I am just curious....as to what aircraft people have flown (experience). Wondering if people fly a wide variety of aircraft during their lifetime. I have been flying for the past 36 years and have flown a wide variety of aircraft....have you? J-3 Cub L-16 L-19 TigerMoth Chipmunk Stearman Harvard Enstrom Helo R-22 Helo Bell 47 Helo Jet Ranger Helo Hughes 500 S-76 Helo CV-240 CV-340 Cv-440 CV-580 DC-4 DC-6 B-707 B-727 MD-80 Electra Goodyear Airship Barnes Hot Air Balloon Raven Hot Air Balloon Cameron Hot Air Balloon CA-12 CA-9 TS-11 Fighter Aerostar 600A AeroCommander 560 Shrike Commander 500 Pinto Jet Citation 500 Series Citation Jet 525 Citation X BeechJet 400A Schweitzer 1-26 sailplane Schweitzer 1-34 sailplane Schweitzer 2-32 sailplane Schweitzer 2-22 sailplane Blanik sailplane C-150 C-152 C-172 C-182 C-310 Piper Navajo Piper Tomahawk Piper Warrior Piper Cadet Piper Arrow Piper Seminole Piper Dakota Disclaimer: I am not rated in all the aircraft listed above...I have friends with the aircraft and I have at least 15 min stick time as PIC in the above list, but I feel fortunate to have "flown" the aircraft listed above. From talking to many pilots...not many have a wide variety of stick time.
I remembered a few more... Piper Aztec J-5 (SuperCub) ParaPlane...ultralight Kolb...ultralight C-320 SkyKnight That is 60 aircraft. I hear some people fly more than 80 aircraft....just wondering how rare that is to fly more than 50 aircraft.
Let me start by saying the list I want to see is Switches. As a USAF flight surgeon, you get a lot of stick time flying in your rated aircraft that you support (required to fly 48 hours per year in your assigned aircraft, but often fly more), You also can snag sorties from other units if you help take care of them. All docs should look into doing this, as it is the best life on the planet. Here is a quick incomplete list of aircraft that I have had the opportunity to fly in, separated by primary assigned, mil other and civ. Primary assigned: T-33 (95 FITS) F-15B (95 FTS) F-4E (3 FS) F-4G (81 FS) F-16D (35 FW) Mil Other: F-100D F-106B F-16B CF-18B EA-6B F-4C RF-4 T-37 OV-10 Civ: Aeronca 7-BCM SNJ-5 T-28A T-6G BT-13 NAA Yale O-1 J-3 C-47 C-152, 172, 172RG, 210 PA-28, Apache Grumman Tiger Beech Musketeer Mu-2 Of all the mil aircraft, the mighty F-4 Phantom II, which I have combat time in, is closest to my heart. Docs! Call your AF recruiter today! Image Unavailable, Please Login
C-152 (stick time) C-172 (stick time) C-210 (stick time) C-425 (stick time) Barron (stick time) Piper Warrior (stick time) MD500E helo (stick time) CE-525 (Citation Jet) (sim time and engineering flight test time) CE-550/560/560XL (Citation Bravo, Ultra, Excel) (sim time and engineering flight test time) CE-750 (Citation X) (engineering flight test time) Missed out on the Air Force pilot opportunity, but I did get to sit in an F-16 once (I also stayed at a Holiday Inn Express) Russ, I am curious to know how you had the opportunity to get combat time in the Phantom.
My list of aircraft in which I have flown either as PIC or having stick time pales in the presence of those posted. I 'll get started on writing them down as they come to mind but I assure you the list is nothing that excites you...like F-4's, F-100's,etc. The earliest would probably be a Waco 10, the largest would be a B24 (stick time). Then there would be a DC-3, Lockheed Mod 12, At-7, Cessna Bobcat, Aeronca C3, Champ, J-3, T-Craft(s), Rearwin Sportster, Kinner- Bird,etc. I'll think of some more.
