Do We Have Any Aviation Fanatics Here?
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Mike Hankey wrote:
I didn't fly them< I was transported to areas that I didn't want to be.
Ah, Okay. I misunderstood. Either way, I respect that you served regardless of what you did.
Thanks, at the time I didn't have much choice.
If you can't find time to do it right the first time, how are you going to find time to do it again? PartsBin an Electronics Part Organizer - Release Version 1.4.0 (Many new features) JaxCoder.com Latest Article: EventAggregator
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For about 8 years I worked for an airline company (in IT) and some of the flying stuff rubbed off me. Seems that somehow all my life I’ve been doing software related to things that move: planes, cars, boats, subs, you name it. :)
Mircea
In a previous life, I was an aircraft mechanic for an airline (veteran USAF mechanic). 3 of us were going to buy and share an older 4 seater. I signed up for lessons. First lesson, instructor is a no show. Figured: 1. Bad Omen. 2. As mistake-prone as I am, bad idea. Got married, had kids. End of flying career.
>64 It’s weird being the same age as old people. Live every day like it is your last; one day, it will be.
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I've seen several threads posted here related to aviation. I'm curious, do you have an interest in flight, like I do? From as far back as I can remember, I've been infatuated with anything that flies. My father worked at Boeing as an Aeronautical Engineer. If I had a nickel for every aviation question that I asked my dad, I could buy a corporate jet. We would go to the airport and watch planes all the time. If I was drawing a picture, it would be of a bird or an airplane. I had an obsession with birds. I had several bird books that I'd look through for hours. It was all so magical to me. In 2005 or so, I took my first flying lesson. I initially considered becoming an airline pilot, so I attended an airline training academy in case I chose to make it a career. I stopped short of getting my Airline Transport Pilot rating. I still love flying planes. The aircraft I enjoy flying the most is an ultralight. It's basically a hang-glider with an engine. I've heard that flying a glider is the best, but I haven't yet done that. I want to go hang-gliding, but it's super dangerous. I like jumping out of airplanes, but only with a parachute. That's also dangerous, but it's also so fun! :thumbsup: What about you? What do you think of aviation? Do you enjoy flying?
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I've seen several threads posted here related to aviation. I'm curious, do you have an interest in flight, like I do? From as far back as I can remember, I've been infatuated with anything that flies. My father worked at Boeing as an Aeronautical Engineer. If I had a nickel for every aviation question that I asked my dad, I could buy a corporate jet. We would go to the airport and watch planes all the time. If I was drawing a picture, it would be of a bird or an airplane. I had an obsession with birds. I had several bird books that I'd look through for hours. It was all so magical to me. In 2005 or so, I took my first flying lesson. I initially considered becoming an airline pilot, so I attended an airline training academy in case I chose to make it a career. I stopped short of getting my Airline Transport Pilot rating. I still love flying planes. The aircraft I enjoy flying the most is an ultralight. It's basically a hang-glider with an engine. I've heard that flying a glider is the best, but I haven't yet done that. I want to go hang-gliding, but it's super dangerous. I like jumping out of airplanes, but only with a parachute. That's also dangerous, but it's also so fun! :thumbsup: What about you? What do you think of aviation? Do you enjoy flying?
Some of my earliest memories are of my Grandfather taking my brother and I for ice cream near the Memphis airport so we could watch the planes takeoff and land. :) His love for aviation stemmed from over 20 years overseeing the maintenance shops at Warner Robins AFB, GA. Many years later, after his retirement, he would take us to the regional air shows. Great times! :) One of his favorite stories was about going down to a local garage owned by one of his friends. When he walked up, he saw two feet sticking out from under a Caddy. Assuming it was his friend the mechanic, he lightly kicked them to get his attention. 'Hey Red, it's Jack...' The guy rolled out, stuck out his hand and said 'Paul Tibbets. Nice to meet you Jack.'
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse "Hope is contagious"
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I've seen several threads posted here related to aviation. I'm curious, do you have an interest in flight, like I do? From as far back as I can remember, I've been infatuated with anything that flies. My father worked at Boeing as an Aeronautical Engineer. If I had a nickel for every aviation question that I asked my dad, I could buy a corporate jet. We would go to the airport and watch planes all the time. If I was drawing a picture, it would be of a bird or an airplane. I had an obsession with birds. I had several bird books that I'd look through for hours. It was all so magical to me. In 2005 or so, I took my first flying lesson. I initially considered becoming an airline pilot, so I attended an airline training academy in case I chose to make it a career. I stopped short of getting my Airline Transport Pilot rating. I still love flying planes. The aircraft I enjoy flying the most is an ultralight. It's basically a hang-glider with an engine. I've heard that flying a glider is the best, but I haven't yet done that. I want to go hang-gliding, but it's super dangerous. I like jumping out of airplanes, but only with a parachute. That's also dangerous, but it's also so fun! :thumbsup: What about you? What do you think of aviation? Do you enjoy flying?
