Share this page!

Enter URL or ID to Unroll

You can paste full URL like: https://x.com/threadreaderapp/status/1644127596119195649
or just the ID like: 1644127596119195649

How to get URL link on X (Twitter) App

  1. On the Twitter thread, click on or icon on the bottom
  2. Click again on or Share Via icon
  3. Click on Copy Link to Tweet
  4. Paste it above and click "Unroll Thread"!
  5. More info at Twitter Help
KC-10 Driver ✈️ 👨‍✈️ B-737 Wrangler Profile picture
@MCCCANM
Apr 5, 2023 • 5 tweets • 2 min read • Read on X
#Chemtrails:

A global geo-engineering conspiracy, or conspiracy theory?

There are a LOT of otherwise reasonable people (up to 40%!) who believe it's the former.

In a way, that's understandable.

But...here's why it's the latter:
(Caution: replies section may get wild)

1/
@Gnomosapien @american4sense @Aerys1221 Sorry - 8 seconds
Anyway, we’re about to wrap this thread up, barring some new allegation.

Before we do, I’d like to cover one last, general claim that makes the rounds:

“This has only become a thing in the past 2-3 years”.

89/
@EVOORGi It still confuses many people; additional pictures are available below.
Looks like I didn’t make it to that last point! 90 tweets in a thread is quite enough.

Instead, I’ll leave with this…a 20 min video on pretty much everything we’ve covered here. The explanation of atmospheric physics is very helpful!

https://t.co/kWqRkaL1Ac

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
　

Keep Current with KC-10 Driver ✈️ 👨‍✈️ B-737 Wrangler

KC-10 Driver ✈️ 👨‍✈️ B-737 Wrangler Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @MCCCANM

KC-10 Driver ✈️ 👨‍✈️ B-737 Wrangler Profile picture
Aug 4
“A Day in the Life (of an airline pilot)”

…a 10 minute🧵 on how the team gets your flight off the ground. I can’t cover all details, but let’s try:

14:30 – wake up. It’s a day rest after a red-eye, so I’ve managed 5-6 hours of sleep. It takes a bit to remember the city I’m in & I have to check the report time on my scheduling app – can’t trust memory here, it all blends together. I’ve got 2 hours before the shuttle time I set w/ the FO last night

30 minutes to check on email & such, which I do, as well as check on the flight using the same app passengers do; if delayed significantly, I delay our checkout & shuttle times as soon as possible

90 minutes from shuttle. I plan for showering & shaving (30 minutes), reviewing the flight plan & weather (20-30 minutes), dressing & getting downstairs ≈20 minutes before the shuttle – I try to set an example of “early is on-time, on-time is late & late is unacceptable”

The flight plan was created by my dispatcher. Dispatch is constantly looking at all variables & inputs, from weather to ATC delays, then planning the most efficient route (higher & “great circle” navigation is better, but winds, storms & ATC can negate that) while still giving us an on-time arrival. It’s complex!

The flight plan itself is a detailed, electronic package on my iPad; full weather briefings & forecasts, notices about issues at airports (NOTAMs), maintenance history of the airplane, turbulence forecasts, ozone warnings & multiple other data points, plus any highlights the dispatcher wants to point out…not to mention our actual route of flight, including speeds & altitudes. It’s ≈ 50 pages in all, for every flight

I generally don’t have any disagreements w/ the flight plan – dispatchers are good at this. I can ask for changes, like more fuel at the gate or a different route, but it’s rare. I sign it electronically (both Dispatch & Captain have to sign) & it’s filed

I then use a few other apps to check on current situations. Turbulence reports, the status of ATC, ground stops, weather radar, even a list of notable passengers

I import the flight plan into a “moving map” app; we use one by Jeppesen. It has all the charts & “approach plates” for basically the world. It’s frequently updated & saves a lot of time – we used to hand-carry big suitcases of books & update them by hand. Now all on the iPad, our gps position overlaid on the charts – a huge improvement

