Hijacked Ethiopian Boeing 767 Airliner lands

Boris Badenov said:
The good news, World, is that there is a complex and highly-compartmentalized network of airplane nerds in basements around the world keeping an eye on the internet-skies. So that you don't have to. Reminds me of the old saw about the 100th Infantry Division (Training), Louisville, KY. "Sleep easy, America, the 100th is awake. Drunk, but awake."
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Dateline: Ohio

They call themselves "simmers", but to a hyper-alert and reclusive group, the name is not a joke. It's a deadly serious business. "We don't talk about what we do very much, because there's a natural concern about being made fun of or shoved in to lockers" said "777UAL" (not his real name). "But we're a pretty tight group, and we're deadly serious about aircraft tracking". "787DreamLinerz" agreed: "Yeah, I mean, there's a certain stigma about sitting in the basement all day long, coming up only for Little Debbies and pizza, but when you get a hit on an aircraft that might, possibly be in some kind of minor trouble, like...their HF has failed and they're trying to relay through other aircraft... it's all worth it. I don't think normal people understand, but it's a rush that you just can't explain."

It's a world that most people don't get access to, but on this very special edition of Dateline, we take you INSIDE the dark, mysterious world of Aviation Geeks. <cut to INTERIOR of dank basement with PICTURES of airline cockpits interspersed with suicide-girl pin-ups, etc. Gleaming, giant desktop COMPUTER hums with complex arrangement of fans, etc. In the background, 5 or 6 high quality monitors glow, some with pr0n (tastefully edited), some with heavily-modded FS2010 graphics, some with aircraft-tracking data. "It's a calling, really. You don't find it, it finds you" explains "747-8004EVR". "At first, my parents didn't really like it, but eventually they decided that, you know, at least it keeps me off the streets". And it does. In fact, it keeps "747" not only off the streets, but essentially out of the sun entirely. "Yeah, I don't think I'm in any danger of getting skin-cancer any time soon!" he quips, with a toothy, wan smile...
 
darrenf said:
And @NiallG why join the forum just to post this?
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Firstly I saw a report on Twitter and when I looked on the net this was the only place that seemed to be following the story and even then it seemed that some were skeptical to say the least - and I verified what I could of the story and wanted to contribute. Specifically the aircraft was squawking 7500 which is the hijack distress code and the aircraft disappeared from FlightRadar24 coverage and did not return when expected over the Med. and when it did it was still squawking 7500.... I have an interest in Aircraft generally having worked in Dublin Airport for 12 years and learned to fly there - and, having found this forum, I hope I will be able to read and contribute as time goes by. I did consider carefully about signing up - and would not have just to make a single post. I regularly listen to ATC and watch aircraft at Dublin Airport. I know I do not have to justify my joining, but to be fair to you you asked.
Further, when an aircraft issues a distress squawk FlightRadar shows the flight in RED - so it is easy to spot - so it is not so much following the flight but being alerted to the distress... Hope that helps.
 
Boris Badenov said:
<Hilarity.>
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LOL! That cracked me up.

But hey, to the defense of the simmers, you can be a totally normal person. Story time! When I was living in San Jose, I had a pretty awesome nerd set up. Custom built PC hooked up to a 42" HD TV where I would play flightsim from a gaming chair with a joystick and throttle. Every now and then girls used to come by and do homework at my place while I nerded out flying online with VATSIM and drank 40s with them. Sometimes I'd get sexytime during "cruise" and come back to have overflown the destination with a "controller" freaking out sending me dozens of texts reading something like, "THIS IS MSP CENTER WTF OMGZ YER IN MY AIRSPACE CONTACT ME AT ONCE ON...".

I try to be a hero to the nerds, and hope they lead by my example and don't let aviation impact their social skills. But don't assume we're all basement dwellers. :)
 
I was a Nerd when you were a gleam in your father's eye, son. In point of fact, I think it would take some kind of Nerd to appreciate the Nerdfun of my post. I'm not exactly laughing with you, but I'm not exactly laughing at you, either. All part of the mystery, yeah?

PS. The fake Dateline thing is way funnier if you play the super-frenetic Dateline intro music in your head while you're reading it.
 
ChasenSFO said:
LOL! That cracked me up.

But hey, to the defense of the simmers, you can be a totally normal person. Story time! When I was living in San Jose, I had a pretty awesome nerd set up. Custom built PC hooked up to a 42" HD TV where I would play flightsim from a gaming chair with a joystick and throttle. Every now and then girls used to come by and do homework at my place while I nerded out flying online with VATSIM and drank 40s with them. Sometimes I'd get sexytime during "cruise" and come back to have overflown the destination with a "controller" freaking out sending me dozens of texts reading something like, "THIS IS MSP CENTER WTF OMGZ YER IN MY AIRSPACE CONTACT ME AT ONCE ON...".

I try to be a hero to the nerds, and hope they lead by my example and don't let aviation impact their social skills. But don't assume we're all basement dwellers. :)
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Lmao at the sexy time at cruise
 
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