Delta 4951 makes emergency landing:

I don’t know what I’d do in this situation (as a passenger). I certainly wouldn’t likely have the composure to record it happening for posterity. Not to make light of a very serious situation, but I’d be preparing to kiss my own “posterity” good-bye.

Click the outward-pointing arrows in the lower right side of the video embed to bring the video full screen (recommended).

“Heads Down, Stay Down”

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Yes, believe it or not, I jumped out of an airplane with a Golden Knight strapped to my back! @GKMikeTT has over 9000 (OVER 9,000?!) jumps to his credit, so I felt pretty safe. Now, if you’ve never skydived before because you’re afraid of heights, remember that I get dizzy when climbing a regular ol’ ladder. The sensation? It was a little bit like sticking your entire body out the window of a car traveling at 120mph; I never felt like I was falling.

And yes, I read Skydiving for Dummies before I jumped.

You’re likely wondering why the Golden Knights would participate in an event such as this. The answer is simple: Social media is invading every aspect of our lives. @JohnPoz reached out to them after they registered for the OpenCamp conference. And, as I mentioned before through my own Twitter feed, @CaliLewis invited me to speak there months ago. I was automatically along for the ride:

“The U.S. Army Golden Knights work for U.S. Army Accessions Command, which means we are one more recruiting asset to help spread the Army’s message about opportunities, education and leadership. Learning how to better engage through various social media platforms and blogs, we’re better able to help connect America’s People with her Army.”

@GKDave, @GKMikeTT, @GKRachel, @GKJoe, @GKSteve, and @ArmyFred were all a lot of fun to work (and play!) with. They maintained their professionalism and courtesy while teaching a bunch of geeks how to let go and live a little more. I am forever indebted to them for offering such an experience.

Here’s my skydiving photo album.

I NEVER thought I’d skydive, but if you would like to remix my jump and upload it as a video response to the original skydiving video, here are the original files for you to work with:

• GkChris123
• GKChris56
• GkChris4Photos
• GkChrisPhotos

Go ahead – let your creative juices flow! Upload your remix to either YouTube or Geeks, and leave us a link here on the blog post.

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How to Skydive With the Army Golden Knights

I’m on my way back to Seattle from Spokane. I decided to initiate a FaceTime chat with my brother, using the free in-flight WiFi. It worked like a charm! Of course, I didn’t talk (that would have been a bit rude). I panned the cameras around a bit to show Adam what was going on, though. Too much fun!

After he saw the photo I captured above, Josh Haley decided to play around a little in Photoshop. I have to hand it to him: my brother has never looked so happy!

What types of things do you do when you have free in-flight WiFi? Do you plan to indulge in some FaceTime, or will you buckle down and get some work finished?

FaceTime on an Airplane at 35,000 Feet!

Back when I posted my rendition of airplane safety instructions, my fellow passengers likely thought I was a little odd. However, this lady makes me look like a completely sane and calm person. This lady, however, may have mixed some type of happy pills with an alcoholic beverage or two. I’m thinking perhaps she was afraid to fly. Maybe she took something before boarding to help her get through until landing. What else would explain how crazy she got on the airplane during the flight?

The poor guy next to her is praying that the airplane will crash and make the crazy woman go away. He likely asked for several Xanax pills of his own when they landed. Speaking of landing… she apparently turned even more crazy as they began their descent.

What do you do to pass the time on a long flight? Have you ever done something completely random, silly or crazy? I’d love to hear stories (or see videos!) from trips you’ve been on where you encountered an interesting fellow passenger.

Crazy Airplane Passenger

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Here I am, leaving Hawaii again. I had an amazing time at the [re]Think Hawaii last week. I not only made some new friends, I was able to gain several new perspectives on many things.

If you wanna know what it’s like to land in Hawaii, simply play this video backwards!

The next time you take off from an airport, upload your video and post it as a response to this one. It would be cool to see takeoffs from different places.

[awsbullet:hawaii travel guide]

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Aloha, Hawaii!

Both @flyhawaiian [a good group to follow if you wanna know more about traveling to Hawaii] and I are asking… How do you keep yourself occupied when flying?

suddenlysmilee: I sing… I believe I can fly :)

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:36:43 +0000 2009

tmartin62: sleep

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:37:25 +0000 2009

LashaKrikheli: Interesting magazine articles. iPhone. Book.

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:37:44 +0000 2009

lrv94: I would say either sleep, or if your flight has wifi then use the internet!

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:38:09 +0000 2009

MrRichmond1995: my alptop

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:38:18 +0000 2009

SimonTheSnowman: Gadgets!

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:39:16 +0000 2009

1lyserg2: on a plane? iPhone all the way

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:39:50 +0000 2009

iThomasina: Flying? Sleep. And try not to snore. Audiobooks are good too. And there's always the amazingly awesome in flight magazine! XD

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:40:13 +0000 2009

Bethanyb17: I watch a movie, listen to music, or read a book or magazine to keep myself occupied while I am flying.

