Carjockey, marine industry is not as critically limited by weight as is aviation industry, by orders of magnitude. (Former Naval Officer here, FWIW). I don't disagree at all regarding the value of monitoring tools in an engine room.
Also, for you both:
I recall as a boy, in the 60' and 70's, when on lengthy flights, how common it was for the passengers to see the Captain walking down the aisle, visiting with the passengers, making small talk, and making us feel welcome and well taken care of. (What I recall of the stewardesses from those days, as opposed to the CC of today, I won't digress into).
I miss that feature of air travel.
I suspect the 9-11 thing pretty much ended any of that being a norm, though I don't recall seeing as much of that in the 90's as I recall from my youth.
Last edited by Lonewolf_50; 27th July 2012 at 16:05.