Life / WHY DO POLES USE ENGLISH WORDS IN CONVERSATION? [396]


I see your point, I do. However, I'm simply saying that we do what's easiest, what we're used to doing every day. My mom's native tongue IS Polish and so is mine but I was a kid when we moved to Sweden and after a while Swedish was simply easier. Now Ive lived in the US for a long time an since I learned aviation in English often when my mom asks how my day was it's easier for me to use "Swenglish" words because often they're pretty close and I guess I get lazy. If I'd try to tell her about my day in Polish, then well, hopefully she's not in a hurry... ;)


Google ads ;) Mine for this post are "Learn Spanish for free" and "Just Polish Movies" LOL


Ni hau to you... lol

PS. Six months of Mandarin and I'm still at lesson 1... ;)

I know what Olaf (and others) might say - learn Polish instead. Well, working on that too.

News / Russian air traffic controllers ignored communication protocol of Polish pilots? [194]


It’s about 260 meters.

I’m used to the US altimetry and to as a rule of thumb => 1 inch “error” on the altimeter setting equals 1,000 feet.

I converted the millibar (hPa) settings to our settings.

995.6hPa = 29.4 inHg
1025.5hPa = 30.28 inHg

30.28 – 29.4 = 0.88 inches of mercury difference or ~ 880 feet which is 268 meters.

Convex, I’m really tired so please make sure I got it right.

All along I’ve wondered if there was confusion using the correct altimeter setting procedures. Most countries use a system where after landing your altimeter will show the local field elevation. Which in this case, Smolensk North after landing your altimeter would show 820 feet or 250 meters. In Russia however, often they use a system where after landing the altimeter will read zero (hope this makes sense). So if using wrong setting the altitude would be off by 250 meters. This is just a speculation on my part; the actual reasons to this crash could be totally different…


I see your point and what perplexes me is that so many of your comments are really intelligent. Yet your 9/11 conspiracy fixation is just strange. So the hate comment pertained to the US government, not the soviet/Russian government.

I'm as skeptical as it gets, all my friends will vouch for me on that. I've reviewed all kinds of 9/11 conspiracies and they're all full of holes. Huge gigantic holes. I'm yet to meet an airline pilot who thinks 9/11 was a government insider job, or something similar. ...and if you find one, he/she does not have a medical certificate as lunacy is a grounding condition for us. Stalin must be rolling over in his grave from laughter knowing his regime helped to create such an anti-American paranoia, years and years after his death. Oh well, enough about that, let's get back to arguing with Ruskies. ;)

News / Russian air traffic controllers ignored communication protocol of Polish pilots? [194]

I'm not sure what Wildrover's positions are but I was reacting to your "it's aviation 101 comment". You said "The pilot knew they are in deep s**t, and this was a last-ditch desperate attempt to survive crash landing. Aviation 101." and frankly nothing could've been further from the truth. To initiate fuel dumping (which takes time) right before an anticipated crash landing (we prefer the term emergency landing ;) would be the worst thing one could do. Pretty much a guaranteed post-landing fire.

Fuel dumping usually takes place at altitude, 10,000 feet or above to let the fuel evaporate before it reaches the ground.

This is what it looks like by the way...
youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HL1x33iebtg

Didn't mean to sound disrespectful but I guess my reply could be perceived that way and if so, my apologies.

I'm sure you've seen from my previous posts that I'm very skeptical when it comes to dealing with the Russian government. I really think though that it'd behoove all of us to give the Russians the benefit of a doubt, at least for now, until the investigation is complete.

Otherwise we all sound like a bunch of Russophobes and frankly I think Poles are better than that. Even Ronald Reagan said - trust but verify. Notice - the trust came before the verify...

So again, sorry if I sounded demeaning toward you, not my intention. Overall you and I hold similar views which is to be suspicious of the Russians - history proves that viewpoint. However, we should also give them a chance to investigate this matter.


Well, that's your view which of course I strongly disagree with but it's your right and I respect that. I just got to a point where if I see a new thread I'm looking for at least one anti-Jewish reference from Pilsudski and one 9/11 reference from you. I'll leave you alone now although I must say I wish conspiracy theorists such as yourself would be more open-minded sometimes... I too am critical of the government but skepticism and blind hate combined with distrust are very different things.