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:40:41 +0000 2009

pierce40: when i am flying i tend to listen to music with a good set of in-ear headphones to isolate sound. The other is to sleep!

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:40:48 +0000 2009

VOIDMunashii: DS, reading, sleeping (if possible), complaining about the lack of legroom.

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:41:06 +0000 2009

hectic92: watch tv.

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:41:16 +0000 2009

lalalolly88: I become immersed in a good book :)

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:41:28 +0000 2009

mehalchin: Old fashioned here, I like to catch up on hard copy reading materials while flying; altho I am increasingly using iPod too

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:42:21 +0000 2009

jondthompson: Last time I flew, I was amazed at the feeling of sitting in a backwards facing chair. Of course, I was one of six in the plane

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:43:12 +0000 2009

jonathanstark: Podcasts.

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:43:31 +0000 2009

jondthompson: Including pilots. Normally, I just enjoy the flight and the tops of clouds/rolling terrain below.

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:43:55 +0000 2009

robertohoyos: sleep and keep my arm to myself.

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:44:37 +0000 2009

mviloria1: first skim through the airplane magazines then read a non-fiction book. when all else fails watch podcasts and listen to music

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:45:43 +0000 2009

g3houdini: ipod touch podcast

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:46:42 +0000 2009

paperfairy: I usually keep flapping my wings. Don't you?

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:47:30 +0000 2009

SuziBeerman: — I read or nap. It is a great relief to have quiet time for hours at a time.

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:48:49 +0000 2009

grumpytechs: I hit myself with a sledgehammer if rum and Coke doesn't do the trick.

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:49:27 +0000 2009

twobears29: I just keep telling myself “don't say bomb” over and over again.

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:49:36 +0000 2009

LindseyGroepper: I try to catch up on some zzz's if in window seat. Don't underestimate the dorky travel neck-pillow

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:50:07 +0000 2009

ArttLaFlamme: I don't fly I pull the John Madden and travel via bus on land.

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:50:14 +0000 2009

LGatCEA: ipod, catch up on podcasts, macbook pro, watch a movie or read a book. Can't sleep. wish i could on a plane.. but just can't.

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:52:39 +0000 2009

chena007: I either watch movies or play games :)

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:52:55 +0000 2009

gWhiteNights: zzzzzzzzzzzz

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:54:28 +0000 2009

maritbergh: read a good book or listen to music or sleep :D btw im norwegian and i can show u how to pronounce KJØTTKAKER :D

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:54:57 +0000 2009

schottsi: i read a book, usually on my iphone. wish i could sleep on the long flights.

about 5 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:55:30 +0000 2009

AnthonyTuch: mile high club is a good way ;-)

about 4 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 19:59:18 +0000 2009

ToniMorenoURV: Solving Sudokus.

about 4 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 20:01:23 +0000 2009

Sharonrey: By running my fingers through the hair of the passenger next to me. Then when they request a seat change, I listen to my ipod

about 4 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 20:03:57 +0000 2009

blindkangaroo: usually one of three things. Reading, sleeping or listening to podcasts

about 4 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 20:08:11 +0000 2009

WebGalPat: If my husband is the pilot, I am usually in a death grip on the seat cushions. Otherwise, watching movies on my iPhone!

about 4 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 20:08:50 +0000 2009

Flander_Mi: sleeping or movie on laptop

about 4 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 20:19:44 +0000 2009

n3vqh: by flying the plane… FAA Prefers I do that …

about 4 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 20:24:44 +0000 2009

householdhacker: Netbook + airline wifi

about 4 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 20:26:40 +0000 2009

I_PRODUCTIONS: Remember your not falling

about 4 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 20:34:06 +0000 2009

cbgfilms: when flying I take my videocam, & film stuff like the lady behind me who sticks her bare foot between the crack of my seat.

about 4 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 20:50:49 +0000 2009

Ebzeek: play psp lol they have great battery life and you can download movies onto them

about 4 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 20:51:16 +0000 2009

cliff538: When flying it's; iPhone: watching podcasts, reading books on Stanza. MacBookPro: trying to better Photoshop skills.

about 3 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 21:43:09 +0000 2009

Frezkee: delta wifi and lots of movies

about 2 hours ago

Mon Aug 31 22:05:10 +0000 2009

shand1: Flying? I read or sleep, or watch the airline TV. I'm afraid of heights, lakes and pools.

about an hour ago

Mon Aug 31 23:32:11 +0000 2009

KayDee28: reading is always a win when flying. I always seem to obsessed with gadjets to ever sit down and read :)

about an hour ago

Mon Aug 31 23:43:26 +0000 2009

How to Entertain Yourself on an Airplane

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I recently flew on Virgin America airlines, for a trip to California. Traveling life doesn’t get much better than this, I’m telling you.

