A pilot at the controls of a Canada-based Porter Airlines flight out of Halifax lost consciousness during the weekend flight, and the co-pilot took charge and turned back.

Good thing he/she was there.

Anyway, nobody knows what was going on with the pilot, but mercifully, no one seems to think he had this pilot’s problem. ]]> http://standarduprightposition.com/2009/11/17/pilot-blacks-out-but-thats-why-they-have-two-of-them/feed/ 0 http://standarduprightposition.com/2009/10/05/airport-security-in-beirut-says-no-to-snoop-doggs-bullet-bling/ http://standarduprightposition.com/2009/10/05/airport-security-in-beirut-says-no-to-snoop-doggs-bullet-bling/#comments Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:36:36 +0000 anne http://standarduprightposition.com/?p=4240

Goodness gracious, weren’t we just talking about the Snoopster and his penchant for airport hijinks?

Well, it’s happened again – at Beirut International. Seems, rapper Snoop Dogg was there, heading out after a concert in Lebanon, when he was stopped by security.

Mr. Dogg was wearing a necklace of old bullet casings – no, no, it’s not what you think – this is the latest thing from a company called Bullets 4 Peace, which sells artistic ammo pieces (like the one at left – price: $275). Some of the money is said to go to charity but I don’t know how much or to what charities (though the site does feature a logo for one of Madonna’s pet causes).

Anyway, hard to believe, but bullets are still no laughing matter in Lebanon, so there was a bit of an “issue” and the Doggalator’s necklace was confiscated.

Wonder why a guy with his airport history doesn’t just break down and get a private plane?

Whoa.

A Boston TV stations is reporting that the FBI has questioned two flight attendants (and maybe more) who were on an American Airlines flight yesterday – the flight where ?a “bomb threat” note was found in one of the aircraft’s lavatories.

Here’s the kicker: again, per Boston’s 7News, those same flight attendants (a man and a woman) were also questioned about a similar incident that occurred two weeks ago.

In both cases, nothing was found – but the incidents resulted in tedious delays for the passengers.

I’m kind of hoping it’s not the crew. I mean, if it is, well…how creepy is that?

On Oct. 15,1955, a Lockheed T-33 jet trainer, with two Air Force pilots onboard, went missing.

The plane was presumed “lost at sea” all these years – and it was – but not very far. According to CNN, members of an aviation wreckage search group called UB88.org, found it in the bottom of the Santa Monica Bay, just west of Los Angeles.

The searchers did not say if the pilots were still in this wreckage, but apparently their families have been notified, so at least they know – cold comfort that that may be.

Actually, the divers were looking for a different aircraft altogether – a WWII plane that went down in 1944.

But apparently it’s not surprising that they bumped into another missing plane; officials say there are about 2,500 aviation crash sites in and around California – many of them still waiting to be discovered.

It is, after all, a big state.

You would think a 60 year old fellow from England would know better.

The gentleman in question decided his Delta flight was idling on the tarmac at JFK just a wee bit too long and he was getting anxious to depart for Las Vegas, so – he decided to open one of the emergency exit doors.

The flight attendants however, felt this was a bad idea and stopped him.

The interesting question in my mind is, what did he think he would accomplish? Perhaps he thought if he jumped out and ran around to the front of the plane, he could signal the pilots to get a move on? But then – how to get back on the plane? I don’t think he thought this one out very carefully.

Anyway, at last report, he never did make it to Vegas – the cops arrested him and he is facing charges of reckless endangerment. He should have taken lessons from this guy – who did get the door open – and took off.

Always wanted to use “fracas” in a sentence…

The scene: Saturday night – Southwest flight 1402 from Phoenix to Detroit.

The situation: A witness said a 60-somethingish female passenger was waiting in line to use the lavatory when a man “apparently bumped into her”. Doesn’t sound like much, but it was enough to unravel this woman. As a Detroit TV station reported, “She accused him of trying to touch her and she just started slapping him in the face, going crazy on him.” Apparently she also fought with the crew – who decided to make an emergency landing.

The resolution: Lavatory lady was dropped off in Denver, where presumably she continued on to another restroom. That is, if the cops allowed it.

Oddly enough, there is no mention of alcohol in any of the scoops about this dust-up.

Michael J. Totten is a journalist who’s seen it all -bombings, battles, and bloodshed of all kinds. And then there was this adventure: coming face-to-face with The Worst Airline in The World:

Alitalia.

Well, that’s what he calls Italian carrier.

Anyway, it all started in Rome – with a two hour layover – that lasted more than a week. There was a baggage strike – there were cursing Alitalia employees (and plenty of cursing passengers) – there were liars and cheats everywhere. And one dead cat.

You have to read it. Then we need a movie version. Hey, Spielberg, you listening?

It’s Wednesday morning in Cleveland, and boy are you jazzed – you’re leaving the miserable cold and Clevelandness behind and heading to Orlando! Yee-haw!

Only it takes you 12 hours to get there. Because you spend about 10 of those hours – in the AirTran plane – TRAPPED ON THE TARMAC. The plane froze! And they couldn’t de-ice it!

So – how was it, sitting on a frozen plane for hours? Not too good, according to the passengers:

“It was horrible, the worst experience ever.”

“We had no water, no air, they couldn’t turn the engine on.”

“They announced the deicing process is $7 a gallon. I don’t care what it costs.”

“It was quite pleasant really as it finally gave me time to finish up Joyce’s ‘Ulysses’.”

Okay, I made that last one up. But there is a silver lining – they did eventually get to the land of Mickey, and, AirTran is sending all the passengers a written apology, plus, a free roundtrip ticket.

Hey, they were only trapped on the tarmac – it’s not like they landed on the Hudson or anything.

Sleepless? Heck, yeah! All those people waiting for flights to take off — that weren’t taking off — had to sit/lie on the floor. The seats were long since taken.

No seats — and no food! According to this roundup report of the nasty weekend from KATU TV, concessionaires were having trouble getting deliveries because some roads were closed.

No seats, no food, no roads. Okay, some people said, that’s it — we’re outta here! So they left — make that, tried to leave — but as we know, some roads were closed, and, Amtrak service and a lot of bus routes were cancelled.

To my stuck-in-Seattle friends: I know it doesn’t help but I feel a little of your pain — my own spawn was due in LA Saturday evening, but didn’t arrive til 4:30am on Sunday.

One of Gadling’s talented writers blogged about his recent (last weekend) on-the-tarmac delay at Boston’s Logan.

It was all due to a free-range poodle – who’d slipped the surly bonds of whoever was supposed to be looking after him, to go on the lam.

Eventually, poodle was found, plane took off, and all was well.

Win-win — for me, too, since I got to use another cute dog picture, and yes, I am well aware that the picture I chose to use is not a poodle – I simply do not care for poodles.