do you cringe and start sweating because you have no idea what each gauge is for?
Amazingly I know what almost each of the gauges is for so if we are on the same plane and the pilot and co pilot happen to get food poisoning, know that you are in good hands
Nope. Thats the beauty with me and machienary. ever since i was young i had a real nack for figuring things out. I can run anything from a bobcat to and excavator to a back hoe to a trackcat to a boom crane and the only reasn i know how how to do all that is because i got behind the wheel of one with no experiance and taught myself. I'm not licenced or trained on any of them but when i used to do sign and diging work i was the youngest guy on the crew and the best on all the companys equipment. i'm sure i could fly a plane no problem.
Nope. Thats the beauty with me and machienary. ever since i was young i had a real nack for figuring things out. I can run anything from a bobcat to and excavator to a back hoe to a trackcat to a boom crane and the only reasn i know how how to do all that is because i got behind the wheel of one with no experiance and taught myself. I'm not licenced or trained on any of them but when i used to do sign and diging work i was the youngest guy on the crew and the best on all the companys equipment. i'm sure i could fly a plane no problem.
I'm dead honest about it to I might seem like an idiot on here ( mind you ) but i'm really smart when it comes to this kind of stuff. What can i say i have a gift.
Techencley i operated my 1st backhoe and trencher at 12 years old. we had a guy diggin a treanch to run electric to out barn and also the same guy dig a foundation to a bridge we had over a small streem behind our house... He had me doing some of the controls. I'v always been good at that stuff.
Nope. Thats the beauty with me and machienary. ever since i was young i had a real nack for figuring things out. I can run anything from a bobcat to and excavator to a back hoe to a trackcat to a boom crane and the only reasn i know how how to do all that is because i got behind the wheel of one with no experiance and taught myself. I'm not licenced or trained on any of them but when i used to do sign and diging work i was the youngest guy on the crew and the best on all the companys equipment. i'm sure i could fly a plane no problem.
It's just funny to me is all
I'm sure you're great with this kinda stuff. I just seem to hear about how great you are a lot
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02:46 AM
MidEngineManiac Member
Posts: 29566 From: Some unacceptable view Registered: Feb 2007
I'm dead honest about it to I might seem like an idiot on here ( mind you ) but i'm really smart when it comes to this kind of stuff. What can i say i have a gift.
Techencley i operated my 1st backhoe and trencher at 12 years old. we had a guy diggin a treanch to run electric to out barn and also the same guy dig a foundation to a bridge we had over a small streem behind our house... He had me doing some of the controls. I'v always been good at that stuff.
THAT aint no bobcat...at 155 cruise, by the time you think of what you need to read a guage for and find it if you dont know where it is, you dont need it anymore Those things dont give ya time to figgure things out on the fly, you gotta know beforehand.
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06:56 AM
87antuzzi Member
Posts: 11151 From: Surrounded by corn. Registered: Feb 2009
do you cringe and start sweating because you have no idea what each gauge is for?
Amazingly I know what almost each of the gauges is for so if we are on the same plane and the pilot and co pilot happen to get food poisoning, know that you are in good hands
...naw - just start randomly pushing buttons and turning knobs until something happens...
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09:03 AM
wikid_one Member
Posts: 2838 From: Ocean City, MD Registered: Dec 2003
do you cringe and start sweating because you have no idea what each gauge is for?.
No... becaue I'm the one looking at it from the other side of a computer screen, and not sitting in the plane 10,000? feet in the air having to worry about it.
If I was on the same side as that picture, and there was no one else in there, I might be.
I don't get too nervous often though. My first priority would be to figure out how to land, since I'd have no business being in there. I'd look for some sort of communication device, and say... "Hey... so, I was just teleported somehow into this plane. One minute I was on break at work, and the next minute... here I am in a strange plane, with no idea how I got here... can someone tell me where to land? Oh, also... I don't know how to land."
I'd ASSUME that it wouldn't be too difficult to just keep the plane level until which point I got it all figured out.
If I couldn't get a hold of anyone, I'd probably try to land it in the water with the landing gears up (probably a good thing since I probably wouldn't be able to figure out how to lower them anyway).
I would probably eventually figure out how to reduce engine speed (gotta be a lever somewhere).
The other gauges all probably have to do with the health and direction... I can use the Raytheon unit since I've been on a boat... kind of similar I guess with co-ordinates and stuff.
But I'll tell you what... when I'm finally on the ground, I don't think any of the other gauges will matter because the plane will probably never get back in the air.
... not sitting in the plane 10,000? feet in the air ...