News / Russian air traffic controllers ignored communication protocol of Polish pilots? [194]

My understanding is that unless the airport to be used can accommodate English speaking controllers that airport should not offer a foreign aircraft a landing permission. That includes a military airport. Now, I understand that some controllers at smaller Russian airports struggle with their English and pilots of foreign airlines who have Russian speaking pilots allow the switch simply for safety reasons. Either way, it's surprising.

Who knows what happened there but the sheer amount of speculation (on both sides may I add) is amazing.

Hope you'l catch some nice tailwinds on your way to Romania. ;)


What does age have to do with anything? Seriously. It's about experience and if a person starts his/her training in early twenties that person will probably be more proficient than a pilot who started his/her flying career when he/she was in his/her thirties. I've seen both.

Also, I used to do some simulator training and you'd be surprised how often those we "assumed" would be on top of their game were in fact still on the runway when the airplane was about to reach the cruising altitude. Figurative speaking of course.

Age has zero, nada to do with a person's proficiency - it's based on experience. ...and often age and experience are not co-related.


Have you ever participated in a debate without including something about the 9/11 conspiracies? I'm not trying to be disrespectful Seanus, I really am not but has it ever happened?


All very good points!

News / Russian air traffic controllers ignored communication protocol of Polish pilots? [194]

Ekidan with all due respect, lets not blame the pilots as we don't know all the facts.

I just found this thread and must say I was surprised the controllers did not use English. You and I know that whenever a foreign aircraft flies into your airspace the Russian controllers switch to English. I fly into Japan and often we'll take the Petropavlovsk route (I live in the US) and although most of the communication is in Russian as soon as we check in the controllers switch to English.

I also find your post somewhat contradictory. You said - correctly may I add - "...The Aircraft Commander has primary responsibility for ensuring the safety of the aircraft and ATC is a purely advisory service..." followed by "...I'm afraid the Russians only tried to help by strongly advising the crew to divert... but did the Polish listen..."

Like you said, the ATC is strictly of advisory service (unless the runway is blocked, etc.) and IF according to their ops-specs the minimums were legal (don't know what they were) they should've attempted that approach and if no runway was in sight either give it another try or divert to the alternate.

What's confusing is why they got that low and hopefully the investigation will reveal that.

Furthermore, I find it very disturbing that you, a pilot, puts the blame squarely on other pilots before you (and I) know all the facts. I've often defended Russian pilots when I'd hear a conversation about a Russian airline's accident/incident. As soon as I'd hear, well, those were Russian pilots so they're probably drunk, etc., I'd say, back off - they were pilots too like you and I and unless we know the facts they were all innocent until proven guilty.

It's OK to speculate but let's not put the blame on those pilots until the investigation is complete. Moreover, lets be pilots first and foremost. If I ever hear a distress signal form a Russian aircraft requesting our assistance I guarantee you we will do everything we can to help out. I'd expect the same from you. Right now, let's do it for the crew that's not here to defend themselves anymore. Facts before emotions.

Signed
B744 pilot
PS (have time in both 732 and 737 models, I enjoyed the guppy, I'm sure you do too)


HUH??? I know it's an "old" post but Olga, seriously...

History / Should visitors to Auschwitz pay an entrance fee? [82]

That was my point - this racism and denial still exists in many countries... "Others committed those crimes but NOT us..."

"...She wrote a letter about her wartime experiences to children at a school in Parthenay, western France.

But when the town's deputy mayor, Michel Birault, a former policeman, found out she was to tell the children it was "gendarmes" who arrested her aged 14, it was censored..."

History / Should visitors to Auschwitz pay an entrance fee? [82]

Have you ever been to the Holocaust museum in Washington, DC? I have and can tell you Poland is indeed included in that memorial and in a very tasteful, one could say pro-Polish way (talks about the many Poles who died saving the Jews, etc.)

I was raised in Sweden so I'm very proud of the fact the museum is located on Raoul Wallenberg Street (or Place?) in Washington, DC. Named after a Swede who saved many Jews in Hungary (where he was a diplomat) despite the prevailing anti-Jewish racism in Sweden at a time. Many Swedes sympathized with the Nazis not because of the ideology but because they helped Finland to defend themselves from the Soviet invasion.

Today, lots of people let their anti-Israeli feelings excuse their anti-Jewish racism. That was my main point.

Something else - This thread does NOT belong in the Travel & Tourism section, we're not talking about the Eiffel tower or the Trafalgar Square, we're talking a place where a mass murder took place. That's actually insulting to all the victims. It should be in the History section.

