# The Great Ongoing Aviation Thread (general and other) (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 23, 2011, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499 "2011-10-23T02:17:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 20
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/381 "2014-08-05T07:05:41Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > **usetobe** , who or what is your post referring to? Yup - Zenith - the low-wing design started small and grew, and grew. The spar did not. The NTSB letter to FAA started with something like “that spar, which never was much, was loaded far in excess of its capacity with the 6xx model”. The FAA immediately grounded the factory-built units, and, somehow, got the Experimental’s grounded as well. The high-wing STOL design was not affected, but the way they handled that leaves me unwilling to recommend them for anything - including time-of-day. I have now seen 2 pics - both aviation-related, which made me think “Can’t be - must be camera angle or wrong lens used” One was the gas bag in the fake “kid is in a runaway blimp!” stunt. I have seen a 1 (maybe 2) person blimp - that gas bag couldn’t carry my cat. The other was Zenith’s shot of “riveting the spar” - naw, the spar can’t be that flimsy for a 1000+ lb plane. It was that skinny. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/382 "2014-08-05T07:16:03Z")
It was directed at the poster who speculated on a cheap(ish) replacement for the 150/152. A Glastar looks much like an updated C-152 - but with much better performance. And another selling point: can be converted between tricycle and taildragger in a few hours - the gear attach hardware for both is welded onto the tube cage. And it has floats available (or did) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/383 "2014-08-05T16:50:51Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > A Glastar looks much like an updated C-152 - but with much better performance. The airframe kit costs $53,000 – and then you have to buy the engine and prop. The ‘two weeks to taxi’ kit – which you can build in Glasair’s (local to me) facility – costs $190,000 but includes an engine. (You can upgrade that to Diesel for another $90,000.) Sp the choices are to spend $53,000 for the kit, $15,000 to… what? $40,000 for a used or new Lycoming O-360, and then spend a very long time building it; or spend close to $200,000 and build the kit in two weeks. Or spend $50,000 for a Cessna 150 with new paint, newly-overhauled engine, and maybe a Garmin 430; or around $200,000 for a late-model Cessna 172SP. Kits are great, providing performance you can’t get in the same package that manufacturers offer. But you still pay for performance, and there are time and construction space issues. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/384 "2014-08-05T23:36:08Z")
[Getting out of aviation to smoke marijuana](http://www.ebay.com/itm/1973-Piper-Cherokee-A-P-and-Professional-Pilot-Owned-/111428269990) This is an eBay ad for a Piper Cherokee. Here’s what he writes: > [@](#): > > \*\*My Story > > Getting out of aviation to smoke Marijuana and to water flowers at home depot! \*\* > > Selling our loved Piper Cherokee because of my failure to find a flying job that pays over 30K a year. With over 100K in school loans and for my step son’s lawyer fees I am now forced to sell our Cherokee. Apparently a high time MU-2 pilot with over 9,000 hours of accident, incident and violation fee hours is not good enough to land a decent paying flying job here in Nebraska! > > My wife and I purchased this airplane with the intent of teaching her son how to fly and to make something out of himself, but he has no interest. He must have a high IQ! Good for him! Now get this… he is 21 years old, won’t go to college or trade school to better himself, smokes pot from a bong every single night, gets a girl pregnant with TWINS from a drunken night of sex and makes more money watering flowers at Home Depot and working part time in a warehouse driving a forklift than I do as a charter pilot flying three different airplanes. Aviation! Where do I sign up? ROLMFAO!!! > > At 47 years of age I have decided to abandon my dreams of flying and do what my step son is doing. I am going to get the fuck out of aviation and work along side him at Home Depot watering flowers, invest heavily into marijuana and smoke my brains out while drinking wild turkey every night. I’m very serious about this! I should have done this years ago! I got to give him credit, he does keep his room spotless! > > So if you are interested in a very nice Cherokee that will give you many years of enjoyment this is your opportunity to help me out so I can fund my new life as a pot head which apparently has a better future than a professional pilot. > > **About me** > > Having been raised in a modest household, I have always been taught by my folks about honesty and integrity. From a very young age I have always wanted to fly airplanes and