The Wife and I Were Laughing, Who Has Seen a Plane Fly Backwards

AKBill

AKBill

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AKBill
The wife and I were laughing today about some of the fights we have seen in Juneau over the years. Years ago there were three guys that owned Cubs. They flew a lot together and would take off as a flight of three all the time. They called themselves the Cub Squadron..

One day I was staying at a mining camp and called Tami (we were dating) and she told me this guy in a Cub is flying backwards. I said "sure, how much have you been drinking?"

Well a week later I came to town and it was windy maybe 40 to 50 mph down the runway. Sure enough there was a Cub flying about 4000ft+ over the runway spent 45minutes or so going back and forth directly over the runway.

That was a kick in the pants to watch, drinking a beer in Tami's apartment.

Thought I would share the story...:)
 
Early on in my PPL training, my instructor demonstrated slow flight in a 152 into the wind, and pointed out that we were moving backward over the ground. Great example of the affect of wind and ground speed.
 
I hovered taxied a C172 once. Real windy, Quonset Point airport RI.
 
Juneau, I was just talking to The Wife today about things we laugh about
 
AKBill said:
Well a week later I came to town and it was windy maybe 40 to 50 mph down the runway. Sure enough there was a Cub flying about 4000ft+ over the runway spent 45minutes or so going back and forth directly over the runway.
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Sucks for the other guy in the pattern... :)
 
Did it in the late 70s. Flew a Citabria GCBC backwards in a Santa Ana wind. Took three guys hanging on the airplane to taxi it on and off the runway.
 
Harrier in a 70's airshow at Worcester, MA, coolest damn thing I had ever seen.
 
PaulS said:
Harrier in a 70's airshow at Worcester, MA, coolest damn thing I had ever seen.
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Reminds me of a story. We had two Harriers that flew in and shot PARs. Managed to talk one of the pilots into flying back out on final approach at about one mile from touchdown. We had a trainee working PAR and it absolutely screwed him up! "What what's he doing"
 
I always enjoy watching the AN 2 fly backwards at air shows,got my 172 to fly backwards,talk about slow flight.
 
Tspin said:
Early on in my PPL training, my instructor demonstrated slow flight in a 152 into the wind, and pointed out that we were moving backward over the ground. Great example of the affect of wind and ground speed.
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An instructor and I did the same. We had a strong wind aloft from an incoming nor'easter and we did slow flight into it. It was remarkably smooth. We hovered over Flemington, NJ for a while. With the nose pointed up forslow flight, it was as if the Almighty let me sit in his recliner for a little bit and admire His work.
 
I have done the slow flight thing, into the wind and see 0 ground speed and the DME not change.
 
We did it a few times in the Fiesler. Last time I rode in it, we were 2.5 hours to go about 10 miles for an airshow. Our radio bird had to land and refuel then come back and get us as we were so slow. Took us nearly 45 minute to cross Lake Worth and land at Carswell. You know you're slow when an L-5 with max flaps out and hanging on a stall runs away from you.
 
I flew a C-150 backward once while I was piddling around trying to get to 40 hrs so I could take my PPL check ride.
 
Did it in the T-Craft and the Kolb a few times. On the PPGs, though, flying backwards is a routine thing...
 
Flew with my CFI backwards in a C162 SkyCatcher during my flight training. At about 3000 feet the winds were around 60kts, so backwards flight in landing configuration was not that hard. The hard part was he had me doing S turns across a road during this wind.
 
Limited to 45 knots in an AH-64...
 
I did that twice in a 56 172 I had. The first time was with my primary instructor. The second time was on my own a few years later. The day I was on my own we had strong winds over 5000’ but less than 15 right down the runway on the ground. It was cool to look down and see the ground going the wrong way.
 
Tspin said:
Early on in my PPL training, my instructor demonstrated slow flight in a 152 into the wind, and pointed out that we were moving backward over the ground. Great example of the affect of wind and ground speed.
Click to expand...

+1
 
Zeldman said:
I have done the slow flight thing, into the wind and see 0 ground speed and the DME not change.
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I wonder what ATC would say if you did that after they gave you a hold.
 
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