Dr.Curtiss runs out of his medicine

[Toly]

Hi folx,

Here we go again... now it's ostensibly one of "us" selling his soul
to the boulevard press devil for a few greenbacks...

"How Hard Is It to Fly a 757 or 767?"
http://airsafe.com/journal/v1num16.htm

It's an exciting reading... the guy is in "unique position to answer
that question", after 100hrs in C172 and 5-6 hrs in a 757 sim...

100-hr pilots, rejoice, flying big iron has never been easier... to
quote:
"In short, I believe that any person who has earned a private pilot's
license and who has access to the same kind of ground school and
simulator training that I received could fly a 757 or 767 well enough
to hit a large building."
Dr.Curtiss is surely doing fine... we'll keep you posted of his
progress...

And, the dramatic conclusion: "Given the wide availability of this
kind of training, it would appear that the kind of terrorist actions
that took place in New York and Washington could easily be repeated in
the future."

I guess as soon Dr.Curtiss picks up his 757 at Wal-Mart...

I don't know whether to laugh or cry...
-Toly.

[gregg]

Toly wrote:

> Hi folx,
>
> Here we go again... now it's ostensibly one of "us" selling his soul
> to the boulevard press devil for a few greenbacks...
>
> "How Hard Is It to Fly a 757 or 767?"
> http://airsafe.com/journal/v1num16.htm
>
> It's an exciting reading... the guy is in "unique position to answer
> that question", after 100hrs in C172 and 5-6 hrs in a 757 sim...
>
> 100-hr pilots, rejoice, flying big iron has never been easier... to
> quote:
> "In short, I believe that any person who has earned a private pilot's
> license and who has access to the same kind of ground school and
> simulator training that I received could fly a 757 or 767 well enough
> to hit a large building."
> Dr.Curtiss is surely doing fine... we'll keep you posted of his
> progress...
>
> And, the dramatic conclusion: "Given the wide availability of this
> kind of training, it would appear that the kind of terrorist actions
> that took place in New York and Washington could easily be repeated in
> the future."
>
> I guess as soon Dr.Curtiss picks up his 757 at Wal-Mart...
>
> I don't know whether to laugh or cry...
> -Toly.


What makes you think he's wrong? Just after 9/11 I asked a Navy fighter
pilot friend who also flew for Continental if he thought I could have flown
the planes into the building. He was well aware of my flying skills at that
time as we had flown together prior to 9/11 (he's also a CFI). At that time
I didn't even have a PPL.

His reply was that I would have no trouble and in fact would have done a
better job than the terrorists (because I wouldn't have boresighted the
targets like the terrorists did, but would have accounted for the wind
during the approach - which the terrorists did not).

Gregg

[Bob Gardner]

I'd be inclined to agree with him...once the airplane is airborne and
cleaned up, the skills to steer it and adjust altitude are pretty much what
you learn in a 152.....and you don't have to worry about the rudders.

Bob Gardner

"Toly" > wrote in message
m...
> Hi folx,
>
> Here we go again... now it's ostensibly one of "us" selling his soul
> to the boulevard press devil for a few greenbacks...
>
> "How Hard Is It to Fly a 757 or 767?"
> http://airsafe.com/journal/v1num16.htm
>
> It's an exciting reading... the guy is in "unique position to answer
> that question", after 100hrs in C172 and 5-6 hrs in a 757 sim...
>
> 100-hr pilots, rejoice, flying big iron has never been easier... to
> quote:
> "In short, I believe that any person who has earned a private pilot's
> license and who has access to the same kind of ground school and
> simulator training that I received could fly a 757 or 767 well enough
> to hit a large building."
> Dr.Curtiss is surely doing fine... we'll keep you posted of his
> progress...
>
> And, the dramatic conclusion: "Given the wide availability of this
> kind of training, it would appear that the kind of terrorist actions
> that took place in New York and Washington could easily be repeated in
> the future."
>
> I guess as soon Dr.Curtiss picks up his 757 at Wal-Mart...
>
> I don't know whether to laugh or cry...
> -Toly.

