I got a chance to plug DWT in class today!
I finally got a chance today to make a little plug for DWT.com while in the middle of a legitimate classroom discussion!
I was sitting in my CRM (that's Crew Resource Management, for you non-aviation folk) class this afternoon, and the central theme of the discussion revolved around how to be "assertive, yet respectful" first officers (or copilots, as you non-aviation folk probably know them as) when it comes to flying with a captain who is, in your opinion, acting in a manner which might compromise the safety of the flight. We discussed a number of prominent aviation accidents which resulted from a breakdown in CRM skills in the cockpit, and the recurring trend we observed was that in every case discussed, the first officer had had an opportunity to be assertive, and possibly save the flight from its impending tragedy, but in each case failed to do so for whatever reason.
"So in this case," my professor asks the class, in reference to one of the accidents we were discussing at the time, "rather than speaking up and asserting his opinion to go missed,..." (that's short for missed-approach - it means deciding to stop your descent into the airport for safety reasons, climbing back up to a safe altitude and airspeed, and reevaluating your situation), "...what does the first officer do?"
"He's just along for the ride," someone from the front of the room comments.
"WHEEEE!!!" exclaims another student jokingly. The classroom chuckles in response.
"Yeah, exactly," the professor agrees. "He's in for the E-Ticket ride of his life." He then pauses for a moment as a puzzled look comes over the faces of just about the entire class.
To most of them, an "e-Ticket" is the thing that many airlines now offer that allows you to print out your reciept after buying a ticket online and therefore skip the check-in counter entirely. I have to laugh now, thinking about how they must have been trying to draw a connection between their idea of what an e-ticket was and why this first officer might have had to have an e-ticket for his own flight. :lol:
Sensing this confusion, my professor then asks, "Do any of you know what an E-Ticket is? Does anyone remember that, or are you all too young?" Most of the class didn't respond, and a few shook their heads no. I couldn't help but break into a grin. I just couldn't let this opportunity pass me by.
I immediately launch into a brief, yet thorough, explanation of the Disney parks' old ticket system with the A-thru-E ticket books, and how the E-Tickets were the "best" tickets, reserved for the most popular attractions and rides.
Needless to say, about 2/3s of the class turned to look at me, as if silently asking how the heck I knew that. So I just grinned, shrugged, and blurted out to the room, "DisneyWorldTrivia.com" :yes:
