"License to taxi"

Mxsmanic wrote
Which sends me off on a bit of a tangent again: John Travolta has a
707 of his own. How can he fly it without a copilot and engineer?

He can't and doesn't.

Bob Moore

Bob Moore writes:

He can't and doesn't.

So he has to hire some veteran 707 pilots to go with him every time he
flies? Doesn't sound like much fun. Then again, I don't suppose
there are too many jet airliners that can be flown by one person.

I note also that the real estate development where he parks the plane
has a very fragile runway. I wonder how he manages to take off and
land on a runway that is composed of only two inches of asphalt.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Mxsmanic wrote
I note also that the real estate development where he parks the plane
has a very fragile runway. I wonder how he manages to take off and
land on a runway that is composed of only two inches of asphalt.

I can assure you that the runway is MUCH more substantial than
that. In the mid-80s. I was employed by the previous owner of
the development, Arthur Jones, inventor and manufacturer of the
Nautalis line of exercise equipment. He owned three B-707s which
we flew from that runway before it was lengthened to its present
length.

Do a 'google' for Terry Jones and Jumbolair....she flew as copilot
for me once. I was hired to train her for a B-707 Type Rating, but
quit before that happened...her husband was impossible to work for.

Bob Moore

Bob Moore writes:

I can assure you that the runway is MUCH more substantial than
that. In the mid-80s. I was employed by the previous owner of
the development, Arthur Jones, inventor and manufacturer of the
Nautalis line of exercise equipment. He owned three B-707s which
we flew from that runway before it was lengthened to its present
length.

AirNav says this:

Surface: asphalt, in poor condition

FIRST 1800 FT OF RY 18 DETERIORATING WITH POT HOLES AND SEVERE
CRACKING.
1 ASPHALT SURFACE IS ONLY 2 INCHES THICK. PAVEMENT STRUCTURE CAN ONLY
SUPPORT LIGHT LOAD SINGLE WHEEL ACFT. HEAVIER ACFT MAY CAUSE IMMEDIATE
STRUCTUAL DAMAGE TO THE DETERIORATED SURFACE AND MAY GENERATE FOD.
RY 18/36 NOT CROWNED OR GRVD CAUSING STANDING WATER DURING AND AFTER
RAIN.

From this I inferred that the entire runway was just a thin layer of
asphalt.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Mxsmanic wrote
FIRST 1800 FT OF RY 18 DETERIORATING WITH POT HOLES AND SEVERE
CRACKING.
From this I inferred that the entire runway was just a thin layer of
asphalt.

Ah yes...That 1800' is the extansion that was added after I left,
and one of the reasons that I did leave.

At light weights, the original r/w was long enough to accommodate
the required accelerate/stop distance for a B-707, but not long
enough to reach Vmcg before reaching V1, so V1 had to be increased
to the higher Vmcg speed. Arthur Jones, although a pilot himself,
did not seem to understand this concept. We argued about the safety
issue. The Cuban pilot who replaced me seemed unaware of the issue.

In a Google Earth view, one can see that the extension (dark) was
added at an angle to the original (light) pavement. It was added
only to allow stopping from the higher (Vmcg) V1 speeds, and is
indeed marked as stopway with a displaced threshold. The displaced
threshold on the other end is to clear the rather high circular
concrete blast fence.

Bob Moore

Mxsmanic wrote:

So he has to hire some veteran 707 pilots to go with him every time he
flies?

He can afford it. He still get to fly the aircraft, he can go wherever
whenever he wants; and it might actually be a reasonably fun post
retirement job for the copilot,

--Sylvain

Bob Moore wrote:
Mxsmanic wrote
Which sends me off on a bit of a tangent again: John Travolta has a
707 of his own. How can he fly it without a copilot and engineer?

He can't and doesn't.

Bob Moore
As a matter of fact for the longest time he had no 707 type
rating. He was never pilot in command.

Ron Natalie wrote:
Bob Moore wrote:
Mxsmanic wrote
Which sends me off on a bit of a tangent again: John Travolta has a
707 of his own. How can he fly it without a copilot and engineer?

He can't and doesn't.

Bob Moore
As a matter of fact for the longest time he had no 707 type
rating. He was never pilot in command.

What's the point? If I had a 707 and his money, I'd sure work on
getting the rating!

Emily wrote:
Ron Natalie wrote:
Bob Moore wrote:
Mxsmanic wrote
Which sends me off on a bit of a tangent again: John Travolta has a
707 of his own. How can he fly it without a copilot and engineer?

He can't and doesn't.

Bob Moore
As a matter of fact for the longest time he had no 707 type
rating. He was never pilot in command.

What's the point? If I had a 707 and his money, I'd sure work on
getting the rating!

If you had the time, but if since you can't fly the thing solo
anyhow, you have all the benefits and publicity of calling yourself
the pilot even though you're only SIC.

Ron Natalie wrote:
Emily wrote:
Ron Natalie wrote:
Bob Moore wrote:
Mxsmanic wrote
Which sends me off on a bit of a tangent again: John Travolta has a
707 of his own. How can he fly it without a copilot and engineer?

He can't and doesn't.

Bob Moore
As a matter of fact for the longest time he had no 707 type
rating. He was never pilot in command.

What's the point? If I had a 707 and his money, I'd sure work on
getting the rating!

If you had the time, but if since you can't fly the thing solo
anyhow, you have all the benefits and publicity of calling yourself
the pilot even though you're only SIC.

Me personally, I'd take the few weeks or whatever at Flight Safety. :-)

You're right though, I don't think the general public knows or cares...