Goofy comments from PAX

AdamZ

AdamZ

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Feb 24, 2005
Messages
14,869
Location
Montgomery County PA
Display Name
Display name:
Adam Zucker
Ok we've all heard the " Did you solo by yourself?" question so whats the most goofy or funny thing a Pax has ever said to you.

I once asked a pax to keep an eye out for traffic as we neared the airport and she said " Where on the ground?"
 
The one that comes to mind.....
Right after getting my license I offered to take my sister in law for her first ever ride in a plane.
Her first question was, "Do I need a heavy jacket and a scarf and goggles and a leather helmet?" :rofl:
 
Pointing out the window and asking "What's that?"

My standard answer is "That's half of the world. The other half is over here"
 
Oh lordy, where to start?!

Just this week (so far): after flying a circling approach at minimums, "so'd you guys have a little trouble finding the airport at the end, there?"

While sitting on the ramp after starting the first engine waiting for our push back crew to come over, the flight attendant called us, almost crying he was laughing so hard "this lady back here desperately wants me to make sure that you guys know that the left engine isn't running!"

Guy walking off the plane says "nice ride, but they really need to make this cabin bigger." (Maybe you should trying shrinking...they did it in Willy Wonka).

"There's a lot of gauges and switches up here...do you guys actually know what they all do?" (Nahh, we just pick a few and flip 'em when we think it'll look cool).
 
ScottM said:
"You mean you can just get in the plane and go where ever you like without getting anyone's permission?"
Click to expand...

I get that one all the time... that, and the "did you file a Flight Plan?" one, to which I always respond, "No, did you file a Drive Plan before you left he house this morning?"

---

My top "goofy" one was my sister, who when I took her and my niece for a ride for the first time asked, as we passed about 100' AGL, "What if we all died?"

I replied, "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

She wasn't freaking or anything like that, but it was sure an odd thing to say.
 
"Do you have to tell anybody your coming to the airport?"

"Do you have to get permission?"
 
ScottM said:
"You mean you can just get in the plane and go where ever you like without getting anyone's permission?"
Click to expand...

I get this one all the time. The media has conditioned people to believe that there are or should be more controls on private flying.

I always tell passengers that before they put more controls on flying, they should prioritize rental trucks.
 
In college, we hauled one of the airplanes using a town truck to the court yard so that we could promote aviation.

The famous question (numerous times): "Did you guys actually fly it here??" "Yep, we swooped in right over the top of the library and stopped on the grass!" "Wow, that's amazing!!" ...oh brother
 
Last edited:
"What do you mean you can't get in because it's too foggy and cloudy? You can't use the wing flaps or the autopilot? Won't the wing flaps help?"

I also love to sit back and listen to pax try to figure out what the "barking dog" noise is on most Airbus aircraft. For those that don't know, its the hydraulic PTU (power transfer unit) but most pax seem to believe it's a dog down below in cargo. :)
 
"Are you going to be closing the door?" After I patiently explained to her that, yes, we would close the entry door before we started the engines she said, "No, I mean the cockpit door." DOH!

"How do you close the window shade in the bathroom?" As if someone is going to be peeking in at FL410...

"Oh, you're coming with us!" as I close the door from the inside.
 
Everskyward said:
"Are you going to be closing the door?" After I patiently explained to her that, yes, we would close the entry door before we started the engines she said, "No, I mean the cockpit door." DOH!

"How do you close the window shade in the bathroom?" As if someone is going to be peeking in at FL410...

"Oh, you're coming with us!" as I close the door from the inside.
Click to expand...

Mile high aspirations?
 
taters said:
Mile high aspirations?
Click to expand...
:rofl: These incidents happened at three different times but I can see how if could be read that way. :D

I have had mile-high activity happening in the back on at least one occasion now that I think about it...
 
Mine have come from people who "know" me, not passengers, and border on variations of "How can the FAA allow a person who's ½ blind and ½ deaf to be up there flying that airplane?"

"Well, I haven't failed the every two years aviation medical exam, yet, so I guess I'm qualified."

HR
 
On final approach into BOI Boise, ID. with a friend one day he pointed out the window and said "see right there that is where Davey lives" ( his son). Like his son's house was the only one in the city of Boise. I had the tower talking to me about a 172 on left base for 10 left and I was lined up for 10 right. I said "yep".
 
AdamZ said:
Ok we've all heard the " Did you solo by yourself?" question so whats the most goofy or funny thing a Pax has ever said to you.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's a pretty common misconception. My wife asked the same question. She thought that when you solo, the CFI was there but let you do everything without intervention. I told her that's what happens for a few flights BEFORE you fly by yourself.
 
