The Airplane Fanatic Thread

[Gil Bang 26020]

 

[Shoxthemonkey 1983]

18 hours ago, Bobby_Batronic said:

Textron Airland Scorpion is what that thing is I think. 

Maybe I'm not able to see all of the pics but I'm not seeing a Scorpion in any of those. Textron has been flying one over my house, off and on,  for the last couple of years. It's a cool looking plane and sounds unmistakable with it's little engines.

Are you talking about the ass shot with the lawnchairs folks beside it? I thought that was the backside of the F-35.

Edited April 29, 2022 by Shoxthemonkey
Blind, maybe?

[Bobby_Batronic 1994]

1 hour ago, Shoxthemonkey said:

Maybe I'm not able to see all of the pics but I'm not seeing a Scorpion in any of those. Textron has been flying one over my house, off and on,  for the last couple of years. It's a cool looking plane and sounds unmistakable with it's little engines.

Are you talking about the ass shot with the lawnchairs folks beside it? I thought that was the backside of the F-35.

That’s the pic I’m talking about. It has two motors. 35 has a single big one. Pretty sure that’s the Scorpion

[Bobby_Batronic 1994]

2 hours ago, Gil Bang said:

 

It’s not unusual to wait for iguanas to clear the taxi way in San Juan. 

[Chad Fuck 17777]

I saw a coyote crossing the runway hold up traffic at Love Field a little while back.

[Homercles 10206]

4 hours ago, Shoxthemonkey said:

Maybe I'm not able to see all of the pics but I'm not seeing a Scorpion in any of those. Textron has been flying one over my house, off and on,  for the last couple of years. It's a cool looking plane and sounds unmistakable with it's little engines.

Are you talking about the ass shot with the lawnchairs folks beside it? I thought that was the backside of the F-35.

I’m probably wrong but aren’t you supposed to say ‘ready for departure’ or just ‘ready in sequence’ or whatever…thought using ‘takeoff’ was supposed to be said only when reading back clearance.  Or at least a best practices after Tenerife?

[Shoxthemonkey 1983]

33 minutes ago, Homercles said:

I’m probably wrong but aren’t you supposed to say ‘ready for departure’ or just ‘ready in sequence’ or whatever…thought using ‘takeoff’ was supposed to be said only when reading back clearance.  Or at least a best practices after Tenerife?

Nah. I’m the passenger. I don’t say shit. 

[Shoxthemonkey 1983]

I’m sitting a little bit south of the Beechcraft factory runway while my wife is in the RA clinic getting an infusion. A Beech Starship just flew over and got away before I could get my phone out. Those pusher engines sounded cool AF. 

of course the first image I find is a dead one. 

[Lat22 4017]

I saw one take off out of Hobby a couple years ago. I think there’s one based at Addison. I always know when a Piaggio is coming into Sugar Land. 

[Bobby_Batronic 1994]

5 hours ago, Lat22 said:

I saw one take off out of Hobby a couple years ago. I think there’s one based at Addison. I always know when a Piaggio is coming into Sugar Land. 

There was one we used to see in Aspen and a few other places. The owner had two. One operable and the other for parts. 

[shadow_operative2.0 16028]

Anyone can do it. 

https://www.wpbf.com/amp/article/florida-pbia-lands-safe-passenger-pilot-private-plane/39957179

[Homercles 10206]

For bus drivers:  Yesterday I was supposed to be on AA 346 AUS-PHL.  Flight was delayed like 4 hours due to ‘computer problems’.  Dude next to me was saying he was on the PHL-AUS leg last week and they had same issue.  It was already delayed an hour that morning before I left for the airport, and stayed on the apron a good 45 minutes before even pulling into the open gate. 
 

What kind of computer issue would take hours to resolve and keep it from pulling into the gate?  
 

Obviously it could be anything but was wondering if there’s a common thing on A319s.  

