So I am on a quest to find aviation enthusiasts on totse.

Greasy mechanical things. Fixing your car/plane?, swapping out engines, buying tools, and getting maximum horsepower.

anyway, I solo'd for the first time yesterday! In a Cessna 152 N94469 out of Long Beach airport. It was wicked, the thing climbs way better with only one person in the plane. It's kind of a weird feeling being in a plane all by yourself just looking around, compared to a car. In a car you have brakes if something awful were to happen hit the brakes and you can sort it out, or pull over, but in a plane when your by yourself you know that there's no one else to help you if fuck up. I tried to explain that to a couple people and they just said "Don't fuck up" which really isn't the point it's just kind a weird, but cool feeling, maybe other pilots can relate? With better story telling abillities? :cool:

I have 23 hours and I'm gonna go for my check ride on my 17th birthday in about 6 weeks.

any other pilots?



Today 152!: http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p156/Dorito_125/IMG_0173.jpg

Tomorrow 22!: http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p156/Dorito_125/F-22F119.jpg

I have logged a few hours with an instructor in a 172 a few years ago, but cars and life have sucked enough money that I haven't done anything since then. After I buy a house in about 2 years I'll be going for my sport license and maybe buy an AMD Zodiac or something similar.

Yeah, I'm not that rich.

Fuck yeah man. That's sick.

I stick to motorcycles because I'm too poor for that shit, and fuck building an ultralight. Hang-gliding is starting to look very tempting though

hey boss.

You aren't alone. Done spins and stalls yet?

Here's some pictures of me.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff26/freerider250/DSC00242.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff26/freerider250/DSC00226.jpg

Private w/ night and multi rating. Commercial before 2009. Instructor by Feb 2009. God willing.

Multi-IFR, aerobatic, tail, sea, ski in the future.

I WISH I had a plane to screw around on.

DTP: That's awesome I'd really encourage you to get back into it when you can it gets really quite fun. I know what you mean, I have a BMW 540i and every spare penny I don't have goes into that thing, wheel bushings, coolant pump, radiator, instrument cluster, intake manifold vacuum hose (+shipping from Germany on that one) the list goes on. Thankfully my dad's helping me with the flying lessons. ah, there's nothing like doing your first stalls and ending up sideways :D

Rocko: I've wanted to fly my entire life. My dad was a Jet mechanic in the Air Force so I grew up around planes. I've always wanted to be a pilot in the Air Force and there is nothing that will stop me. If you want to fly there are ways out there. There is student pilot financing, you could join the Air Force, they'll pay for your training. It's all relevant to how motivated you are, if you want to fly, there are ways out there.

Intervenous: oh yes, when you finish building your hang glider I'll toss you a rope and give a tow up to 5,000 ft, but not until we buzz the tower ;)

Mr.Smith: I've done stalls but no spins yet, spin training after my solo flight... =O
SPIN TRAINING!! ...:cool: yeah I'll be doing that on weds. My instructor, Paul, told me this really funny story about another of his students. The story goes they were out and about flying about 3,500 practicing stalls. Gilbert, his student, had been flying for a bit and knew how to do stalls and recover. So he pulls power to idle and pitches up to maintain altitude, hits 50 KIAS, carb heat off, full throttle pitches way up to induce the stall and the left wing dips just a little bit, the stall horn was screaming, he corrects with a bit of right aileron and WOOOoooo the left wing stalls like a sumabitch. Gilbert frantically says "You have control, you have control!" Paul, with his arms crossed "Ohhhhhh no I don't! you got us into this mess" *waits a second or two* "Okay carb heat on throttle to idle neutralize the ailerons and use right rudder." I crack up every time I hear that story. I just imagine them sideways nearly in a spin one guy with his arms crossed, and the other one shitting his pants.

YTM: Excuse me for being uneducated but you can get a private w/o night? I thought it required night flying time and when you got it, Your certified to fly at night. That's awesome!
I know where I'm coming with all my theory/weather/Other generally hard questions.

Best of luck! Rubber side down! ;)

YTM: Excuse me for being uneducated but you can get a private w/o night? I thought it required night flying time and when you got it, Your certified to fly at night. That's awesome!
I know where I'm coming with all my theory/weather/Other generally hard questions.