I'm not a very reliable source of verification of what I tried to fly. I have no idea where my log book is and it wouldn't be of much use anyway since I hardly ever logged things in it when the opportunity presented itself to fly something. It was usually a serendipitous situation of being in the right place when somebody said, " Go fly that thing or come or you're going to fly my airplane." Many of these people have passed on and some have moved away. The late Jack Leffler, an airline pilot, owned many airplanes over the years and he was very generous and allowed me to show my shortcomings in his machines. I flew his Monocoupe 90AW, Cessna 185, and believe it or not, the 1933 Boeing 247 that he purchased in Bakersfield, Ca. I was able to fly with Freddy Ludtke in his 165 Monocoupe(we flew his air show routine) and with Larry Blumer in his 1939 Student Prince(he was a P-38 ace). I flew Ernest Gann's Cessna 310 and he insisted on signing my log book after I found it. I was put into the left seat of my late friend's Cessna 195 and I was treated very kindly by that airplane. Take off was on a narrow strip with trees on one side and if you have ever flown one of those 195's you wonder at first how you are going to keep it straight when all you have to see through is a slot in left side of the windshield to look around the engine cowl. I didn't hit any trees and really enjoyed that airplane when it was airborne. Really beautiful to fly. I had a lot of fun in Stearmans and PT-19, PT-23, and didn't like the PT-22. Flew all the Aeronca's up to Champ. Stinson 108, Aviat Husky(fun machine),Globe Swift (ugh!), Pietenpol Aircamper with the Ford Model B engine ( great fun), Bower's Flybaby, and a few more antiques and homebuilts. Oh, I forgot a ride in a P-51 ( Worry Bird), and B-29 FIFI, and B-25's, B-17's, N3N's, ...they just keep popping up. Switches
I was well taken care of by my sqn. (81st out of Spang), and was pretty well checked out in the back of the G weasel. On the last day of the Gulf War (we didn't know it then), in a situation similar to the doc flying in the movie 12 O'Clock High, we took a 4-ship up out of Shaikh Isa with me as 4 bravo for a Weasel Police patrol on the Kuwait-Iraqi border. Taught me a lot.
A great 2 1/2 hr. flight in a Polish I-26 sailplane, Cessna 120, 140, 170, 206, Cardinal, L-2, L-3, L-4, and the old Travel Air 2000.
Ok lets see: Cessna 150 Cessna 172 Cessna 182 Cessna 205 Cessna 206 Cessna 207 Cessna 210 Beech Musketeer Beech Sport Beech V35 Beech A36 Beech Baron Beech Duke Piper Tomahawk Piper Tripacer Piper Cherokee 180 Piper Navajo Piper Pressurized Navajo Mooney 201 MooneyM20a Piper Aerostar Grumman TR2 Piper Cub Piper Turbo Lance Boeing 727 Boeing 767 Boeing 757 Saab 340 BAE 3800 Saab 340 Beech Duchess Fairchild Metroliner Mitsubishi MU2 Not 60 - you beat me!
cessna 120,140,150,152,170,172,175,177,177rg,180,185,205,206,210,310,337,401,402,421 Beech 21,V35A,B,A36,G36,Travelair,b55,b58,king air 90 Merlin IIA Aerostar 600 Champ Dehavilland Beaver Pitts S1 Lake LA-4 Mooney M20C,E,F,Ovation Fairchild 24 Grumman AA1A Piper J3,140,160,180,twin commanche,aztec,pa180 T37 T38 KC135A,E F15 (one flight) boeing727,737/2/3/4 ...without looking at Log book. Favorites.....727, Bonanzas, Cessna 180/185's Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Man ! After reading the last three posts I'm blown away by the lists of airplanes you guys have flown ! These are REAL airplanes. I have to admit that I did a lot of work on the 727-100, 200 in 1960 -63 and that is one of the best in the engineering and one good airplane in the air. It's too bad that they couldn't work out a new generation engine for it.. I worked on the KC-135, 707, 720, 747, 767, and ended my career on the 777. Switches
Just the basics so far... C150 C172 C182 7GCBC 8KCAB Russ let me stick the T-28A which has been the highlight of my flying so far.
Hand flying the 727 into National are we ? Loved the 727 also, never learned how to get consistent greasers with it though.... Mark
72-200. That airplane was perfect, if ever there was one. (Nothing it could not do, flew like a real airplane should). Honest, "pilot's" airplane. Soooo smooth! (I've found the old saw.."An airplane flys like it looks" to be true. And this a/c definately does that!) Lot's of "niche", historical stuff on your list Bob! Very cool! The "Fchat Airforce" is well represented!"
