Forum: Civil and General Aviation

I'll jump in here.

Piloted Cessna 162, 172 (need to actually finish getting my license someday when I have money again)

Rode in 727, 737, DC-10 and one other when I was about 10. Actually my first time flying. Maybe someone here could help me figure it out. It was a twin engine prop that sat maybe 40 people. The reason the flight was so memorable is we went through a whiteout. I was having a great time, sitting over the wing, I looked out and watched the wingtip "flapping" about 6-8 feet up and down. Then looked down the isle as the stewardess was loosing her lunch. I thought it was the best roller coaster ever!

Seen, lots! Grew up about a mile away from McClellan AFB (when it was an AFB) and used to watch SR-71's, they are actually quite maneuverable, saw snap 90 degree rolls with almost vertical climbs until they would disappear going up all the time. Took a tour of the Spruce Goose, that thing is BIG! Also had a friend who had an auto shop across the street from the end of the runway. Occasionally you would see them turn off all the lights at that end of the base including runway lights, hear a jet come screaming in with only one marker light, land , taxi off the runway into a hangar, hangar door close then all the lights would come back on. You couldn't see the plane at all, just a shadow, but you couldn't tell what it was at all. Later found out this was the F-117's coming in for service. It was weird, we came up with all kinds of idea's about it.

Sat in Space Shuttle simulator at Space Camp in 5th grade, I still think it was cool. The Cockpit has a lot of buttons and knobs! Cool

Some of the Space Capsules I wouldn't ride in if my life depended on it. They look like they came out of some cheesy 50's era movie (oh yea, it was the 50's), nothing anyone should ever go into space in. Those first Astronauts were completely nuts! They have a Saturn V rocket on its side there, you have no idea how big that thing is until you walk around it which is a little more than a 1/4 mile lap! OK, lets strap a rocket that's longer than a football field to our back and sit in a capsule that has less interior space than a Honda Civic coupe! C'mon, it's a great idea! Crazy Pilot

F-16.net Sponsor

Quote:

It was a twin engine prop that sat maybe 40 people. The reason the flight was so memorable is we went through a whiteout. I was having a great time, sitting over the wing, I looked out and watched the wingtip "flapping" about 6-8 feet up and down.

Twin props and a a bumpy ride--could it be a Saab 340? Coincidentally, my only ride on that was when I was ten, too, but I didn't go through a whiteout, still, I never want to do that again.

With 40 PAX, and a twin turbo, it was probably a de Haviland Dash 8.

The SAAB is a possibility, I remember sitting over the wing. The other thing is I remember we couldn't fly high enough to go over the storm, no pressurized cabin I think. It was the greatest flight ever, I can still picture the stewardess loosing it into those tiny little bags Very Happy

My buddy was sitting across the isle from me and was trying to pass me some peanuts (remember when those were free) and our arms were flapping like the wings, we were laughing our a$$es off. I wonder if anyone else enjoyed the ride as much as us Shrug

Should I have been scared or are they designed to do that?

I had a ride in a P-51D Mustang over my home town, the flight went over the yearly ww2 memorial service. I pulled about 6G's and we made an insane high speed low level pass over the airfield. Don't think there is much out there that can top this, maybe getting launched into space or something. For the rest I've flown and rode Cessna 172's and rode a 737-800. Been inside off the F-5, F-16, 747-300/400/BCF, A330-300, 777-200, Constellation, DC-2, DC-3, and a whole bunch of different Pipers.

The Plane, click on the thumbnail for a better quality picture.

Startup:

in flight:

Back on earth.

Take off, put your speakers on 11.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULaQjdGN_Es
in flight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Yp9-Vl_0U4
landing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twZT5i2ph6M

Well, I don't really keep track of airliners that I've ridden in, but here's what I've piloted, to the best of my memory:

Piloted:
Cessna 150 (scary old!)
Cessna 152 (most of my PPL)
Cessna 172 (most of my hours)
Cessna 172-RG (uber cheap XCer at my local flying club)
Cessna 175
Diamond DA-20 (fun little plane. way nicer than the C-152's I'd been flying up until then)
Diamond DA-40 (very nice, also very expensive. great for IFR XC, it was a G1000)
Mooney M20 (a great XC plane. one of the one's I've flown has WAAS, stormscope, GPS weather, etc.)
Mustang II (a homebuilt. pretty fun. very agile.)
PA-23 Aztec(expensive!)
PA-28 Cherokee (flies like a slow 172 except you don't have to use the rudder. ever.)

I'm also determined to build a RV before my life is over, but depending on whether I get a spot in the ANG that'll either be in the next 15 years, or sometime when I'm wicked old.

And if I have my way, in about 3 years I'll be adding to this list:
T-6ii Texan (current AF UPT trainer)
T-38
F-16

Outstanding...lots of fun and exciting times...thanks for sharing

Forum: Civil and General Aviation

What aircraft have you seen, piloted, ridden in, etc.?