to make a good living doing it. I attended Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa achieving all my ratings. From there I gained employment flying right seat in the MU-2 where I gained valuable multi-engine experience flying with some of the best freight haulers in the business. After being laid off, I went from a few other employers until I landed in Omaha Nebraska where I became chief pilot for a company making excellent money. I felt I achieved my goals and my career was on track. Then 2008 hit! The first thing they did was shitcan my ass, keep the copilot on for lesser money. I lost my house, my truck, my Cessna, my credit and my dignity all in one year. Talk about being kicked in the ovaries! I haven’t recovered since. > > I have an; > > Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) > > Certified Flight Instructor (CFI, CFII, MEI and AGI) > > Airframe and Power Plant Mechanic (A&P) > > No accidents, Incidents or Violations > > Never been arrested or failed a drug test > > I don’t do drugs as of this posting > > 9,000 hours TT PIC > > 6,500 hours Twin Turbine MU-2 > > So if you know someone who is hiring and needs an experienced pilot who wants to work let me know soon before I start my new life as a pot head because once I hang up my wings I am not turning back! Can’t say I approve of his new ambition, but it was a fun ad to read. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/385 "2014-08-06T02:10:22Z")
There’s a documentary called [_Rightfooted:_](http://www.rightfootedmovie.com) about the first armless pilot. [Jessica Cox](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Cox) was born without arms, and she earned her Light Sport certificate in 2008. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/386 "2014-08-08T01:22:49Z")
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is offering a free online course called [Aviation 101](http://goto.erau.edu/aviation101/index.html). It comprises the following nine video sessions: [ul][li]Aircraft Systems[/li][li]Aerodynamics[/li][li]Flight Instruments[/li][li]Airports[/li][li]Airspace[/li][li]Radio Communication & ATC[/li][li]Aeromedical[/li][li]Aviation Weather[/li][li]Performance and Navigation[/ul][/li][AVweb says](http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Embry-Riddle-Offers-Free-Aviation-101-Course222555-1.html): > [@](#): > > For high-school and middle-school students, or anyone who dreams of becoming a pilot, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is now offering a free online course, Aviation 101. Twelve video lessons give students an introduction to the industry, with topics including aircraft systems, aerodynamics, flight instruments, airports, airspace, air traffic control, aeromedical factors, aviation weather, performance, navigation and more. Students who complete the course and later enroll at ERAU could be eligible for one hour of course credit. Students can take the course at their own pace. AVweb says 12 lessons, and ERAU says nine. I don’t know why there is a discrepancy. I know there are non-pilots reading this thread, and this might be a good introduction for them. Heck, it might be a good refresher for us lapsed pilots. I may check it out myself. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/387 "2014-08-08T15:37:00Z")
I learned to fly in C-152s and Aerobats and loved them. If I were to buy one I’d get the taildragger conversion as it gives you a little more pep. I always compared them to a small british sports car vice the 172 which felt like flying the family sedan. I really wish I had kept it up because I miss that feeling. Another option if you have room,space, time, etc would be [Velocity](http://www.velocityaircraft.com/the-airplanes.html), I love these things! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/388 "2014-08-08T17:56:38Z")
Just got back from renewing my 3rd Class Medical. Apparently, I’m not going to keel over and die. Interestingly, my last Medical stipulates I must wear corrective lenses for distance, and possess corrective lenses for near vision. This time, I only need to possess reading glasses for near/intermediate vision. There is no requirement to wear glasses for far vision. I’ve noticed my far vision seems to have been getting better. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/389 "2014-08-08T18:18:47Z")
The FAA has promised a decision by year-end on eliminating the 3rd class for most private pilot flying. I do hope never to have to get another one. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/390 "2014-08-08T18:36:56Z")
I don’t mind it. Generally, I avoid going to doctors. (They might find something wrong.) But it’s good to know I’m healthy enough. I’d like to go for my Commercial license eventually, so I’ll have to get the 2nd Class then. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/391 "2014-08-08T18:48:48Z")
