Posts by author

Rob Graves

33 posts

Captain Rob Graves is a veteran airline pilot and retired Air Force officer. He currently flies a Boeing 737 for a major American airline where he has over 25 years of experience. His Air Force career included flying the T-37 primary trainer, the KC-135 Stratotanker, and the C-5 Galaxy cargo aircraft for worldwide operations. He is the author of This is Your Captain Speaking, an aviation blog. It can be found at robertgraves.com. We’re proud to have him on our Avgeekery.com team.

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14 min

Pilot Report: My 737 MAX Simulator Ride

It has been nearly two years since the 737 MAX was grounded in the aftermath of several crashes. After the redesign of a flight control system, the aircraft has been…

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7 min

Blog

A Pilot Dispatch from the Front Lines Of The Corona Virus

In recent days, both Chicago’s Midway Airport and Las Vegas McCarran have had to shut their control towers down due to Corona Virus exposure. Both airports operated as uncontrolled fields…

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7 min

Blog

Chemtrails: A Little Truth Goes a Long Way

Running a modest (~3600 follower) aviation themed Facebook page for the past four years has been quite an education in human online behavior. I have a following of fellow professional…

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4 min

Did Bad Grammar Doom the 737 MAX?

As of this writing, the 737 MAX remains grounded with projected return dates now stretching into the first quarter of 2020. Boeing has not as of yet submitted the software…

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7 min

What Do You Want from Your Airline Career as a Pilot?

I’m getting to the end of my airline career. Oh, I’m not quite there yet, but I am close to the final turn and the PAPIs will soon be in…

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3 min

Thoughts on the Boeing 737-MAX 8 By A Captain Who Flies One

Editor’s note: Earlier today, President Trump mandated that the FAA ground all Boeing 737-MAX aircraft. Captain Graves’ post was written before the grounding. The FAA statement on the grounding is…

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4 min

“Hey Captain, How Fast Are We Flying?” It’s a Complicated Answer

One of the most common questions we get asked by passengers is how fast we’re going. Usually it is asked about takeoff or landing as it is easy to find…

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5 min

Commercial News

Do I Talk Too Much? A Primer on Airline PA Announcements

The chapter in Tom Wolfe’s novel, The Right Stuff, which introduces us to Chuck Yeager, starts with this vignette: Anyone who travels very much on airlines in the United States…

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6 min

Commercial News

Will Computers Learn to Fly Well Enough Before Pilots Forget How?

In my job, I get to fly with all different kinds of cats and dogs. And by cats and dogs, I don’t mean the ubiquitous emotional support animals now being…

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4 min

Commercial News

The Real Reason that Southwest Just Announced Hawaii

As you probably know by now, Southwest Airlines announced their intention to serve Hawaii this past Wednesday night. There has been speculation about if and when Southwest Airlines would begin service to…

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5 min

How Do Pilots Check the Weather Before Flying?

An old aviation aphorism states that there are old pilots and bold pilots, but no old, bold pilots. Going flying without first checking the weather would be sort of like…

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5 min

Blog

Air Traffic Control Reform: The Battle of the Fat Cats

There is a battle royale brewing over the future of Air Traffic Control in the US which could affect much of the nation’s air transportation system. While the usual ideologically…