Best of luck! Rubber side down! ;)

It's different in Canada. Need private before night rating, or any other ratings for that matter. But that took me a week. It's 10 hours in total, 5 of them solo doing circuits.

I remember my first solo, I came down from a circuit with my instructor. He told me to taxi back onto the apron. Halfway down, right on a taxi way, he told me to brake the plane, opened the door, got out, and told me I'm on my own. Totally fucking unexpected.

Are you planning on making a career out of this?

Solo at 23 hours isn't all that bad. I had close to 50 before I did mine.

It's different in Canada. Need private before night rating, or any other ratings for that matter. But that took me a week. It's 10 hours in total, 5 of them solo doing circuits.

I remember my first solo, I came down from a circuit with my instructor. He told me to taxi back onto the apron. Halfway down, right on a taxi way, he told me to brake the plane, opened the door, got out, and told me I'm on my own. Totally fucking unexpected.

Are you planning on making a career out of this?

Solo at 23 hours isn't all that bad. I had close to 50 before I did mine.


Never trust an instructor! Every time you look away there pulling the throttle out or sabotaging you lol. Mine did a similar thing to me, we landed and did a full stop got clear of the runway and then told me to taxi to Aeroplex (Place right next to the threshold on the runway we normally use) hopped out of the plane and said "Have fun!"
Yes, I'm going to join the Air Force and be a pilot. I'm trying to get into the Air Force Academy here state side, but if I don't get in gonna go to a normal 4-year university and do ROTC (Reserve officers training corps) and they'll pay for my college and then I owe them at least 4 years. Then flight training, and If I make top of my class then I get my choice of, Test, bomber, cargo, fighter pilot. Fighter pilots have to continue on and do more training before they get there wings.

Be a test pilot.

Be a test pilot.
ehhh.. With the economy the way it is, and a democrat coming into office being so deomcraty. I just don't see a lot of R&D any time soon. On the up side I might get hauled to Area 51 with a blind fold and live out my days flying who knows what and where, a ship that flys into the water. ;)

I'd rather blow shit up. :p

but if it makes you feel better I'll be a test pilot. In my f-22 :D

Lucky bastard. I was looking into flying as a career until I found out that it is as prohibitively expensive to become a commercial pilot as it is to go to a good-ass college for 4 years. I considered air force because I wanted to become a fighter pilot that badly BUT considering I am nearsighted.... that's an automatic DQ. I believe it also makes it difficult for me to get a commercial license unless I get LASIK or something. It quite pisses me off because I can't see anything I'd rather do than fly a fucking crazy ass jet, and I have really good spatial coordination so I feel that I would be damn good.... that's life I guess. I plan to get a basic license and some endorsements eventually though.

Good to know that there a few pilots/aviation lovers that read this forum. I got my drivers license for airplanes back in 1976... learned on brand new 150 that I rented for $12.00 per hour plus fuel. Ahhh, the "good old days"!

As soon as I got my ticket, I got checke out in the 172 and a good number of years later the 182. I bought a 182-G in 1989 and put the better part of 1,000 hours on it, doing almost all of the maintainence on it myself. Wound up selling it in 1998 for a few hundred more than I paid.

In addition to routine maint (tires, brakes, tune-up & oil change), I made a few modifications: STC's for auto fuel, exhaust extension, oil sep for the vac pump, conversion from generator to alternator, and stuff like that. Also did a lot of avionics work and intalled a tricked-out intercom system that I designed and built myself.

Yeah, the O-470 is a lot like a VW bug engine, but tune-ups take 12 plugs, and an oil change is 12 quarts!

More to the thread title: My primary instructor was a rather stout fellow, and when I took off for my first solo I thought I had a rocket tied to my ass. Turns out that every time I flew with both of us in the plane we were a good bit over gross weight.

citizenuzi: The Air Force will accept you up to 20-50 vision as long as it is corrected to 20-20 with glasses/contacts. Do not get lasik if you don't have to, that is an auto Disqualification. You have to have a very strong heart, no high blood pressure, do to high G-forces. Thats only if your still interested.
Good luck any way you go!

phmeworp: =O..... =O

You have GOT to be shitting me?!?!

