Ten Signs You've Been Flying Too Long

[Teller1900]

1. Every time you start your car, you roll down the window and yell: “Clear!”

2. On long stretches of highway you catch yourself looking for the "Auto Pilot Arm" button.

3. Your living room looks like an aviation museum.

4. When in the car with your family, you make announcements as to your estimated trip time, current position and the weather conditions at your destination.

5. You "pull up" to get over a speed bump.

6. The bumper sticker on your car reads “I’d Rather Be Flying”.

7. Without thinking you state "Clear left, clear right, cleared across" at red lights.

8. Every Halloween, you dress up your kids as pilots.

9. Every time you walk into an airport hotel you say: “Home sweet home”.

10. You named your first born son Roger!



Of course, my fiance doesn't appreciate it much when I ask her to "Say again, please." I guess she thinks I'm ignoring her (truth is, I just can't hear anymore). Probably wouldn't be much better if I told her "I have your request."

 

[rpadula]

2. On long stretches of highway you catch yourself looking for the "Auto Pilot Arm" button.

Heh. One time, after a lesson composed entirely of "make sure you nail the centerline," I pulled out onto the divided highway and lined my car up on the dashed white lines as well!

Had my whoops moment about 3 seconds later.


-Rich

 

[Ted]

When it gets really foggy out I've been known to say "Can I file an instrument plan?" or "Where are my instruments?!"

 

[gprellwitz]

Heh. One time, after a lesson composed entirely of "make sure you nail the centerline," I pulled out onto the divided highway and lined my car up on the dashed white lines as well!

Had my whoops moment about 3 seconds later.


-Rich

Heh, Leslie tells about one time pulling out of Aurora (KARR) in the car that she neatly lines up on the centerline on the entrance road. It was after midnight, so it was probably more than 3 seconds before the Ooops thought came to her. And I admit to wondering at times why the Cruise Control wasn't doing a better job of holding heading!

 

[HPNPilot1200]

Check, check, check, check, check, and check. I'm a confirmed knot head.

 

[SkyHog]

Done the centerline thing. Also, I have actually had to crab my truck into the wind once...no kidding. That was fun.

 

[Don Jones]

Been driving in gusty winds and when the car obviously yaws I stomp either the brake or gas

 

[msupples1]

Also, I have actually had to crab my truck into the wind once...no kidding. That was fun.

I've done that with my Jeep, its pretty weird.

 

[gprellwitz]

And I always plan on slowing down when I'm going uphill!

 

[ScottM]

The biggest problem I have is when I turn out onto the road after putting the plane away my first inclination is to use full power for take off. Depending on what car I am driving that can be a real rush. In the M-Roadster I usually catch myself doing 80mph in the 55mph zone but just entering the 35mph school zone OOOPPSSS!!!

 

[mikea]

Heh. One time, after a lesson composed entirely of "make sure you nail the centerline," I pulled out onto the divided highway and lined my car up on the dashed white lines as well!

Had my whoops moment about 3 seconds later.


-Rich

It took me a while to stop cross checking my attitude on the panel on the car as I left a lesson.

 

[SkyHog]

Am I the only one that seems to be able to pick out air traffic much better after flying than before or during? When driving home from the airport, I swear, I see airplanes all over the sky, and for some reason, my eyes dart to it as if I were scanning.

 

[Missa]

Flying too long?!?!?!?!?!?

What are you talking about, I never fly long enough!

 

[bluesky74656]

I have on a few occasions caught myself reaching for the trim wheel in my Jeep.

My dad's Jeep has a broken E-brake. Whenever a certain friend of mine is in it with me I'll call flaps 30 and yank up on the handle.

 

[ScottM]

I have on a few occasions caught myself reaching for the trim wheel in my Jeep. /quote]Anyone grab the emergancy brake lever as the approach as the slow down to deploy flaps?

 

[msupples1]

I have on a few occasions caught myself reaching for the trim wheel in my Jeep.

Anyone grab the emergancy brake lever as the approach as the slow down to deploy flaps?

No, but I always use the e-brake to slow down when a state trooper gets behind me! It's less suspicious that way

 

[Teller1900]

No, but I always use the e-brake to slow down when a state trooper gets behind me! It's less suspicious that way

Until you get a muscle twitch or sneeze...then you're having a bad afternoon, backwards, next to the highway .

 

[pookies]

Am I the only one that seems to be able to pick out air traffic much better after flying than before or during? When driving home from the airport, I swear, I see airplanes all over the sky, and for some reason, my eyes dart to it as if I were scanning.

Hahahahaha! I do the SAME thing!

 

[fgcason]

Huh? You mean it's actually possible to fly too much? Weirdo's...

Motorcycle gets a preflight every time without fail. Proficiency rides are done regularly.

Preflight checklist for the RV. Also a Remove Before Flight banner hanging over the pilot seat anytime there is something that is not safe for moving.

Call "clear" anytime someone is around something potentially dangerous - engine fan, power tools, etc.

Then there's the "This is the Crew Chief's part of the theatre show work table and no one crosses the line or your stuff will disappear and you'll be answering to me" spike tape:

 

[tonycondon]

matt - "Standby" works much better than "i have your request" or "say again please" just dont try "hold for release"!!!

 

[AWACSEng]

My wife and I were out to dinner one night and after we finished the main course, I asked the waitress if I could put some cheesecake on request. I got the obligitory weird look.

 

[Henning]

No, but I always use the e-brake to slow down when a state trooper gets behind me! It's less suspicious that way

Actually, it makes you look suspicious.

 

[EdFred]

No, but I always use the e-brake to slow down when a state trooper gets behind me! It's less suspicious that way

I've done that when getting tailgated. Makes the tailgater fuh-reek out, and they always back way off after that.