I had access to wireless Internet. I was able to watch some television via Hulu and even keep an eye on my Email. There was a USB plugin and a regular AC outlet right at my fingertips. Heck – I even had a nice glass of wine! The seats were actually comfy, and I had enough room for myself and my stuff.

Packing for a trip is another matter all together. I don’t check bags, so I have to figure out a way to fit everything I might need into a carry-on. The “personal item” is always a laptop bag filled with assorted tech gadgets, cables and paraphernalia, of course. Being a dude, it’s easy for me to pack light when it comes to clothing. Being a geek, it’s difficult to whittle down the gizmos I will need at any given moment of a trip.

Getting through airport security sucks – we all know this. However, I’ve gotten it nailed down to an art form now. I know to pull my laptop or tablet out of the case prior to putting it on the belt. I don’t wear baggy clothing. I don’t have anything in my pockets that I wouldn’t want the guards to ask about. I know better than to attempt to bring anything fun or questionable on the flight with me. I smile at the guards and acknowledge them as I walk through the metal detector, letting them know I appreciate that they have a job to do. These tips may not seem like much, but I haven’t been pulled aside for a dreaded pat-down yet.

Can you think of a better way to travel? Leave me a follow-up comment, and let me know what your favorite way of travel is. Which airline do you prefer, and why? Do you even fly? Personally, I love to fly and I love to travel. Virgin America has it going on!

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Why I Love Flying Virgin America Airlines

I’ve learned that quite a few airlines are starting to offer in-flight WiFi service. The addition of this amenity has been long overdue.

I’m just hoping that people will be responsible with the wireless connection at 30,000 feet. It won’t take much to ruin a nearby passenger’s flight. How about some guidelines?

1. Either hit the mute button or use your headphones
2. Avoid browsing adult Web sites (or anything like ‘em)
3. Shut down all Bittorrent / P2P clients

And, under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you open up a Skype video / audio call if there’s someone sitting next to you. I tweeted about it the other day – with some of my followers in complete agreement, and others completely oblivious to the reasoning:

randallholahan: why no skype? Bandwidth?

about a day ago

Sat Feb 07 21:30:02 +0000 2009

iBetaTest: Thanks for that great Video review about beta testing and mentioning iBetaTest.com :) Much appreciated!

about a day ago

Sat Feb 07 21:00:02 +0000 2009

DirkBeveridge: Agreed Chris. They MUST block Skype at 30,000 ft! Personal space is already invaded – I need my thinking or resting space!

about a day ago

Sat Feb 07 20:52:50 +0000 2009

cjweeks: just take notes and ask them later if you have any questions

about a day ago

Sat Feb 07 20:10:31 +0000 2009

RudyMcComb: no skype Chris…lol

about a day ago

Sat Feb 07 20:00:45 +0000 2009

jamesisapc: yh gd answer I think wifi on planes is great

about a day ago

Sat Feb 07 20:00:04 +0000 2009

wbahner: @chrispirillo: Skype on a plane? WTF??

about a day ago

Sat Feb 07 19:52:28 +0000 2009

macwhisperer: true that. And stay off those porn sites too.

about a day ago

Sat Feb 07 19:50:37 +0000 2009

TracyRenee: thought you couldn't use internet on planes, what good is skype then?

about a day ago

Sat Feb 07 19:48:43 +0000 2009

ammunix: rofl why? was someone babbling next to you?

about a day ago

Sat Feb 07 19:48:37 +0000 2009

Swamp_Daddy: so picky

about a day ago

Sat Feb 07 19:47:54 +0000 2009

JamesNaughton: I completely agree!

about a day ago

Sat Feb 07 19:47:52 +0000 2009

dougmcarthur: what's your beef with skype on planes? sucking too much bandwidth? too many people making noise?

about a day ago

Sat Feb 07 19:47:45 +0000 2009

Patrick_Grady: I know, right? I'm not old school about much… but come on. BTW – your piece on CNN was brilliant.

about a day ago

Sat Feb 07 19:47:36 +0000 2009

Ruben32: why?…

about a day ago

Sat Feb 07 19:46:25 +0000 2009

WiFi on Airlines: Great Idea, Bad Users

http://chris.pirillo.com/
Posted via Pixelpipe.

Flying Virgin America Airlines

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Flying is an excellent way to travel. However, there is much room for improvement, wouldn’t you say? What kinds of things would you like to see on airplanes if you could choose? We had a good time in my chat room discussing this, and throwing around ideas. Some of them were a tad over-the-top, but these are the five things we all agreed on.