Make that 5460 feet MSL. Which means it was probably a VFR flight. Stabilized in straight and level flight. Indicated airspeed = 155 knots. Heading about 015 degrees (magnetic). Retractable gear (currently up). It's a piston twin. Both engines are running at 30 in-hg manifold pressure (turbocharged?) and 2500 rpm. Fuel flow 11.8 gph (left) and 12.0 gph (right). VOR/LOC/ILS, DME, and ADF equipped, but not using them for navigation at the time the picture was taken. Transponder squawking code 4362. Radar and GPS equipped. Panel looks like a Beechcraft (Baron? Duke maybe?), but I could be wrong there. Lots of other flight information available if you know where to look.
quote
Originally posted by pontiackid86:
i'm sure i could fly a plane no problem. ... i'm really smart when it comes to this kind of stuff. What can i say i have a gift.
Spoken like a precocious 12 year old! I marvel at your naive self confidence ... but please allow me to admire it from a safe distance. Maybe you could indeed "fly a plane no problem," but at this point I would bet otherwise. You might even be able to keep the sunny side up for a while, but there is a lot more to "flying" than just that. For starters, I sincerely doubt that you could pass the FAA Private Pilot written exam, and you might have trouble with some of the other qualifications. Understanding your own limitations is just one of them. "Having a gift" is not.
Given a specific airplane and a specific trip and a specific set of forecast (not guaranteed) weather conditions, do you have enough fuel to make it (safely) nonstop, or will you have to stop to refuel enroute? It's very basic stuff but vitally important to know. Given the same plane and trip, how will you navigate? What will be your initial magnetic course and heading? What will be the true course and heading? (Hint: They are usually all different.) Are you good at following rules and instructions? (I think we already know the answer to that one.) Can you communicate clearly and concisely? Can you pat your head, rub your stomach, and do the Hokey Pokey ... all at the same time? Do you know how to handle in-flight engine problems and other emergencies? In an airplane, you can't just pull over to the side of the road and use your cell phone to call AAA for a tow. You bear full responsibility, at all times, for the safe and successful outcome of every flight. (When you succeed, you get the glory, too. )
Don't let me discourage you from trying. Flying can be both fun and satisfying. But come back after you've actually "flown a plane no problem" with an instructor for a few hours, and then maybe we can talk about it.
[This message has been edited by Marvin McInnis (edited 11-08-2010).]
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09:50 AM
Rainman Member
Posts: 3877 From: Cincinnati, Ohio Registered: Jan 2003
A bit, as it would take me a minute to locate everything as the majority of my seat time, except during instruction, has been with fewer instruments. Although, being a twin would cause me some discomfort. I have no experience with that. I'm accustomed to this:
[This message has been edited by Rainman (edited 11-08-2010).]
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10:10 AM
Boondawg Member
Posts: 38235 From: Displaced Alaskan Registered: Jun 2003
Nope. I've never been in anywhere near a pilots chair, but I can tell from the pic that it is flying, and seems to be on a straight and level flight path and there aren't any warning/caution lights, and no gauges in the red, so I have some time to figure out what the rest of the gauges mean and it also appears the radio is working so I should be able to contact someone on the ground that would be able to talk me through it should I need it.
You might be able to fly the plane for a while but landing it may be something entirely different than what you expect!
quote
Originally posted by pontiackid86:
Nope. Thats the beauty with me and machienary. ever since i was young i had a real nack for figuring things out. I can run anything from a bobcat to and excavator to a back hoe to a trackcat to a boom crane and the only reasn i know how how to do all that is because i got behind the wheel of one with no experiance and taught myself. I'm not licenced or trained on any of them but when i used to do sign and diging work i was the youngest guy on the crew and the best on all the companys equipment. i'm sure i could fly a plane no problem.
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11:08 AM
Boondawg Member
Posts: 38235 From: Displaced Alaskan Registered: Jun 2003
I only have lots of simulator time, and I hear no matter how real a simulator is, it ain't real.
In many ways, a simulator can be a lot more difficult to "fly" than a real aircraft. Then again, there are many things you can do in a simulator that you can't do in a real aircraft ... like crash and live. (I know a guy who can split-S a Lear 25 from 10,000 feet to a smooth landing at the old Meigs Field in Chicago every time ... at least in Microsoft Flight Simulator. Try that in a real Lear 25 and let me know how it turns out. ) Simulators are great for procedures training, and the more sophisticated ones are good for safely practicing emergency procedures that you would never want to experience in the actual aircraft, but I have yet to see a non-pilot be able to transfer much knowledge from a simulator environment to a real airplane.
[This message has been edited by Marvin McInnis (edited 11-08-2010).]
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11:42 AM
Rallaster Member
Posts: 9105 From: Indy southside, IN Registered: Jul 2009
In many ways, a simulator can be a lot more difficult to "fly" than a real aircraft. Then again, there are many things you can do in a simulator that you can't do in a real aircraft ... like crash and live. (I know a guy who can split-S a Lear 25 from 10,000 feet to a smooth landing at the old Meigs Field in Chicago every time ... at least in Microsoft Flight Simulator. Try that in a real Lear 25 and let me know how it turns out. )
I'd like to see it tried IRL. Would make for a good show!