[Roger Halstead]

On Fri, 20 Aug 2004 16:10:03 -0700, "Bob Gardner" >
wrote:

I have to agree with Bob. (My apologies Bob)

>I'd be inclined to agree with him...once the airplane is airborne and
>cleaned up, the skills to steer it and adjust altitude are pretty much what
>you learn in a 152.....and you don't have to worry about the rudders.
>

Nor are you worried about holding altitude or course. So what if you
exceed some limitations. Are they going to use the airplane again?
You aren't worried about the 100 MPH mind in a 500 MPH airplane
either.

There is a big difference between piloting an airplane and just
hitting a target with it. The second one darn near missed.

I could fly the Deb straight and level the first time I got in it, but
it took me a few hours to learn the momentum difference and it took
several hundred hours to really know the airplane.

I find 8 to 10 year old kids who have been "flying" on sims can take
over the controls on the Deb. With only a little coaching they can do
straight and level as well as coordinated turns. That is a lot better
than most Cessna 150 and 172 pilots, or Cherokee pilots do,
particularly if they have a few hundred hours. The pilots typically
have it in a 2G PIO in less than a minute. Of course covering the VSI
helps <:-))

The point is: If you are not afraid of stalling, not afraid of holding
altitude, not afraid of breaking the airplane, or getting hurt, no
intention of getting out alive, and your only goal is going from some
point A to B and crashing into B after some one else had done the
take off and climb, it's not that difficult a goal. Hopefully it's
more difficult now days, but not because the plane is difficult to
fly. Probably less difficult than learning to safely solo in a 172.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

>Bob Gardner

[Robert M. Gary]

(Toly) wrote in message >...
> Hi folx,
>
> Here we go again... now it's ostensibly one of "us" selling his soul
> to the boulevard press devil for a few greenbacks...
>
> "How Hard Is It to Fly a 757 or 767?"
> http://airsafe.com/journal/v1num16.htm
>
> It's an exciting reading... the guy is in "unique position to answer
> that question", after 100hrs in C172 and 5-6 hrs in a 757 sim...
>
> 100-hr pilots, rejoice, flying big iron has never been easier... to
> quote:
> "In short, I believe that any person who has earned a private pilot's
> license and who has access to the same kind of ground school and
> simulator training that I received could fly a 757 or 767 well enough
> to hit a large building."
> Dr.Curtiss is surely doing fine... we'll keep you posted of his
> progress...
>
> And, the dramatic conclusion: "Given the wide availability of this
> kind of training, it would appear that the kind of terrorist actions
> that took place in New York and Washington could easily be repeated in
> the future."
>
> I guess as soon Dr.Curtiss picks up his 757 at Wal-Mart...
>
> I don't know whether to laugh or cry...


Remember too that the 9/11 pilots did a crappy job. They overspeed the
planes on several occasions (according to tracking data). The hardest
part is energey management, they didn't have that down. The point is
that if all you want to do is fly into a building, you don't have to
be very good.

-Robert

[Robert M. Gary]

(Toly) wrote in message >...
> Dr.Curtiss is surely doing fine... we'll keep you posted of his
> progress...

BTW: There is no evidence that Dr Curtis is a medical doctor. He puts
his name as PhD. That could mean is a very smart Harvard instructor or
he paid $35 to a mail order place for a PhD. It certainly does not
mean he's an MD.

-Robert

[gregg]

Robert M. Gary wrote:

> Remember too that the 9/11 pilots did a crappy job. They overspeed the
> planes on several occasions (according to tracking data). The hardest
> part is energey management, they didn't have that down. The point is
> that if all you want to do is fly into a building, you don't have to
> be very good.

A very crappy job. Both were boresighting the towers; not accounting for
the wind effects. An especially bad job by the second terrorist who had the
smoke from the first hit to guide him. Both his at a substantial bank angle


IIRC one of them had to try twice.

Gregg