I think I heard a comedian put it best... I love flying, but I'm the sort of person who forgets their car keys. This makes me the sort of person you don't want flying a plane. If I had way more disposable income/time I would near definitely try to get a license anyway though. I've thought about an ultra-light... Basically a go-cart with a parachute and a really huge fan. You can fly those here without licensure. I got into R/C flight back when batteries/electric were a fringe cutting edge thing and everything was still this sort of special diesel. The electric stuff is just way easier to deal with now and I'd guess more popular (have not done for awhile). A 1/6th scale B-52 with all the engines going on diesel is just an awesome thing to behold. The bigger draw for me there is maybe the overlap with history buffs and the folks into it tend to be much older. I tend to get on better with folks who have some years on me.
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To run flight sim you need a PC with a bit of grunt and a decent graphics card such as the Nvidia RTX series that supports multiple monitors. On a flight sim I was roped in to assist on the owner had built a cockpit simulation and with all the switches and controls hooked into a USB joystick interface with simple push in wire connectors for the necessary buttons, potentiometers, sensors, rotary encoders and switches. An excellent set-up but a lot of work and all enhanced with terrific sound card and speakers to add to the realism. I have just purchased a Meta Quest 3 to see what it is like on my son's sim, I reckon that will add an extra dimension to things.
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Here in the UK we have an aviation charity called Aerobility it's main intention is to get the disabled into the air and behind the controls of an aircraft. My wife and I do our best to put our twin adult disabled sons into the air with them once a month. One of the son's flies a Piper "PA-28 Warrior" and the other a "Grob109B" Touring Motor Glider. The lads have almost no functionallity in their hands and forearms so the instructors (amazing folks) assist but only where necessary. What an fantastic therapy, they land and life has been different for a while. The sparkle in their eyes says it all, muscular dystrophy and all the baggage that goes with it is forgotton about for that joyful hour. It is not as expensive as flying for the able bodied but still hurts the wallet but our philosophy is to make every day count, you can't take it with you!
Member 16128696 wrote:
aviation charity called Aerobility it's main intention is to get the disabled into the air and behind the controls of an aircraft.
I know of a girl who earned her pilot's license using only her feet. She was born without arms, but she does just fine. It's remarkable to watch her at the controls. I wonder, do we have a charity in the US like the one you mentioned?
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For a long time I wanted to learn to fly but for many reasons (lack of funds mainly) I never managed it. I did have a sample lesson for my 70th birthday, but again, I couldn't justify the expenditure to go further.
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I was a big fan of aviation in my teens up to my mid 30s. I did 3 static line parachute jumps in my teens and later a glider flight as well as started flying lessons stopping when it became obvious how expensive it would be to maintain a license. So I channeled my enthusiasm into hundreds of hours in flightsims, the 747 being my favourite aircraft to fly with the Kai Tak approach (PMDG 747). One of the first projects I set myself in .NET back in around 2006 was to write a voice recognition application so that I could give commands to a virtual co-pilot to lower the landing gear, flaps etc.
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
GuyThiebaut wrote:
747 being my favourite aircraft to fly with the Kai Tak approach (PMDG 747).
That would keep me busy for hours!
GuyThiebaut wrote:
One of the first projects I set myself in .NET back in around 2006 was to write a voice recognition application so that I could give commands to a virtual co-pilot to lower the landing gear, flaps etc.
How did the project go? Did you use machine learning? I've always wanted to be able to communicate with ATC verbally in flight sims. With all the progress in AI, that's now possible.
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GuyThiebaut wrote:
747 being my favourite aircraft to fly with the Kai Tak approach (PMDG 747).
That would keep me busy for hours!
GuyThiebaut wrote:
One of the first projects I set myself in .NET back in around 2006 was to write a voice recognition application so that I could give commands to a virtual co-pilot to lower the landing gear, flaps etc.
How did the project go? Did you use machine learning? I've always wanted to be able to communicate with ATC verbally in flight sims. With all the progress in AI, that's now possible.
The voice recognition app went really well with lots of extra stuff in it including the app speaking back confirming the command to be executed(the confirmation could be customised) and the ability to ask what the status of various systems was such as asking "Landing gear status?" and application speaking back "Landing gear is down." It was a while back but I didn't use AI, I used a standard .NET voice recognition and speech module which could be taught independently. You could also tie the mic to a button on the joystick for PTT, so that while the button was pressed the app would listen to the command being given - for extra geekiness I also got the app to beep with the Apollo beep after the PTT button was released. I should did it out again at some point although it was written in VB.NET(so I might consider rewriting it in C#) as I was very new to .NET at that point.
