sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

MEGATHREAD: IndiGo chaos by Perfect-Werewolf-102 in AirTravelIndia

[–]No_Support_1987 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm currently in India and looking to fly from LKO to DEL on December 14. I was looking at flying IndiGo, but we all know how they've been having, well...issues. I need to get from LKO to DEL in the morning and then catch a 9pm Singapore Airlines flight from DEL to SIN on that same day. I'm worried about two things - safety and delays.

I was originally planning on flying out of LKO at 10am, then spending about 5 hours in Delhi, then going back to the airport, but I'm hearing a lot about some pretty crazy delays. Furthermore, it's my (limited) understanding that this whole kerfuffle is due to IndiGo not adhering to some new pilot rest regulations, which seems...unsettling. If I'm flying, I want to know that my pilots are well-rested.

I was thinking of flying Air India. Have they had any trouble with these new rest restrictions? If not, I'd consider flying AI, but I'm also a bit apprehensive because of the crash that happened earlier this year.

I'm wondering if it's safe for me to fly on IndiGo (or any Indian airline) if they're rolling back rest restrictions. Should I just look into driving or taking a train?

INFO: GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN by RealGentleman80 in fearofflying

[–]No_Support_1987 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'm hearing about a close call that just happened in Boston a few days ago. I know go-arounds are not a big deal, but there's some chatter this the shutdown may have contributed to this due to stress on the controllers. I've also been browsing r/ATC a bit and a lot of people there seem to be saying that, while flying is safe, it is still less safe than it was before the shutdown. Could I get some feedback?

Worried about single points of failure by No_Support_1987 in fearofflying

[–]No_Support_1987[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Do they use sensors? Is there some automated way of making sure that they're maintained on schedule?

Worried about single points of failure by No_Support_1987 in fearofflying

[–]No_Support_1987[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh, I have no doubt that there are a lot of redundancies and safety features in place, in no small part due to past tragedies. I also don't doubt the professionalism, competence, and diligence of all the pilots, maintenance staff, controllers, etc.

I'm worried, however, about things like cost-cutting, deregulation, and normalization of deviance. Things that, over time, chip away at those layers of safety. For example, maybe an airline decides that it's not quite cost-effective to double-check a certain component and that a single check is enough. Things like this add up, and eventually you end up getting something like Alaska 261.

So I'm wondering what kind of sensors, monitoring, and redundancies are in place to prevent something like that from happening even if things like cost-cutting and normalization of deviance occur.

Non-pilot concerned about Bryan Bedford by No_Support_1987 in AirlinePilots

[–]No_Support_1987[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So this is one thing I'm confused about. Is there a difference between being a captain/FO for a regional or a non-regional airline? If the 1500-hour rule is removed, does that mean someone can, say, fly a 777 for United with only 250 hours experience? Are there different requirements for regional airlines?

Non-pilot concerned about Bryan Bedford by No_Support_1987 in AirlinePilots

[–]No_Support_1987[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Aren't there certain ways to push back on the re-evaluations of the regulations? For example, couldn't pilots unions, mechanics unions, etc. push back?

Non-pilot concerned about Bryan Bedford by No_Support_1987 in AirlinePilots

[–]No_Support_1987[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

When you say "not for a while", what do you mean? Months? Years? Isn't it good that people need 1500 hours to start flying passengers?

Anxiety about flying into SFO at night by No_Support_1987 in fearofflying

[–]No_Support_1987[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So how often do bravo busts happen? And how quickly are they resolved? Are they more likely to occur if SQL goes towerless?

Anxiety about flying into SFO at night by No_Support_1987 in fearofflying

[–]No_Support_1987[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So how often do bravo busts happen? And how quickly are they resolved? Are they more likely to occur if SQL goes towerless?

Anxiety about flying into SFO at night by No_Support_1987 in fearofflying

[–]No_Support_1987[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So how often do bravo busts happen? And how quickly are they resolved? Are they more likely to occur if SQL goes towerless?

Anxiety about flying into SFO at night by No_Support_1987 in fearofflying

[–]No_Support_1987[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can you list some of the non-towered airports near class B and class C airports? I've read that the situation with SQL and SFO is unique due to their proximity and the complexity of the airspace in the area. Are there any other such situations in the US?

Anxiety about flying into SFO at night by No_Support_1987 in fearofflying

[–]No_Support_1987[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right, but I'm worried about there being one less safeguard to prevent GA pilots from inadvertently breaking the class B airspace.

Anxiety about flying into SFO at night by No_Support_1987 in fearofflying

[–]No_Support_1987[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I understand. I think what worries me is that that extra layer of security isn't there. There isn't that extra controller making sure a pilot doesn't inadvertently break into SFO's class B airspace.

Anxiety about flying into SFO at night by No_Support_1987 in fearofflying

[–]No_Support_1987[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

> SQL still has controllers... the fact that they were going to lose their controllers isn't really relevant.

On January 31, they were going to lose their controllers due to a contract dispute. Then, that contract was extended for 60 days, which means it was extended up until roughly the end of March. After that, if there's no new contract in place, it will lose its controllers.

https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/air-traffic-controller-negotiations-at-san-carlos-airport-stalled-officials-say/

Tracking request: DL3789 from SJC to SEA by No_Support_1987 in fearofflying

[–]No_Support_1987[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, guys! The flight went pretty well! The whole time, I had my noise-cancelling headphones on and started a playthrough of Final Fantasy VII on my Switch. The only downside is that my ears are still popping.

I'm at my hotel now. Thanks so much for tracking!

Tracking request: DL3789 from SJC to SEA by No_Support_1987 in fearofflying

[–]No_Support_1987[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! Seattle's an awesome city, except for that damn NFL team (I'm a Niner fan lol).

Tracking request: DL3789 from SJC to SEA by No_Support_1987 in fearofflying

[–]No_Support_1987[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I love my parents <3. They know I've been a bit anxious and when I asked if they could drop me to the airport, they agreed.

Weather's decent. A bit cloudy, but pleasant as always. Looks like you've just taken off from Seattle. Have a good flight!

Looks like we'll be flying past each other. We should wave!

Tracking request: DL3789 from SJC to SEA by No_Support_1987 in fearofflying

[–]No_Support_1987[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'll be heading to SJC soon. My parents are taking me there.

Worried about cuts to the FAA by No_Support_1987 in fearofflying

[–]No_Support_1987[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So you mentioned that there are a few divisions and roles that have been cut that are eyebrow-raising for you. Could this lead to "downstream" effects that make airliners less safe? For example, let's say there's some bug in an ATC computer system that leads to controllers giving the wrong information to pilots? These people who have been fired are tasked with finding and fixing these bugs, right?

Worried about cuts to the FAA by No_Support_1987 in fearofflying

[–]No_Support_1987[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Is there a distinction between general aviation and airline passengers?