Trying to fly a car, and other stories.

[Golden Monkey]

Well, I'll tell you the story of how I almost flew my car at the weekend. Well, coming back from a flying holiday n'all. You know the proceedure, on final approach for landing, coming in a little high - chop the power, add flaps. Well, there I was cruising along in my car (a mighty 1.3 litre Metro) when I decided to make a stop into the supermarket . . . I'm approaching the lights, a little fast, and they turn red. So, the automatic pilot kicks in, and I chop the power (with the clutch), and reach to crank the flap lever up to 40 degrees. Of course, it's the handbrake. Thankfully I realised my error when the red light came on on the dashboard, before I locked up the tyres.

One of my associates has a car which has a seatbelt warning horn (when you start the engine without having the belt fastened). He told me of an incident when, after a heavy night out, he got into the car in the morning and turned on the ignition. Upon hearing the "stall warning" he tried to push the steering wheel through the dashboard.

I guess it's not just me. Anyone else?

[AffirmBrest]

Driving up the Motorway (freeway) one Sunday afternoon, I noticed what I though was the engine sounding a little rough. I kept the accelerator (throttle) setting the same and as I started to climb a hill, sure enough, there was a definite popping and complaining from the engine. I was halfway through a flying training course at the time and (the wrong) instinct(?) kicked in - I assessed that:

1) I still had control of the car/aeroplane
2) The engine was still producing power
3) I was heading in the right direction
4) The noise was not getting any worse

- so I elected to continue towards my destination.

2 minutes later I remmebered that Motorways, unlike Airways, have Hard Shoulders.

(I pulled over and called the AA. Cylinder Head Gasket was f*cked and I had to get a tow 60miles up the M3). I've never done anything as daft as going for the handbrake though :)

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...proceeding below Decision Height with CAUTION...

[Luftwaffle]

I've caught myself thinking about a prelanding check as I pull into the parking garage, but I always remember that the car is a fixed gear, so I don't worry that there aren't three green lights on the dashboard.

I heard a story once of an airline pilot on the way home from the airport after a long night who violently rear ended another car. Supposedly, he told the officer that when the car appeared in front of him, he applied full power and pulled back on the steering wheel.

[little red train]

Heard this story a couple of times, still can't deside it if its true:

An Indian Student in Texas for Ab-inito Flight Training, decided he would save money and have a little travel by buying a motor-home.

The Police two weeks later found the wreckage, with the rather starteled student with his trousers around his knees. wondering how he crashed on this perfectly straight road, it was obvious it was not a high speed crash or blowout.

Turns out when the student was being sold the motor-home, the slick salesman tryed to explain that "Cruise Control" (Something never Experianced by the student) was just like the Autopilot on the Aircraft he was learning to fly. The student belived this wholeheartedly and would set the Cruise control and go to the toilet, on the long straight texas roads, it was only be the fourth time did the Van drift of the road and crash!!

Many a time I've tryed to drive slowly away from the carpark, only to dump the cluch or floor the acclerator to try and turn first corner, also Aviation Speak tends to be my first language of resort when pressed, "I'll just land it over there" when a parking space pops up, or taxi to the petrol station, never yanked on stearing wheel or the parkbreak, sorry, handbreak before.




[This message has been edited by little red train (edited 23 April 2001).]

[Jetheat]

Came to sudden dip in the road at night time where the Motorway started to go downwards. I pulled back on the wheel in an effort to pitch up.

[SpeedBird22]

OK - I wasn't trying to fly my car as such...and this happens quite a lot to me but this incident was particularly notable.

I was quite happily driving my car roughly in the vicinity of LHR and wasn't really aware of how close I was getting to the airport. All of a sudden a 747 appeared just above a wooden fence that surrounded the terminal 4 car park.

Having just taken off, and probably not going much more than 80mph more than me, I couldn't help but fix my stare on it and watch as it seemingly hovered in the sky. Bad, bad move.

The sequence of events that followed when something like this:

Beeeeeeeeeeeeep! whah??? Crrrrrrrrrrruncch.

Oops. I'd just rear ended a Jag. Anyway, despite the fact it took about a year to sort out all the paperwork I still haven't learnt my lesson - If I see a jet go overhead I can't help but look :) Soooo, if you are driving close to a major airport and happen to see a red Rover 214.....stay well clear ;) ;)

Happy car flying,

:) SpeedBird22 :)

[HugMonster]

My car is an auto, with quite a nice autothrottle (cruise control).

I have in the past, taken control by sideclicking on the power levers, and retarding the power, only to find I've momentarily released the gear lever lock, and gone from Drive to Third - it still slows down, though! :)

[chicken6]

I remember the second week of my instructor's rating when I had figured out how to talk and fly at the same time. Every time I turned right I would put a little bit of accelerator on (right pedal) and when I found my first reasonably sharp left corner I put the clutch in so far it disengaged the gearbox entirely. Since I was using the gears to slow down, this left me halfway round a hairpin going too fast, tyres in the grass a metre away from the beach. No recognisable accident 'scene' but a very red face (that burning feeling, don't you love it?) for the rest of the trip.

[Tinstaafl]

When I was a student I also tried to steer my car with its rudder pedals.

To be fair, I also used to try to taxy using the aircraft's steering wheel. http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/redface.gif

[Golden Monkey]

Yeah, I think I probably tried to steer on the ground using the "Steering Wheel" too during my early days. That's why all aircraft should come with sticks, far less room for confusion!

[OzExpat]

Being as how aeroplanes are "left-hand drive" and my car is "right-hand drive", I never had a major problem ... until I became a flying instructor! http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/redface.gif

Then back into "real" flying, sometimes as PIC and sometimes as effo. So now I'm really confused ... sometimes find meself using full back pressure on the steering wheel, to resist height loss on descending roads. Sometimes also use it in conjunction with power reduction to slow down!

Sheeesh!! Time I got another life -- anyone got one to spare? :)

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