[Bobby_Batronic 1994]

8 hours ago, Homercles said:

For bus drivers:  Yesterday I was supposed to be on AA 346 AUS-PHL.  Flight was delayed like 4 hours due to ‘computer problems’.  Dude next to me was saying he was on the PHL-AUS leg last week and they had same issue.  It was already delayed an hour that morning before I left for the airport, and stayed on the apron a good 45 minutes before even pulling into the open gate. 
 

What kind of computer issue would take hours to resolve and keep it from pulling into the gate?  
 

Obviously it could be anything but was wondering if there’s a common thing on A319s.  

Not enough information to go off of. Some of the computer resets can be pretty lengthy procedures, and if it happens on the ground then policy says we stop the plane, run the ECAM, check the COM for further procedures, then determine if the item is crew deferrable and then call maintenance who might have an alternate reset procedure hidden somewhere in their cave of wonders. 

No idea what could take four hours. Possibly dispatch computers going down?

As for not pulling into an open gate maybe issues with the Brake Steering Control Unit?

Sorry. Just spitballing because I don’t have much to go on.

 

 

 

[Homercles 10206]

4 hours ago, Bobby_Batronic said:

Not enough information to go off of. Some of the computer resets can be pretty lengthy procedures, and if it happens on the ground then policy says we stop the plane, run the ECAM, check the COM for further procedures, then determine if the item is crew deferrable and then call maintenance who might have an alternate reset procedure hidden somewhere in their cave of wonders. 

No idea what could take four hours. Possibly dispatch computers going down?

As for not pulling into an open gate maybe issues with the Brake Steering Control Unit?

Sorry. Just spitballing because I don’t have much to go on.

 

 

 

Yeah I knew it was a weird shot in the dark, they didn’t really tell us anything…but gate folks wouldn’t really know anyways.  I’ve chatted up crew before but there weren’t any there and I was busy trying to get rebooked because it was literally 12 hours until my grandfathers funeral.  
 

I don’t think it was Dispatch as other AA flights were going out on time.  Assumed the crew knew there was in issue inbound from Philly because it was delayed an hour before I even left for AUS despite the inbound bird leaving PHL on time.  It was stopping on the apron right in front of the gate, perpendicular to the bridge, for an hour that caught my eye but I didn’t hang around to see if it was towed in.  
 

I ended up wondering if it was something with NWS but brakes makes sense too.  Can you dispatch with only one FMS?   

[Homercles 10206]

On a side note there’s a special place in hell for people who berate gate agents, or service industry folks in general.  Dude was going nuts during the delay on the first outbound leg…like they were going to be able to fix the plane.  
 

After he walked off in a huff the lady at the gate 28 rebooking desk turned to me and said “well now that we’ve decided we aren’t going to help him, please tell me what we can do for you”.  

[Chad Fuck 17777]

2 hours ago, Homercles said:

On a side note there’s a special place in hell for people who berate gate agents, or service industry folks in general.  Dude was going nuts during the delay on the first outbound leg…like they were going to be able to fix the plane.  
 

After he walked off in a huff the lady at the gate 28 rebooking desk turned to me and said “well now that we’ve decided we aren’t going to help him, please tell me what we can do for you”.  

The same kind of people who yell at wait staff.  They're hot garbage.  

[Bobby_Batronic 1994]

5 hours ago, Homercles said:

I ended up wondering if it was something with NWS but brakes makes sense too.  Can you dispatch with only one FMS?

Definitely maybe. 
 

Were they short of ground crews by chance, because that’s still a bit of a thing everywhere?

We had one issue once where they nav database was dorked up. Basically a waypoint that should have been in New Mexico was showing up over the Pacific Ocean. No amount of re-entering it, abusive language or threats of violence would make it behave up to and including deplaning and powering off the plane for half an hour. 

It was written up. We have procedures for flying with the expired database. Buuuttt, we are no longer able to defer the current database. Oops. Multiple phone calls with numerous people in mx, safety and a few Chief pilots ended up with a flight cancellation with some histrionics on the side. 
 

Or another time where mx pinned the correct deferred thrust reverser but entered the wrong one into the computer resulting in a very pissed off plane. That was two hours of trouble shooting, gate return and more trouble shooting before they figured out what was wrong. 
 

