Top Letters And Comments, April 5, 2019

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April Fools’ Arrest

I just read your article “AVweb Editor Arrested” with horror; I just really couldn’t believe what I was reading. I mean, it’s so outlandish that it reads like it should be a complete joke. I mean, this can’t be real. It just can’t. There’s no way that…

wait

What’s the date? OMG. Dang.

You got me, completely. I’m assuming the “churlish” (my vocab word of the day) editor is having a more low-key week than the story!

Keith

Great “article” on Paul. I had the opportunity to make some skydives with him on “organized” jumps out at Z-Hills with the late great Scotty Carbone. Knowing the old school bunch, he wouldn’t have been caught! Was on an otter load one time when Paul flew our wing on our way to altitude. Pretty awesome hanging out an open door watching him slowly fade in the distance, one of the few joys of flying camera.

Great article and great job with your publication. Not a pilot, but have probably jumped out of more types than a lot of folks have piloted.

Dave “Gump” Williams

I thought your April fools’ day article on Paul Bertorelli arrest was in poor taste. Until you actually clicked the read more and actually read the full article it would be almost impossible to know that this was an April fools’ joke. (a google search makes no mention of the arrest) I am sure there a lot of people who glanced at the email and now think that Paul is actually in trouble. With all the me-too side effects, people assume the worst with no proof, now Paul will be viewed with less credibility than his prior stellar reputation.

Doug Panelley

FANTASTIC!! Loved EVERY word of it. *(some kinda believable) VERY well put together. Excellent journalism. If Mr. “B” needs some help, I will join any group to spring him!! Thanks for a great giggle, and excellent reporting!! This is THE most welcome email in my system.

Art Henry

Not a funny story today, that is taking April 1 too far.

Don Rogers

Paul Bertorelli sounds like my kind of guy. Fun around the office if not at fun and Sun. If he is going to be in jail for more than 6 months, I maybe I could step into his large shoes.

A ten bar Captain must be some kind of record. In my early flying days, I was a junior 2 bar first officer on a VC-10 with East African Airways. Southbound from LHR to NBO, somewhere over the Sahara, a passenger was ‘misbehaving.’ The Captain asked me to go back and sort it out. As I was getting out of my seat. he took off his bars and said ‘put these on.’ I started removing my measly two. ‘No, no, leave yours on as well. Six bars. Battlefield promotion. Felt like a king. The offending passenger was a beautiful female. She settled down immediately and eventually became my wife. She has behaved very well for 44 years.

Doug Morey

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA…You guys are at it again… almost forgot to ‘check the date’!

How many incredulous and/or concerned emails have You had so-far???

BTW… the photo of PB with commander’s stripes going down his epaulettes, over his shoulder and out of sight on his arms is a nice ‘touch’. Thanks for making my day!

Wil Taylor

Paine Field Aviation Day

Please check your attendance number. Your article lists 400 attendees in 2018, but should be more like 4,000.

Les Smith

Boeing 737 MAX

Paul, I always enjoy your work on AvWeb but this headline is false or at best misleading. In the article it is reported that the crew used the trim cutout switches in alignment with Boeing guidance. Then they subsequently reversed the action. I would suggest that’s NOT according to Boeing guidance.

The headline therefore leads readers to think that the crew completely followed Boeing guidance and crashed anyway.

Thanks for reading my note. I appreciate your work.

Don

Seaplane Airline Going All Electric

I believe the world’s largest seaplane operation is Trans Maldivian Airlines, which with a fleet of 48 Twin Otters transports tourists between Male Airport and the Maldivian resort islands.

Alexander Schwassmann

None Dare Call It Murder Blog

I got my PPL in June, 1973 so it’s been a long time and a lot of flights ago. I never had any interest in making aviation my career since I already had a good one started by then but have enjoyed the pleasure and utility of being able to pilot my own plane over those many years.

I still recall clearly my most memorable lesson which was my first cross country flight with my instructor who also happened to own the flying school, this flight in a Grumman AA-1 from an airport located at an elevation of 4000 ft on a hot day in May. I did the preflight calculations that showed we would be overloaded for the airport and conditions, pointing this out to my instructor who said not to worry, “let’s go.” We used the whole 2500 ft and it was the bump at the end of the pavement that actually launched the plane into ground effect. We cleared the wire fence by a few feet, then the major highway 1/4 mile further by a bit more, then the major power transmission line by crossing mid-tower where the wires were sagging thanks to the heat. Needless to say, we did survive and I’ve never been even remotely tempted to overload a plane since. It was a great lesson in that regard. I think my instructor also got a lesson that day.

I built a bunch of hangars at a very busy airport where I keep my Arrow which has added to the number of pilots of small planes I’ve encountered over the years, a shocking number of them who died in stupid crashes not unlike your story describes. Some of them were very intelligent and successful professionals in real life so I sure am puzzled why they suddenly got so stupid in the cockpit.

I guess we’ll never know.

Leigh

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