I agree but passengers want cheap airfare but complain about what they get (or don't) with cheap airfare.
If it's like the B-1 (what I'm told), C-17 (again what I'm told) and A320 there i an override to disable the other sidestick.
With a 737 I can land with no power because it's not FBW. I have done it in a simulator during recurrent a few times and while not fun it is possible. On an A320 with no power and if the RAT doesn't work you're dead.
That's the problem with Airbus' philosophy where it thinks the computer should be in control and not the pilot. The computer is great but it doesn't know what's going on outside the flight deck.
More pictures are needed!I came for the pictures not arguments about big ugly flying buses.
I like both Boeing and Airbus. My ideal flight deck would have the sidestick like Airbus has but it would be an active sidestick so I can see and feel input from the other pilot and it would have active thrust levers like Boeing. I should add that I am a big fan of the tray table in the A320 flight deck too.
I just returned from my interview trip where I used my sister's Rimowa. While it fit everything I needed and is beautiful it was missing one thing that I use often enough that not having it would be a problem the j-hook to hold extra bags. My current TravelPro didn't have one either but I had someone in a previous squadron sew one on but that isn't an option on aluminum. And for the Air Force people here I did pay that person in the universal Air Force currency!
I'm not arguing sidesticks versus yokes because I prefer the egronomics of the sidestick and as @Huntn said it's fun to fly with. Also by having a sidestick I get a tray table! My problem with the sidestick is that it's not active like the yoke. I can't feel any input the other pilot is making and the computer will cancel out inputs made from both sidesticks. If it was an active sidestick like the Gulfstream G500 and G600 have and the Irkut MC-21 has it would be easier to know what's going on. The sidestick on the Viper is great but it's a 1 pilot aircraft. When I was instructing on the T-38 at Sheppard I was able to see what the student pilot was doing by looking at the center stick because like the yoke on Boeing they are synchronized.While this is a neat thread with some pilots, I'd recommend the forums at airliners.net or, the best IMO, PPRuNE.org. The days of heated battles over side sticks vs yolks have diminished significantly over the years. A great deal of preference has to do with ones background. Personally, I loved the side stick setup on my Lawn Dart, as well as center sticks, and yolks that I've flown. "Stick and Rudder" flying in a Super Cub, or a C-170 type was always the most enjoyable for me.
Most areMost are beautiful.
That sounds like someone didn't do the preflight walk around.
It really isn't the age of the aircraft that matters so much as the amount of cycles and maintenance. The reason long haul aircraft are often older than short haul is the cycles. I flew on an Air France A340 a few years ago when my wife & I went to Paris and liked it.