All that to say that I don’t know, but it’s rarely something quick when it’s broken, and sometimes mx and or procedures exacerbate the problem. 

[shadow_operative2.0 16028]

Anyone know this guy? 

Quote

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified a pilot who was killed in a small plane crash Tuesday evening in Johnson County.

Joshua Bo Kirkpatrick, 41, of Cleburne, died Tuesday around 6 p.m. after a small aircraft he was operating crashed into a field near his home, south of Cleburne Regional Airport.

Federal Aviation Administration records indicate Kirkpatrick had a student pilot certificate issued in 2018 and had no limitations on his student license other than the standard student limitation of no passengers.

—— 

Joshua worked most of the time in South Texas, his nephew said. He’d taken to regularly flying from Cleburne to wherever he was working, instead of driving. When he’d come home, he’d fly a low circle around the house before heading to the airport.

Whenever he had time off work, he spent as much of it he could with his family.

“It was his way of saying, ‘I’m home,’ “ Rafe said.

The Department of Public Safety told WFAA-TV that the pilot was the only one aboard the plane.

Witnesses told investigators the plane, an American Aviation AA-1A, was making low maneuvers when it went nose down and hit the ground in the 4800 block of South Nolan River Road, National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson said. Records indicate Joshua Kirkpatrick owned the plane.

According to medical examiner records, the site of the crash was within a block of Kirkpatrick’s home. His nephew said the crash was only a couple houses away from his home.

[Hagbard Celine 10923]

cathay pacific airlines:

https://goo.gl/maps/aqCTNy7KAM42ePME9

[Lat22 4017]

On 5/11/2022 at 4:58 PM, shadow_operative2.0 said:

Anyone can do it. 

https://www.wpbf.com/amp/article/florida-pbia-lands-safe-passenger-pilot-private-plane/39957179

That dude may not have his pilots license, but he’s spent a lot of time flying that airplane with his buddy (the owner). There’s no way he pulled that off without a lot of experience. 

[shadow_operative2.0 16028]

Nah, if you google it more, he didn’t know shit. Control tower guy is also a flight trainer though. 

[Lat22 4017]

I’m not buying it. That guy has spent hours in the right seat of that exact plane. 

[shadow_operative2.0 16028]

Okay. You’re that guy. 

[Your Mom 4852]

I wonder if there's more to the story, but I think it's very feasible.  The stick and rudder skills are a lot easier to learn than the rest of it.  The ATC guy was also a certified flight instructor.  I haven't listened to any of it but I bet he was telling him exactly what power settings to use, when and how to add flaps, etc...  You can see he gave him a power setting to bring him in a little fast so he wouldn't stall it, looks like it anyway.  That part can be coached fairly easily and people with no flight experience do it on their first lessons every day, albeit with the instructor watching next to them instead of on the radio.   All that's left is the flare and operating the rudder pedals as you stop.  He didn't really flare at all and I bet the touchdown was a lot firmer than it looks like, also wobbled main to main some.  That's not critique, just pointing out that it's pretty typical of a beginner student's first attempts.    To me it's more impressive that he didn't put it in the grass after the landing.  I'd expect someone with no experience to have more trouble with the rudder pedals on the ground than with the flying.

If you ever take flying lessons you'll be operating the controls and doing  basic climbs, descents, and turns within the first 30 seconds of your first flight, it's that easy for basic flight.  Landings typically start on lesson #2 after just an hour or so total time in the airplane and it's not unusual for a student to make halfway decent landings in that same lesson.  Getting it on the ground isn't that hard when someone tells you what to do.  Learning how to properly land is way more than that.  Are you at the proper speed?  On the proper glidepath?  Crossing the threshold at 50 feet?  On the centerline? Longitudinally straight vs crooked?  Upwind wing low and compensating for that with opposite rudder?  Touching down in the designated touchdown zone?  Not flaring too high or too low?  Holding the nose off? blah blah blah...  There's a lot that goes into a good landing beyond just getting it on the ground.  None of those things are going to kill you most of the time, but those little things are what most of the training time is spent on.  If you aren't looking for any of that and your only goal is to get it on the ground in one piece, I'd expect lots of guys who can keep their cool under stress to do a salvageable landing.  

