Sorry, Mr. Thomas, it is not the only B777 sim. in Australia.
Tootle pip!!

He has his hand on it yet again
 

Lead Slead - If GT was talking "the only toy/Flight Sim B777 simulator in Australia" he would be correct. :D However, if he's talking "the only REAL B777 sim in Australia" - then that would be located somewhere near Silverwater, NSW. Obviously GT is too tight to fork out for a ticket to a REAL B77 simulator, because his mates at QF don't have a B777 (or simulator), and VA (who has a REAL B777 simulator) see him for what he truly is - a person who is NOT an aviation expert, and wouldn't give him a free ticket to said sim - let alone a free ipad or Chairman's Lounge membership :E:}.

He mentions being over the Malacca Strait. I think he meant 'Malaka' Strait.

Those among us of Greek descent will understand what I mean ;)

Credibility ZERO as far as I'm concerned.

Hhhhhhhmmmm, In his article I couldn't understand why when he shut the engines down the aircraft ended up in 3 out of control scenarios, a different one each time he tried it, instead of just flying it and descending normally at either best range or best endurance glide speed???

Maybe the real world scenario wasn't going to be dramatic enough for the article's headline, which was-- "I cut the fuel. All hell was about to break loose".

Then again I remember Capt Moody and his crew on BA9 in 1982 lost twice as many engines as "Capt" Thomas and managed to glide very well giving them time to work the problem and find a solution or prepare for a ditching.

Well bugger me..I always thought YOU were GT...

:)

Yes, I read the only 777 in Australia thing and thought to myself....if you would take your QF blinkers off, you might find out there is a proper 777 sim in Australia, but they might not let you near it......

And as for "maximum certified decent rate" .....where does he get this rubbish from? There is no max certified rate!! And most of the rest of what he wrote is basically rubbish as well.

So basically nothing has changed since December 19th 2008 when I first posted about him :ok:

The guy sells, simple as that, knowing anything factual is irrelevant as remember he's 'talking' to the gen public who know nufin' anyway & believe everything that's shown on TV!:ugh:
This whole thing (missing tripple) is getting stale these days with re hashed stuff over & over again & without sounding awful to the poor relatives awaiting credible news etc the media are scratching for new stuff now to sell advertising, I mean the Media is a commercial business & in the business of making money & this guy is on tap for their commercial use. People buy/accept this stuff & who's to say otherwise? I was sitting in a terminal the other day awaiting to pax on a Co A/C & the joint was packed due delayed A/C all over the place & the conversations I heard around me re the B777 was amazing. So to show this B777 Sim folly with this guy at the helm means everything to these people.


Wmk2

Wally, I read the GT article in the West Aust today and thought it was just about the pits. As others have noted, it was full of inaccuracies and silly observations. It contributed nothing new and was base tabloid exploitation of a profound tragedy - simply execrable 'journalism'.

I guess I shouldn't be too surprised in that the West Oz was, in the recent past, the press organ that managed to transform a woman's murder into front page entertainment for weeks on end. Notwithstanding that miserable effort, GT's effort today plumbed new depths.

Geoff Thomas "Aviation Expert" on Sunrise
 

Most of his articles are trash and the paper is only good to wipe your backside with. During the last few weeks though it has deteriorated to depths I didn't even know existed. Nice work "Biggles" you never fail to disappoint.

That has happened on at least four occasions that spring to mind. It should come with a confessional directory for anyone who is ever lured into buying it for one of those headlines (and maybe one in the office for the journos and editorial staff). As for journalists as experts- expertise only comes from many years of practice in your field, and diminishes rapidly once you stop (say to start writing copious amounts of copy on the subject). I don't believe that you can simultaneously be an expert and regularly write about it (and, so as not to unfairly label GT, I don't imagine he goes about referring to himself as an aviation expert, more likely that is done by media producers with nothing but thinly veiled contempt for the intelligence of their audience).

Aeromuz

Not recommended. You can catch Ads.

Sounds like the ex 777 captain who was HIS copilot set Thomas up.
He and his 777 mates must have chortled in their beers when they read the article.