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12:03 PM
Boondawg Member
Posts: 38235 From: Displaced Alaskan Registered: Jun 2003
In many ways, a simulator can be a lot more difficult to "fly" than a real aircraft. Then again, there are many things you can do in a simulator that you can't do in a real aircraft ... like crash and live. (I know a guy who can split-S a Lear 25 from 10,000 feet to a smooth landing at the old Meigs Field in Chicago every time ... at least in Microsoft Flight Simulator. Try that in a real Lear 25 and let me know how it turns out. )
WelI, I DO turn 'Aircraft Structural Damage' to "off".....
I do lots of that kind of stuff, too.
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12:17 PM
Marvin McInnis Member
Posts: 11599 From: ~ Kansas City, USA Registered: Apr 2002
I marvel at your naive self confidence ... but please allow me to admire your false bravado from a safe distance. Maybe you could indeed "fly a plane no problem," but I would bet otherwise. You might even be able to keep the sunny side up for a while, but there is a lot more to "flying" than just that. For starters, I sincerely doubt that you could pass the FAA Private Pilot written exam, and you might have trouble with some of the other qualifications. Understanding your own limitations is just one of them.
But Marvin, he already said he can run a backhoe, surely he can fly a plane.....right?
And come on pontiackid, you are not comparing a bobcat to a plane, are you? I can figure things out pretty darned quick myself, but to make the previous statements just to leave yourself wide open, that's just asking for trouble.
Kevin
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12:52 PM
MidEngineManiac Member
Posts: 29566 From: Some unacceptable view Registered: Feb 2007
You might be able to fly the plane for a while but landing it may be something entirely different than what you expect!
LOL....back around 1995 I was spending a lot of time flying a Piper Senneca (not a fast, but a quick) little twin.....it had only been 3-4 weeks or so since I had flown a Cessna 150 (little training 2-seater). I landed the piper, did my pearwork and all the post-flight stuff, and rather than take a cab home about an hours car ride (20 minute flight) away, I rented a 150 and jumped it. (it had only been a month or so, right?)
the 1st 3 or 4 times around I tried to land that poor cessna at something approaching (for it) warp speed . My brain was still in light-twin mode and the 20 minutes werent enough to re-adjust to the MUCH slower speeds of the little single.
Not only CANT you just jump in and fly one, you cant just jump between redically different types even if you already know what you are doing.
LOL, If I had been flying a Commander and programmed for those speeds, instead of the Piper, I probably would have ripped the wings off the 150 on final.
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01:30 PM
PFF
System Bot
hookdonspeed Member
Posts: 7980 From: baltimore, md Registered: May 2008
do you cringe and start sweating because you have no idea what each gauge is for?
BIG hint: You don't look at the entire panel all at once. You look at the individual gauges one at a time, understand what they are telling you, and move on to the next. Repeat. Check some more frequently than others. Don't forget to look outside occasionally for other aircraft. Repeat.
You may eventually begin to be able to see and understand several instruments at once (e.g. on an ILS [instrument] approach), but only after a long time and lots of practice. It's hard to describe, but you develop an awareness of familiar motion cues out in your peripheral vision.
quote
Originally posted by MidEngineManiac:
They can make cringe in certain combinations ...
Yep!!!
[This message has been edited by Marvin McInnis (edited 11-08-2010).]
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02:05 PM
jimbolaya Member
Posts: 10652 From: Virginia Beach, Virginia Registered: Feb 2007
Thats me driving a bobcat. Its got like 2 controls and of course very difficult to operate. Can I fly an airplane you ask? Pfft. Piece of cake. Oh, I drove a scissor lift once too. I taught myself to drive both of those. Flying an airplane at 10,000 feet is no different.
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05:57 PM
carnut122 Member
Posts: 9122 From: Waleska, GA, USA Registered: Jan 2004
I know and can understand most of them, but only because Microsoft Flight Simulater. I have a few hours of training but I did it a few years ago and didnt have enough money to continue with the training. I would love to start it again though, maybe soon. I felt very comfortable in there and cant wait to at least try it again, they offer test flights here for under $100 on either a piper low wing or Cessna 172. I have been flying on the Sim for well over 10 years, I think I even have the 1998 version, I know its not the same but it served me well to at least know what the instruments did and have some knowledge of flight when I took my few courses, the instructor said I was prepared and picked it up fairly quickly.
-Joe
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06:39 PM
fastblack Member
Posts: 3696 From: Riceville, IA Registered: Nov 2003
Thats me driving a bobcat. Its got like 2 controls and of course very difficult to operate. Can I fly an airplane you ask? Pfft. Piece of cake. Oh, I drove a scissor lift once too. I taught myself to drive both of those. Flying an airplane at 10,000 feet is no different.
Just goes to show you how much of an idiot you really are. I said i probabley could fly a plane if need be (life of death situation) And thats not a bob cat in that pic its a Case.
I'm dead honest about it to I might seem like an idiot on here ( mind you 
) but i'm really smart when it comes to this kind of stuff. What can i say i have a gift.