All that said, the guy obviously did a great job in a stressful situation.  The only part that really makes me wonder about his experience is that he mentioned in an interview about gently pulling back when he took the controls so as to not stall it.  I wouldn't expect someone with zero experience to know about how a wing stalls.  

Edited May 21, 2022 by Your Mom

[Homercles 10206]

So he’s ready for the left seat at Asiana?

[DaysOff 7975]

For the half dozen airline guys here if you've been following section 6 news around the industry.

[Your Mom 4852]

That is fucking outstanding!  "There are lots of newhires your age."  

Old colonels look at me like I'm nuts when I'm giving away trips and living on 80 a month at max days off while they work 5-6 days week hustling for 160+ to pay for the ex-wives.  Note to young pilots:  Get married in a no-alimony state.

I hope you guys get the fucking moon.  I know we won't beat it but everybody is watching this and seeing where the bar gets set.  Delta up next.

[DaysOff 7975]

We won't. We'll just put another me-too clause in and wait for Delta. Ultimately the same result I guess.

[Armybrat 40911]

Two killed in ultralight plane crash near Granite Shoals Sunday morning….

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/aircraft-emergency-reported-near-granite-shoals-airfield/

Quote

An Airborne Windsports Edge 912 weight-shift control aircraft crashed in Granite Shoals, Texas, around 7:00 a.m. local time today

 

Edited May 30, 2022 by Armybrat

[RPM 26354]

18 hours ago, Armybrat said:

Two killed in ultralight plane crash near Granite Shoals Sunday morning….

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/aircraft-emergency-reported-near-granite-shoals-airfield/

 

That doesn't look anything like a Deathmobile.

[Chad Fuck 17777]

“Weight shift control” is a long way of saying “death trap.”

[Telegraph_it 3359]

She has arrived. Now it’s off to get all new Garmin avionics. Then new interior. And finally new paint. Should be all done by October. 
 

[shadow_operative2.0 16028]

All that sounds rather pricey. 

[Telegraph_it 3359]

1 hour ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

All that sounds rather pricey. 

It is but it also adds value and it’s a write off or something. 
 

The real pricey stuff was completed before purchase. The  plane was overhauled so the clock is back at zero. 

[Your Mom 4852]

You may have already talked about it upthread but what’s your pilot situation on that?  Got some young guy building time?  Older retired guy?  Airlines are snapping up anyone with a pulse, can’t be easy to find someone right now I’d think. Or did I miss it and you fly it?

[castolon 193]

Should be all done by October. 

Lol. Good luck.

Sweet ride though.

[Telegraph_it 3359]

6 minutes ago, Your Mom said:

You may have already talked about it upthread but what’s your pilot situation on that?  Got some young guy building time?  Older retired guy?  Airlines are snapping up anyone with a pulse, can’t be easy to find someone right now I’d think. Or did I miss it and you fly it?

The two partners in the plane are CFIs in retirement and I can fly. 

[NoRagrets 1125]

On 5/31/2022 at 3:01 AM, RPM said:

That doesn't look anything like a Deathmobile.

I think I’ve seen that guy flying over lake LBJ several times.

[Brew 3049]

On 5/31/2022 at 6:24 AM, Telegraph_it said:

She has arrived. Now it’s off to get all new Garmin avionics. Then new interior. And finally new paint. Should be all done by October. 
 

Nice ride, we finally picked up our C90 with the Blackhawk upgrade. Flew it for the first time this week. It is a significant upgrade over the Baron in size and speed. Getting the interior done in September and avionics in the spring. We have a back log of trips we have to get out of the way first with us being without a plane for a few months.

[Brew 3049]

3 hours ago, Your Mom said:

You may have already talked about it upthread but what’s your pilot situation on that?  Got some young guy building time?  Older retired guy?  Airlines are snapping up anyone with a pulse, can’t be easy to find someone right now I’d think. Or did I miss it and you fly it?

