Question, how many here are involved with real airplanes?
 

It goes without saying some will be, but if so, which categories?:

When I say involved it means spending at least 1 day every 60 days at an airport or air museum.

1. Light aircraft? (ie: Cessna 172, Bonanzas, Pipers, Van's, LSA, etc, as pilot and/or mechanic)
2. Commercial airlines? (either crew, support, mechanic, airports, etc)
3. Military air (all branches)
4. Museums (small or large, flying or static) **If you participated in the organization/s, even sweep the floor**

You can chose more then 1, and it is loose

I myself am 1 and 4.

I am the nerd on right, and that is the 172 I fly.
http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/2...rantishhs1.jpg

I work on the ramp at a medium sized airport, so 1 and 2 I guess. BTW nice 172, looks new!

1, and sort of 4 (I've not curated any exhibits, if that's what you mean.)

I have a PPL, have flown mostly 172s but also 152s, Archer, DA-20 Katana, and a Schweizer 300.

And I like air museums - I've been to an Air&Space in Seattle and LA. I've been to Chino a couple of times (and I'm going to see their Zero fly on Dec.4th Yay!! :-P) and Edwards AFB, and finally, one of my all time favorites, the Zhuliany air museum in Kiev, Ukraine. I don't know if it counts, but I've also had the pleasure of riding in a B-17, EAA's "Aluminum Overcast".

Excuse me while I spam you all...

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-a...112571_563.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-a...12553_6035.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-a...12552_5806.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-a...12475_1992.jpg

Hello, Halo (largest Heli in the world still flying :-P)
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._8210260_n.jpg

Not in Zhuliany, but they actually let me and my sister sit in a real Voskhod capsule (Either that, or they replicated the burnt ceramic exterior really well.)

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-a...12583_3871.jpg

Wreck of an Il-2 at the Great Patriotic War Museum in Kiev

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-a...12592_6498.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-a...12595_7372.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-a...12591_6198.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-a...12597_7958.jpg

Noob plane :-P
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-a...12599_8552.jpg

S!

Category 3, already over 13 years with these birds. Museums when I get the chance.

1 for some time now and maybe 2.

1 and 4. I have about 80 hours on Grumman AA5s, C1752s etc.
PPanPan

When I said museums I meant actually getting hands dirty with grease, using tools.
All respects of doing.

Thanks for sharing, you have seen some really great stuff!

OMG that thing is a monster! (unless you are a tiny, but I do not think so)
How do they stop the blades from cutting the tail off at start up? (they hang so low)

I think the blades almost immediately go up slightly because of the air coming under the blades when the engine starts. The blades are very big so there's al lot of air under them.

Still need to get them moving fast enough to do that...

It used to be 1 and 3 for me.
I've had a ppl-a, flew 152, 172, Archer, Mooney 201 and i've worked on UH1-D, Alouette, CH53-G and Bo105.

Flown 172's 152's Piper Warriors and a Skyfox Gazelle. Now grounded through getting too old (diabetes) but converting to an Australian ultralight license with less onerous medical requirements when I get around to it.

Romanator,isn´t that at Monino?

And Flanker,you fly Flankers?

60 odd hours in C-152's and PA-38's

Unfortunately I haven't flown for years as there has always been other priorities.

Hence the obsession with the flight sims.

Nothing worse than being an Eagle with his wings clipped!

Cheers!

Real flying
 

I have about 650 hours of single and multi-engine time, mostly in Cessnas. Plus, about 50 hours in gliders. I have owned and flown two gliders. First a Phoebus B and then a Libelle 201B. I have flown the L-23, L-33, 2-33, and Grob 103 several times, also.

binky9

No, it's at Zhuliany airport in Kiev, Ukraine. I'd love to see Monino at least once though!

I'm 175 cm, just like Oleg's pilots - but I guess I look about 1/2 size. :-P

...and your head looks small too :-P

Right or wrong, i think this debate will give us another classic sim-comedy one-liner just like the famed "two weeks", ".50 cals porked" and "190 bar" incidents...flight sim culture in the making is what this community is all about :grin:

S!

Bf-110, not a pilot but let's say I know the planes I work on pretty much inside out ;)

I'm a 2 working as a mechanic on MD80s. Been a 1 as a mechanic on light aircraft in my past.