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
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Some of my earliest memories are of my Grandfather taking my brother and I for ice cream near the Memphis airport so we could watch the planes takeoff and land. :) His love for aviation stemmed from over 20 years overseeing the maintenance shops at Warner Robins AFB, GA. Many years later, after his retirement, he would take us to the regional air shows. Great times! :) One of his favorite stories was about going down to a local garage owned by one of his friends. When he walked up, he saw two feet sticking out from under a Caddy. Assuming it was his friend the mechanic, he lightly kicked them to get his attention. 'Hey Red, it's Jack...' The guy rolled out, stuck out his hand and said 'Paul Tibbets. Nice to meet you Jack.'
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse "Hope is contagious"
kmoorevs wrote:
One of his favorite stories was about going down to a local garage owned by one of his friends. When he walked up, he saw two feet sticking out from under a Caddy. Assuming it was his friend the mechanic, he lightly kicked them to get his attention. 'Hey Red, it's Jack...' The guy rolled out, stuck out his hand and said 'Paul Tibbets. Nice to meet you Jack.'
Seriously? That's a story I'd like to hear. How did your grandfather react upon meeting Paul Tibbets?
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I think I heard a comedian put it best... I love flying, but I'm the sort of person who forgets their car keys. This makes me the sort of person you don't want flying a plane. If I had way more disposable income/time I would near definitely try to get a license anyway though. I've thought about an ultra-light... Basically a go-cart with a parachute and a really huge fan. You can fly those here without licensure. I got into R/C flight back when batteries/electric were a fringe cutting edge thing and everything was still this sort of special diesel. The electric stuff is just way easier to deal with now and I'd guess more popular (have not done for awhile). A 1/6th scale B-52 with all the engines going on diesel is just an awesome thing to behold. The bigger draw for me there is maybe the overlap with history buffs and the folks into it tend to be much older. I tend to get on better with folks who have some years on me.
jochance wrote:
I've thought about an ultra-light... Basically a go-cart with a parachute and a really huge fan. You can fly those here without licensure.
Ultra-lights are my favorite aircraft to fly. It's more of a pure flying experience. You get the wind on your face, you don't need to use a radio, or a transponder. It's that freedom that I absolutely love. It's a lot like the experience of riding a motorcycle, whereas flying a single-engine Cessna is more akin to driving a car.
jochance wrote:
I got into R/C flight back when batteries/electric were a fringe cutting edge thing and everything was still this sort of special diesel. The electric stuff is just way easier to deal with now and I'd guess more popular (have not done for awhile). A 1/6th scale B-52 with all the engines going on diesel is just an awesome thing to behold.
That's something I'd like to see. I built a model glider once. The nail of the glider was "Gentle Lady". I really enjoyed the building process. It was simple. All you needed was a two-channel radio to control the vertical and horizontal stabilizers. Beyond that, it was about finding the thermals. You could fly it wherever you wanted to. Just choose a mountain. There is no need for dealing with gas engines or bulky batteries. 4 AA batteries were all that was needed to operate the two servos. The only sound you would hear is the wind flowing through the evergreen trees. It makes for great therapy, especially if you can't afford the therapist. :thumbsup:
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The voice recognition app went really well with lots of extra stuff in it including the app speaking back confirming the command to be executed(the confirmation could be customised) and the ability to ask what the status of various systems was such as asking "Landing gear status?" and application speaking back "Landing gear is down." It was a while back but I didn't use AI, I used a standard .NET voice recognition and speech module which could be taught independently. You could also tie the mic to a button on the joystick for PTT, so that while the button was pressed the app would listen to the command being given - for extra geekiness I also got the app to beep with the Apollo beep after the PTT button was released. I should did it out again at some point although it was written in VB.NET(so I might consider rewriting it in C#) as I was very new to .NET at that point.
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
GuyThiebaut wrote:
The voice recognition app went really well with lots of extra stuff in it including the app speaking back confirming the command to be executed(the confirmation could be customised) and the ability to ask what the status of various systems was such as asking "Landing gear status?" and application speaking back "Landing gear is down."
That is so cool. :)
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kmoorevs wrote:
One of his favorite stories was about going down to a local garage owned by one of his friends. When he walked up, he saw two feet sticking out from under a Caddy. Assuming it was his friend the mechanic, he lightly kicked them to get his attention. 'Hey Red, it's Jack...' The guy rolled out, stuck out his hand and said 'Paul Tibbets. Nice to meet you Jack.'