Management company we use has a number of pilots on staff that are either retired or under the minimum hour requirement for commercial airlines. They fly with these guys for a few years and then move up to commercial at some point. They fly when they want to and also live pretty well during that period. Most of the guys they manage for really take care of the pilots.

[RPM 26354]

This just flew past the house about 5K. Sounded awesome.

[Armybrat 40911]

An A26?

[RPM 26354]

55 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

An A26?

Yep. Heard it fly over and went wtf? Checked Flightradar24 and bingo!, passed about a mile east of my house. Never laid eyes on it but it sounded sweet. 

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/n4988n/#2c1e9682

[TexPx 2324]

Lady Liberty at the OK. Chickasha airshow last weekend.

[davidg 4038]

For you guys that like flight tracks, here's a story of what looks to be a joint AF/Navy exercise off the coast of Baja a few days ago that needed a bunch of tanker helping out ...

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/mysterious-exercise-off-baja-brought-nellis-afb-uss-nimitz-aircraft-together?fbclid=IwAR20v2yInXZ60Ml2t14djpmy2ShWza7_VJPzh4FsULSpbV7REBTNE_p_1-I

 

 

 

[Bobby_Batronic 1994]

6 hours ago, davidg said:

For you guys that like flight tracks, here's a story of what looks to be a joint AF/Navy exercise off the coast of Baja a few days ago that needed a bunch of tanker helping out ...

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/mysterious-exercise-off-baja-brought-nellis-afb-uss-nimitz-aircraft-together?fbclid=IwAR20v2yInXZ60Ml2t14djpmy2ShWza7_VJPzh4FsULSpbV7REBTNE_p_1-I

 

 

 

Coming up from Cabo they were pointing out flights of F35’s left and right. Maybe a part of this. 

[RPM 26354]

When I was a wee RPM I used to watch training squadrons of helos from Fort Wolters fly over day and night. There was an old Desilu show called Whirlybirds that I became hooked on. Lo and behold one of the 2 Bell 47's used on the show still survives and flies! N2838B She's been renamed "Lucy" after Lucille Ball and is owned by a Wisconsin radio station. Currently under overhaul.

 

[Armybrat 40911]

I watched that show every week.

[Gil Bang 26020]

On 5/10/2022 at 9:31 PM, Bobby_Batronic said:

There was one we used to see in Aspen and a few other places. The owner had two. One operable and the other for parts. 

When I was in college, I worked for a grading outfit.  We had 1 operable WABCO scraper, and 2 for parts.

On 6/9/2022 at 1:06 PM, davidg said:

For you guys that like flight tracks, here's a story of what looks to be a joint AF/Navy exercise off the coast of Baja a few days ago that needed a bunch of tanker helping out ...

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/mysterious-exercise-off-baja-brought-nellis-afb-uss-nimitz-aircraft-together?fbclid=IwAR20v2yInXZ60Ml2t14djpmy2ShWza7_VJPzh4FsULSpbV7REBTNE_p_1-I

 

 

 

I occasionally drive past March ARB.  Not too long ago, I saw a big fucker take off with the Omega symbol on the tail, which I googled when I got home.  I had no idea that private contractors did refueling missions. 

 

[Bobby_Batronic 1994]

10 hours ago, Gil Bang said:

When I was in college, I worked for a grading outfit.  We had 1 operable WABCO scraper, and 2 for parts.

I occasionally drive past March ARB.  Not too long ago, I saw a big fucker take off with the Omega symbol on the tail, which I googled when I got home.  I had no idea that private contractors did refueling missions. 

 

Airborne refueling is a big need and the tanker fleet is/was getting overtaxed and long in the tooth. Which is why the Boeing tanker kerfluffle has been such a thing, and why I think the Air Force is looking at other options. 
 

Also, I was corrected about the Starship. Apparently the one owner bought up all remaining airframes and parts them out for two operable planes.