Another reason not to fly via The USA

[tangobob]

These guys were lucky not to have run out of fuel, or be shot down as suspected terrorists.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8321748.stm

And I was just worried about the trouble with customs.

 

[tangobob]

The latest news, good news for those who fly, I think

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8328996.stm

For me though, I would have thought loosing their jobs was minor compared with flying into the side of a mountain.

 

[luddite]

flying in/via the US is horrible for many reasons. I think NW is among the worst of the major carriers. Their staff took a 40% pay cut (while the CEO got his bonus) and they are flying perhaps one of the oldest fleets in the US; who flies DC-9s anymore??

 

[gouchobob]

Actually Northwest doesn't exist anymore it was merged with Delta. At least they landed at the right airport, see the link below.

http://www.thirdamendment.com/wrongway.html

A couple of other points on Northwest, they have the oldest domestic fleet but the most modern international fleets of American carriers. It's true that not many DC9s are still flown. However at Northwest the DC9 fleet has the highest dispatch reliability rate of any of their fleets. That means they have fewer maintenance problems with these aircraft than with newer aircraft. Newer doesn't necessarily mean more reliable or safer.

 

[tangobob]

Gouchobob, you talk sense again. Newer definitely does not mean safer. The thought of getting on a plane with "Fly By Wire" scares thehell out of me. I would much rather be flown by a man, with all his failings than a computor. Remember HAL in 2001 a Space odyssey. Computors do not make mistakes only the programmers, and the programmer is sat safely at home as your plane nosedives into the sea.