Topic: Training Simulation

A deep dive into the actual ConPlan 8888 document reveals that the "zombie" scenario was used by US Strategic Command to avoid the political fallout of using real-world countries in training exercises. However, the document explicitly mentions that they previously used "Tunisia" and "Nigeria" scenarios. The hosts find it suspicious that Nigeria was a specific training focus years before the current Boko Haram crisis.

John C. Dvorak describes his experience flying a Boeing 747 simulator at the NASA Ames Research Center. He compares the tactile feel of traditional cockpits to modern fly-by-wire joystick systems, noting he found the joystick easier to land. The anecdote includes a failed simulation of a 747 takeoff on an icy runway with a heavy crosswind.