Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Non-Airline Forums > Private Flying
Reload this Page >

How big's your thumb?

Wikiposts
Search
Private Flying LAA/BMAA/BGA/BPA The sheer pleasure of flight.

How big's your thumb?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 29th Aug 2002, 10:14
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: London
Posts: 229
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Talking How big's your thumb?

Mine's about 6 minutes and ten miles (the top half anyway) on a half mil map. Is that about average? Or should I be either boasting or insecure?

Size does matter...
Grim Reaper 14 is offline  
Old 29th Aug 2002, 10:26
  #2 (permalink)  

Why do it if it's not fun?
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Bournemouth
Posts: 4,779
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Yep, that's about the same size as mine.

Also, if I stretch my hand out, the distance from the tip of my thumb to the tip of my little finger is about 60nm.

FFF
--------------
FlyingForFun is offline  
Old 29th Aug 2002, 10:43
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Deepest Warwickshire
Age: 47
Posts: 932
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
8nm and not 10 as per "average"
BlueRobin is offline  
Old 29th Aug 2002, 11:37
  #4 (permalink)  

 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Smurph Castle
Age: 45
Posts: 498
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Between 6-7nm. Sexist bloody rule, that!
Penguina is offline  
Old 29th Aug 2002, 13:01
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Dorset, UK
Posts: 619
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sexist bloody rule, that!
Well mine is only about 7nm, or perhaps 8nm, if I am being all girlie & trying to grow a decent set of nails

Anyhow, us women, have all been taught to tell you fellas that size really doesn't matter
distaff_beancounter is offline  
Old 29th Aug 2002, 14:48
  #6 (permalink)  
High Flying Bird
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Old Sarum ish
Posts: 2,297
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thumb is 8nm and hand span is 55nm.

I quote:
Grim Reaper - "Mine's about ... ten ... Is that about average?
FFF - "Yep, that's about the same size as mine."

If something's the same as your's I would have said it definitely wasn't average.
In fact, if you look at the sizes given by the respondees so far, 7nm is more the average. (Nice to see a half 'n' half mix of chicks 'n' errr men for a change! )
AerBabe is offline  
Old 29th Aug 2002, 15:20
  #7 (permalink)  

Why do it if it's not fun?
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Bournemouth
Posts: 4,779
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
AerBabe,

FFF... If something's the same as your's I would have said it definitely wasn't average.
Not sure whether that was intended as a compliment or not but I'll take it as a compliment anyway

(For what it's worth, my instructor told me that my thumb would probably be 10nm, and my hand-span 60nm, since that's what most of his students' were, and he was spot on. But then most of his students were male...)

FFF
----------
FlyingForFun is offline  
Old 30th Aug 2002, 12:17
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: on your left, a little low.....
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Unhappy Bigger thumbs = harder maths

Half thumb = 12nm

hand span = 72nm

which is a bit of a b@llzup because my maths is shakey(?) at the best of times....

still... until now, I thought my thumb was average...

oh well...
skyraider is offline  
Old 30th Aug 2002, 12:35
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: UK.
Posts: 262
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
How big's your thumb?

How big's your bum would be more interesting, have visions of us all grabbing the rule to measure thumbs, I'm just as daft as everyone else . 9nm - span of 50nm.
maggioneato is offline  
Old 30th Aug 2002, 13:50
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: on your left, a little low.....
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Wendy

How big's your bum
wider than a warrior seat....

Sky...
skyraider is offline  
Old 30th Aug 2002, 14:00
  #11 (permalink)  
High Flying Bird
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Old Sarum ish
Posts: 2,297
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
How big's your bum
Sitting or standing?
AerBabe is offline  
Old 30th Aug 2002, 17:59
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Kent
Posts: 603
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I was amazed the other day as estimates weren't that accurate when checked, as I'd been using a thumb's length as 8nm which is what it was when I started doin me own PLOGs and seriously getting involved with nav. So I checked, and my thumb's now 9.5nm to be very precise! So 10nm

tKF
TheKentishFledgling is offline  
Old 30th Aug 2002, 18:50
  #13 (permalink)  
djk


 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: formerly Sarf Lunden, now in Minne*snow*ta
Age: 52
Posts: 216
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
half thumb = 8nm
haven't measured my hand span
djk is offline  
Old 30th Aug 2002, 19:12
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Dorset, UK
Posts: 619
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Just checked against a rule:-

Top of thumb 7.5nm
Hand width at full stretch only 50nm

Anyhow, the other PPLs that I fly with, are always complaining when I am navigating for them, using "rule of thumb" ...

They ask me: "how far is it to xxxx"
I reply: "approximately two & a half thumbs"

So perhaps I should just use the dear old 50nm AERAD plotter, that slots nicely into the back of the kneeboard.
distaff_beancounter is offline  
Old 30th Aug 2002, 19:41
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Spanish Riviera
Posts: 637
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
About 5nm on a radar screen. Unfortunately this tends to obscure the blips!

On a half mil 8nm, on a quarter mil 3.5 nm
Whipping Boy's SATCO is offline  
Old 20th Sep 2002, 22:24
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Greystones, Ireland (but born a Kerryman!)
Posts: 158
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Finally lost to curiosity and got out my ruler...
Thumb - 17-18 nm by 7nm across.
Handspan - 62-63nm
EI_Sparks is offline  
Old 23rd Sep 2002, 11:48
  #17 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 349
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
About 7mins in a 172, but I thought it was more...so does my thumb look big in this?
bcfc is offline  
Old 23rd Sep 2002, 13:09
  #18 (permalink)  

 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Dorset
Posts: 902
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
EI_Sparks - I think that you've maybe got the wrong idea there (or *very* big thumbs ) , as it seems significanlty bigger than everyone else's.

The measurement is normally just for the top portion of the thumb, from the knuckle to the tip. Makes a good 'rule of thumb guesstimator' for chart distances in flight when your nav ruler's in your kit in the rear footwell / in the baggage compartment. I usually manage to measure accurately enough to give FIR operators / Approach Controllers time estimates overhead waypoints to within a minute, which usually impresses pasengers

CB (a relatively average 8nm)
Circuit Basher is offline  
Old 23rd Sep 2002, 13:17
  #19 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Greystones, Ireland (but born a Kerryman!)
Posts: 158
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
CB,
Ah! Right. *struggles with ruler* Dammit.....
Okay, approximately 10nm, but it's not that convienent to measure for me (carpenter's thumb) so I normally use the web to the tip.
EI_Sparks is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.