12.00 bucks an hr for a NEW 152?
AH!!! The good ole days is right!
I pay 88 bucks an hr for a 1981 C152 II. plus 50 bucks an hr for the instructor.

Looks like you did things right my friend..

Had a plane that gave you a 1000 hrs flight time and still made money when you sold it.
Our 152's have 8 plus, each cylinder has two, mags left and right. I assume thats the same as your 182-G yeah?
Our's has a max of 6 quarts. but in reality it likes 5 1/2 any more than that and it comes out the breather tube. we've probably dropped a fair amount of oil into the pacific ocean. I fly in the Long Beach practice area, its a about 10 square miles between long beach and catalina island. We have to fly in the top quart so when it falls below 5 we have to throw a whole one in, which it then decides to cough up, pretty silly honestly.

Full tanks me and my instructor we are 20lbs from max takeoff weight! :p
When I did my solo I was climbing at 750ft plus a min. when It usually climbs as 500. It was a kick because I make my cross wind turn at 700ft msl. and I got there in a blink of an eye. and I think a couple jatos wouldn't be a bad addition to the 152, maybe we'll call it the 152 III. ;)

All this airplane talk makes me want to go fly! ah!

oh, question whats the difference between a alternator and a generator? One is engine powered and the other one has it's own engine? *scratches head*

citizenuzi: The Air Force will accept you up to 20-50 vision as long as it is corrected to 20-20 with glasses/contacts. Do not get lasik if you don't have to, that is an auto Disqualification....

I don't think that's right.
I remember when 20/20 was minimum for AF pilots.
20/40 for navigators.
Lasik surgery is creating a plethora of 20/20 capable pilot candidates now.

I don't think that's right.
I remember when 20/20 was minimum for AF pilots.
20/40 for navigators.
Lasik surgery is creating a plethora of 20/20 capable pilot candidates now.

I tried to source my info but http:www.airforce.com just changed there site and I wasn't able to find it. I'm going to bed now but I'll see if I can't find that damn page tmrw. It has all the Physical and mental Req's on there.

Fuck you dorito, and phmeworp.

I pay $150 per hour :(

lol lucky pricks.

Eh? Last I heard it was $400 an hour for a twin engine.

http://www.fciwa.com/aircraft.html

I've sat in one(the nanchang) before. It's got fuck all leg room for me(6'1). Apparently they have to get overhauled every 100 hours or so, which would explain the ~$1000/hour cost.

They used to have a p-51 Mustang, which they sold to the eastern states(in aus). They also had an albatross(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aero_L-39_Albatros) but im not sure whether they still have it or not.

I know a bit on planes, only flown a few, and havent got to fly by myself or with an instructor. I prefer to design planes, etc for RC, but i never get around to starting or finishing them :p

One day...

Eh? Last I heard it was $400 an hour for a twin engine.

single engine cessna or piper bro.

oh, question whats the difference between a alternator and a generator? One is engine powered and the other one has it's own engine? *scratches head*

AFAIK (not sure if it has a different meaning in aviation) an alternator puts out AC current directly without any brushes handling the main power, which then has to be rectified, and a generator puts out DC current through a commutator ring ..

^^^ This.

Same thing, whether it is for a multi-engine aircraft or a riding mower! The main difference is that anytime you do anything to modify an airplane from it's original factory configuration, you have to have a STC (supplemental type certificate) for it to be deemed airworthy.

Interesting (if not funny) about the auto-gas modification. This required modifications and STC to both the engine and the airframe: the engine mod was installing a clamp around the oil filler tube with the STC info inscribed on it; the airframe mod was applying a placard (sticker) next to both fuel caps with the STC # and "Approved for Leaded or Unleaded Automotive fuel (At least 85 octane)".

Regarding the cost of rental aircraft (and it was a 150, the 152 was not out yet), remember that this was back in the mid 70's when making anything over $10k per year was pretty decent pay, even for an electronics engineer.