Seriously? That's a story I'd like to hear. How did your grandfather react upon meeting Paul Tibbets?
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jochance wrote:
I've thought about an ultra-light... Basically a go-cart with a parachute and a really huge fan. You can fly those here without licensure.
Ultra-lights are my favorite aircraft to fly. It's more of a pure flying experience. You get the wind on your face, you don't need to use a radio, or a transponder. It's that freedom that I absolutely love. It's a lot like the experience of riding a motorcycle, whereas flying a single-engine Cessna is more akin to driving a car.
jochance wrote:
I got into R/C flight back when batteries/electric were a fringe cutting edge thing and everything was still this sort of special diesel. The electric stuff is just way easier to deal with now and I'd guess more popular (have not done for awhile). A 1/6th scale B-52 with all the engines going on diesel is just an awesome thing to behold.
That's something I'd like to see. I built a model glider once. The nail of the glider was "Gentle Lady". I really enjoyed the building process. It was simple. All you needed was a two-channel radio to control the vertical and horizontal stabilizers. Beyond that, it was about finding the thermals. You could fly it wherever you wanted to. Just choose a mountain. There is no need for dealing with gas engines or bulky batteries. 4 AA batteries were all that was needed to operate the two servos. The only sound you would hear is the wind flowing through the evergreen trees. It makes for great therapy, especially if you can't afford the therapist. :thumbsup:
Sometime in my early teens, I got a little gas-powered plane that was controlled with strings. By the time it ran out of gas, I was so dizzy I couldn't stand! :laugh: Thank gawd it was held together with rubber bands! :) Earlier, you mentioned MS Flight Simulator. I've got a 2010 copy on my bookshelf, and a joystick controller, but haven't played it in over 10 years. My favorite was actually the glider training where the key was to find thermals/updrafts. Occasionally, I'll see hawks here flying circles effortlessly without flapping a wing, going higher and higher, and think about that game. I also have a Meta Quest that's been sitting dormant for over a year. Let us know how that goes.
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse "Hope is contagious"
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Steve Raw wrote:
Aviation Turbine Fuel Eau De Toilette, A Fragrance For Men, by Boeing.
With a lid that falls off. :)
Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows. -- 6079 Smith W.
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I've seen several threads posted here related to aviation. I'm curious, do you have an interest in flight, like I do? From as far back as I can remember, I've been infatuated with anything that flies. My father worked at Boeing as an Aeronautical Engineer. If I had a nickel for every aviation question that I asked my dad, I could buy a corporate jet. We would go to the airport and watch planes all the time. If I was drawing a picture, it would be of a bird or an airplane. I had an obsession with birds. I had several bird books that I'd look through for hours. It was all so magical to me. In 2005 or so, I took my first flying lesson. I initially considered becoming an airline pilot, so I attended an airline training academy in case I chose to make it a career. I stopped short of getting my Airline Transport Pilot rating. I still love flying planes. The aircraft I enjoy flying the most is an ultralight. It's basically a hang-glider with an engine. I've heard that flying a glider is the best, but I haven't yet done that. I want to go hang-gliding, but it's super dangerous. I like jumping out of airplanes, but only with a parachute. That's also dangerous, but it's also so fun! :thumbsup: What about you? What do you think of aviation? Do you enjoy flying?
I used to fly years ago. I had my own aircraft, a Piper PA-22 Colt, a high wing two-seater. I flew out of a gravel strip on a farm outside of Montreal. Had a lot of fun and a couple of serious incidents. Now I'm too old (81) but I still enjoy my aviation memories!
73
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I've seen several threads posted here related to aviation. I'm curious, do you have an interest in flight, like I do? From as far back as I can remember, I've been infatuated with anything that flies. My father worked at Boeing as an Aeronautical Engineer. If I had a nickel for every aviation question that I asked my dad, I could buy a corporate jet. We would go to the airport and watch planes all the time. If I was drawing a picture, it would be of a bird or an airplane. I had an obsession with birds. I had several bird books that I'd look through for hours. It was all so magical to me. In 2005 or so, I took my first flying lesson. I initially considered becoming an airline pilot, so I attended an airline training academy in case I chose to make it a career. I stopped short of getting my Airline Transport Pilot rating. I still love flying planes. The aircraft I enjoy flying the most is an ultralight. It's basically a hang-glider with an engine. I've heard that flying a glider is the best, but I haven't yet done that. I want to go hang-gliding, but it's super dangerous. I like jumping out of airplanes, but only with a parachute. That's also dangerous, but it's also so fun! :thumbsup: What about you? What do you think of aviation? Do you enjoy flying?