Q. How do you know there's a pilot at a party?
A. He'll let you know.

A few years ago I built an ultralight and learnt to fly on it. While waiting for SOW, I keep the Great White North safe from enemy intruders in my ultralight:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uZzbPVSsPs

1. I have 200 hours in Zlin Z-142/42/43, L-200 Morava, Piper seneca V and 50 hours L-13

Speaking of real airplanes, I am hoping to get my car fixed in time to make it to this:

http://www.airforce.gov.au/airshows/

1 and 4
I used to fly aerobatics regulary up to 3 years ago but I these days I just get to go up occassionaly with a couple of mates as I have let my biennial flight test and medical lapse.

4 because I do 2 days volunteer work in the Classic Jets Fighter Museum at Parafield (Adelaide South Australia.

We recently finished restoring a P-39 Air Cobra and have now begun to build from scratch a F4F Corsair.

The museum has
the P-39
a completely rebuilt P-38 done at the museum
A Korean war veteran ex RAAF Sabre
A Wirraway (privately owned, housed in the museum and flyable)
A Boomerang (privately owned, housed in the museum and flyable)
2 x Chipmunks (ex RN privately owned, housed in the museum and flyable)
An Ex RAN Sea Venom
A Korean war vintage MIG
An Ex RAAF mirage
A WWII Mustang (privately owned, housed in the museum and flyable)
A tiger moth (privately owned, housed in the museum and flyable)
A Jindavik
PLus of course oodles of A/C bits and paraphernalia
We also had a Korean War vetern RAAF Meteor that has just been sold to NZ

I'm just a 1, Pa-28-140 (Cherokee), about 75 hours, a long time ago in a distant ...

Man, if that really is you flying that thing, you are insane!:grin:
Great clip.
Me, I don't qualify for the parameters of the survey, but have about 4 hours done over 25 years in light aircraft.
Always something else to spend the hard earned on.
Also love musems and airshows.:)

Hi Dutch. It's not as crazy as it seems in the video. You can do wonders with editing :)

A few more 'normal' videos here: http://www.youtube.com/flightstarpilot#g/u

1 and 2.

I fly for a couple skydive companies in Florida and I fly jets for an airline in the US. Been on the ramp and worked at a certified repair station in the past. I skydive as well.

Hey, i used to skydive in Zephyrhills! 25 years ago :-)

Hi i've got about 4000 parachute jumps.
And 2000 glider flights with just over 900 hours to my name.
Further more i own a fourth of a twin astir and half a pik20D.
Greetz.

Awesome place to jump! After getting my A license I headed down from Canada to ZHills with some friends for a week of skydiving. Their Twin Otters were such a treat after suffering in cramped 182s. Had some of my best skydiving experiences there including watching a buddy land short of the field into pond. She thought it was croc infested. Never seen anyone move that fast in water!

Then there was the time when I lost a contact. On my first night jump.

Good times!

None of the above .. but one can dream. With my eye sight, they wouldn't let me on the base!

An addiction to WWII "Commando" comics as a kid got me into WWII combat flying! :grin:

He111.

Category 1 for me... 390 hours in single engine props and gliders... The only types I've got stick time on that are anywhere close to these planes are the Tiger Moth, Yak-52 and SK-60...

1 & 2 for me...I am an aeronautical engineer (avionics mainly), 3500H, and flight instructor (gliders/airplanes). I am inactive for the time being due to workload, but not for very long anymore...too frustrated!

I have two parachute jumps under my belt...never again :). When does "I'm going to die" feeling go away? lol

As a teen, I got lots of rides in various private aircraft. I hung around the local airport and ran errands for or gave lifts to private pilots who flew in. Most were more than happy to take me up and let me have some stick time as payment. The best ride back then was a two seat Pitts Special....deliriously disorienting.

As I got older and got some money, I started taking paid rides in WWII aircraft. My favorites were the two seat P-51 and the AT-6 Texan. I actually got to fly through some aerobatics in the Texan.

A fairly recent business partner had a Bellanca Super Viking that was capable of some fun maneuvers. Pretty hot plane for a run of the mill private craft. of course, I hit every airshow I can, especially if WWII aircraft are involved. Anyone visiting the DC area should go to both the Smithsonian in Washington, DC and (even better) the annex out by Dulles Airport.

Other than that, it has been simulators. When the owners of the real craft find out I fly simulators, they take it as their personal responsibility to make me air sick lol. Since I don't get air sick, that leads to some fun rides.