HLC: http://www.airforce.com/contact-us/faq/eligibility/




Distant visual acuity to be not more than 20/70 each eye correctable to 20/20
Meet refraction, accommodation and astigmatism requirements
Corrective eye surgery could be a disqualifier
Have no history of hay fever, asthma or allergies after age 12
Meet Air Force weight and physical conditioning requirements
Have standing height of 64–77 inches and sitting height of 34–40 inches



Mr.Smith: $150 an hr for what kind of plane?

Comrade Ash: I think the most expensive plane our club offers is the seminole.
http://www.aviation-news.co.uk/media/atlanticD6.jpg at right about $200/hr

Scovenger: I see, I remember learning about the electronics system in out aircraft, it has an alternator and that it has to have a capacitor to lower the amount of surging.

phmeworp: That's only if you want to be legal. ;) A buddy of mine has a cessna 421 its the twin engine, man that things hauls ass, and also burns 50 gallons an hr. *gulp* anyways, he put a auxially connector into his dash so he could play his ipod. Which I vividly remember reading in my FAR/AIM is a direct violation of regulation. Does it cost money for the STC's?

Wolfy_9005: Hot damn! :eek: 6.5 G's!
sign me up! that is a sweet plane.
Out here on the West coast (US) you can get a ride in p-51 but it's so outrageously expensive, it's one of those things, if you have to ask how much it is, you can't afford it.

My vision is -3.5 and I'm pretty sure that's worse than 20/50, in fact I'm almost positive it is.

My buddy is in the air force and he says it wasn't really the best move on his part, but again if I *knew* I would be flying jets (or even some other cool types of planes) I would seriously consider it.

Dorito:

I'm surprised the standards have dropped so much.
I guess one's ability to focus on a video screen is more important these days, versus finding the enemy in the sky.

Dorito:

I'm surprised the standards have dropped so much.
I guess one's ability to focus on a video screen is more important these days, versus finding the enemy in the sky.

That is for CSO's ie. Pilots http://tinyurl.com/5bazx3

EDIT: you were right btw. Pilot's also have to have 20/20 near vision uncorrected I just called to ask.

DORITO mate, give me some seminole trivia.

I'm getting a ride in one in a couple of weeks.

HLC: http://www.airforce.com/contact-us/faq/eligibility/



Mr.Smith: $150 an hr for what kind of plane?

Comrade Ash: I think the most expensive plane our club offers is the seminole.
http://www.aviation-news.co.uk/media/atlanticD6.jpg at right about $200/hr

Scovenger: I see, I remember learning about the electronics system in out aircraft, it has an alternator and that it has to have a capacitor to lower the amount of surging.

phmeworp: That's only if you want to be legal. ;) A buddy of mine has a cessna 421 its the twin engine, man that things hauls ass, and also burns 50 gallons an hr. *gulp* anyways, he put a auxially connector into his dash so he could play his ipod. Which I vividly remember reading in my FAR/AIM is a direct violation of regulation. Does it cost money for the STC's?

Wolfy_9005: Hot damn! :eek: 6.5 G's!
sign me up! that is a sweet plane.
Out here on the West coast (US) you can get a ride in p-51 but it's so outrageously expensive, it's one of those things, if you have to ask how much it is, you can't afford it.

cessna 200 series i think.

it's a pretty average price for around here

DORITO mate, give me some seminole trivia.

I'm getting a ride in one in a couple of weeks.

Comerade Ash: I just took my check ride about two weeks ago so I'll list some of the questions that he asked me.

Questions you should know the answer to:

How many volts is the electrical system?

How many quarts can each engine hold?

What is maximum RPM?

What is manifold pressure?

Where can you find your aircraft directives?

When should you do a go around?

When do you lean the engines and why?

What is the EGT for?

Is your plane fitted with an alternate static port?

What is the minimum allowable amount of oil in the engine for operation?

Are the propellers variable pitch?

How many blades on the propeller?

What is Vx Vy Vne? etc. other Velocities

What is maximum take off weight?

What is useful load?

What is it on your aircraft?

What does the Basic Empty Weight include?

What is the BEW of you aircraft?

What is the Glide velocity?

