Tallest passenger or student?
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Join Date: May 2000
Location: Midlands, UK
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Tallest passenger or student?
Just thought I would start this one off as over the last weekend I had the honour of taking up for a trial lesson the tallest person ever to fly at my club - all 7'2" of him!! 
Just for fun, he tried to climb into and out of a Cessna 152 and managed it quite easily, although his knees ended up way above the yoke making safe flying virtually impossible!
We eventually took up a Warrior.
Can anyone trump 7'2"?
Just for fun, he tried to climb into and out of a Cessna 152 and managed it quite easily, although his knees ended up way above the yoke making safe flying virtually impossible!
We eventually took up a Warrior.Can anyone trump 7'2"?
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I am not sure of his exact height, but I had a student who could check the fuel level on a C172 without while standing flat footed on the ground 
. He flew with the seat right back on the aft seat rail stops. I guess the C172 is truly the universal aircraft.
. He flew with the seat right back on the aft seat rail stops. I guess the C172 is truly the universal aircraft.
Not a tale about the tallest, but perhaps one of the largest. I was once a gliding instructor and my club had regular air experience flying evenings. One such evening, a party from the local American air base came over to expereince the delights of silent flight.
One young lady was a bit on the 'chunky side'. A diet of burgers and fizzy pop had not been kind to her physiche. And when asked the mandatory question regarding her weight (for ballast calcualtions - quite critical in a glider and not withstanding the fact she was clearly not going to fit in the thing), she was either very deluded or was telling pure porkies!
When informed that she was too large and heavy to fly, she looked despondant to the point of tears. We took pity and decided that if we put her in the rear cockpit and put our lightest instructor in the front, the c of g would be about correct and the MAUW close if we actually believed her statement regarding her mass.
She loved her flight, but when she tried to get out of the rear cockpit - it soon transpired she didn't have enough strength to lift herself out. Helpers couldn't get close enough to assist due to the rear cockpit being positioned between the wing roots. We considered de-rigging and removing the wings for better access, but we couldn't reach the wing bolts because of her.
Our only option was to tow the glider back to the hangar, remove the canopy, put a strop around her back and under her arms, and winch her out using the chain hoist suspended from the hangar roof!
Despite her humiliating experience, she enquired about membership of the club. Luckily I wasn't around to issue the reply.
One young lady was a bit on the 'chunky side'. A diet of burgers and fizzy pop had not been kind to her physiche. And when asked the mandatory question regarding her weight (for ballast calcualtions - quite critical in a glider and not withstanding the fact she was clearly not going to fit in the thing), she was either very deluded or was telling pure porkies!
When informed that she was too large and heavy to fly, she looked despondant to the point of tears. We took pity and decided that if we put her in the rear cockpit and put our lightest instructor in the front, the c of g would be about correct and the MAUW close if we actually believed her statement regarding her mass.
She loved her flight, but when she tried to get out of the rear cockpit - it soon transpired she didn't have enough strength to lift herself out. Helpers couldn't get close enough to assist due to the rear cockpit being positioned between the wing roots. We considered de-rigging and removing the wings for better access, but we couldn't reach the wing bolts because of her.
Our only option was to tow the glider back to the hangar, remove the canopy, put a strop around her back and under her arms, and winch her out using the chain hoist suspended from the hangar roof!
Despite her humiliating experience, she enquired about membership of the club. Luckily I wasn't around to issue the reply.
I'm 6 ft 4 and have happily squeezed in to all sorts of aircraft from motor gliders and C150s to Hawks and Jaguars. Vigilant is the worst since I can only get full aileron deflection by holding the stick between one finger and thumb because my leg gets in the way. No problem in a Hawk though!
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I'm 6'4", and apart from the eternal quest for a dignified method of entry I've never had a single problem (apart from one 152 with a stuck seat rail ...).
Worst has to be the Vigilant, couldn't have full airbrake and any decent aileron deflection ... my knee was in the way!
Worst has to be the Vigilant, couldn't have full airbrake and any decent aileron deflection ... my knee was in the way!
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Hmmm, coming at this from the opposite direction ... I am 5'9" and find the 172 and Citabria have the furthest reach to the rudder pedals ... Everything else I've flown including Be95, Seminole, Seneca and 152 are much more comfortable. Guess the 172 and Citabria were built for bigger folks than me. 
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Wot about the vertically challenged??
I am only a 5ft 6in (female), but I have flown assorted SEPs & MEPs.
A selection of cushions usually sorts out distance to pedals & my being able to see over the cowling. But on some twins my arms are not long enough to reach things on the far right of the instrument panel, without undoing the seat belt.
I did my tail-dragger course & aerobatics, on a Citabria. I had no problem reaching the rudder bars, but found that my feet were just too small to cover the rudders & the heel-brakes, at the same time. BUT, as my instructor had told me only to use the brakes as a last resort, this turned out to be a tremendous advantage, as I was never likely to touch the brakes by mistake!
A selection of cushions usually sorts out distance to pedals & my being able to see over the cowling. But on some twins my arms are not long enough to reach things on the far right of the instrument panel, without undoing the seat belt.
I did my tail-dragger course & aerobatics, on a Citabria. I had no problem reaching the rudder bars, but found that my feet were just too small to cover the rudders & the heel-brakes, at the same time. BUT, as my instructor had told me only to use the brakes as a last resort, this turned out to be a tremendous advantage, as I was never likely to touch the brakes by mistake!