If everyone took 2 minutes to send something maybe he will pull his head in. I would really like a journo to run the following article "CASA investigates why Virgin has no 777 Simulator, 10 minutes of looking has located the simulator"

[email protected]

Dear Sir,

Many of my fellow pilot's and I would appreciate if Geoffrey Thomas reported on the news rather than trying to make judgements and commentary on Malaysian Airlines flight. The fact remains Geoffrey is not a pilot and has no aviation expertise other than sitting in business class of QANTAS. I have read many newspapers but this does not make me a journalism expert. He is not trained on the Boeing 777 and allot of the information he portrays as an "expert" is simply not accurate. The information he provides is misleading and dangerous. The most obvious case being that his recreation in the "only simulator" in Australia is wrong. The aircraft he used is called a fixed based trainer and is not a simulator. The only Boeing 777 simulator in Australia is in Sydney that is used by Virgin Australia.

GT is not the only one talking crap, the ABC news 24 'expert' should hand back his ATPL. :rolleyes:

If you are gong to comment, comment on the available information, don't make stuff up!

Money for old rope.
 

There is always a reasonable explanation, somewhere. Always someone who sees a chance and the devil take the hindmost. Aviation definitely has it's share of both.

******
 

I can't comment on any article he has written in the past 3 years as I stopped reading his ****e in 2011. But it was always ****e, and from what I am reading here it is still ****e. He should not be allowed the name 'aviation expert' as quite simply, he isn't! I wish people would stop reading his ****e as that way the media might cut him loose and allow him to go back to what he should be doing - plane spotting. He is a ******.

hawker

I was just going to post and ask if anyone has written a letter to Sunrise outlining all the "wrong" information as shown here. As a lay person it is pretty obvious. I work in another industry that has taken Sunrise to task in the past for "wrong" and "biased" information being presented and they do pull the heads in on most occasions.

custard
 

They can't - coz they're top sponsor is - "da da dada ad dada Raise your hands and sing it with me....."

He has to lube up anything Onya and Rootrat do, and technically criticise everything else with his less than bees dick to do with serious aviation.

I'm waiting for the day he starts talking about the custard layer at 47,500'. Real custard, not that fake stuff, which I love but hey it's credibility is questionable, .....what was I talking about again.....aviation or lift or something, ahhh but ahh custard, yes yellow, creamy....tasty.

GT (not)

As soon as I saw GT's article I knew it would be red rag to a bull to the many people who follow Prune. The entire world has been talking and speculating about MH370 and the heirachy of the media, print and electronic, want different angles as to what possibly happened. The general public don't have a clue as to the intricacies of aviation and like it or not GT is held in high regard by those who know little or nothing of the industry. In their eyes he's won bulk awards and therefore he must be the oracle. Run him down as much as you like but it will continue until one of you guys, or a collection of you, corrects him in the media or goes on shows such as Sunrise etc to set him straight. Don't say they wouldn't publish a letter or allow you in front of a camera because in my opinion they would if you had something of substance to disprove GT's assertions and correcting him on language and minor technicalities won't cut it. In the meantime GT will go on his merry way being the expert the general public clearly think he is. Here's your chance to put up or shut up.

'51' I think you may be in the minority there if you support GT in any way but like all the rest of us we each are allowed an opinion:-)

Any one of us standing up in front of a Camera unknown saying things diff to GT would be looked upon as 'who the fock is this guy' 'cause the public don't know any of us or right from wrong with aviation tech details but they sure know GT as like I said earlier he 'sells' (the media couldn't give a rats as long as it's of a commercial benefit to them) & knowledge or lack thereof in his case is irrelevant.

Wmk2

G'day Wal - let's be clear, I'm not supporting him and have disagreed with his commentary, but until someone else comes along, he's it in the eyes of the public. From his employer's perspective he helps to see the rag.