History / Should visitors to Auschwitz pay an entrance fee? [82]


---


All good points and as I said I don't know the answer but to single out Israel to pay for it simply because most of the victims were Jewish seems wrong.

Ideally all nations who lost their citizens there along with Germany should pay for it collectively as a sign of a new beginning.

Also, each time a neo-Nazi gets convicted for a hate crime an additional monetary fine should be assessed for him/her to pay toward the maintenance of all former concentration camps.

Life / WHY DO POLES USE ENGLISH WORDS IN CONVERSATION? [396]

Who knows, maybe soon we'll all be complaining about too many Mandarin words in our daily conversations? ;)

Min tian jian

youtube.com/watch?v=zNoOdNvdZlg

PS. I love her lessons...

History / Should visitors to Auschwitz pay an entrance fee? [82]


Would you make a raped woman pay for her rape kit tests too? Although many nationalities were killed there the majority were of the Jewish faith. Don't know who should be paying for this but it sure isn't Israel, nor should it be Poland. I guess either Germany or some kind of UN fund should take care of it.

...or maybe each time a journalist writes about the "Polish concentration camp" his/her newspaper should be assessed a fine and that money should go to the maintenance of the camp. Those fines alone would pay for the camps maintenance for generation to come... (sarcasm smiley if I had one)

Life / WHY DO POLES USE ENGLISH WORDS IN CONVERSATION? [396]


Isn't kurva a *****? Hmm, can't even say it English here. It sounds so vulgar and foul, is that a common curse word? Now I feel like ripping my ears out...

Love / Are Polish men romantic and caring or... "plain"? [85]


No they'll call her Southern Belle and will love her for it... A Polish Southern Belle, are you kidding me, that's the best of both worlds!!! ;)


Sokrates - how about y'all sign a peace treaty? Obviously you two will never agree on this issue.

I'm proposing a detente where all Polish males currently in the UK remain there (unless they want to go back to Poland) while all Polish ladies in the UK (ALL the single ones) promptly emigrate to the US.

Would my solution ease the tensions and the strained relations between you two? ;)

Love / Are Polish men romantic and caring or... "plain"? [85]

Justysia - fair enough. Sounds like you need to get hooked on the American accents instead. :)

Life / WHY DO POLES USE ENGLISH WORDS IN CONVERSATION? [396]


Why is that such a big deal to you? Happens everywhere, normal colloquial, informal language that happens in a conversation. If it makes you feel better, I usually speak Swedish with my mom (easier for me) and she says I often speak Swenglish instead... LOL

News / Brown's 'Bigotgate' and the debate about Poles [63]


Educated in jihad and bomb making? I'm generalizing of course but so are you... So what did this Polish woman do to you? Why the animosity toward the Poles?

News / Brown's 'Bigotgate' and the debate about Poles [63]

I agree with you but it's the old iron curtain division they usually mean. Jeppesen which is an aviation company printing charts pilots use all over the world still puts Poland in their "East European" section along with Romania, Bulgaria, etc. I cringe each time I see that...

Love / Are Polish men romantic and caring or... "plain"? [85]


I'd be scared I'd run into you because you'd quickly prove to me what a worthless slime I really am... LOL

Seriously, I think you've been severly burned and now put all of us in the same basket. I don't recognize myself at all in your description of Polish men. Yes, I know I'm biased here ;)

PS. I've been doing the dishes since I was a kid and occationally I cook too... :)

PS. Why did you move from Poland? Unrelated to this thread, just curious...

Love / Are Polish men romantic and caring or... "plain"? [85]


Why don't you copy & paste what you said right here and show it to him? Sometimes (often ;) we men and you ladies think in very different ways. I wish my ex-wife had used very plain English with me much more often than she did (and vice versa).

I will generalize here for a minute but I think women often like to be perceived as being gentle and that spills over to their communication skills as often they'll use innuendos instead. I fly very sophisticated, multi-million dollar machines for a living but ask me to decipher a woman's language and what she's really saying and I fall apart...

I don't mean it in a negative way, it's so great we're different. However, sometimes it really helps to use very plain, down to earth language - I guess I'm telling you what I wish someone had told me while I was married. :)

Wholly crap Justysia - I'm glad I don't live in the UK... ;)

Language / I need advice - how long does it take to learn Polish? [70]


Is that true??

Can you say hello and bugger off in Spanish too? You must be a Mexican then... ;)

Love / Are Polish men romantic and caring or... "plain"? [85]

Are Polish men romantic and caring or... "plain"?

