On Wed, 19 Dec 2007 11:51:33 -0800 (PST), Mike Granby
wrote in
:


I find myself holding a 747 transponder control head that I bought on
eBay as a toy for the kids. But, with echos of Spinal Tap's guitarist
in my head, I notice that the selector knobs allow the digits 0 thru 8
to be selected. What gives?

Decade electrical switches are easier/cheaper to procure than octal
switches?

That's nothing, here (at 5:50 minutes into the segment)
http://media.pbs.org/ramgen/newshour...219_skies28.rm
you can listen to Mr. Michael Goldfarb, former FAA Chief of Staff
under Bush Senior, referring to Runway 41 Left! I believe he may have
meant runway 4L, as any airman knows there can be no runway numbered
higher than 36.

News Hour with Jim Lehrer:
Easing Airline Delays
The Bush administration unveiled new plans Wednesday to reduce air
travel congestion for the holiday season and beyond. Airline
regulation experts examine the plan.