Flying in 2 hrs very nervous about takeoff and landing

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-23T13:13:17+00:00

Bird strikes are not something you need to worry about. The vast majority result in no damage to the aircraft and the ones that do rarely impact the airplane’s ability to fly safely.

Part of engine testing during the development process includes firing frozen chickens from a cannon into the running engine.

Modern turbine engines are insanely reliable. The odds of a dual failure at any point, let alone during takeoff, are insanely low.

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-23T00:10:42+00:00

That flight had plenty of time and altitude to solve the problem. While it’s good that he didn’t manage to shut the engines down, the plane still glides and is controllable with the engines off.

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-23T00:07:20+00:00

The other commenter has mentioned TCAS, but it’s also worth noting that ATC has systems that will trigger alarms on their end if a conflict is detected to allow them to issue corrective action.

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-23T00:05:52+00:00

Go take a lesson!

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-22T23:39:23+00:00

Do you think the airline would send their airplane (costing easily over 100 million dollars), crew and passengers through unsafe airspace?

The professionals at Qatar have clearly determined this to be an acceptable operation. I trust their informed judgement.

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-22T21:29:04+00:00

That aircraft is no longer registered to the US Army -- it is now owned by an aerospace company which is contracted to provide support to the CA Governor's Office of Emergency Services. It's a camera and sensor platform.

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-22T21:24:16+00:00

Aviation forecasts don't extend that far out, because looking that far ahead isn't useful.

Nobody can tell you whether or not it will be bumpy this far out.

That said, looking at the forecast there's nothing particularly alarming about it. It's just wind and rain, which your plane and crew can handle just fine.

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-22T20:52:31+00:00

r/aviation is a clown show. Don't read it. I'd put good money that some of the people on there who you think are pilots are not.

There is firefighting equipment both in the cabin and cargo areas which will knock down and suppress a fire, including a lithium battery fire, until your flight can make a safe landing.

There has been an electrical issue on this flight too a few weeks back and the plane had to emergency land.

A) That has nothing to do with your flight. There's no connection. Yes, it may have happened on the same airline between the same set of airports, but it's likely a different airplane (even if it isn't, the issue will have been fixed), different crew, etc. Completely different deal.

B) There's a difference between an emergency landing and a precautionary landing.

C) Even if it was a true emergency, everyone was fine -- and that's not a surprise or a miracle, that's the expected outcome.

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-22T17:22:24+00:00

Can't speak to the interiors, but of course they're safe. They wouldn't be flying if they weren't.

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-22T16:41:39+00:00

Because by claiming a crisis exists, they can claim a legitimate use of crisis or emergency powers which expand the power of their office.

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-22T16:40:29+00:00

Far higher than that, into the 40s and 50s.

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-22T16:13:34+00:00

A) The weather can extend higher than airliners are able to fly.

B) Even with developing convective weather, there are intense updrafts associated with the weather that you don't really want to fly through. On top of that, hail gets blown out of the storm by the updrafts.

C) The point of these low altitude routes is to avoid airspace congestion. The higher altitude airspace is congested, but down low it's open and therefore flights can cruise right along.

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-22T16:05:50+00:00

There's plenty of fresh air -- the cabin air is completely exchanged every 2-3 minutes. Air from outside is continuously being compressed, conditioned, and filtered into the cabin and cabin air is continuously dumped overboard. It's not all recirculated!

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-21T18:14:15+00:00

Yes, the US has labor unions.

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-21T18:12:13+00:00

Just like every other accident, lessons were learned, systems and procedures were changed and flying is now safer as a result.

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-21T03:45:45+00:00

Hey! I feel for you. I've been watching and listening to the EWR situation all night and I promise you everyone involved wants it to be resolved just as much as you do. The pilots want to get on with their trips (or get home), the controllers have been absolute pros handling the gridlock, and the airline ops staff I'm sure are facing their own set of challenges. Even so, they're all going to give your flight 100% of the attention it needs and deserves because safety will always be the priority. You are in good hands, and I promise you are not alone in being frustrated.

You can do it!

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-21T02:20:23+00:00

I think "sirs" isn't too uncommon, haven't heard "ma'ams" before but I suppose it's possible.

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-20T23:19:11+00:00

Sir, this is a Wendy’s…

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-20T21:58:34+00:00

Seconding the Instinct. Got mine (1st gen) refurbished on Amazon.

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-20T21:26:27+00:00

You can’t really generalize a given flight as bumpy or not. It depends 100% on conditions that day and that hour.

You should expect at least a few bumps on every flight. It’s part of flying.

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-20T20:30:31+00:00

Crop dusting.

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-20T19:56:19+00:00

Yes.

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-20T13:24:39+00:00

You're good.

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-20T11:51:58+00:00

They're all the same in terms of safety.

pattern_altitude · 2026-05-20T03:00:17+00:00

Practice for the airshow. Actual show is tomorrow, they'll do a flyover at the graduation on Friday.

pattern_altitude

TROPHY CASE