Warbird Information Exchange

In an ongoing effort to improve WI-FI connectivity in commercial airliners, which varies with the number of passengers and where you sit on the big, stinky, intercity bus-Boeing has started using the 'SPUDS Test' or 'synthetic person using dielectric substitution'.
In order to make changes without having people sit still in a DC-10 parked in the desert for months at a time, someone suggested using sacks of potatos as they are very close to having the same dielectric properties as humans.
This allows minor or major changes to be made without needing 150 people to hang out in an old, hot, smelly airliner.

I had to read that twice to understand what the heck you were trying to say. Then I realized: I MIGHT GET TO USE MY IPHONE ON THE PLANE SOON!

ps I can count to potato.

muddyboots wrote:I had to read that twice to understand what the heck you were trying to say. Then I realized: I MIGHT GET TO USE MY IPHONE ON THE PLANE SOON!

ps I can count to potato.

Ever wonder why it's OK for the flight crew to use ipads (on the 87, the entire world wide Jepp manuals are integral with the airplane on an ipad, and updated constantly, so no need for a 'brain bag') from push back to 'set brakes' at the other end but you have to wait until 10 thou to crank up yours?

I've never argued about it, honestly. Better minds than mine made that decision based on engineering, knowing that people would want to and be ticked off when they couldn't. So obviously it's a genuine issue, or could potentially be. And I'd rather not die just because some dummy wanted to tell his wife that yes, he is on the airplane and almost home...Dude can wait till we're on the ground and taxiing in right?

muddyboots wrote:I've never argued about it, honestly. Better minds than mine made that decision based on engineering, knowing that people would want to and be ticked off when they couldn't. So obviously it's a genuine issue, or could potentially be. And I'd rather not die just because some dummy wanted to tell his wife that yes, he is on the airplane and almost home...Dude can wait till we're on the ground and taxiing in right?

I've sat behind a clown who spent EVERY minute through 10K to back down out of 10K yakking on the AIRFONE on three legs of a trip a few years ago, just what I'd want is to be locked up in a tin tube full of people with diarrhea of the mouth X 215 and none of them with a shot glass of decorum.
I've also never understood the clown who insists on getting out of his seat while we're turning off onto the taxiway, your suitcase ain't gonna get to the carousel any faster. Several years ago @ SFO there were a bunch of standers as the gate agent whacked the side of the 737 so hard with the jetway that they all went down like bowling pins I laughed my off!

I do have to admit I wish my kindle was allowed. I love reading while I'm flying and I can load dozens of choices on it to suit my changing mood. Having got off balance in the back of a Huey once, and fallen out as we flared to land, I learned my lesson. I wait till we are at a complete stop before I start wiggling.