Squawk as you see fit (Off Topic Thread)

I wonder how everyone in the hotel knew that the drunk naked man was their pilot?? As that’s what the article is implying…

And surely being drunk 36 hours before taking a command isn’t a crime? (We were in Bermuda on the piss one night with the BA crew that flew us home at 7pm the following evening (less than 24 hours later)).

I get that what he did was misconduct as he was only in that hotel because of his job, but to claim passenger safety was at risk surely is a bit of a stretch?

Are these going to be based in Casement? Surely Kerry or Finner would be better https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2025/1007/1537257-defence-forces-aircraft/

Aer Corp top brass live where????

They call the shots where assets/resources go.

Airbus produced a video on Irish operation of the C295.

I can't imagine the crew was more than 8-10 people, however, that could still be 800-900kg of additional weight, and the captain should rightly have the final say on how that weight is distributed on the aircraft he/she is in command of.

I'm no pilotologist, but I'd imagine with any movable weight on an aircraft, you'd ideally want it as close to the airplanes centre of gravity as possible, which I'd assume is over the wings (or just slightly forward of the wings accounting for engine weight).

Some epic jet streams today got me from Dublin to Palanga, Lithuania in only 2hrs 10mins total flight time!! Normally it’s about 2hrs 35mins..

Just kept going faster & faster before we had to start descending!!

Poor feçkers are looking at at least 3hrs back!!, and the fuel truck was standing by when we parked!!

What’s the fastest anyone’s ever clocked in the jet stream?

Well this is incredibly concerning…

FOUR UNIDENTIFIED MILITARY-STYLE drones breached a no-fly zone and flew towards the flight path of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s plane at Dublin Airport late on Monday night, The Journal has learned.

The plane landed, slightly ahead of schedule, just moments before the incident happened at about 11pm. The drones reached the location where Zelenskyy’s plane was expected to be at the exact moment it had been due to pass.

The drones then orbited above an Irish Navy vessel that had secretly been deployed in the Irish Sea for the Zelenskyy visit. 

Sources have said that the drones took off from the north-east of Dublin, possibly near Howth, and flew for up to two hours. Gardaí are investigating whether the drones took off from land or from an undetected ship. 

https://www.thejournal.ie/drones-dublin-ireland-hybrid-warfare-russia-6893104-Dec2025/?utm_source=thejournal&utm_content=top-stories

It is understood that the drones missed the approach of the Ukrainian leader’s plane and then turned their attention to the LÉ William Butler Yeats, the Irish naval vessel which was secretly deployed off Dublin. The drones operated within the 12 nautical mile limit of Irish-controlled waters.

A decision was made not to shoot down the drones, and there was no ability onboard the naval vessel to disable them. It is understood an Irish Air Corps aircraft was also patrolling at the time but did not get involved.

this is fantastic if true.

Dutch King Flew Regional Flights for KLM in Secret for Over 20 Years

For decades, passengers boarding KLM Royal Dutch Airlines had no idea just how royal their flight truly was. Behind the cockpit door on select regional routes, the Netherlands’ own King Willem-Alexander was quietly clocking in as a commercial co-pilot, flying passengers in complete secrecy.

Long before ascending the throne in 2013, the king earned his pilot’s license in the 1980s and continued flying regularly even after becoming head of state. He primarily served as a co-pilot aboard the Fokker 70 for KLM Cityhopper, the airline’s regional subsidiary, operating short-haul European flights.

For years, travelers were unaware that one of the men guiding their aircraft through the skies was also the sitting monarch of the Netherlands. He introduced himself simply as “Willem-Alexander” and worked under the same strict training, safety, and certification requirements as every other KLM pilot.

To maintain his commercial license, the king typically flew around two flights per month, fitting the role quietly into his packed royal schedule. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he maintained his currency by transitioning to Boeing 737 simulator training, ensuring he remained professionally qualified even as commercial operations slowed worldwide.

In 2023, the king officially stepped away from flying revenue passengers after KLM retired its Fokker 70 fleet. Since then, he has frequently served as co-pilot aboard the PH-GOV, the Boeing 737 VIP jet used to transport the royal family, politicians, and foreign dignitaries.

Despite now reaching the mandatory retirement age of 58 for KLM pilots, King Willem-Alexander is not leaving aviation behind. According to the Government Information Service, confirmed to De Telegraaf, the monarch is now retraining from the Boeing 737 to the Airbus A321neo in order to continue flying with Royal Dutch Airlines in a non-commercial capacity.

The king has now been a pilot for four decades, having previously flown the royal Fokker 70 PH-KBX and later moving onto the Boeing 737. While he is no longer expected to operate scheduled passenger flights after reaching retirement age, sources say he will continue flying as a hobby, provided KLM can accommodate the additional training at a time when the airline is facing pilot training shortages.

Aviation has remained one of King Willem-Alexander’s lifelong passions. His hidden career as a working airline pilot has become one of the most unusual and admired examples of a modern monarch maintaining a normal profession alongside royal responsibilities.

What was the naval vessel doing there if it couldn’t see any targets without transponders ?

Yep, one would expect that a naval ship would actually have proper radar, unless they want to use FR24 and AIS to track things. :)