Originally Posted by Hydro Junkie

It doesn't take being a PIC to know about aviation but since you did ask. I personally don't have a pilots license. I do, however, have extensive training in aviation through the Navy as well as through civilian repair and maintenance facilities. At the moment, I get to watch new jets roll out of the factory every day. I've also had the pleasure of being involved in the repairing of aircraft damaged by bird strikes and replacing engines that had things as innocent as "Bic" pens sucked through them. A common modification on the 737s flying in Alaska is a "Vortex diffuser). Do any of you experts know what that one is and why it's needed?
That being said, I do have to keep up in what's going on in aviation as part of my present job. To not keep up with the what, how, why and when would have me out of a job very quickly. Knowing how a nose radome is constructed, for example, is something I have to be aware of even though someone walking onto a passenger jet wouldn't think twice about it. Then again, I don't hear any of the so called armchair experts claiming to have flown below 500ft AGL at 500+ knots, though I bet Franklin has. Then again, I guess it's a mute point as well since at least one person in this thread will ask for proof of doing so