Errors accessing FAA's Pilotweb

Jon writes:

So the certificate is self-signed.

No, it just isn't in the browser database.

I trust NAIMES.

The problem is with determining whether or not the certificate really came
from NAIMES.

However, in your case you are not a good pilot, and not a pilot at all, so
you have no idea what good pilots can or should do. And, why was it you were
banned from the Leica forums?

It seems that our self proclaimed expert in everything from photography to
flying to breast feeding actually very little understanding of computers,
which is probably why he can't find gainful employment.

Mike Ash writes:

Funny. I had always thought that you were highly skilled with computers,
and that your amusing bluster regarding aviation was due to the common
mistake of thinking that skill in one area implies intelligence in all
areas.

I have some knowledge of many domains, but it is true that I'm quite well
informed about computers. My knowledge of aviation is that of an enthusiast,
whereas my knowledge of computers is that of a practitioner, although there
isn't always a big difference between the two.

Do you never visit unsecured http sites?

Regularly.

Might get malware, you know!

That depends on what you do on the sites.

The concern in this case is that you could visit a bogus site and receive
bogus information, if not necessarily malware per se (although that's also a
possibility, albeit unlikely for this type of site).

And how about usenet?

USENET is just text, so it's not a risk.

Definitely no SSL on that, and I'm certain there's
at least one remotely-exploitable buffer overflow in your newsreader
that could be used to do all sorts of horrible things to your computer.

Maybe, but even if there were, it would be too infrequently used for bad guys
to want to exploit.

The same is likely true for these FAA Web sites, but when the lack of a
certificate prevents you from seeing the site at all, it's irritating.

writes:

So, you think that a FAA site is going to steal your identity, put
bogus charges on your credit card or install malware?

No, but a bogus site might. And if it's not a SSL connection, impersonation
is easy.

Robert M. Gary writes:

Kind of seems like having a hot blow up doll who's realistic enough to
not want to have sex with you. If you're going to be bound by real
life restrictions why simulate?

Simulation allows you to select which constraints you will respect, and which
you will not. Real life doesn't offer that possibility.

For example, I don't need to jump through hoops to get a license just to
simulate flight, and that's one part of real life that I don't wish to
simulate, so I skip it. On the other hand, following real-world navigation
procedures interests me greatly, so I meticulously follow those in simulation.

In article
,
Jon wrote:

On Feb 3, 9:03*am, "Peter Dohm" wrote:
"Mike Ash" wrote in message

...



In article
,
"Robert M. Gary" wrote:

On Feb 2, 12:27 pm, Mxsmanic wrote:
Robert M. Gary writes:
I guess I just don't understand simulation (I have a hard time just
finding time to mow my lawn, much less play on the computer).
However,
wouldn't the benefit of playing on the flight simulator be that you
could ignore real TFRs and fly right over the White House (land on
the
grass, etc)?

Only if you're a gamer. Normally the enjoyment of simulation requires
that
many of the same constraints that apply in the real world also be
respected
in
the simulated world.

Kind of seems like having a hot blow up doll who's realistic enough to
not want to have sex with you. If you're going to be bound by real
life restrictions why simulate?

Nah, to a non-pilot playing with a simulator, things like TFRs and weird
NOTAMs are cool and interesting challenges. There's no certificate that
can be threatened, there's no actual travel to be disrupted, so it's
just an interesting change of pace.

The key restrictions simulations *don't* have are danger, cost, and
training requiremetns, which are the keys to why our friend here sits at
a desk instead of in a cockpit.

--
Mike Ash
Radio Free Earth
Broadcasting from our climate-controlled studios deep inside the Moon

You forgot about the all-important "pause button" to facilitate potty-stops,
and visits to the fridge, without the dsiruption and delay associated with a
real stop enroute...

Peter * ;-)

My first long haul ride in a GA plane (Piper Aztec) was with two IFR
pilots. It tooks several days (Hanscom AFB to Lafayette, LA). I
finally understood what they meant by "running out of ass before you
run out of gas"

Coming up on 59 years of age, I no longer am so interested in flying
something with five or eight hours endurance, as I was when I was 21 and
first flying.

Darn.

Mike Ash writes:

Nah, to a non-pilot playing with a simulator, things like TFRs and weird
NOTAMs are cool and interesting challenges. There's no certificate that
can be threatened, there's no actual travel to be disrupted, so it's
just an interesting change of pace.

Exactly. In real life, they would be headaches; in simulation, they are
challenges.

When extremely bad weather closes airports, or nearly so, real pilots are
smart enough to stay on the ground, where it's safe. On online simulation
networks, though, pilots gravitate towards areas of terrible weather, in order
to take up the challenge of flying under very poor weather conditions.

That's just one of the advantages of simulation. And it isn't necessarily a
waste of time, even if you disregard the entertainment aspect. Practicing
instrument navigation in poor weather can carry over into real life in useful
ways.

The key restrictions simulations *don't* have are danger, cost, and
training requiremetns, which are the keys to why our friend here sits at
a desk instead of in a cockpit.

Exactly. You get 95% of the fun with none of the hassle, depending on which
aspect of flying you prefer.

And there are some things you'll never do as a pilot in real life, so
simulation is your only option in those cases. It's unlikely that you'll ever
fly a 747, for example, even if you have a PPL. Only airline pilots fly
those. And even they can only fly them when and where the airline allows.
That's why airline pilots sometimes amuse themselves with simulators, too.

On Feb 3, 12:29*pm, Mxsmanic wrote:
Jon writes:
So the certificate is self-signed.

No, it just isn't in the browser database.

I trust NAIMES.

The problem is with determining whether or not the certificate really came
from NAIMES.

It did

Peter Dohm writes:

You forgot about the all-important "pause button" to facilitate potty-stops,
and visits to the fridge, without the dsiruption and delay associated with a
real stop enroute...

No need to pause the sim. You can visit the toilet or the galley in real life
while the flight continues, so you can do it in the sim as well.

An advantage to the sim, though, is that even the smallest aircraft have
toilets and galleys. Nevertheless, I try to keep my flights on toilet-free
aircraft limited to potty range.