Ok, I never thought of this before

WhyIsItDoingThat? said:
I'm new and a little confused. Two parents, a baby and a pilot in 172 (not the start of a joke). Surely the parent sitting right beside the baby should realise that it's fine in about 2 seconds flat.
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I try to tell first time pax everything they might hear, see, and feel. I don't want any surprises. And I don't want to ask, "Why didn't you say anything?", and hear, "I"ve never been in a small plane before and I thought it was normal."

I generally forget to mention the stall warning horn, though.
 
Matthew said:
I try to tell first time pax everything they might hear, see, and feel. I don't want any surprises. And I don't want to ask, "Why didn't you say anything?", and hear, "I"ve never been in a small plane before and I thought it was normal."

I generally forget to mention the stall warning horn, though.
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Well, I didn't bother with the basics, 'cause one of them claimed 50 hours Air Force flight training. First time in a 172 for him, though. His wife had been in a "small aircraft" once before. I don't know type. I was much more concerned about making sure everyone understood the turbulence I expected.

We all had concerns about how the baby would take it, as it was the kids very first airplane ride, and after a 1.5 hour flight, a full diaper or hungry baby was a real possibility. The baby was VERY quiet. When you have a kid like that, every noise is significant. Heck, my own kid had to have diaper changes on a clock at that age because he'd sit on it all day if we didn't.

Of course I knew it was the stall horn, and said so right away. But I'd imagine the Air Force doesn't use 172s much (anymore) and the stall horns sound really different.

Yes, freaking out over the stall horn was not called for, but one idiot projecting that into a "snowflake" is unimaginably stupid, even for this board. I thought it was a bit amusing at the time. Silly me for overestimating certain people. Won't happen again.
 
Get those headsets on and sounds take on a whole new perception, especially a sound you never heard before.
 
Once upon a time when I was doing Young Eagle flights another pilot was enthralling his passengers by telling them he could make his plane cry like a baby. They were all having a great time.
 
To totally detail this thread, serious question (you're welcome):

Where does the stall horn come out of? I know the port hole on the leading edge, and the theory behind the operation with the reed and all, but how does the sound get into the cockpit? It's like omni-present or something! It doesn't sound like it comes from the left wing. Maybe it's my headset muffling the sound.

Signed,
Thread HiJacker o' Mercy
 
paflyer said:
3) A good pilot briefs his passengers on the sights and sounds to be expected on a flight, especially nervous passengers with little or no time in a small airplane.
4) Sounds like the stall warning was going for a long time to startle the "new parents". Doesn't sound like a greaser landing to me.
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I must agree with PA on these points. When I have a noobie I make sure they hear the stall warning horn during preflight and explain that I expect to hear it just before landing. Also, while landing for the first time or two with a noobie when the horn sounds I say "there's the warning" and (hopefully) shortly thereafter "we're on the ground"

That doesn't reassure a baby, but it does inform the parents so they don't be freaking out.
 
MAKG1 said:
Yes, freaking out over the stall horn was not called for, but one idiot projecting that into a "snowflake" is unimaginably stupid, even for this board. I thought it was a bit amusing at the time. Silly me for overestimating certain people. Won't happen again.
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No one ever reads extra stuff into an otherwise amusing anecdote on this forum. Ever. :cheers:
 
I refuse to take babies flying. I won't take any kid so young that they won't even remember it 5 minutes after the flight. Wtf is the point of that. Pretty much the same reason why I won't take my 103 year old gramma, she won't remember a thing the next day. It would be more for our entertainment and that's not a smart choice.
 
eman1200 said:
I refuse to take babies flying. I won't take any kid so young that they won't even remember it 5 minutes after the flight. Wtf is the point of that. Pretty much the same reason why I won't take my 103 year old gramma, she won't remember a thing the next day. It would be more for our entertainment and that's not a smart choice.
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I think what you're trying to say is that you won't take anyone you wouldn't have sex with? Amiright?
 
SkyDog58 said:
A stall horn doesn't sound like a baby to me. Plus a baby crying is a much more annoying sound and the stall horn is easier to stop.
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If you had never heard a stall horn before, hearing a whining, whistling noise emanating from somewhere within the airplane you might first assume it was the baby.

mscard88 said:
think he was referring to the parents and bringing up the baby that way perhaps :dunno:
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I agree, he was talking about the parents but the snowflake comment was BS. They're parents of a infant in a small airplane for the first time. I think the comment was out of line. Why do we have to condemn and judge? Why not just be happy for what sounded like a pretty awesome experience for everyone involved? The OP posted this because it was a GA feel-good anecdote and some PoA hotshot feelt like whizzing all over it just to make some cheap point of social commentary.

Good on you @MAKG1 for being a good ambassador for GA.
 
Ravioli said:
I make sure they hear the stall warning horn during preflight.
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How? I would have to tell the passengers to get in the plane and then I would have to get out and go put my mouth on the front of the wing and blow into the hole to make this happen I believe
 
455 Bravo Uniform said:
To totally detail this thread, serious question (you're welcome):

Where does the stall horn come out of? I know the port hole on the leading edge, and the theory behind the operation with the reed and all, but how does the sound get into the cockpit? It's like omni-present or something! It doesn't sound like it comes from the left wing. Maybe it's my headset muffling the sound.

