Georgia Hardstark

Most of them are diverted to the much smaller Los Rodeos Airport on the neighboring island of Tenerife. And it's about a 25 minute flight between the two islands. Los Rodeos has only a single runway. It's very small. One large taxiway and four much smaller taxiways branching off of that. So it's like the Burbank Airport compared to like LAX. Right. You know.

Most of them are diverted to the much smaller Los Rodeos Airport on the neighboring island of Tenerife. And it's about a 25 minute flight between the two islands. Los Rodeos has only a single runway. It's very small. One large taxiway and four much smaller taxiways branching off of that. So it's like the Burbank Airport compared to like LAX. Right. You know.

And it's not designed to accommodate the number of aircraft that have now been diverted there because of this unexpected explosion. Also, it's a Sunday, and so there are only two air traffic controllers on duty at this smaller airport. So among the flights that have been diverted to Los Rodeos are Pan Am Flight 1736, which flew out of LAX. Yeah. You know all this. Do you know this one?

And it's not designed to accommodate the number of aircraft that have now been diverted there because of this unexpected explosion. Also, it's a Sunday, and so there are only two air traffic controllers on duty at this smaller airport. So among the flights that have been diverted to Los Rodeos are Pan Am Flight 1736, which flew out of LAX. Yeah. You know all this. Do you know this one?

No, no, no. I don't know. I don't know like that. OK.

No, no, no. I don't know. I don't know like that. OK.

Totally. So it had flown out of LAX, made a refueling stop at JFK in New York, and then the other flight was KLM flight 4805. That one originated in Amsterdam, and that was a charter flight for a tour company called the Holland International Travel Group. So both planes are, as you just said, Boeing 747s. Mm-hmm.

Totally. So it had flown out of LAX, made a refueling stop at JFK in New York, and then the other flight was KLM flight 4805. That one originated in Amsterdam, and that was a charter flight for a tour company called the Holland International Travel Group. So both planes are, as you just said, Boeing 747s. Mm-hmm.

the first wide-body plane designed for commercial travel to be considered a jumbo jet. And they have a distinctive upper deck as well, which we don't have anymore, right, upper decks?

the first wide-body plane designed for commercial travel to be considered a jumbo jet. And they have a distinctive upper deck as well, which we don't have anymore, right, upper decks?

Huge jumbo jets. So, like, those were the only two jumbo jets that went to Tenerife that day. Everything else was smaller, but, you know, they weren't supposed to be there. Right. The pilot of the KLM flight, the Dutch flight, is Jacob van Zanten. He is one of the most senior pilots at KLM. In fact, he is the airline's chief pilot and is in charge of training new pilots.

Huge jumbo jets. So, like, those were the only two jumbo jets that went to Tenerife that day. Everything else was smaller, but, you know, they weren't supposed to be there. Right. The pilot of the KLM flight, the Dutch flight, is Jacob van Zanten. He is one of the most senior pilots at KLM. In fact, he is the airline's chief pilot and is in charge of training new pilots.

He's like the best of the best, this kind of older senior pilot. He's so well regarded in the industry that he is featured prominently in KLM's advertising. Like when they show like, these are the people who fly you. It's like, this guy is like... Did you get to see a picture of him? Yeah. He's like a, you know, older, gray, zaddy type. Nice. Yeah.

He's like the best of the best, this kind of older senior pilot. He's so well regarded in the industry that he is featured prominently in KLM's advertising. Like when they show like, these are the people who fly you. It's like, this guy is like... Did you get to see a picture of him? Yeah. He's like a, you know, older, gray, zaddy type. Nice. Yeah.

No extra words because there's just like, yeah. Because they're like, logic.

No extra words because there's just like, yeah. Because they're like, logic.

Yeah. Yeah. There's no chitchat. You're totally right. So he's he's definitely that guy. However, if we're wrong about that, write in pilots. Let us know if we're wrong. But I will say about this guy, though, and you'll like this. He everyone says he's a warm and friendly guy. Oh, great. And that he insisted his co-workers call him by his first name instead of addressing him as captain.

Yeah. Yeah. There's no chitchat. You're totally right. So he's he's definitely that guy. However, if we're wrong about that, write in pilots. Let us know if we're wrong. But I will say about this guy, though, and you'll like this. He everyone says he's a warm and friendly guy. Oh, great. And that he insisted his co-workers call him by his first name instead of addressing him as captain.

So like he's fucking down to earth. Chill. Chill. Good at what he does. Maybe he'll tell you about that one time he saw a UFO. The weird thing on this guy. Yes, like he's so likable. Okay. And the first officer, co-pilot, he's pretty green and he's currently being trained by Captain Van Zanten. And almost everyone on that flight is Dutch. Many of them are families going on vacation.

So like he's fucking down to earth. Chill. Chill. Good at what he does. Maybe he'll tell you about that one time he saw a UFO. The weird thing on this guy. Yes, like he's so likable. Okay. And the first officer, co-pilot, he's pretty green and he's currently being trained by Captain Van Zanten. And almost everyone on that flight is Dutch. Many of them are families going on vacation.