DC Afternoon

I flew to DC today and had the afternoon off to explore. I of course went to the Mother Ship... (The Air and Space Museum). I feel at home there. I can't figure out though everytime I go back, there seems to be more airplanes hanging from the ceilings that I use to fly. That is only suppose to happen to old timers. I remember going there when I was a kid thinking wow somebody really sat in there and flew that. Now I am walking up to an airplane I flew only to hear, "Wow somebody actually had to push all of those buttons and sit in there". Could it be true, that I am becoming an old timer. Nah! That kid is just crazy.

This first picture is the nose of our (NorthWest Airlines) Boeing 747. This is the actual nose off of one of the airplanes we retired. Very cool to see. It is huge.

The next series of pictures is a progression of the aircraft cockpit. Notice the difference with the instruments. I flew each of these. Hard to believe. Computers made a huge difference in cockpit design. This first one is 1950's technology. We call these round dial cockpits. Notice the dials. Everything is moved with large levers and connectors.

This cockpit is the beginning of computer technology making it's way into the cockpit. Just the beginning. This aircraft has the computing power of a small calculator you would use in school today. Not much. This cockpit we called flying the "Steam Gauges". This is getting into the 1970's. Flew that too. Wow maybe I am old.

This is a modern cockpit I fly today. It is the A-320. One of the most sophisticated cockpits of today. (Not a very good picture. It is behind glass and a lot of kids licking the glass or something. I think that same kid that was giving me a hard time). Notice there are not any round dials. Everything is run with computers and control stations. It is fly by wire, which means instead of large levers to move the wings ailerons there are computer control stations that send a electric signal to move the ailerons. Well, since this is very advanced and it is in the Smithsonian maybe I am not so old after-all.

Ok, then I walked around the corner and saw the wave of the future. (UAV's) This is the stuff I am working with for the Government. Well, now I know I am not old, I am just ahead of my time. I feel much better. I think it is time for a nap.

Well hope you had a great day. Tomorrow on to Memphis and Cancun. Maybe I will see Elvis catching some waves.