I am good friends with Lew Wallick who made the first flight in the 727 and he has discussed with me the different technique used to land the 727. Before touchdown it is necessary to push FORWARD on the controls to achieve a smooth landing due to ground effect and a momentary reverse effect of up elevator that can push the main gear into the runway and cause a resounding bounce. I have known several airline pilots who simply could not get used to that and consequently made bad landings in the 727. The 727 was a masterpiece of aerodynamics and " performance design." I saw Wallick drag the airplane in over the fence at 80MPH and have seen films of it at near Mach .90. It was a great performer. Switches
I have posted this before, I think. When flying from Palm Springs to San Francisco on a PSA 727-200 the beautiful blonde head flight attendant on approach to SFO got on the PA and said, " Ladies and gentlemen, our steely-eyed pilot will impress you with one of his silky smooth landings at San Francisco." It was gusty coming in over the bay and I doubted seriously if the pilot would or could equal what she said. Unbelievably he greased the airplane on without a bump. She came on the PA with a delightful, " TAH- TAH !" One of our best flights. Switches
Some folks are just plan lucky Did you know a Weasel pilot named John Fraley? He was a Lt. Col. and after the Gulf War, he commanded in my AFROTC unit. Don't know what operational unit he flew with during the Gulf War, but I think he might have been based out of George AFB.
Russ, my respect and envy is growing by the minute. I cannot imagine the experiences that you and your companions had during those days in the Gulf War. I can only wonder what is like to fly in an F4. Switches
Some great airplanes flown by all of you guys!! It might be easier in the US to fly different airplanes than in Europe. My (short) list: Piper PA-18 Piper PA-28 Piper PA-31 Navajo Piper PA-34 Seneca C-172 C-182 C-152 C-210 Fokker S-11 Fokker 50 Fokker 60 DHC-6 Twin Otter B-25 Mitchell Gulfstream IV (couple of T&G's with a Air Force collegue) KDC-10 (just an hour stick time during air refuelling) F-16 (once, unfortunetely)
Yes John was with the 35th Group from George that our 81st Sqn was chopped to. All of the F4s in theater were at Shaikh Isa except some F4es in Turkey from Clark (my old sqn, the 3rd ). At Shaikh Isa (colloqually known as 'Shakey's Pizza')we had the Wing from George as the overall command snd they brought a squadron, and attached were the RF4 guys out of Reno (GREAT GUYS!!) flying planes left earlier by Birmingham. Even with all their faults, these guys were the greatest bunch that that ever slipped the surly bonds. As you said it could not be truer - I am just plain lucky to have had the greatest career any flight surgeon could have. Image Unavailable, Please Login
I hate to look like a name dropper. Jack Leffler was a legend when he flew for United Airlines, a Johnathan Winters clone. He was perpetually on stage and pulled off a string of practical jokes that almost got him fired several times. He started flying DC-3's after the war and finished his career in 747's and passed away shortly after his retirement. He was the one who had George Sheering on one of his flights in the 60's. Sheering was a blind pianist and when they were at a refueling stop Leffler asked Sheering if he could take his service dog out for a pee. Sheering said okay, so Jack took the seeing eye dog out and walked around the airplane with his dark sunglasses on, and a cane, while wearing his UAL uniform. Jack was a friend of Ernest Gann, author of many aviation novels...Fate Is The Hunter, Blaze Of Noon,etc. So, I ended up working with Gann and illustrated series of articles in Flying Magazine that became a book entitled " Ernest K. Gann's Flying Circus." Ernie had a Cessna 310 and a Bucker biplane that he purchased from Mira Slovak. He flew them pretty well. We moved up to San Juan Island to work on the book and had some great times helping to fly the freight and mail in and out of the islands sometimes with another good friend. Hope that explains a few things. Switches
Wow. You guys have done some flying. Anyone here care to get typed in a DC3? I have a friend in Atlanta doing flight instruction with one, and I intend to take him up on a SIC type for grins. He does the SIC training with the student in the command seat (only guy I've heard of doing that). He also does a multi-course in a nice old Apache. Check him out: http://www.thedc-3network.com/