T O P I C ��� R E V I E W
|
Stingray
Member # 621
|
posted
Somebody from the school gave a press conference today about Embry Riddle possibly training whoever had the training neccessary to fly these planes.We have a degree here, Aeronautical Science in which people learn to be professional airline pilots. Its the largest such program in the United States. And let me be VERY CLEAR here. Students learn the basics of flying here. They learn how to fly Cessnas and the largest such craft that students fly under the pervue of the university is the Seminole. Look for a picture if you like. But the university DOES NOT train people how to fly 767s or any other large airliner. They learn basic aerodynamics, navigation, basic systems, airport security (ya, I know) in classes and to fly small planes outside of classes. We have no 767/757 simulators either. If these people did go to ERAU, they learned to fly 767s and 757s elsewhere. About the television part, I saw the segment tonight and unfortunetly, the shots were made up entirely of close ups of her head and couldn't see the reflection behind her. Also, people from ABC interviewed a group of us afterwards and I'm frustratingly just out of the shot. And they didn't use anything I said. Oh well. Woulda been cool I guess. [ September 12, 2001: Message edited by: Stingray ]
|
MeGotBeer
Member # 411
|
posted
You don't happen to know a guy named Tim Miscowitz by any chance do you? If so, tell him I (Jeff Benson) said I hope he's okay. He used to work for me.
|
MeGotBeer
Member # 411
|
posted
Well, you wanna answer my question instead of editing your original post?!
|
Stingray
Member # 621
|
posted
Woah, chill dude. I was trying to remember if I know anybody by that name. It does sound familiar but you meet so many people in your first couple of weeks of college that you forget names as soon as you hear them.Is he a freshman? What's his major? Is he any extra curricular activities or ROTC? (and isn't your last name Kardde?)
|
MeGotBeer
Member # 411
|
posted
Sorry ... didn't mean to snap ... He's from Columbia, Maryland. I think he started there maybe two years ago?
|
Siegfried
Member # 29
|
posted
I'm watching NBC still today, and they're on the subject of the airplanes used: Boeing's 757 and 767. Did you know that flight simulators for those planes are easily available? I did not. There's also a very good reason why the 757 and 767 were chosen: they have identical cockpits. The 757 and 767 also feature highly-sophisticated and relatively simple to program auto-pilots. They didn't need extensively trained pilots to be in control of the planes.All they needed were people with a basic knowledge of flight control and programming the auto-pilot. Once the auto-pilot was set, no one really needed to be at the controls unless a change of course was needed.
|
Stingray
Member # 621
|
posted
Like flying into a building?It's not that hard to point a plane in the direction of a building. But it does require training. I couldn't do it. You couldn't do it. It takes a significant amount of training even for just the rudiments. And you simply need to know where the shit is in the cockpit. Those things are fucking forests of switches, dials, readouts, and buttons. They were trained. No doubt about it. If we can find somebody who recently 'bought' a 767/757 simulator or anybody so far connected with who has used a simulator recently, then we have our men. I doubt it will be that easy though. (and no, I don't know him. I know hardly any, if any, juniors. But I'll remember the name for future reference.) [ September 12, 2001: Message edited by: Stingray ]
|
Siegfried
Member # 29
|
posted
I'm in no way saying that it would be easy. It just wouldn't require a massive amount of training. The terrorists definitely would have needed training on basic flight control, layout of the 757/767 cockpits, programming the auto-pilot, and the handling of larger airplanes. Definitely a difficult challenge, but not one that is impossible.
|
Siegfried
Member # 29
|
posted
Well, I don't know what to think anymore. I've seen nothing but conflicting interviews with aviation experts. One says that with a moderate amount of training, the terrorists could have pulled this off. Another one says that only with professional training could this have been pulled off. I really don't know what to think about this right now. Eventually, the truth will be the learned.
|
Stingray
Member # 621
|
posted
Sorry to revive an old thread but I just wanted to update everybody on my kickass school.Though more than one news crew made a very large deal over the fact that an American university might have trained at least on of the terrorirsts, I doubt you'll find much in the way of an update clearing Riddle's name. Waleed Al-Shehri, Class of '97, has been found alive and well in Morrocco. Seems the hijackers stole the identities of several professional pilots. The true extent of their training seems to have been rudimentary flight lessons at small aviation schools and not universities.
|
|