things you do as a pilot

My tail number has a "niner"...catch myself all the time also saying "niner" when giving out my cell phone which also has a 9
 
WannFly said:
when you are going fast on interstate no matter how hard you pull... it wont rotate :p
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I have actually subconsciously done that, I had just got done flying and was driving back from the airport and I was tired and I spaced out driving, I looked down and I felt a shiver down my spine because I felt like I was going to take off, the entire sight picture felt right. But then I realized I was just driving.
 
citizen5000 said:
- notice aircraft in the sky regardless of how high up or how far away they are and always stare at departures when driving by the airport doing some other errand
- get bored at parties because unless it's about aviation it's not worth hearing
- listen to ATC live at least once a day for half an hour
- set cruise control in the car and occassionally freak out because I don't see the A/P status line above the speedometer
- mute the TV until local weather comes on in order to see if flying in the morning might be good
- bring up SkyVector.com once a day and do a bunch of flight plans just for grins
- watch flights on YouTube
- read and comment here during the day (and all the other aviation stuff emailed to me)
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I do every single one of these things too, creepy. Are we really like all the same?
 
Rebel Lord said:
I have actually subconsciously done that, I had just got done flying and was driving back from the airport and I was tired and I spaced out driving, I looked down and I felt a shiver down my spine because I felt like I was going to take off, the entire sight picture felt right. But then I realized I was just driving.
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If the sight picture felt right, then you should have returned back to your lane. Turns out rolling down the centerline is frowned upon on public highways.

I find that I do far more work stuff outside of work than piloty stuff outside of piloting. Turns out I'll use work radio jargon and phonetics when I'm in the airplane, and I'm pretty sure ATC can hear me facepalm every time I use "Paul" instead of "Papa." It was cool talking to the work helo the other day when I was landing. He had no clue who the heck I was, but it pleased me to no end to be on CTAF and communicating in work talk with a confused helo pilot.
 
I created a monster... I had the unique opportunity to take my 6 mos old granddaughter for her first ever flight... She became addicted. Playing outside she spots every plane flying by & and says" airplane... Grandpa's airplane. I can be standing next to her & she still says it. Now almost 3,she begs me to take her to the airport. She really loves flights. To no where is fine. Where this may take her I don't know, but she's in love with airplanes & Grandpa, not necessarily in that order.
 
I found I drive differently. I used to jump in the Sentra and head off to Vegas (4hrs) without a thought. Check the oil? Fill the tank? Tire pressure? Directions? None of that shnizzle. The gas may cost a little more but there will be a sign! Can't find the hotel? There's 7-Eleven guy that will help me out. Not so in the air :)

Also, it now drives me crazy when people say M like Mary, H like Harry, L like Larry... Yes, some are that close. Usually my cringing starts at the first "like." I read back Mike Hotel Lima and they say something along the order of, "yeah, that." Although I do it myself when spelling my last name I find it faster to say "V like Victor" because it sounds too much like B. Trying to do it Oscar, Lima, India turned out to be a total waste of time with most of the phone people.
 
I wear these to work on casual Fridays:

4655.jpg
 
While driving, try to guess the cloud height, then call up to see how far off I was. (I still suck at this)
 
GMascelli said:
My non-pilot bride will always confirm clear right or left at stop signs or backing out of the driveway. When in the plane she always looks for traffic,when not sleeping.
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My wife does the same. I also hear a lot more "clear right" call outs when I have a fellow pilot with me.
 
A passenger in my car once had to remind me to keep my eyes on the road instead of watching for airplanes all the time. (Her husband had been an airline pilot for most of his life.)
 
ircphoenix said:
If the sight picture felt right, then you should have returned back to your lane. Turns out rolling down the centerline is frowned upon on public highways.
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OR he doesnt keep the center line centered on the runway :p .. i have done that a few times. wait... most times
 
Not so much today, but when I started flying wearing seat belts in a car was not common place. I always, without even thinking, buckled lap & shoulder harness when I got in the car. My friends looked at me kind of odd.
 
Art VanDelay said:
I tend to not know what day of the week it is since that has no real meaning to me anymore. I just have a rough idea of when I have to go back - right now that's June 10th.
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That used to be me as well... but now I get weekends off!!!
I know when it's time to go home when the number of hotel pens in my pocket equal the length of my trip.
 
Kritchlow said:
That used to be me as well... but now I get weekends off!!!
I know when it's time to go home when the number of hotel pens in my pocket equal the length of my trip.
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I've never been a fan of weekends off. Everybody else has them off and nothing is open to get any important errands done.
 
Art VanDelay said:
I've never been a fan of weekends off. Everybody else has them off and nothing is open to get any important errands done.
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Precisely why the schedule works.
One man's trash is another man's treasure.
 
Art VanDelay said:
I've never been a fan of weekends off. Everybody else has them off and nothing is open to get any important errands done.
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Exactly. Maybe I'll change my tune one day if I ever have kids, but until then, everyone else can have their weekends. Nothing better than getting your grocery shopping done at 1pm on a Tuesday.
 
My cooking has gotten exponentially better since I now use the checklists (follow an actual recipe) every time.
 
I look at weather maps almost daily and try to forecast upcoming weather

Use phenolic alphabet over the phone
 
Rebel Lord said:
I do every single one of these things too, creepy. Are we really like all the same?
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The first rule of Flight Club is...

AKBill said:
I look at weather maps almost daily and try to forecast upcoming weather

Use phenolic alphabet over the phone
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The phenolic alphabet is printed on a special paper-like substance. ;)
 
AKBill said:
Use phenolic alphabet over the phone
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Me too, and surprisingly I've never had someone not understand it.

I don't say: "D as in Delta, E as in Oscar", I just go "Delta Echo Oscar November etc." and without fail everybody so far has understood it.

Think most people have watched enough movies to know what it is and how it works, even though they may not be able to recite the alphabet themselves.
 
....tell anyone who will listen (and some who don't) all about it...flying that is.
 
I was not going to participate in this because it does not pertain to me in any way, shape or form.
Then my wife looked over my shoulder while reading them and announced:
"You're guilty of every one of those things, you crazy old fool!"

As per her instructions I need to mention that no matter where we are (ex: restaurant) or what we are doing, I'm always asking for the checklist.
Also, I apparently refer to everything I pick up in the yard, sidewalk or driveway as "FOD".
I'm also not allowed to watch anything with scenes of air combat. According to her, I armchair quarterback, loudly. She says I scared the crap out of my son's girlfriend by screaming "Break left, break left, break left!" at the the top of my lungs while watching "God is my Co-pilot" for the 100th time.
Personally, I don't see anything wrong with my behavior.
 
About the only thing I do that is "pilotey" is look up when I hear an airplane.
 
In addition to my earlier post about seatbelts, i often find myself accidentally equating flying to driving.
While driving I often refer to cruise control as autopilot. Not sure why, but I do.
 
Kritchlow said:
In addition to my earlier post about seatbelts, i often find myself accidentally equating flying to driving.
While driving I often refer to cruise control as autopilot. Not sure why, but I do.
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Lots of people do that.

But YOU know the difference between an autopilot and an autothrottle.
 
MAKG1 said:
That's right....

I forgot about the panel that only has "takeoff," "cruise," and "land" buttons. :)
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Not exactly... but perhaps I'm misunderstanding??

I may be misunderstanding here..??
 
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