I write all the critical information down on a piece of paper called my “yoke note”. I have my own format that also serves as a script for my briefing to passengers, seen below w/airline & flight number blacked out. Acronyms abound in aviation; the left side shows ZFW (zero fuel weight), TOW (take off weight) & most important: SOB (souls on board)

The FO & I checkout & ride the shuttle to the airport. We tip the driver a few dollars – customary. I’ve chosen to arrive 15 minutes before mandatory report time, as I don’t like pushing it – there may be snags getting through security or something – but it allows me to buy coffee for us, too. I fly w/ new-hires mostly & while they’re on probation for the first year, it’s customary for the Captain to buy beers & such for them

Most of my layovers don’t allow for beer, though. You can’t have alcohol starting 12 hours before report & I don’t even get that usually. If I do, it’s because we arrived at like 05:00 & nothing is open. Especially in the summer, when we’re pushing crews hard…by union contract, though, I’m guaranteed a minimum of 9 hours behind a hotel door. I usually get 10 or so, & coffee will have to substitute for beer

It will get better when I’m more senior, but for now it just is!

Security has a special line for us, away from passengers. It requires registration & a background check; we scan in & bypass bag scans or metal detectors. Sometimes, you get randomly selected for all the normal stuff, though & have to head over to the normal TSA (but get to cut the line)

(Continued)Image
Report time to the jet is 45 minutes before pushback. I’m usually early. We meet the gate agent; they brief us on any special passengers, like unaccompanied minors, wheelchairs, high-status passengers or law enforcement on board. They’ll be back before we close the airplane door to brief any updates, but now we head down the jet bridge

First order of business is settling into the cockpit. The 737 is cramped. I let the FO go first, and use this time to brief the Flight Attendants (FAs)

Our FAs came in on an earlier flight; we usually don’t stay together as a whole crew at my airline. We also don’t usually stay at the same hotels. In general, we’re probably meeting for the first time – they can be from any base in our system. Scheduling of crews for efficiency is INCREDIBLY complicated, as pilots & FAs have very different rules; FAs can be assigned to any airplane type, pilots only to one. We have different duty day & rest requirements, too. You could opt to do things simply, but it makes the operation inefficient which makes tickets more expensive

Regardless of airplane type, we standardize things as much as possible. That helps with these situations. The FAs need to know about flight time, weather, special passengers & any broken items in the cabin. We do introductions & get right to it. If it’s going to be turbulent on departure, I brief them to remain seated when we pass 10,000’ – indicated by the “double ding” you hear, which is a clue to get up & start duties – & I’ll call them later. When that brief is done, the FAs go back to their duties – inspecting the cabin & its safety systems, checking on catering, making sure cleaners did a good job, lavatory storage is empty & water tanks full. When they’re ready, they work w/gate agents to start boarding, maybe ≈35 minutes before pushback. They do so autonomously & don’t need my input unless they find something wrong

I get settled into the cockpit now. I store my bag behind my seat & “build my nest” – get my headset plugged in, my iPad on the mount (under the side window), adjust my seat & clip my yoke note onto the control yoke – there’s a special place for it right in the middle & it’s easy to reference when things get busy

The FO has started pre-flight checks. I have some to do, as well, but they have more. Checking all the systems are working & such. I won’t go into too much detail here, but we use “flows” – memorized patterns to cover every button & switch the same way, every time. It takes a while to learn them in training; we put up posters of the flight deck in our hotel rooms during that time & practice doing all the different flows, from pre-flight to parking. After a flow, the checklist ensures we got the major stuff that may be a danger

The FO & I split duties here. One of us must do an exterior inspection of the airplane (a “walk around”) while the other loads the computer & sets everything up for the flight. Some Captains have the FO do both, but I alternate – whoever will be actually flying “loads the box”, while the pilot working the radios does the walk around

Today I do the walk around. I use an app on my phone to find this airport’s access codes from the jetbridge to the ramp & head down. The walkaround is like flows, done the same way every time