Going into Spokane on a busy afternoon, military and civilian jets after I talked to approach, my BIL "You mean they have to let you land here." I said "eventually" after several vectors east.


My wife after climbout from Iowa City one Thanksgiving. 'How much ice is too much'.
 
HPNPilot1200 said:
<SNIP>
I also love to sit back and listen to pax try to figure out what the "barking dog" noise is on most Airbus aircraft. For those that don't know, its the hydraulic PTU (power transfer unit) but most pax seem to believe it's a dog down below in cargo. :)
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info- I didn't know but always wondered. A little time with google tells me what a hydraulic PTU does.

It doesn't sound like a dog to me, more of an elastic sound rubber makes in cartoons when the character is trying to wind up the prop just a little more.
 
Cap'n Jack said:
Thanks for the info- I didn't know but always wondered. A little time with google tells me what a hydraulic PTU does.

It doesn't sound like a dog to me, more of an elastic sound rubber makes in cartoons when the character is trying to wind up the prop just a little more.
Click to expand...

As I understand it, it is normally associated with single engine taxi operations since the PTU allows the green hydraulic system to power the yellow system and vice versa if pressure falls in either system. The left (#1) engine hydraulic pump powers the green system while the right (#2) engine hydraulic pump powers the yellow system.
 
Everskyward said:
:rofl: These incidents happened at three different times but I can see how if could be read that way. :D

I have had mile-high activity happening in the back on at least one occasion now that I think about it...
Click to expand...
Did you put it over the intercom?:ihih:

(Think back to M*A*S*H, where they broadcast Margaret and Frank)
 
Mostly just comments of amazement that you can, in fact, fly into an airport without asking.

I did get humbled once - my youngest daughter was in the back seat on her first flight. I asked her afterward how it went, since she had been pretty quiet. She said it was colder than she thought it would be. That's when I realized the vents were open, and it was a cold day. I asked her why she didn't say anything about it. She said, "I've never been in a small plane before, I thought that was normal." That reinforced in me to make sure my pre-flight briefings include how to manage the vents.
 
The best thing I ever heard from a pax was from my niece one flight. I had picked her up to come visit for a week during her spring break. This was to be her 2nd or 3rd flight and the 1st one that was going to be up in the clouds. I briefed her about flying in the clouds and how I would be a little bit more busy than on previous flights and that she really should not bother me too much unless it was something important.

As we climbed out and entered the clouds I heard her say, "I thought you should know I just saw a care bear sitting on that last cloud.' I busted out laughing. Thank goodness for autopilot.
 
Everskyward said:
:rofl: These incidents happened at three different times but I can see how if could be read that way. :D

I have had mile-high activity happening in the back on at least one occasion now that I think about it...
Click to expand...

must not have been very memorable, if you had to think about it ... :D

bwahahahaha .... sorry, you can kick my butt at the next CO Pilots fly-in
 
"Do you have even the slightest idea where we are?"

xxxxxxxxx

"In the name of the father, the son....(while crossing themselves)...." (this was another pilot, too.)

xxxxxxxxx

"I have to go to the bathroom. NOW."


What I want to know is, why is it that many quiet hours can pass in cruise with absolutely nothing happening and no one says a peep in the cabin - but the moment you start getting vectors, traffic calls, change in assigned approach, complicated changes in routing - all of a sudden the pax questions start flowing like: "Now. Let's overwhelm the pilot with idiotic questions, right now."
 
ejensen said:
Going into Spokane on a busy afternoon, military and civilian jets after I talked to approach, my BIL "You mean they have to let you land here." I said "eventually" after several vectors east.
Click to expand...

For some reason, when I flew into PDX to drop my brother and his girlfriend off for their airline flight, I had several family members ask "You mean you're flying right into the Portland airport?" This, despite the fact that I fly out of the main airport in Madison all the time. :dunno:

Of course, this is a sight I don't see much in Madison:

attachment.php


(Biggest thing we get routinely at MSN is the A319, and the airlines and GA are on opposite sides of the field so they generally depart 18 or 36 while we generally depart 21 or 32.)
 

Attachments

  • web.jpg
    web.jpg
    129.6 KB · Views: 279
flyingcheesehead said:
For some reason, when I flew into PDX to drop my brother and his girlfriend off for their airline flight, I had several family members ask "You mean you're flying right into the Portland airport?" This, despite the fact that I fly out of the main airport in Madison all the time. :dunno:

Of course, this is a sight I don't see much in Madison:

attachment.php


(Biggest thing we get routinely at MSN is the A319, and the airlines and GA are on opposite sides of the field so they generally depart 18 or 36 while we generally depart 21 or 32.)
Click to expand...