Signed,
Thread HiJacker o' Mercy
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Speaker.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
How? I would have to tell the passengers to get in the plane and then I would have to get out and go put my mouth on the front of the wing and blow into the hole to make this happen I believe
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On less fancy machines during pre-flight you turn on the Master switch (either by opening the door or the little window), then manually move the switch up, then listen. Works on Cardinals and Cherokees where said horns are installed. Some Cherokees it only illuminates a red light. The red light does not sound like a baby crying.

My RV-6 has neither a horn or a light, but it DOES have AoA (for real). No way a baby will be in mine. Other than me that is.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
How? I would have to tell the passengers to get in the plane and then I would have to get out and go put my mouth on the front of the wing and blow into the hole to make this happen I believe
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Can you make another video showing a demonstration of this for our viewing pleasure? :)
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
I wouldn't blow....:no:
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It's early... I'm not sucking on it either. I'm not putting my mouth on an airplane wing.
And I just bit myself in the ass googling Cirrus preflight to confirm this is the procedure.
I have ruined that search for new Cirri pilots.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
It's early... I'm not sucking on it either. I'm not putting my mouth on an airplane wing.
And I just bit myself in the ass googling Cirrus preflight to confirm this is the procedure.
I have ruined that search for new Cirri pilots.
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yup....who know's who's lips were there before. ;)
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Speaker.
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On airplanes with electric stall warnings, yes. That's most of them, including 177s and 182s, but it isn't 172s.

I couldn't say for sure exactly where, but the reed is positioned rather close to one of the overhead vent tubes.

I do suck on the stall warning in preflight (6PC, just suck through a paper towel -- even a heavy shop towel works fine -- but make sure you check the stall warning BEFORE checking the oil or wiping bugs off the windscreen), but the sound is not the same, and I don't generally ask passengers to be there for preflight unless they express interest.
 
MAKG1 said:
...and I don't generally ask passengers to be there for preflight unless they express interest.
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I'm curious on this point. I think it's comforting for the first timers to do the preflight with me. Usually I have them read the checklist to me and I tell them the result and reasoning for each check. Takes an extra 10 minutes (average) but puts them at ease.

My most frequent flyer prefers to sit in the FBO or her office and wait for me to say "let's go already" :)

Funniest pre-flight was my stepmother. She couldn't believe the static port actually did anything. Kept saying "it's just a little piece of metal" Took longer than average on THAT walk around. Eventually the light bulb came on and she now understands the port is the HOLE in that piece of metal and that we check them for blockage.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
How? I would have to tell the passengers to get in the plane and then I would have to get out and go put my mouth on the front of the wing and blow into the hole to make this happen I believe
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Well, that picture will be stuck in my head all day.... and no lunch for me now.....:lol::lol::lol:
 
Ravioli said:
I'm curious on this point. I think it's comforting for the first timers to do the preflight with me. Usually I have them read the checklist to me and I tell them the result and reasoning for each check. Takes an extra 10 minutes (average) but puts them at ease.

My most frequent flyer prefers to sit in the FBO or her office and wait for me to say "let's go already" :)

Funniest pre-flight was my stepmother. She couldn't believe the static port actually did anything. Kept saying "it's just a little piece of metal" Took longer than average on THAT walk around. Eventually the light bulb came on and she now understands the port is the HOLE in that piece of metal and that we check them for blockage.
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I used to do that -- and I still do for CAP first flights (since it's on the syllabus).

But I found most of the passengers really weren't interested and just wanted to get the airplane moving.

I also find most of the non-CAP passengers don't want to handle the controls for more than a few minutes. I get vectors a lot more than I used to in SJC Class C; maybe that's the reason. But I suspect they just want to look out the window.
 
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How do you do hearing protection on a baby, and if you don't, do you feel that's a good idea in a 172?
 
Figured this thread needed some controversy.
 
Salty said:
How do you do hearing protection on a baby, and if you don't, do you feel that's a good idea in a 172?
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they only cry on landing....no biggie. ;)


and he thought it was the horn.....:rofl::rofl::rofl::goofy:
 
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Salty said:
How do you do hearing protection on a baby, and if you don't, do you feel that's a good idea in a 172?
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I warned the parents about it, and they showed up with what looked like a pair of headphones (no mic), small-child sized. Apparently, they must have been really comfortable, as the baby fell asleep wearing them. I don't know where he got them. I had suggested earplugs, but their solution was much better.

No, I don't consider flying without hearing protection in a 172 to be a good idea, particularly if the passenger is not capable of expressing ear pain. But it is ultimately the parents' choice; my responsibility is to inform.
 
MAKG1 said:
I warned the parents about it, and they showed up with what looked like a pair of headphones (no mic), small-child sized. Apparently, they must have been really comfortable, as the baby fell asleep wearing them. I don't know where he got them. I had suggested earplugs, but their solution was much better.

No, I don't consider flying without hearing protection in a 172 to be a good idea, particularly if the passenger is not capable of expressing ear pain. But it is ultimately the parents' choice; my responsibility is to inform.
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I guess I approached this wrong to spice up the thread. I should have called you names and accused you of murdering an innocent baby instead of giving you a chance to explain.

Seriously though, I'm surprised a baby put up with a headset.
 
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