kimberlyanne546
Final Approach
It was on my old cell phone, just searched Flickr, seems I didn't upload the pics. If I can find them I will one day. Everything looked old (cuz it was) and had "inop" tags all over the place.
Cockpit visits?
- Thread starter Eagle I
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It was on my old cell phone, just searched Flickr, seems I didn't upload the pics. If I can find them I will one day. Everything looked old (cuz it was) and had "inop" tags all over the place.
Well I'm in Germany right now. On my Delta flight out on Saturday I spent quite awhile in the cockpit (oops I mean flight deck). We were taking a mechanical delay so I chatted with one of the pilots. I just walked up and asked to come in.
In most cases the stupid autobahns are so choked with traffic or slowed down by construction, the lack of speed limit is strictly a theoretical concept.
In most cases the stupid autobahns are so choked with traffic or slowed down by construction, the lack of speed limit is strictly a theoretical concept.
Wo sind Sie?
jasc15
Pre-takeoff checklist
Meanee
Line Up and Wait
kimberlyanne546
Final Approach
I like how it has "MOM" painted on the outside.
cessna182b
Line Up and Wait
Like Doc, who posted earlier, I lived in Germany in 1970 - 71 - and had a ball driving on the autobahn. It was a different world in those days, when "no speed limit" meant something. I have been back a few times in the intervening years - and each time the congestion was noticeably worse than before. In particular, the truck traffic has increased tremendously. Of course there are still those who think everyone has to get out of their way - so a trip is a constant battle to get around the slowpokes while avoiding getting rear ended by the "foot on the floor" types. Not much fun IMHO.
Dave
cessna182b
Line Up and Wait
About 1980 I was on a QANTAS flight bound for Australia, and happened to be reading an aviation magazine. The Captain came by and saw it - and asked if I was a pilot. We spoke for quite a while, at the conclusion of which he invited me to visit the cocklpit. So without even asking I got the grand tour. The crew was very proud of their then-new 747 - and very hospitable. Different world.
Dave
onwards
Pattern Altitude
Since getting my cert, I have visited five cockpits in different planes. In all cases, I was one of the first 4 or 5 people to board, put my stuff down, and immediately went upfront, cert in hand, told the stewardess I love flying the little ones but would love to see inside a big one, and asked if I could sit in the cockpit while they finish their preflight. In every case, she would call to the pilots something more or less resembling what I just said. I would go in, and generally say "thank you so much, I'll stay quiet and won't disturb you, just interested in how you preflight a heavy". Then I would crouch down and do just that.
In two cases, the pilots were chatty and walked me through their process as they were doing it (a 737 and a 757). That was UBER cool.
In two cases, the pilots were chatty and walked me through their process as they were doing it (a 737 and a 757). That was UBER cool.
Diese Woche have ich in Siegen, Leverhusen, Osnabrueck and Frankfurt aM gewohnt. Ich fliege in dzei stunden zu Hause. Yeah.
Ich habe fur vier Jahren in Aachen gewohnt, aber mein Deutsch is noch ein bisschen schlect. Wir gehen jeden Jahr zuruck, zu den Familie zu besuchen, nicht weit von Koln. Ich hoffe, das Sie ein gute Reisen haben!
MBDiagMan
Final Approach
MBDiagMan
Final Approach
Yes, it is much more crowded around the cities, but there are lots of REALLY good stretches left with the white circle with slashes. Somewhere I have a map that I marked up in the early 2000's when I was traveling over there a lot. The open sections of Autobahn where there is no speed limit and no congestion is highlighted.
I remember between the Western portion of the Frankfurt area maybe from around Hockenhime to Kaiserslautern is relatively straight, lightly traveled and wide open. There are many others though.
Even between some of the crowded areas there are some pretty wide open stretches although more heavily traveled. I experienced a number of traffic jams that were virtually non existent ca. 1970.
I need to dig out my map if we get to go this year.
kimberlyanne546
Final Approach
OMG you all speak and type German!
Can you read any of it?
My husband is German, and I lived there for years. Only now my German is getting rusty. I try to brush up again before our visits.
Since many of you are talking about the Autobahnen, have any of you driven in the previous eastern part? We've driven through parts near Dresden, Leipzig and Prague in 1991-1992, and the condition of the roads was just incredible. I have never seen roads in such disrepair, and potholes so large, and my husband commented those potholes are probably bomb craters from WWII. The first thing reunified Germany did was fix the roads (paid for by the eastern tax on the west Germans). Now all Autobahnen in the east are just as nice as the western area, nicer even because they are newer. Anyway, driving on the Autobahnen is always fun.
MBDiagMan
Final Approach
Use it or lose it. My German was not fluent, but not bad when I lived there as a 21/22 year old. I struggled with it when I went back in the early 2000's.
I would have come away from Germany fluent in 1971 EXCEPT, my girlfriend insisted on speaking English to work on her English while I insisted on speaking German to work on my German. She won. If I could have spoken German with her on a daily basis for that 8 or 9 months, I'm convinced that I would have come away fluent.
I almost moved to Germany in the early 2000's, but the company I worked for at the time was struggling so bad I was afraid that I would get stranded over there if they went belly up. I had been getting the German back to some limited level and I think I could have been fluent in a year or so. A few Germans I worked with, knowing my level of German, or lack of it, insisted that I could be fluent in six months.
I would have come away from Germany fluent in 1971 EXCEPT, my girlfriend insisted on speaking English to work on her English while I insisted on speaking German to work on my German. She won. If I could have spoken German with her on a daily basis for that 8 or 9 months, I'm convinced that I would have come away fluent.