My favorite is at KLBB when the FedEx guys are leaving in their A330 and are either holding short for you to land or behind you on takeoff in a Cherokee 180. :cornut:
 
gkainz said:
must not have been very memorable, if you had to think about it ... :D

bwahahahaha .... sorry, you can kick my butt at the next CO Pilots fly-in
Click to expand...

sba55 said:
How do you know that??? :eek:
Click to expand...
Haha, I had more or less forgotten about it since it happened a long time (maybe 9 or 10 years) ago. The Lear 35's lav seat is right behind the pilots so when someone wanted to use it we closed a accordion-type folding screen to isolate us up there. Usually when someone was finished they would open the screen. Occasionally they wouldn't so we would leave it closed just in case. In this instance the screen had been closed for quite some time and it was very smooth in cruise and... you could feel it. :D
 
bigred177 said:
My favorite is at KLBB when the FedEx guys are leaving in their A330 and are either holding short for you to land or behind you on takeoff in a Cherokee 180. :cornut:
Click to expand...

That's better than the Dash 8 that was holding for me at PUW as I was on final in the Arrow. No pressure. Squirrely winds, my wife in the right seat and two ATPs grading the landing. :D
 
ScottM said:
"You mean you can just get in the plane and go where ever you like without getting anyone's permission?"
Click to expand...

In today's gustappo world, it's borderline unacceptable isn't it...

In the good old days before all the nonsense, there was only one acceptable answer to that question while at the end of the runway while making sure nothing is on final before rolling out onto the runway: A mischievous grin followed by "Let's find out." Then push the throttle forward and go.



My all time favorite comment from a first time pax who had never been in anything smaller than a 20 seat turboprop: The 152 was sitting outside the hangar about 300 feet from the fuel pumps. It was level ground to the pumps from there and just 300 feet so I'm thinking it's silly to startup and shutdown and all that hassle for fuel. Without thinking I said to just push on the wing strut and we'll roll it over to the pump. We get it over there and my friend goes has this silly grin and says "We're going flying in a toy airplane." About then I realized that the comment wasn't too far from the truth.
 
Last edited:
Palmpilot said:
That sounds like an intelligent question to me!
Click to expand...

It was, asked in a very quiet, calm voice. I immediately asked for lower. Freezing level was a couple 1000 lower than forcast. She's a good copilot.
 
ScottM said:
"You mean you can just get in the plane and go where ever you like without getting anyone's permission?"
Click to expand...

Unless I'm mistaken (a common occurrence, alas) the answer to that is sometimes "no," so I'm not sure it qualifies as a goofy question. You can't enter class A or class B airspace without permission. You can't land or taxi at a controlled airport without permission. You can't land on just any private airfield without permission. Perhaps pilots flying in and out of the D.C. might also have a different view of that question.
 
aside from A and B airspaces, you don't ask for permission.

You come in and tell them what you are doing. They just tell you how you're doing it, but you never ask "Gainesville Tower, 3544Z Is it cool if I land ?"

and in uncontrolled apts and G+E airspace you don't have to tell anyone about anything you just fly

For the most part you don't have to but I see what you're saying.
 
Everskyward said:
Haha, I had more or less forgotten about it since it happened a long time (maybe 9 or 10 years) ago. The Lear 35's lav seat is right behind the pilots so when someone wanted to use it we closed a accordion-type folding screen to isolate us up there. Usually when someone was finished they would open the screen. Occasionally they wouldn't so we would leave it closed just in case. In this instance the screen had been closed for quite some time and it was very smooth in cruise and... you could feel it. :D
Click to expand...

Grapefruit juice through the nose... a special moment for all of us! :cornut:
 
Jim Logajan said:
You can't land or taxi at a controlled airport without permission.
Click to expand...

I can taxi all over the place at KAPA without permission, since the vast majority of the ramp is uncontrolled. ;-)

Can even taxi almost right up to Runway 10 from my hangar for an east departure, since there's no associated controlled taxiway along 10/28.

(In fact calling from our hangar row often illicits a "say again?" since the rows of hangars make great RF attenuators at VHF frequencies.)

Getting to the 17/35 runway complex requires the use of taxiway Alpha so you gotta talk to Ground there. But you can get almost all the way north to 17L via the ramp north of TacAir if you feel like running the (unnecessary) risk of running into a parked aircraft.

And at "controlled" airports that close the tower at night, landings without permission are easy/required! (I know, technically "uncontrolled".)

There's a couple of holes in that sentence. ;-)
 
I get theses a lot:

"What do you mean it'd take 3 days to get to california? I Can drive that fast!" (I'm in florida)

"Oh, you fly a SMALL plane"

I mean what do they expect, that we all train in 747s AND give them rides?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top