Hi '51' I said "if" you supported him in any way etc. Yr post just reads that way that's all. I've also said a few times he 'sells' & it's all about money & the public wouldn't know a Cessna from a Boeing so no argument there from me:ok: GT has a good track record as being a self important aviation expert & the gen public see him as that way. I actually enjoy reading his comments as it just goes to show what the gen public are being fed & how sad it is.



Wmk2

He is smart enough to make money out of aviation, much smarter than most of us !!!!


And he has made a career out of crappy journalism that includes 1st class air travel, best lounges, and a publicly recognisable by line.


He keeps away from real aviation matters, technical issues and only pops his head up on the controversial.


So who is the smart one ???????

'28' depends on how you define being 'smart' I guess. Some of us chose to be informed the best we can some just ride the wave of 'thinking' they are clever.
I've made money out of aviation also, it's not all about first class travel & how much $$$ you have in the bank (you can't take it with you anyway) there are some whom have ethics/standards that go far beyond just looking good on TV.

Wmk2

Why stress your ageing hearts about it? He has the front running with the general public and everyone on here is bemoaning that fact. Get real.

We all have the opportunity to write to the editor of the West Australian, and to Channel 7, 9, 10 - if we pluck up the gumption sufficient to write under our own names. Unlike here.

I've never met GT, and a lot of his product gets a speed read at this house. But I have plenty of other aviation issues of greater importance than what a journo says in the local press. Get over it everyone!

happy days,

It's crash or crash through with this one - GT is a brave man

Tony Abbott 'very confident' signals are from MH370 black boxes

You have to give it to him - he's making money out of it and a lot of skilled people aren't.

Missing plane's black box batteries may have died | Dallas Morning News

Whilst flipping through the Aussie newspapers whilst travelling on QF572 yesterday, I was staggered to find a piece by Geoffrey Thomas berating PM Tony Abbott for being too hasty to claim the MH370 aircraft wreckage had been pinpointed.

He obviously suffers from some major memory loss - as this drongo was the bloke who first put out the rumour a few days ago (claiming "unverified sources" of course), that the black box had been found!! :ugh:

recent B777 Dubai incident
 

The West Australian through Mr Thomas seem to have access to Dubai international airport coversations between its control tower and aircraft officials. If not, Mr Thomas qualifies, "It is understood..."

Mr Thomas through his Perth press article claims those at the pointy end of the B777 chose retraction of aircraft undercarriage on final approach to Dubai and consideration of a go around. Emirates will no doubt challenge Mr Thomas & an erstwhile happless local rag which demonstates 'journalism'.

Spruce goose Mr Thomas indeed, a consistent blight.

Through the years our old mate GT has popped up in the news with a few dubious calls in his articles and interviews. There is now a facebook page dedicated to this!! Called the Geoffrey Thomas 'Aviation Expert' 'Appreciation' Society.
Growing in popularity the big man has joined the page himself and replies to the odd comment.
A good platform to put forward some of his more dubious claims and see if he has anything to back them up.....

Folks,
Expert --- eX is the unknown quantity, (s)pert is a drip under pressure.
Tootle pip!!

Ignore the troll and he'll fade away like others before him.

My wife has more Aviation knowledge than him.

No he won't

The media love him.

The sentences he expouses, open up oppurtunities to write headlines.

The truth is too boring to sell papers.

love the threat on the FB thread of setting up aviationexpertratings.com

The Murray Walker of Aviation?

Surely that's a bit unfair? M.W. knew quite a lot about F1 racing and particularly the characters within. You don't need to have been a F1 driver to be a good F1 commentator.

G.T. on the other hand..

More than a bit unfair, gerry111. I'd call that an insult to Murray Walker!:=

I totally agree with you, Pinky.

MW comparison is spot on! :ok:




...if MW had started out as a garage-sweeper, then graduated to writing adventure stories about cars, followed by awarding himself "Greatest Commentator EVER" awards by the hundred, then getting free spins round all the circuits with all the teams, trying his hand on a simulator and screwing up spectacularly, and, finally, being inducted into Bernie's Hall of Fame! ;)

Murray "There's nothing wrong with the car except that it's on fire" Walker is an absolute legend! No comparison!