June 2004 Archives

By Vincent Safuto staff writer

June 26, 2004

Any good pilot will tell you that the key to a safe and successful flight, whether it's in a Piper or a Boeing, is preparation in advance.

Granted, the process needed to wake up a 747 differs a bit from that needed to fire up a Warrior, but the principle is the same: You have to inspect the aircraft, throw the switches and get to the active runway.

An aviation writer noted years ago that some might sneer at the weekend pilot for fussing over a plane for hours to prepare to grab an hour in a rented Cessna, but he reminded his readers that for those who are in love with aviation, it's all a part of the whole aviation experience.

You might think that with the advent of flight simulators on personal computers all that preliminary stuff would be dispensed with. As the pilots say, "Just kick the tires (or the hard drive), light the fires and push the 'go' handle." With auto gas running about $2 a gallon and aviation gas way north of $3 a gallon, flying the computer is far more affordable.

And you don't have to check the dreaded "Hobbs" meter and settle up afterward.

Flight simmers like myself often are tinkerers first and computer flyers second, though, and devote more time to enhancing and upgrading their computer flight simulation software than actually "flying" it. For us, that's as much a part of the experience as "flying" the planes is.

On a recent afternoon, I spent about two hours installing various upgrades to Microsoft Flight Simulator. In addition to software for a more realistic portrayal of the New York area, I installed a program to simulate other air traffic and a package that featured the Boeing 737 and its panels.

Much of the upgrade material comes from countries other than the United States; the plane software is from a company in Germany. In addition, one of the biggest computer flying magazines is from Britain. Another magazine is based in Australia.

Getting it all going was anticlimactic, and I'm still so busy tweaking things that I haven't gotten much chance to "fly." But it's all part of the experience, and one of these days it'll be finished and I'll be ready to go.

Lest you think I'm going overboard, fear not. Some folks build airliner cockpits in their computer rooms, and have multiple computer monitors as well as the latest processors and graphics cards for their systems.

For the ultimate reality experience, there are virtual airlines. You can bid on routes, fly your simulated planes and even accumulate seniority. About the only thing missing is the demand from the CEO to give some of your pay back to keep the airline afloat.

Control yokes and rudder pedals also are available. Add current and former airline pilots who produce checklists for the very realistic panels that come with many Flight Simulator planes, and you have a lot of work going into just getting off the ground, even on a computer.

Vincent F. Safuto is a copy editor for the Press Journal. Reach him at ( Vincent.Safuto@scripps.com).

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By Vincent Safuto staff writer

June 19, 2004

Back in February, I took a trip to New York and, as is my wont, arrived at the airport very early for the flight.

I get the feeling most people look forward to being at the airport with all the enthusiasm of showing up for root canal, so I guess I'm just going to have live with being considered weird.

I'll say it, and I don't care who knows it: I love airports.

There, it's out and I feel a lot better.

A new movie, "The Terminal," details the travails of a traveler, played by Tom Hanks, who finds himself stuck at New York's Kennedy Airport. It shows his effort to make a life there and eventually get back to his country, which lost its name in a coup, invalidating his papers.

As a teenager in New York City, I found airports to be fascinating and exciting places. Kennedy was cooler, with its bigger planes and enormous diversity, but LaGuardia was a lot closer as well as accessible by two buses.

I'd ride there and hang out on the famous observation deck. Confession time: The admission was a dime, but I often jumped the turnstile.

On the deck overlooking the gates, I'd watch the planes land, taxi to the gate, unload, load, push back and head off in a roar for a new destination. Sometimes I'd bring an aircraft-band radio and listen to the conversations, though much of the jargon was a mystery. Something amazing was happening, though, and I thought that the people working at the airport were the luckiest in the world.

It was an innocent time, when an unescorted teenager wandering around the terminal didn't attract much attention. I never attempted to pass security and enter the gate or boarding areas, or any other unauthorized spaces.

I did, however, try to join the Explorer post at the airport but was told they already had too many members.

Even with all that's happened in the past few years, I still feel the thrill and energy at the airport. I love to watch the planes take off and land and, when things are slow, I always find a spot near a power outlet, plug in my laptop and play computer games. Or I read the newspapers or a book.

It's wasted time, dead time, but it's time spent at an airport waiting for a flight, which makes me feel privileged and happy to be alive.

When the Transportation Security Administration recommended showing up hours early for a flight, it was just official confirmation of what I've always done.

Living with the knowledge that some relatives think I have a screw loose or have been breathing too much jet exhaust is a small price to pay for the excitement of going someplace by air.

Granted, my family thinks I've got planes on the brain, but it's just what I've always said: You can take the kid out of the airport, but you can never take the airport out of the kid.

Vincent F. Safuto is a copy editor for the Press Journal. Reach him at ( Vincent.Safuto@scripps.com).


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