Yes! ;)

On a more serious note I hope you think of us the way you'd like for us, men to view you - unique individuals each and every one of you (us). Some romantic while others less so, some gentle and caring, while others not sensitive at all.

I'm yet to figure out what "American" women are like or Swedish ladies for that matter? I'd imagine the same applies to "Polish" men. Vive la différence wouldn't you say? ;)

Travel / NYTimes - Next stop - Wrocław, Poland [12]

No I meant in Wrocław. I was a kid so I don't remember what part of town but it was always packed with families with kids. Lots of beautiful swans that people would take pictures of...

Travel / NYTimes - Next stop - Wrocław, Poland [12]

You're welcome, I found myself reading about Wrocław in the online New York Times while on a layover in Kuala Lumpur... LOL

...and after this charming guy has given you a tour you'll have to show me around... :)


What's the name of the large park that has a mini-lake and many white swans in it? It's one of my childhood memories...

News / 2010 Polish Presidential Election [39]

Would someone be willing to give me a "Polish-politics-for-dummies" quick-lesson? Especially what the main parties are and what they stand for...

A comparison to the US and/or Swedish parties would be greatly appreciated... I view myself as a fiscally conservative libertarian in the US (not all issues), and Moderate (Conservative) party supporter in Sweden (not all issues) - where would that put me on the political map of Poland? In the Partia Piwa? LOL What if I'm more of a jack & coke type of guy? ;)

I know the Polish history up to the first post communist election pretty well, then ...not so well... ;)

Mucho xiè xiè - 谢谢 :)

Genealogy / Polish person's average height? [210]


My estimate for you:
1. You're 50% correct
2. You're 50% incorrect

Genealogy / Polish person's average height? [210]

Interesting, I've met quite a few Cherokee and Navajo and they all seem to be pretty short, especially women. Some are quite large though... Not height-wise though. ;). Just kidding...


Huh? What is America to you? I've lived in 9 States so far (military), currently Hawai'i and i'd say ~6' is the norm. The 5'10 and less are usually Hispanics... Of course there are exceptions but 5'9 is definitelly not the average...

News / Crash of Tu-154 at Smolensk-North--could it have been a bomb in the Polish plane? [233]


I've sort of given up on this thread but wanted to point out that there's no "PAR approach backed up with the NDB" - it's either or. Otherwise which direction would you fly if the NDB bearing shows one way and the controller instructions the other way? I believe it was a pure NDB approach at this point...

Law / Sending an air rifle to Poland [11]

Use an authorized licensed dealer. Pretty sure both fedex and ups allow it.
FedEx firearms policy:
Restrictions specific to FedEx SameDay (Excerpted):

2 (a): The following items are prohibited and will not be acceptable for shipment by FedEx SameDay service: Firearms.


--------------

United Parcel Service firearms policy:
Customers must observe the following procedures to ship firearms, including handguns, via UPS:


Please, limit 'cut & paste' to 100 words + URL.

History / Polish-Moroccan mutual relations [67]



Why wouldn't the Hungarian delegation make it in? Have you even looked at the path of the ash???

Due to the Jetstream winds it moves east, occasionally south. The entire Scandinavia, the UK and initially many central European countries were affected.

Besides, the Hungarian and Austrian delegations could've driven if they wanted to, not that far away.

First airports that opened up for US lights into Europe were Madrid and Lisbon, again due to their location - the Jetstream takes the ash away from them.

Amazing how there must be a conspiracy in everything nowadays.

Could Obama have flown in? Probably. Land in Madrid and take the train or a motorcade all the way to Poland. Alternatively he could've taken a southern route and flown to Greece, Turkey and taken train or used a motorcade. However, as a head of state his flight would've gotten all kinds of special treatments, additional spacial separation, etc. which means other, regular flights would be delayed even more, possibly past their "slot time" meaning they'd be cancelled. [applies to all "official" head of state flights, in other words the entire airplane consists of a government delegation]

No defender of Obama by no means but the decision to cancel was logical one.

I also predict that if Eyjafjallajökull's big sister (brother if you prefer) Katla erupts you'll see many airlines in Europe and maybe in the US too go bankrupt. The strength of that volcano is estimated to be at least 10 times that of Eyjafjallajökull. Airlines will be grounded for weeks - scary stuff!

Life / Poland doctors that can write pink prescriptions? Where can I find one? [5]

What's a pink prescription?