Explain Procedures in your aircraft that you do:
I.e. Power on/off stalls chandelle turns, slides, slips, anything else you do when you go up.




Provide a thorough explanation of each of the following systems:

Fuel

Electrical

Flight Controls (i.e. hydraulic, pulley explain how you control the aircraft)


tip: The alternator must be capable to power all systems and electrical equipment on simultaneously. (FAR, I forget which one)

I'll get my hands on the POH so I can see what the answers are.
Trivia:

When was the first seminole manefactured?

Where was it manefactured?

where was it flown?

How many have been sold?

Is it certified for Spins/stalls?

How fast can flying a seminole empty your wallet?

Alright I'm just thinking of stupid shit now. haha.

Mr.Smith: Oh okay, you know that's actually more reasonable considering a 207 burns 16 gallons an hr, gasoline is not as big of factor right this second but gas prices are inevitably gonna go back up. That thing has a monster continental engine in it, I believe its almost 9 liters. I think they look a but funky, almost dorky they put the wings so far back and engine sticks out. It makes me laugh.
Do they offer smaller aircraft where you fly?

Comerade Ash: I just took my check ride about two weeks ago so I'll list some of the questions that he asked me.

Questions you should know the answer to:

How many volts is the electrical system?

How many quarts can each engine hold?

What is maximum RPM?

What is manifold pressure?

Where can you find your aircraft directives?

When should you do a go around?

When do you lean the engines and why?

What is the EGT for?

Is your plane fitted with an alternate static port?

What is the minimum allowable amount of oil in the engine for operation?

Are the propellers variable pitch?

How many blades on the propeller?

What is Vx Vy Vne? etc. other Velocities

What is maximum take off weight?

What is useful load?

What is it on your aircraft?

What does the Basic Empty Weight include?

What is the BEW of you aircraft?

What is the Glide velocity?

Explain Procedures in your aircraft that you do:
I.e. Power on/off stalls chandelle turns, slides, slips, anything else you do when you go up.




Provide a thorough explanation of each of the following systems:

Fuel

Electrical

Flight Controls (i.e. hydraulic, pulley explain how you control the aircraft)


tip: The alternator must be capable to power all systems and electrical equipment on simultaneously. (FAR, I forget which one)

I'll get my hands on the POH so I can see what the answers are.
Trivia:

When was the first seminole manefactured?

Where was it manefactured?

where was it flown?

How many have been sold?

Is it certified for Spins/stalls?

How fast can flying a seminole empty your wallet?

Alright I'm just thinking of stupid shit now. haha.

Mr.Smith: Oh okay, you know that's actually more reasonable considering a 207 burns 16 gallons an hr, gasoline is not as big of factor right this second but gas prices are inevitably gonna go back up. That thing has a monster continental engine in it, I believe its almost 9 liters. I think they look a but funky, almost dorky they put the wings so far back and engine sticks out. It makes me laugh.
Do they offer smaller aircraft where you fly?

Yeah but i get bored.

I have flown twin otters before, that would be the largest.

So I flew IFR for the first time the other day, I was going to go to another local uncontrolled airport and do some more solo work but the some T-storms rolled in.

So there we were sitting in the plane aside taxiway Foxtrot looking at this huge cloud rolling in, so my instructor goes and gets his approach plates for the ILS approach here at Long Beach. We go up and are originally told 3,000 ft, but as we pass 1,600 (the cloud base) we're told to stay there because descending traffic. It was SO fucking awesome, there were canyons in the cloud and we were following the walls of the canyon popping in and out of these clouds. Making huge banked turns, it reminded me of something from star wars. He also taught me quickly how to do a T-scan always going back to the attitude indicator, it dosent matter how much you try to focus on the insturments in VFR, you can still see outside and see that big blue is on the under side and the sky is on the upside. A couple time's going through some big clouds I would go in at a 20 degree bank turn, and come out 30 the other side. Not realizing that I had moved at all. The thing that tripped me out the most was being in a cloud and then told to make our heading 300, so I make my left hand turn dial it in on the turn coordinator and then pop out the other side, you body still feels like it should be straight up and down but ALAS, it is not! I would say it's the most fun I've had flying to date.

Amazing.