 

[bsdunek]

Flying too long?!?!?!?!?!?

What are you talking about, I never fly long enough!

My sentiments exactly!!!

 

[mikea]

I've done that when getting tailgated. Makes the tailgater fuh-reek out, and they always back way off after that.

I always prove my observation that those that think 5 feet of air is plenty of space, don't think so when it's the space behind THEM.

I should tell you about the guy in the Mercedes Corolla who came up on me constantly flashing his brights because I was only going 77 in the left lane. I guess he thought he got the autobahn included for free when he leased the $25,000 Merc for only $359 a month for 80 months. At the end I gave him a lesson in my 10 year old Mercury V6 that should have had him looking to trade up. I'm sure it caused major shrinkage.

 

[Ghery]

I always prove my observation that those that think 5 feet of air is plenty of space, don't think so when it's the space behind THEM.

I should tell you about the guy in the Mercedes Corolla who came up on me constantly flashing his brights because I was only going 77 in the left lane. I guess he thought he got the autobahn included for free when he leased the $25,000 Merc for only $359 a month for 80 months. At the end I gave him a lesson in my 10 year old Mercury V6 that should have had him looking to trade up. I'm sure it caused major shrinkage.

I've had idiots do that behind me, too. All it gets them is a long wait while I finish passing the car or cars I was passing, at the speed I was going before the light show. Yes, on an autobahn I'll get the heck out of the way. Heck, you won't find me in the left lane of an autobahn, I'm NEVER driving fast enough to be there. But on a US highway? You can wait, buster.

 

[Bob Bement]

Done the centerline thing. Also, I have actually had to crab my truck into the wind once...no kidding. That was fun.

SkyHog I am afraid to try this out in Oregon because I know that Barb went thru Oregon a couple years back. I am afraid that she will have already been there. Bob The Challenge.

 

[Kaye]

2. On long stretches of highway you catch yourself looking for the "Auto Pilot Arm" button.

One day after a particularly refreshing 5 hr flight, I got on the Greenway headed home. Manuevered around some traffic and then set the cruise control. Both hands came off the wheel as I reached for the water bottle...and I suddenly realized "Oh S**t!! the Honda doesn't have auto pilot!"

 

[Ken Ibold]

11. $100,000 for a 35 year old airplane seems like a bargain.

 

[Comet]

Sometimes when I'm not sure of the exact "heading" of the road I'm driving down, I look for the heading indicator ( that's not installed ) in my car. I ended up buying a compass for my car because I miss having a heading indicator so bad.

 

[mikea]

Sometimes when I'm not sure of the exact "heading" of the road I'm driving down, I look for the heading indicator ( that's not installed ) in my car. I ended up buying a compass for my car because I miss having a heading indicator so bad.

I searched for long time for the compass for my car. I wanted it to help me with my directional dyslexia. I got an aircraft compass but never got a way to mount it.

I have an electronic one from Sharper Image. The only problem is the dial will say N and the display will read 350. At least it's always telling me the heading to drill it into my skull.

I'm finally getting the mental block worried down a little.

 

[deafsound]

12. you have all of the #s and letters memorized for the snack machine at the FBO (resses peanut butter cups---E4)

13. you can't remember where you flew yesterday without consulting your logbook.

14. you can't even remember the N# of the plane YOU JUST FLEW TEN MINUTES AGO

15. The idea of flying an ILS inverted starts to sound like fun.

 

[Danos]

When you're trying to sleep you feel like you're pitching and rolling

 

[Teller1900]

13. you can't remember where you flew yesterday without consulting your logbook.

You can't remember THAT you flew yesterday without consulting your logbook.

 

[Everskyward]

You can't remember THAT you flew yesterday without consulting your logbook.

Uh, yeah....

16. You could swear that you have been to a certain airport before but it doesn't look familiar, at all.

 

[msupples1]

I try not to tailgate, but it's very hard to resist the urge when people are driving 10 or more mph under the speed limit. I was coming home the other day, 3 pm, and somebody was in front of me for the whole 10 miles on the 2 lane highway, with almost no passing zones, driving 35 in a 55. I was ****ed.

 

[gkainz]

I try not to tailgate, but it's very hard to resist the urge when people are driving 10 or more mph under the speed limit. I was coming home the other day, 3 pm, and somebody was in front of me for the whole 10 miles on the 2 lane highway, with almost no passing zones, driving 35 in a 55. I was ****ed.

Airhorns!!!

 

[nddons]

17) You wonder if you need an STC to get a set of Rosen Visors fitted to your Ford Expedition. (the winter sun was brutal on my morning commute today.)

 

[Henning]

My sentiments exactly!!!

Get in a 1340-AN2 powered Ag Cat at 0530, work it all day (don't get out, lunch and jugs of Gatorade which you refill are thrown in to you like a zoo animal) until 21:30 and see if you still feel that way....

 

[deafsound]

You can't remember THAT you flew yesterday without consulting your logbook.

no doubt on that one......

18. You can't remember the n#s of the planes you've flown over the past few months, but for some reason, when you hop into a certain plane, you can suddenly remember all of the squawks for that specific N# that you've made that have been totally ignored by maintenance.

19. You regularly check on FBOHOTTIES.COM to see if any of the girls you've run into over the last few days have made the cut.

20. you hope that someone on POA has made a new and funny addition to "ten signs you've been flying too long"

21. You avidly listen on the radio to hear if someone F's up on the radio in a funny enough way that you can post their transcript on some stupid webboard.

22. You're on a date, and you say, "enough about me, let's talk about you...........what do you think about my flying?"