I’m inspecting things; making sure pitot tubes aren’t blocked, tires & brakes aren’t worn, engine isn’t leaking oil or appears damaged, etc. along the way, I’m going to see the team busy at work, “turning” the jet…getting it from the flight it just came in from to the flight I’m taking it out on. Turn times are measured from parking brake set to parking brake release & vary by type of jet – a 787 takes longer to turn than a 737 – but they are aggressive. On the 737, we ideally do it in about 45 minutes, but realistically it takes an hour. The longer a jet sits at the gate, the more money the airline loses & the tickets get more expensive…profit margins are very small in this industry

(Continued)
The first I meet on my walk around is the Baggage Handlers, who are more appropriately called the Ground Crew – loading bags is just one of their duties. Bags are delivered to the jet in carts that have been arranged so that weight is evenly distributed between the forward & aft cargo holds. They scan each so we can track them in the system & verify how much weight we’ve put on the airplane – both total weight & weight distribution are critical, as we can either be too heavy to takeoff in the runway available, or tip the airplane like a see-saw. It’s a concept called “Weight & Balance” & its critical to flight

Next I’ll meet the fueler. These are contractors; they get an order for a specific amount of fuel from dispatch & come put it on the jet, being careful to balance it between tanks. They generally go a little over what was ordered – maybe a couple hundred pounds – but I don’t mind extra fuel, as long as it’s not a lot of it…too much may make us too heavy to takeoff on the runway we plan to use. If we have to take fuel off, it’s very painful & slow

Catering is busy loading the galleys. These are also contractors; they get an order & fulfill it. To make it efficient, they pre-load galley carts. Catering on the airplane is then just a process of removing the old, empty carts & replacing it w/ the new carts. FA’s then verify we got catered appropriately – sometimes we don’t get enough water, or ice, or meals, etc., and that creates a snag

Maintenance is out on the ramp while I’m doing the walk around, too. They are checking on any systems they’re required to or that the previous crew sent a “write up” in about…a complaint that something isn’t working properly. They check things like oil & hydraulic fluid on a schedule & respond to things the airplane tells them to check on…some jets have a system to report on their own health. We can’t leave the gate without a valid release from maintenance, saying it’s in an airworthy state

I might also meet the contractors who empty the lavatory tanks & refill water tanks. Regardless of who I meet, I try to smile & say hello – we’re all on the same team & the jet isn’t going anywhere unless everyone does their part

All of this activity is being overseen by an operations center my airline keeps at each airport. They coordinate it all & handle the hiccups…I don’t need to interact w/ them unless something is wrong. The ops center is kind of under a bigger, Network Operations Center (NOC) back at airline HQ; they are in control once we leave the ground & look at the airline as a whole. It’s where my dispatcher works…looks like a scene from a military command center or a NASA launch center w/giant screens on the wall & a bunch of work stations

Anyway, I’ve finished my walk around & returned to the cockpit. We’re about 25 minutes to pushback…a lot has been going on since we reported to the gate 20 minutes ago!

30 minutes before pushback, while I was outside, ATC sent the airplane a text message w/ our clearance…a loud “ding dong” announces ATC has something to say. For the most part, clearance doesn’t deviate from what dispatch filed, but it can. If it does, we have to do some work to reconfigure the jet to be ready…if it’s a big enough change, we’ll need to get dispatch involved to run a new flight plan & make sure the fuel we ordered is going to be enough

On my return to the cockpit, the FO has saved the ATC clearance for me; I review it, we discuss it & eventually “accept” it from ATC…now we’re all on the same page

I double check that the box is loaded correctly & the FO has set the jet up properly (as they would do to me if they’d done the walkaround), but we’ve got some time here…passengers are still boarding, but there’s not much for us to do. We’re about 20 minutes from push. I use this time to take pictures of my socks & shoe shine, then post them on Twitter

(Continued)Image
Read 5 tweets
KC-10 Driver ✈️ 👨‍✈️ B-737 Wrangler Profile picture
Jan 5
Q: What happens in the cockpit in a crash? In the cabin?

Are you waiting for orders from the Captain? What do pilots do? Flight Attendants? Tower Controllers?

A: a shared philosophy & carefully constructed machine awakes, by command or independently.

A case study 🧵

1/24
A foundation of modern aviation safety philosophy is described by the Greek poet Archilochus:

“We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training”

Let’s start in the cockpit w/ a loud bang, lights & alarms as the two aircraft collide.

2/24
There’s likely to be at LEAST a moment of disbelief/shock that it’s happening.

If an engine blows at altitude, you can recover, plan & work through it.

In this case, though, it’s an instantaneous blur. Short minutes from impact to evacuation.

3/24
Read 24 tweets
KC-10 Driver ✈️ 👨‍✈️ B-737 Wrangler Profile picture
Oct 8, 2023
Since we’re likely to see a lot of air strike footage in the next few days, here’s a couple things to know:

You may see multiple hits on the same building, first with a small impact, later with a big impact.

If so, the IDF is “Roof Knocking”

1/
jpost.com/arab-israeli-c…
“Roof Knocking” is used when civilians may occupy the same building as military combatants/infrastructure.

A low or no-yield munition is dropped first, as a warning to evacuate the building.

2/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roof_knoc…
After an allotted evacuation time, a second munition is used to destroy the target.

Now…what buildings are & are not legal to target under the International Humanitarian Law (also referred to as the Law of Armed Conflict, or LOAC)?

3/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internati…
Read 9 tweets
KC-10 Driver ✈️ 👨‍✈️ B-737 Wrangler Profile picture
Sep 15, 2023
In 2018, I deployed to the Middle East for (probably) the last time.

My kids were 6 & 4.

To keep connected, I asked if I could take their favorite stuffed animals. They agreed.

I sent pictures of our adventures nearly everyday & we discussed in our calls:

1/9 Image
I decided they’d get into frequent trouble.

Kids loved that the stuffies were mischievous, so I’d invent stories.

Like when Tigre took control without authorization & tried to head home…he missed my 6 year old, but eventually understood he had a duty & he’d be home soon.

2/9 Image
Or when they had a showdown with a curious cat near the highest peak in the UAE…

A battle ensued. It was a draw. They were allowed to remain & explore.

(That’s what I remember saying, anyway…)

3/9

Image
Image
Image
Read 9 tweets
KC-10 Driver ✈️ 👨‍✈️ B-737 Wrangler Profile picture
Jul 16, 2023
We’re likely to get some stories about hot weather grounding flights soon…it’s a regular occurrence around this time of year.

So…why can’t the planes take off?

Let’s take a quick look…🧵

1/9
cnbc.com/2017/06/20/the…
It’s all about air density, which we call “Density Altitude”.

As it gets hotter, the atmosphere expands, meaning air molecules are farther apart from each other.

“Less air for the engines & wings” is a decent way of thinking about it.

2/9
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Density_a…
“Less air” means:

- Slower acceleration

- Longer takeoff rolls

- Higher ground speed (compared to airspeed)

- Less available lift at same groundspeed

3/9
Read 9 tweets
KC-10 Driver ✈️ 👨‍✈️ B-737 Wrangler Profile picture
Mar 23, 2023
This story – of a pilot incapacitation – is making the rounds on covid twitter (from both sides).

As you may expect, it can be used to spin whatever you want to spin.

I’ve got a few hours to kill on Field Standby, so let’s investigate…

1/25
The claims seem to center around three main ideas:

1) The situation was so dire a non-Southwest pilot was brought in

2) This either didn’t happen before covid, or is happening much more often after, and

3) The FAA knows something, but is hiding it.

Let’s begin…

2/25
1) The situation was so dire that a non-Southwest pilot was brought in.

In this scenario, where one pilot becomes incapacitated in flight, the story unfolds exactly as I’d expect it to.

It sounds like they followed the procedure written in their operations manual.

3/25
Read 26 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

Send Email!

:(