I’m writing this while seated in a cockpit jumpseat of an America West A319 airliner at FL 310 (31,000 feet above sea level) over Las Vegas, Nevada, on the way to San Francisco.
When not spending excessive amounts of time testing and writing about Macintosh software, hardware, and books, I spend my few remaining waking hours working as an airline pilot. That’s how I’m able to ride in the flight deck for personal travel. Having jumpseat privileges comes in very handy around MacWorld time, as all the flights into San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose are full, as the faithful make the annual pilgrimage to Moscone Center. Since paying passengers have shelled out real money for a real seat, I’m lucky that I can ride up front. It’s a short flight (1+45) so I don’t mind, and the view is lots, lots better.
Today, I’ve bumped into several fellow pilots while waiting for the flight to San Fran. Most of them ask why I’m going to SFO, and smile when I reply that I’m bound for the MacWorld convention. Interestingly enough, many of them say that they’ve been thinking of switching from Windows to the Mac. "Too many viruses, too much hassle…" is the usual riff.
I nod sagely. I make sure to mention they can run our proprietary Windows-only pilot scheduling application just fine using VirtualPC.
I usually close the conversation by saying they won’t miss all the Outlook Express-borne viruses. More than a few ask if they can call me to talk more about switching…"My wife always wanted a Mac, and this might be a good time, uh, you know?"
I am always happy to convert my fellow pilot friends.
But when I’m at MacWorld, I won’t have to worry about converting anyone.
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