose to research,particulary if a passenger books vacation packages which include airfare..businessmen who do not have access to their own company jet, will always fly where they need to go,and use frequent flyer mile to upgrade,even if the programs have changed..families will always fly from Chicago to orlando for a spring break at dis

(Written on 10/03/2018)(Permalink)

I remember when American first started using the 737..at that time they were attempting to slowly "retire" the md 80's and upgrade the fleet..i also remember the "good old days" when aa had the 727's..if the money is there to upgrade,why not..

(Written on 10/03/2018)(Permalink)

ok paul..joke was intended and I hope taken as such! yes, actually I have flown when there was a full moon!!

(Written on 09/03/2018)(Permalink)

unbundling of economy class fares is a great idea..the only problem is, there are still (at least on this carrier,and it says transatlantic) 3 economy fares..i do remember the days when the three fares consisted of first class,coach, and economy only, and not 200 coach/economy fares where you had to travel on a Thursday night when the moon was full and come back Saturday afternoon!!

(Written on 08/03/2018)(Permalink)

delta airlines is a large corporation with shareholders and thousands of employees and hundreds of thousands of customers..many large companies give group discounts to persons who might belong to say,aarp,or the american auto association,or federal or state employees, and yes, even other airlines employees and members of private pilots associations..these discounts are called "corporate' discounts, and apply to special promotions,extra flight miles on the frequent flyer programs and the like..i am certain that members of the nra will still fly delta,not for some promotions offered, but because delta flies where the customer needs to go..for the tax breaks delta has as a large employer in atlanta and the state of georgia to be threatened for a corporate deision amounts to t at of georgias

(Written on 07/03/2018)(Permalink)

respectfully sir..i appreciate the feedback..i know a bit more than you give me credit for however, as I was in the airline industry for many years and I was around when the "trunk" carriers as they used to be called,began pulling in the smaller regionals and branding them as their own..i do understand the way the world works..i also understand the cost of maintaining aircraft,fueling and deicing and the like,even in todays ever changing economy..i also understand the economics of having qualified personnel..mr parker as the article says, is fond of profit and he is running American in an entirely different way than his predecessors before the merger...

(Written on 27/02/2018)(Permalink)

all I can say to some of those commenting here is "walk a mile in my shoes"..the majority of airline employees (not all) are represented by a union of some kind or other,from pilots to flight attendants to "rampers", to agents..the industry has changed dramatically throughout the last 10-20 years with mergers,outsourcing,cross utilization and other things,and the pay scales have changed accordingly..to say a person gets paid "what they are worth"is really an insult to a lot of people..the marketplace,whether its the airlines or burger king,sets the rate of pay depending upon federal regulation,demand and competition in whatever area..those with union representation have a bargaining representation as a group for better benefits and wages, and a basis for comparison to other industry pay scales..obviously pjshield has never needed that sort of backup..merit increases are no longer the "norm" in most large businesses,particularly in the airline industry,because it was found that a raise,n

(Written on 27/02/2018)(Permalink)