Weird pilot habits.

Shepherd

Shepherd

Final Approach
Joined
Nov 24, 2012
Messages
5,423
Location
Hopewell Jct, NY
Display Name
Display name:
Shepherd
Problems with the tail-wheel this morning. Very exciting landing. sigh...
But that's not what I wanted to talk about.
Who has a weird pilot habit?
I'm pretty weird, so I'll start.
Since I learned to fly in the mid 60's, I've worn a lanyard. In it I have my pilot's cert, my medical, my drivers license, some cash, and a credit card. This was so if something went horribly wrong they could identify the body, or at least eat/sleep/rent a car, but also I was flying floats in those days and it was not unknown for a plane to sink gracefully beneath the waves. Sometimes faster than you could collect your gear.

Anyone else have an unusual habit?
 
I just got a security lanyard at KBED that I need to wear all the time while in the restricted area. It does feel a little weird, and I feel much safer.....
 
I have a pair of "airport tennis shoes" so much to the point that when I'm putting them on my wife asks if I'm going to the airport.
 
I'm not a superstitious person, but I always like to give the plane a little good job pat when it brings me home safe.. it's a nice "thank you"
 
On commercial flights, I run or knock on the side when entering. Have since I was a kid.
 
Let's see...

I always carry my headlamp with me when flying, even if it's just a short day flight...

I always check to make sure the fuel caps are still on AFTER landing...

I check to make sure the beacon still works after landing (so I can use the fact that it's off as I walk away from the plane to reassure myself that I didn't leave the master on)...

Probably others too that I can't think of right now.
 
I'm confused, is it the habits of weird pilots or weird habits of normal pilots? Is there such a thing as normal pilots? Are normal pilots more strange than weird?

Every question only yields more questions.
 
I string a dog tag in my shoe/boot strings.

I give the plane a good job pat on the nose after landing.

Back in my racing days we would pour a beer in the radiator before firing up a new engine.
 
N3368K said:
I'm confused, is it the habits of weird pilots or weird habits of normal pilots? Is there such a thing as normal pilots? Are normal pilots more strange than weird?

Every question only yields more questions.
Click to expand...
If you are on medication it may be time to change it.
 
Tantalum said:
I'm not a superstitious person, but I always like to give the plane a little good job pat when it brings me home safe.. it's a nice "thank you"
Click to expand...
I'm not superstitious in my non-flying life, but in an airplane I am! I was flying a Chief one time, I made a comment to a friend that it was a great flying plane. The engine then quit. I no longer compliment or complain about planes where they can hear me!

Kind of like when you tell a woman she looks good today and she twists it around so that you ended up saying she doesn't look good on other days... some things are best left unsaid!
 
The woman I ended up marrying asked me before the wedding: "Do you think I'm fat?"

I defused the question by replying, "Compared to what?"

-Skip
 
Lowflynjack said:
I made a comment to a friend that it was a great flying plane. The engine then quit.
Click to expand...
BTDT!
Commented on the engine running very smoothly, with minimum vibration, almost like a turbine. Within a few seconds, there was 0 vibration because it quit. Made it down (duh) safely.
A friend picked us up. On the drive home, I commented that the traffic was very light and we'd be home in no time. We rounded a bend and stopped for 45 minutes with no exits on the hwy.

Now whenever I am starting to say something positive about a situation, people pretty much yell at me "shut up!!"
People are rude.
:D
 
I have to have at least one vodka n cranberry on every commercial flight. I dunno if that's a habit or a superstition.
 
jsstevens said:
See? It's improving his chances of being found already.
Click to expand...

I'm weird, not stupid. :crazy:
Having been left on the ground (or water) in some pretty ugly places, by aircraft that decided they had gone far enough, thank you very much, I have always found it prudent to have money and credit cards in multiple places in case I end up needing to pay for a ride or a meal while awaiting rescue.
In '67 a C-170 on floats I was delivering to Lake George, sank at the dock, with my go bag, and wallet in it. It took 3 days to float it back to the surface. I had pulled it up on the ramp and pulled the drain plugs (the floats leaked a little). Some fool pushed it back into the water. glug glug. When he realized the plane was sinking, he ran away without telling anyone.
I was glad I had money in my lanyard.
 
Skip Miller said:
The woman I ended up marrying asked me before the wedding: "Do you think I'm fat?"

I defused the question by replying, "Compared to what?"

-Skip
Click to expand...
That you are still here to tell the tale speaks volumes about Mrs. Miller. I've always made it a habit to tell Mrs. Steingar the truth. If I really thought the dress made her look fat, I would simply say so, sometimes quite emphatically. She quickly realized the advantage, I would really speak my mind and not just say what I thought she wanted to hear. Thus she gained honest feedback on her sartorial choices.

My most difficult moment came when she stopped coloring her hair. She went gray prematurely, as do many people with dark hair. She asked if she shouldn't color it, and I said she should because her hair was the only really old looking thing on her at the time. As years went past the rest her, um.....er........rather.........er..........................






..................caught up. Hey, it happens to the best of us. The day when she asked if she should stop coloring her hair was admittedly not one of my shining moments.
 
I pat the door frame every time I climb aboard. Doesn't matter if it's a 150 or airliner.
 
Matthew said:
I pat the door frame every time I climb aboard. Doesn't matter if it's a 150 or airliner.
Click to expand...

I do the same thing. Or at least rest my hand on it.

Another tradition is being meticulous about making sure I have all my stuff (headset, sunglasses, checklist, iPad, etc), ensuring that the plane is properly secured (master off, etc), then getting halfway up the jetbridge (or halfway to the FBO) just to turn around and walk back to the cockpit to be *sure* it’s all done. :)
 
Skip Miller said:
The woman I ended up marrying asked me before the wedding: "Do you think I'm fat?"

I defused the question by replying, "Compared to what?"

-Skip
Click to expand...
Good thing you can be honest with us here. So..was she fat?
 
I always pee before going up, but that's not really weird. OK as I walk away I turn and look back at the plane for anything abnormal. Well hell, a lot of pilots do that, so that's not really weird either. Heck I give up, nothing weird about me, as far as y'all know.
 
Tantalum said:
I'm not a superstitious person, but I always like to give the plane a little good job pat when it brings me home safe.. it's a nice "thank you"
Click to expand...

I‘d pat the spinner and thank it. If my landing was a little rough, I apologized.
 
N659HB said:
Same here.

Plus, like Mark, I almost always pee before departure.
Click to expand...
Most of my passengers pee during departure. Me? I’m finally used to my departures....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top