You're flying along in IMC and have a complete instrument failure. But...

[BigBadLou]

Didn't Charles Lindbergh use a fly in the cockpit to tell whether he was level?

 

[avongil]

I agree this should work since they are not affixed to the plane. If you see the swarm moving to the left, correct to the left to keep them centered. They go up, pull up. Would be interesting to see what the static air int he plane does in a bank or climb.. I guess you will have some butterfly "progression" of some sort.

 

[RalphInCA]

I don't know what you're smoking, 6PC, but it must be pretty good!

I suspect we are going to get a lot more posts like this when California legalizes marijuana. Probably more posts about Twinkies too.

 

[avongil]

Reminds me of the Soyuz. They use a toy on a string. Check out some vids.

 

[StevieTimes]

if the butterfly looks like that but spinning, things are not good.

 

[Stingray Don]

What if you had Schrodinger's cat in the cockpit? Would you be in straight and level flight, and spinning out of control at the same time?

 

[jsstevens]

What if you had Schrodinger's cat in the cockpit? Would you be in straight and level flight, and spinning out of control at the time?

You would as long as you didn't look...

 

[Stingray Don]

You would as long as you didn't look...

There's always a catch.

 

[jsstevens]

There's always a catch.

Quantum mechanincs is hard. (Barbie)

 

[rbridges]

then the butterflies will get on this board and ask if they can log PIC time.

 

[avongil]

I dreamed of monarchs. This is bad.

 

[jsstevens]

then the butterflies will get on this board and ask if they can log PIC time.

They can if they are perched on the yoke, rudder pedals or throttle. "Manipulator of the controls".

 

[mscard88]

They can if they are perched on the yoke, rudder pedals or throttle. "Manipulator of the controls".

Only if they have a light touch.

 

[genna]

Why would they feel the g's if they are not affixed to anything?
The air in the plane doesn't go to my feet in a bank. Or does it?

It does actually. if you are in a coordinated turn, the air pressure near the floor will be higher than near the ceiling. For the same reason your blood rushes to your legs or head in a high G maneuvers

As to the butterflies and being in the air. They have the same inertial problem you do. The same momentum that forces them to continue straight in space as the plane turns. They will have to account for that in their flight trajectory(fly UP so to speak) and thus experience the same G load you do. Otherwise they will get "pushed" into the floor(which is likely what is going to happen as i doubt any butterfly will be doing a few sustained Gs on purpose). Also, i suspect they need to see where they are going to actually fly. In the plane, the reference will be the plane which will do you no good.

 

[Chip Sylverne]

I have never seen a butterfly or bee fly straight and level.