I haven't given up the dream of getting my PPL. Some day I hope to have the time and free money to do so. Of course, I'm going to need my own plane too. I figure 350K USD should do it....:rolleyes:

Splitter

I am sometimes working as payload for some old planes.. ;)

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._6157302_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._4309945_n.jpg

SJ

S!

SJ, that Pony ride must have been great :) Well, both rides as not many of us get the chance..I think my greatest ride was in the backseat of the F/A-18D..

3000 hours so far cat 3

yep, it was quite... intense! The noise, the smell.. but above all it put all the sim flying under a completely new perspective. I have been flying microlights and Tiger Moths for several years, but when I had a go with the Mustang it was mind boggling: it goes from the smoothest aeroplane ever to hard aerobatics in a jiffy! A couple of loops at 5.7 Gs were enough to wear me out.. we did barrel rolls, tonneaux, cuban eights and loops, and boy was I sweaty in the end!! Then I thought about doing all that while someone is shooting at you... those brave guys really had to cope with LOADS of stress!!
Flying the T-6 was a real pleasure! Once trimmed it's rock solid and a joy to fly around.

I'd love a go in a jet though! One of my best mates has been assigned to Eurofighters, that'd be quite a flight ;-)

A.

We skydivers used to say: Do you remember the times when sex was save and skydiving dangerous? ;-D

Well, a couples of times a year i fly with my father aboard piper pa12, almost category 1
And my best memories are from last year at electromechanical tech secondary school, we worked on III air force base, i was assigned at hydraulics, they let us put our hands directly on the airplanes after a few weeks. Was at category 4 =D
This was the plane, IA-58 "pucará" (indian fortress):
http://www.todo-aviones.com.ar/argen...cara_150cc.jpg

Wow, a Pucara, are they still flying in Argentina?!

Lucky you :)

Im also pilot of single engine props and gliders ( also aerobatic). I tried Bucker Jugnamm biplane very close to Tigher Moth - they are lovley planes which could do some aerobatic.


I hope so in close future Zlin 526F - aerobatic plane.

Trust me man, the Jungman is WAAAAY better than the Tiggie! I logged some 150 hours on Tiger Moths: they're slow, sluggish and unforgiving! When I had a go on a Jungmann it was a revelation! :o

A.

YEa the Jungman is the lovley plane. I dont had experience with Tiger Moth but i belive what you wrote. Pity that my friend haven't got now his nice Bucker :(

I could say that flying Bucker Jungmann was my best flight i made in life.

Oh yes they are, the structure on the oldest ones are a bit off (wings missaligned almost 20cm) but because they were built with huge security margins they still very capable, still nimble, i recall one english analist saying that two of these planes could hunt any chopper avaiable, great heli hunters, but they were made for counter-insurgent (a ridicule purpouse due to insurgency nature here in that time)

PD: Sadly we lost one young pilot and a plane a couple of weeks ago

despite its old design the Jungmann is probably the best balanced and more satisfying aerobatic aircraft to fly with. Ask any pilot who had a chance to fly with it and see what they say :)

@ Armatian: wing misalignment of almost 20cm?!?! :eek:
that's crazy man!!

S!

20cm is a lot, actually a crapload in terms of aircraft structure no matter how well it is built. Bücker Jungmann was the plane of the aces ;)

Of course is a lot, in year 2000, the oldest series was being taken off the skies. The pilots are used to stress it to max g's (not that high for this plane, 7g) in everyday flight, so it shows. Still was diagonal (longitudinal and vertical less than 20) and each wing contributed half of it, but anyway, those planes were really twisted, being duraluminum, i truly believe stories of p-38 aces rendering new planes to bananas in a couple of flights.

Here are a few pictures of my 1941 PT-17 Stearman. I’ve been flying vintage aircraft since the early 1980’s; I’ll post some fun stuff this weekend.

http://www.cubpilot.com/Tspin/PTa.jpg

http://www.cubpilot.com/Tspin/PTb.jpg

http://www.cubpilot.com/Tspin/PTc.jpg

http://www.cubpilot.com/Tspin/PTd.jpg

That is one lovely Stearman you have there Tailspin :grin:
The guys that I fly with have a PT-13D with the R-985 and that's one helluva beefy plane ;)
U have a R-985 too?

A.

Awesome. Totally jealous here. Nothing like the wind whistling through the wires.

Splitter

Yes I have a 450hp Pratt & Whitney R-985

uuuh yes, there's nothing that shouts "vintage aviation!" better than the sound of the 985! :cool: