Gary Weissel

@gotravelyourway Depends on airline and where I'm seated. But A380 upper deck is by far the quietest I've ever ridden in. Very comfortable when business class is up there.

You’re about to board a 10+hour flight. Which aircraft are you hoping to see at the gate? ✈️ Airbus A350 ✈️ Boeing 787 Dreamliner ✈️ Boeing 777 ✈️ Airbus A380 Be honest. 👀

@CaptBob_Nomadic in one of your favorite lounges this morning. I like the new chairs over by the desserts... 😉 not very crowded early on a Sunday morning...

@airport_girl And if they're flying with you?!😜🤣

If you’re driving with me and ‘Islands in the Stream’ comes on and you don’t know your part, you’ll be asked to get out of the car. 🤣

@GT_Sankar @ronsterd89 Did my pascal programming freshman yr at GT on these cards!! My how times have changed!😜😱

@ronsterd89 Computer program code was usually entered on cards such as these, one line of code per card. The holes puched into the card represent various characters (A-Z, 1-9). Card readers would then read them and extract the code. This was from 1960s to late 70s some times early 80s.

My grandson found this in a textbook we bought at Halfprice Books. He asked me if this is “what library cards looked like”, but I actually don’t know what it might be from. Any clue? There is nothing on the back.

It's the little gestures that often can set customer service apart. Found this in my seat when boarding today's flight home. Well done @Delta

@airport_girl 🤣🤣 trying to imagine the sight picture sitting that high in a tiny GA AC. TEMU? Maybe would last 1-2 flights before something breaks...😅😅 Narrow gear stance, huge side profile, high CG, wouldn't want to be on the ground in a stiff xwind!

If you ordered an airplane off of Temu?

Some nice views on this Easter afternoon flight. ATL, KCNI (my home airport) and The Brickyard on approach into KIND...

@SteveNomadic @CaptBob_Nomadic Great episode, I just finished listening to it.. You wanna know more about mtc planning, you need to come sit in on my Mtc planning / programs lecture I give regularly at Georgia Tech to the school of aerospace engineering students

Ahh… the “RPG hole” airplane… yep - we covered a bunch.

@MCCCANM Great movie. My FIL was a FAC and one of the team of 6 FACs that worked this rescue that Danny Glover's character is based on. My FIL was the 1st FAC on scene...

Lot of people will watch “Behind Enemy Lines” now, but if I may, a recommendation: “BAT 21”. Based on a true story. On Amazon, but there’s some sub-service you’ll have to cancel after your trial. It’s far superior.

@airport_girl Gorgeous view!😍. Here's 1 back at ya...not quite as crisp with the haze in the mountains but still better than my office view!

The view up here though …

No internet

@MCCCANM Tnx for the excellent, detailed description. As u correctly stated they're not dangerous and visual separation is always a must. As we saw in DC last yr, I'd much rather have the pilots of both AC in confirmed visual contact than rely on ATC in crowded airspace!

Attention Aviation Journalists (& anyone interested)! I have a primer for you on the SFO “parallel approaches” story. It has the potential to be a big story. I imagine the airlines, and maybe even the city, will fight the FAA’s decision. Big impact. So, here’s a bit of history & a perspective on simultaneous close visual approaches to runways 28L & 28R from a pilot perspective. Summary: these are *not* dangerous approaches. You can find someone who will tell you they are, but I’d bet 95% or more of pilots who’ve flown them will tell you it’s not dangerous. In fact, it’s a fun approach & a treat for passengers w/ the added benefit of increasing the airport’s arrival rate capacity. In essence, these approaches – the “FMS Bridge Visual 28R”, the “Quiet Bridge Visual 28L” & the “Tip Toe Visual 28R” (list not all inclusive) – are used in Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) only. Pilots must be able to see a long way to do these approaches. When there are low clouds, fog, rain or something, these are not an option even offered. Visual approaches are not at all unusual at any airport. In many cases, the visual is the preferred method of approach. At SFO, we must be able to see a long way because we must be able to identify our “pairing traffic” & keep them in sight during the entire sequence. We know exactly where the other jet is at all times during this approach. I’ve included a sample of the approach to runway 28R, below. Somewhere around point “TRDOW”, approach control is pointing out your “pairing traffic”. They won’t allow you to get close, or continue the approach until you have them in sight. It can take a couple minutes to visually acquire them, but by “GAROW” or “JANYY” it’s very easy to spot them. If you still can’t spot them, approach won’t let you continue. Keep in mind that the example I included below is *only* for 28R. Runway 28L has a different approach & it’s not depicted here at all. There is space between the runways to begin with…but the 28R approach creates more space between aircraft by bringing you in at an angle…it does not line up with the runway until a very short final. The aircraft on 28L is also looking for you & must keep you in sight, as well. The problem with these approaches is that they used to set off a “TCAS RA”. I assume you know this term. A TCAS RA must be obeyed. So, we obeyed it & did a go around, even though we can see the other jet & know it’s not really a problem. Reports are filed & records kept. At one point, SFO was one of a few places that certain airlines were allowed to switch the TCAS to “TA Only” mode. The RAs were a nuisance rather than a real threat & everyone knew it, so we disabled the RAs. I don’t know of many other instances this was allowed. That may sound extreme, but (the majority of) pilots were happy to have a solution, even if it was only temporary as they tried to find a better fix. They did. They offset the approach track to 28R enough that a jet following it would be below the TCAS inhibition altitude before it got close enough to the other jet to set off an RA. It’s an elegant solution & works very well. Now, these approaches are famous for videos of jets landing simultaneously. That’s cool, but not how it works in practice most of the time. One jet usually ends up behind the other & at nearly the same speed. They are below the required distance for usual separation, but they are separated in trail. Even when it does end up with the jets landing together, it’s not dangerous. I’m speculating, but this decision seems to be someone looking at reports of TCAS RAs over several years, seeing a bunch at SFO & deciding we can’t do this anymore, not understanding that the RAs are not a real danger signal in this case. It’s a spreadsheet decision, not a wisdom decision. It doesn’t actually make anyone safer, but it looks like it does & that’s what matters. The disruptions this decision will cause? Not included on the spreadsheet. Hope that helps!

Excited to share that TAC's @garyweissel will be speaking at AIX 2026 in Hamburg! Join our session and experience the global hub for aircraft interiors, retrofit and next-gen passenger experience. lnkd.in/gdCcKy4T #AIX #AircraftInteriors #PassengerExperience

@Mattisamazing33 Did a good job following the book (which both the wife & I loved). We both really enjoyed the movie too....

Loved it. 10/10

Round and round we go in the pattern today. No safety pilot for instrument approach practice so instead practiced engine out in gusty xwinds. 17-25kts at pattern altitude. 8-10 on the ground. Bouncing around for 4 laps was enough for today. 😜😁

@madmotojoe Not new but have been notam'd out forever after they wid ND the runway a few yrs ago. Finally got them up and running although they are only on when the runway lights are on so you have to turn on the lights in the day to have them...🤷‍♂️

@garyweissel Are the VASIs to 5 new? Maybe I've just not been paying attention, which is possible.

Spun the spinner for #SpinnerSaturday. Green haze of pollen everywhere but otherwise was good to get up and knock the pollen off the wings...😊

@madmotojoe Enjoy.... I'll be up again tomorrow morning. Hoping to have a safety pilot with me to shoot some approaches

@garyweissel On my way to RYY for the same. PVT and INST students.

A quick break from work and flying for some spring skiing / snowboarding (yes I switch hit) in CO. Conditions were crazy warm (not great) but a day on the slopes is better than a day in the office!🏂

@bluestein 5.5hrs not 3. 5.5 this morning from 1000a-330p today. Daughter missed 2 flights finally making the 3rd departure to her destination. Arrived about 3.5 hrs b4 flight. Should've arrived 6.5 hrs ahead of time to have any chance to make it.

Welcome to Atlanta, where you need to arrive three+ hours early for a two hour flight.