Age, was Re: [simpits-tech] RE: F-16 flight

[Matt Bailey]

I know what you mean about flying, while I find airline travel mostly boring, 
takeoff and landing is cool. I always get a kick out of high g forces on 
takeoff, in any high performance aircraft. Landing is cool too, recently 
during landing in an MD-80 I found myself grinning as the pilot threw the 
reversers in and we were all being pushed forward, with the roar of the 
engines and airflow over the reversers blasting away. It was strange that no 
one else even seemed to notice it!

Airline travel for the most part annoys me though, and I've only flown a few 
times. I suppose we should be grateful to have such relatively easy means of 
travel, but it still gets on my nerves. :)

(rant coming............)

Random searches, nawwwwww I think they are pointless. It's a "feel good" 
measure.  What's the chance they catch a terrorist? For the far-out chance 
they catch one, the passengers pay in wasted time and inconvenience. Actually 
I think they should back way off security (if you can call it that). 
Reasonable measures are definitely appropriate, but stuff like random 
searches and the latest restrictions on what passengers can take along (like 
not letting them take plastic kitchen knives, good grief!) is ridiculous. 
While not letting people take knives etc does make it a little tougher for 
someone to use lethal force to take over a plane, a determined attacker is 
sure to find some way. At that point, disarming the passengers just means it 
will be that much easier for a terrorist to take over (imagine how things 
would have been if the folks in Pennsyvlania, or in any of the other planes 
on 9/11, had had a gun or even just a survival knife).

I guess the bottom line is, how much of your hard-earned freedom are you 
willing to surrender for a little more security?

	-Matt Bailey

On Monday 30 December 2002 16:58 pm, you wrote:
> Hi John
>
> I get that, and on certain flights I really get it. I am to easily
> distracted by the wonder of flight itself I suppose. I defineatly hate the
> cattle I have to fly with, and the overworked dis-interested people who are
> checking us in.
> I did however fly Non Rev for many years ( and still do) and more often
> than not, got to fly in first class. I try to fly bussiness class on
> overseas and long haul flights, and I choose my airline and departure times
> and airports very carefully. I cannot afford my own plane yet, and even
> then flying as far as I have to, it wouldnt be effecient yet, so I dont
> really have a choice.
> I look at it this way...I could be riding a bus and that would really suck!
> I am an AOPA member and am familar with that sentiment! Its gotten even
> worse for me becuase of September 11th. For some *&cking reason I get
> picked for shoe checks and deep diggings in my bags. I am about as far from
> an Islamic Terrorist as you can get. This drives me nuts. I am all for
> realistic Profiling as well as random searches in airport security. I pray
> that the government would let me walk thru the airport and pick and choose
> who really might be at risk of being nefarious, I know its NOT little old
> ladies sitting in a wheel chair, and its certainly NOT me!
>
> Ok, Im off my soapbox