You don’t need a second class medical to \*get \*a Commercial license, only to fly commercially with it. If you stay within Private or Sport restrictions when you fly, you’re fine without one. I know what you mean about finding something, though. I got my initial diabetes diagnosis in my Student Pilot physical. I soloed pretty late in the curriculum waiting to qualify for a Special Issuance - I could almost have scheduled the test the next day. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/392 "2014-08-10T20:21:17Z")
When we woke up this morning, by buddy M had a pristine log book. No more! I crewed & helped him log Hour One on his brand new Kubicek envelope. I’ve never done a maiden flight before. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2014, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/393 "2014-08-11T18:21:17Z")
You’ll never be the same! I hope there wasn’t much pain or discomfort. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2014, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/394 "2014-08-11T18:24:17Z")
(… quick Googling … ) Ah, okay, a balloon! Sounds like a blast. I have to try that sometime. It does look fun. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/395 "2014-08-13T22:19:13Z")
Well… I’ve called the FBO and scheduled an airplane for 14:30 on Sunday. My instructor, who doesn’t actually work for the FBO apparently, will be the guy who presented the Rusty Pilots seminar. We’ll be going up in a Piper PA-28-140; probably the 150 hp '69, though if it isn’t available we’ll take the 180 hp '72. The '62 Cessna Skyhawk is having its engine rebuilt. I have exactly two flights as a pilot in a PA-28. The airplane was a PA-28-235 Dakota, and IIRC it was in 1988. SMO to FAT, and then FAT to SMO. So here’s the scene: 1. I have not acted as PIC since before I moved to Washington a decade ago. 2. My last years as PIC was in helicopters, not airplanes. 3. The last time I was at the controls of an airplane was three years ago. 4. Almost all of my fixed-wing time has been in Cessna 172s. 5. The only time I flew a Piper was one day a quarter of a century ago. So I’ll be getting used to flying again; demonstrating well enough that I’m not going to crash, that they’ll trust me to fly solo or with passengers; and doing it in an unfamiliar airplane. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2014, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/396 "2014-08-14T01:08:29Z")
Best of luck, and don’t make any JLA-shaped holes in the ground. It’s just a bad day all around when that happens. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2014, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/397 "2014-08-14T03:33:22Z")
The Cherokee 140 is an extremely easy plane to fly. Manual control of the flaps gives you a lot of instant control. I just got a new job after quite a few years of under-employment. there were a number of years where the only flight I made was to Oshkosh. It’s like riding a bicycle (off a cliff). You never forget. Just remember to pull up before you hit the ground. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2014, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/398 "2014-08-14T14:05:56Z")
I thought it was stick back, houses smaller; stick forward, houses bigger. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/399 "2014-08-14T17:32:44Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > The Cherokee 140 is an extremely easy plane to fly. Manual control of the flaps gives you a lot of instant control. > > I just got a new job after quite a few years of under-employment. there were a number of years where the only flight I made was to Oshkosh. It’s like riding a bicycle (off a cliff). You never forget. Just remember to pull up before you hit the ground. Oshkosh is one of my Wisconsin seasonal indicatos. I know it’s winter by the news stories of snowmobiles plunging through the too-thin ice of Wisconsin lakes, an I know it’s summer by all the news stories of small planes crashing going to or from Oshkosh. This year, though, I haven’t heard any Oshkosh crash stories, so I may need to change indicators. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/400 "2014-08-18T01:55:25Z")
Well… I didn’t frighten the instructor _too_ badly. When I got to the airport and was able to talk to him, I said I didn’t expect to complete the BFR today. It’s been three years since I’ve flown, it’s a new area to me, a new airport to me, it struck me that (virtually) all of my flying has been from controlled fields and this one isn’t, and it’s a new airplane. We went up and I got familiar with the Cherokee. It flies differently from a Cessna. Seemed to do OK though. The instructor said I was doing quite well for not having flown in years. We did steep turns, power-off stalls, power-on stalls, pattern work, etc. He said he didn’t see why the guy at Bellingham didn’t sign me off. We’ll go up again in a couple of weeks to finish up the BFR. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499.md?page=19) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499.md?page=21)