No FTF again I'm afraid. That last one was so damn good, a hard act to follow, so I'm not going to try until next week.
Instead, feast your eyes upon a set of high altitude enroute charts that Graham's sent me. Superb aren't they? I can now navigate my aircraft to Dakar safely or pop over to Caracas (where all the good looking girls live! Remember Gregory's Girl? No? Then that's just a very bad joke. Actually, even if you do remember, it's still a very bad joke). Ehum...well anyway, maps...
They're quite remarkable really; if a little too busy at times for nervous flyers (thankfully, I'm not one of them). Closer scrutiny reveals details to raise further concern, like the abundance of fuel dumping areas and rather casual reference to collision avoidance.
And I'm becoming increasingly worried that there's someone flying over Africa right now wondering where the hell their charts are.
Now I've seen the bottom-left map image, I'm never flying again... I'm a grip-onto-the-armrests-for-dear-life-on takeoff-and-landings kind of flyer, and I just imagined what the Heathrow charts might look like!
BTW, Did Ben buy your 'Betteries' concept? It was well worth £10 ;)
Posted by: Simon Duckworth | 23 November 2007 at 08:48 AM
Funny, it doesn't put me off. Like when people tell you what goes into sausages, I still can't resist those tasty little blighters. Mmmmm.
And no, he didn't! But if the Design Conspiracy start working for Duracell, you'll know who they have to thank.
Posted by: Richard | 23 November 2007 at 02:59 PM
No wonder avionics are all computer-controlled these days, pilots have THOSE to worry about...
Posted by: Ian Fermor | 27 November 2007 at 09:55 AM
They look amazing, I remember being given some pilots maps on a cub scouts' trip to Birmingham Airport many, many years ago and being enthralled by them. By a bizarrely topical coincidence the maps appear to be by Jeppesen who are currently alleged to have assisted the CIA's rendition flights: http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,,2217506,00.html
Posted by: Tom Gifford | 27 November 2007 at 12:27 PM
I think they're rather easy to read and satisfyingly logical. In contrast the low level navigation charts that light aircraft pilots use are fiendishly confusing. No wonder there are hundreds of airspace 'busts' every year...
http://www.s2taviation.com/caa250_clip.jpg
Posted by: Joel | 18 December 2007 at 11:16 AM