For all my life I have loved things that fly. It rubbed off on my son and he is now a bush pilot in the far north of Canada and loving his life.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend; inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. -- Groucho Marx
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I've seen several threads posted here related to aviation. I'm curious, do you have an interest in flight, like I do? From as far back as I can remember, I've been infatuated with anything that flies. My father worked at Boeing as an Aeronautical Engineer. If I had a nickel for every aviation question that I asked my dad, I could buy a corporate jet. We would go to the airport and watch planes all the time. If I was drawing a picture, it would be of a bird or an airplane. I had an obsession with birds. I had several bird books that I'd look through for hours. It was all so magical to me. In 2005 or so, I took my first flying lesson. I initially considered becoming an airline pilot, so I attended an airline training academy in case I chose to make it a career. I stopped short of getting my Airline Transport Pilot rating. I still love flying planes. The aircraft I enjoy flying the most is an ultralight. It's basically a hang-glider with an engine. I've heard that flying a glider is the best, but I haven't yet done that. I want to go hang-gliding, but it's super dangerous. I like jumping out of airplanes, but only with a parachute. That's also dangerous, but it's also so fun! :thumbsup: What about you? What do you think of aviation? Do you enjoy flying?
Interested in an enthusiastic amateur way. As a kid (aged 4 or 5) I travelled to Italy (Birmingham -> London -> Milan) a fair bit, and can still remember both the Viscounts on the domestic flights, and the Tridents, Comets and (once, I think) a VC10 on the international leg. Loved flying in the days when you had china crockery, room to stretch out, your own large window. In teens went to Farnborough airshow and various RAF bases, with friends who were in the Air Cadets (couldn't afford to join myself). One of my jobs in my 30s involved a lot of European day trips and several longer trans-Atlantic ones, and on one of these took myself on a jolly around Canada. Air Canada used to do a "freedom of Canada" ticket, valid for unlimited domestic flights over a week - but standby only. So literally hanging around the departure gates hoping there'd be a no-show and hopping on where-ever it was going. Best/riskiest bit was going on the Yellowknife -> Resolute weekly trip on a 50/50 cargo/passenger 737. Only one flight back out each week so there just HAD to be a space on the return. Fortunately there were a few. Also done a couple of gliding trial flights, and some very small aircraft (and helicopter) trips to the Scilly Isles; and also splashed out on a helicopter transfer from Nice when visiting Monaco. I enjoy flying but hate the airport hassle and stress, and also very concerned about the eco impacts of flying. Last trip to Europe was fly out, train back - tbh, the train return was much better, more comfortable, cheaper and only a couple of hours longer. Including an hour in Paris' Gare de Lyon famous "Le train bleu" restaurant. Spend a lot of time reading crash reports and watching videos; fascinated by the investigation process and the way that a tiny error can escalate to major disaster. (This aspect I think grew from a similar fascination with railway accidents and signalling). The one thing I hate about air traffic are the vapour trails, which as far as I'm concerned are a horrific graffiti in the sky. Even at Resolute, and at Nordkapp in Norway, the sky is full of lines scarring the view. Plus as they spread out they form clouds that can obscure half the sky, contributing even further to climate change.
Telegraph marker posts ... nothing to do with IT Phasmid email discussion group ... also nothing to do with IT
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I've seen several threads posted here related to aviation. I'm curious, do you have an interest in flight, like I do? From as far back as I can remember, I've been infatuated with anything that flies. My father worked at Boeing as an Aeronautical Engineer. If I had a nickel for every aviation question that I asked my dad, I could buy a corporate jet. We would go to the airport and watch planes all the time. If I was drawing a picture, it would be of a bird or an airplane. I had an obsession with birds. I had several bird books that I'd look through for hours. It was all so magical to me. In 2005 or so, I took my first flying lesson. I initially considered becoming an airline pilot, so I attended an airline training academy in case I chose to make it a career. I stopped short of getting my Airline Transport Pilot rating. I still love flying planes. The aircraft I enjoy flying the most is an ultralight. It's basically a hang-glider with an engine. I've heard that flying a glider is the best, but I haven't yet done that. I want to go hang-gliding, but it's super dangerous. I like jumping out of airplanes, but only with a parachute. That's also dangerous, but it's also so fun! :thumbsup: What about you? What do you think of aviation? Do you enjoy flying?
- Wingsuit - lot of fun and cut-aways. - Skydive 30k+ feet with oxygen tank (elephant day) 3x - Jump from the glider (with the pilot obviously) - 4 surgeries 2 screws. They forgot to tighten the 3rd one (loose).