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Questions People Ask When I Tell Them I Own an Airplane

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Re: Questions People Ask When I Tell Them I Own an Airplane

#91

Post by chiph »

bergie wrote: post #62
mariuolo wrote: post #54

How much red tape is there if one wants to cross an international border?

Generally, not much. You need to file a flight plan, which is essentially just telling the ATC where you're going, and where you're coming from. The flight plan is also useful in case you get into trouble, since it contains the identifying information for your plane, the number of people on board, and for instance the safety equipment on board. So if you crash, the search-and-rescue people know what to expect. Depend…

> since there was essentially no GA in Russia.

Other than Mathias Rust?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathias_Rust

Re: Questions People Ask When I Tell Them I Own an Airplane

#93

Post by dagurp »

lutusp wrote: post #23
jeiting wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had a ton of sim experience when I jumped in a trainer for the first time. It helped a ton with the systems and comms but pretty much nothing for my landing and takeoff ability.

> It helped a ton with the systems and comms but pretty much nothing for my landing and takeoff ability. Yes, a common experience. Landing and taking off involve some subtle things that most simulators don't capture, like the fact that in a small propeller-drive plane, at slow speed, the propeller torque twists the body of the airplane, so you have to apply some counter-rudder to straighten out the fuselage and maxim…

There's also the ground effect. It's impossible to get a feel for it on a simulator.

Re: Questions People Ask When I Tell Them I Own an Airplane

#94

Post by emhart »

Stratoscope wrote: post #30
lutusp wrote: post #2

It's important to say that the general aviation population has gotten much smaller over the last few decades. It was a lot more popular 25 years ago when I flew much more than I do now. A number of aircraft manufacturers have stopped building small general-aviation planes for a number of reasons including liability and a reduction in public interest. I started flying about 1980. By 1992, 12 years later, about half th…

This was my favorite airplane from my old flying club: http://www.pbase.com/geary/image/120224799 That's my mom and me when I took her flying on September 3, 1977. I have the logbook right here that I carried on that flight. Sadly, this plane was involved in a midair in 1982, and the instructor and student pilot died: http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20020917X... It's weird, if you sell a car and th…

That is an amazing photo :) Sorry to hear about the fate of the plane, but thanks for sharing the memory.

Re: Questions People Ask When I Tell Them I Own an Airplane

#95

Post by gruturo »

tzs wrote: post #53
btgeekboy wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Take off is actually quite easy. On your first lesson, it's likely you'll be doing the takeoff. Just point it straight, compensate for the left turning tendency, and gently pull back. Landing is a different story...

A friend of mine was given as a gift one of those "Discovery Flights" where you are taken up and get to fly the plane, which is supposed to entice you into signing up for lessons. Not only did he get to do the takeoff, they let him do the landing. He had a little trouble keeping it from turning on the takeoff, and a lot of trouble with that on the landing. Afterwards, they found out why. Something had punctured a tir…

Took off and landed on my very first time as well :-) (San Diego, Montgomery Field, March 2011).

The explanation my instructor gave me for the landing were perfect: Line up to the runway like this. Lower throttle and add flaps at these intervals. At the last checkpoint, point the nose of the plane at the numbers on the runway, like you were trying to collide with them, except that at the last moment you pull up and cut power to idle.

Worked like a charm. Maneuvering on the runway is harder than flying and landing. ($$@#!#$%! pedals working 2 ways and in the opposite direction from what I expected :-) )

Re: Questions People Ask When I Tell Them I Own an Airplane

#96

Post by rsync »

Here's a question:

Tell me about single engine (what you appear to have) vs. multi engine (twin, I guess) ?

Should I be thinking about redundancy in plane engines the same way I think about redundancy in ... say ... kidneys ?

It seems to me that I would really, really want a twin engined plane...

edit: I found this [1] but I'm not sure I buy it. I am all about simplicity in systems, but redundancy in a critical component is a different thing. Further, Perrow speaks of fortuitous surpluses (or whatever) as an unalloyed good in [2]. This seems like just the kind of surplus I'd want...

[1] http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?AirplaneRule

[2] Normal Accidents (run, don't walk, to buy and read it)

Re: Questions People Ask When I Tell Them I Own an Airplane

#97

Post by freerobby »

bdunbar wrote: post #87
Spooky23 wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really -- think "free like a puppy". Planes are like boats, except you die if you screw up. There are plenty of repairs, storage charges, etc that can get expensive pretty quickly. General aviation is something you do out of love, not to save money.

> except you die if you screw up. That happens with boats, too. Perhaps not as often - boats don't fall out of the sky when they stop working - but it happens.

Planes don't really fall out of the sky either, especially modern commercial jets with high L/D ratios. There are some exceptions, e.g. fighter jets, but generally planes can glide down safely upon engine failure provided there is a nearby spot to land.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lift-to-drag_ratio http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lift-to-drag_ratio

Re: Questions People Ask When I Tell Them I Own an Airplane

#98

Post by krschultz »

rsync wrote: post #96

Here's a question: Tell me about single engine (what you appear to have) vs. multi engine (twin, I guess) ? Should I be thinking about redundancy in plane engines the same way I think about redundancy in ... say ... kidneys ? It seems to me that I would really, really want a twin engined plane... edit: I found this [1] but I'm not sure I buy it. I am all about simplicity in systems, but redundancy in a critical compo…

A friend of mine owns an airplane, and his brother is a pilot in the USAF. I asked him this once and his opinion was that 2 engines makes the plane more complicated and increases the chance of pilot error. He had suffered 2 or 3 engine out incidents in his single engine plane, and landed all 3 with no issue. Obviously if your plane doesn't glide very well then the redundancy of a second engine is necessary (i.e a jet), but in your typical Cessna-esqe plane, gliding is a viable option.

Re: Questions People Ask When I Tell Them I Own an Airplane

#99

Post by ldargin »

rsync wrote: post #96

Here's a question: Tell me about single engine (what you appear to have) vs. multi engine (twin, I guess) ? Should I be thinking about redundancy in plane engines the same way I think about redundancy in ... say ... kidneys ? It seems to me that I would really, really want a twin engined plane... edit: I found this [1] but I'm not sure I buy it. I am all about simplicity in systems, but redundancy in a critical compo…

An engine failure in a twin can be difficult to handle during take-off; the plane can roll over, and there is not much time to react.

http://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/Engine_Failure_After_Take...

Re: Questions People Ask When I Tell Them I Own an Airplane

#100

Post by pubman »

rsync wrote: post #96

Here's a question: Tell me about single engine (what you appear to have) vs. multi engine (twin, I guess) ? Should I be thinking about redundancy in plane engines the same way I think about redundancy in ... say ... kidneys ? It seems to me that I would really, really want a twin engined plane... edit: I found this [1] but I'm not sure I buy it. I am all about simplicity in systems, but redundancy in a critical compo…

This is one of the oldest debates in the pilot world. Single vs Multi and there is no one answer. Ignoring the cost of extra fuel and maintenance for an extra engine. The usual argument against multi is like this - The asymmetrical thrust developed when one engine dies. Basically if one of your engines quits, especially with a high angle of attack (takeoff), you have a very small window to compensate and keep the plane flying. Otherwise you get what is called a Vmc rollover. That is probably the biggest argument against a twin.

But of course if you fly over water to the Bahamas every weekend or the Rocky mountains the pros outweigh the cons right?

My point is it's all relative. Being a relatively low time pilot in NJ I see no need for a twin. Assuming I could afford one in the first place.

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