• Outer Space We’ll be there. I don’t mean just flying to the Moon. I mean we’ll be able to take our crafts higher and higher, and be able to get to our destinations much quicker.
• Luggage Tracker I can’t imagine not wanting to have something implanted into your luggage so you can keep track of it at all times. It would be kind of cool to be able to broadcast that, wouldn’t it?
• Internet Access I had this once. I was on a connection by a Boeing flight. It was a test flight, flying around Mt. Ranier. The Internet was free-flowing, and it was truly awesome. It would be great to have Internet access, and some kind of powering station. Heck, even a USB port would be good. We could have our iPod going!
• Massages!!! Imagine being on a flight, stressed out and in a rush. You could plunk down some money and get a massage. I would totally do that in a heartbeat. Airlines could heal their financial deficits by offering paid massages!
• In-Flight Competitions and Gaming You’re not going anywhere. Why not have a LAN party on the plane, and have gaming competitions against other passengers? Have fun on the plane. The best flight I ever took was a trip from Seattle to NewYork. It was a red eye flight. I was in between my wife Ponzi, and a friend. Everyone had their own television screen, pulling in Satellite tv. It was so excellent! Airlines seriously need to offer some type of mindless entertainment.

I know the cost of travel is going up rapidly. The whole industry is in trouble. It needs to concentrate more on consumers. Given a choice between spending a lot of money or not, and possibly postponing a trip due to cost… there’s no contest. It’s a no-brainer. You cannot raise prices without raising expectations as well.

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What is the Future of Air Travel?

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Do you travel by air often? Are you going to be flying in the near future? What airline do you choose? How do you know which is best? Here are some tips to help you decide the next time (or first time!) you will fly.

• If the airline is new to you, you may want to look up their safety record and look at the ways they are criticized by others. If the airline has a crappy safety record and their maintenance allegedly sucks, you may want to give that airline second thoughts. A good place for this is Wikipedia.
• You may want to look at reviews of this airline If they allegedly have crappy service and the pilots don’t seem well trained, you may want to reconsider your decision to fly with this airline. But don’t let just one review convince you, only really get concerned when there are several reviews criticizing the same issue.
• If you have flown this airline before and you had a pretty bad experience while the reviews are mostly good, you may want to give this airline a second chance; it could just be that one crew.
• I know this may sound silly, but research the type of plane you are going to be on; the airline website when you are looking at flights will usually give you the plane model (e.g. 757, 737, A320, etc.). You can look at passenger comfort reviews of the plane and see what type of plane would be your best choice.
• And last, but not least, check out other airlines’ prices. You don’t want to spend $1000 on an airline that is the same quality as an airline that offers $100 for the same thing.

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How to Choose the Best Airline

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Along with the holidays comes travel to visit friends and family. Here are some great tips sent in by a community member to make your traveling a bit easier.

• Always plan ahead of time. This will always come in handy especially when holidays come. This is a very famous tip. It will save you money and you will get flight or room ahead of time while late people (people who plan at the same minute as the trip) will have to look and look for a flight or room.
• Buy online airplane tickets. You should shop online because you don’t have to go over to the place where they sale the ticket and shopping online will be right in front of you and you might even save gas money.
• Car or bus travel. If you can’t find or afford airplane tickets take the bus or drive your car. This will save you money but this will probably waste gas money but you save money on the airplane ticket so you don’t waste money.
• Don’t waste money before the trip. You should always save money in case of things you need to eat on the way things you want to buy to remember the trip. The only thing you need to buy before the trip is food and drinks if you are on a car or bus.
• Get a travel agent. Usually they can find great deals and save you money and can get you a lot of fun with less money the average person spends without a travel agent.

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How to Travel

I just heard ‘em fly overhead – the Blue Angels are here for Seafair! We’ll be organizing a party for friends this weekend (and I hope we don’t leave anybody out). Since Ponzi and I live on Lake Washington, we have front row seats on our deck for the full performance. I get to watch the pilots practice for the entire week, too – filming ‘em again for posterity. I’m usually not into airplanes and airshows, but the Blue Angels are a huge exception to the rule. Here’s last year’s Blue Angels video if you don’t think they’re worth catching in person. Go Navy! Haven’t seen the Thunderbirds yet.

The Blue Angels are Here!

If you were looking to view or share the airline safety video that I presented to the Gnomedexers at the top of the hour, it’s been online for quite a while. Link away, though the original video is currently sitting on YouTube. I keep trying to tell people to subscribe to my feed, but noooooooooooo… they prefer laughing at my antics when I have them as a captive audience.

Air Passenger Safety Video

pt is sending out a warning: “the airports are fzcked today, tell everyone to get to the airports like 3 hours in advance, my flight took off without most of the people because of the lines, and now we’re playing the standby game for the day… so, i might not make it to the party tonight, fyi – but i will be at the airport drinking as soon as the bar opens while i wait to dull the pain.”

Airport Delays