I almost moved to Germany in the early 2000's, but the company I worked for at the time was struggling so bad I was afraid that I would get stranded over there if they went belly up. I had been getting the German back to some limited level and I think I could have been fluent in a year or so. A few Germans I worked with, knowing my level of German, or lack of it, insisted that I could be fluent in six months.
MBDiagMan
Final Approach
I never made it to the previous East Germany. When I was there in the Army I had a high security clearance level which made it somewhere between difficult and impossible to even travel to Berlin.
When back in Europe in the Early 2000's, most all our German business was in the Frankfurt area, Stuttgart area, Essen/Dusseldorf area and our distributor was in Konstanz, so I never got the chance.
My German is beyond rusty, maybe it could be termed vague, but I've always enjoyed trying. I've always enjoyed my time in Germany as well. The people are a very orderly and friendly sort and the country is beyond beautiful.
It takes me two days back in Germany to feel comfortable with the language again, but even now I can understand more than I can speak. My husband is from the Koln area, but we lived in Aachen, the corner where Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands meet. So we spent time in all countries there. We were five minutes from the Dutch border, I went over there when I needed an English fix. Like all places, there are good things and bad things about Germany. My husband does not want to live there again.
MBDiagMan
Final Approach
In the early 2000's I went to Belgium and the Netherlands both a good bit. We had an office in Eindhoven and one outside Brussels. In Eindhoven it seemed to be so much like German, that a non fluent person didn't really know much of a difference. We also had an office in Copenhagen. Although Danish is REALLY different, there were some similarities. It seemed that the numbers were virtually the same.
Yes, Germany is certainly not perfect, but I enjoy going there and I enjoyed living there on the economy as a young GI. I think I would have enjoyed a few years there again.
I also went to Switzerland about as much as Germany, specifically the Zurich area. Swiss German sort of has some French mixed into it.
When lived in Germany as a young guy, a friend of mine had grown up in New York and his parents came from Germany during WWII. He could understand Germany absolutely fluently, but got really frustrated trying to speak it. I always thought it to be quite odd. He is supposed to be at our reunion in Germany this year.
I have been working for or with German companies since 1985. I learned enough German to be sociable and to be able to take my US customers there. I can't imagine getting good enough to conduct business. I've probably made 100 trips or so there over the years. I like the food, many people there, the cars, the gliders and a bunch of other stuff.
However I am sure glad to be back in my own house in the good old USA right now.
However I am sure glad to be back in my own house in the good old USA right now.
Meliss
Pre-takeoff checklist
I hope I'm posting in the right section, but I have a question about the possibility of poking my head into the cockpit of an airliner, once it's on the ground, of course. I often look at the photos on airliners.net, and there seem to be quite a few cockpit shots, but I'm never sure whether they were taken by crew or not. The reason I'm asking is that I'll be flying to Germany next month on a Lufthansa 747 and would love to see the cockpit. In this post-9/11 world, I'm not sure what the chances of that are. I know I have virtually no chance of getting to see it based on my looks or charm, but I do have two things in my favor: I speak relatively good German, at least by American tourist standards, and I'm a student pilot training on a German-designed plane (the Flight Design CTLS). Does anybody have any ideas or advice, or can you share any experiences trying to do the same thing?
When I was young I got the flight attendant to take me up to the cockpit and talk with the pilots. I just used my charm
Lol I don't know if asking would work, or talking to the pilots pre-board? I'm sure others here have better ideas.... but I'm not going to even attempt to pretend to understand German. I tried learning once....
wabower
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Wayne
I rented an Opel in Munich in 1969 for a trip to the Porsche plant in Stutgartt, and had a similar experience. It would only run 140 k's (84 MPH) wide open, and I found that I was mostly in somebody else's way on the Autobahn.
Yes, early on in my Autobahn driving in 1969, I was doing about 100MPH in the left lane watching the rear view mirror often. I saw some lights flashing way, Way, WAYYYYY back. I looked at the traffic and thought I would pass the third Volkswagen in the right lane and then pull over. I glanced in the mirror again and pulled over in front of the FIRST Volkswagen I passed. Just as I did a Porsche FLEW by. He was probably doing 150MPH or so.
If you don't know the rules of the road and pay close attention, you are very well served by staying out of the left lane.
ermany.
MBDiagMan
Final Approach
Yes, there's no place like home. I would enjoy working there a few years, but I wouldn't want to move there permanently. I mainly wanted to do it so my wife could enjoy the experience.
MBDiagMan
Final Approach
Wayne,
I also toured the Porsche plant in the Summer of 69. Maybe we were there at the same time. At the time I lived at Pforzheim, not far NorthWest of Stuttgart.
cessna182b
Line Up and Wait
No doubt time of year makes a big difference. My return visits (naturally) were in the summer -- when it seems everybody is going somehwere.
Some things have gotten better: I remember huge traffic jams at border crossings. What with the European Union that nonsense is a thing of the past - as is changing money every time you cross a border.
Bottom line: I enjoyed living in Germany and have enjoyed my return visits. I'll go back again if the opportunity presents itself.
cessna182b
Line Up and Wait
I had a new Jaguar XKE when I was stationed in Germany - and made good use of it on the autobahn (and elsewhere). Plenty of people could outrun me, though, because with the US spec gearing redline (5500 rpm) equaled 120 Mph. It is wise to observe the redline with the Jaguar engine - because the valves float at 5800 - and interfere with one another (Valve Crash Speed, as the British put it).
BTW - I still have the car.
Dave
Eagle I
Pre-takeoff checklist
dmspilot
Final Approach
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denverpilot
Tied Down
Too bad it'll bankrupt 'em... sigh.
CNBC late-night sometime this week (I did a bunch of late nights so I don't remember which night) was talking about unemployment still being almost 30% in some areas of the former East Germany, and that mixed with the other news that Germany is propping up a significant portion of the EU fiscally... is pretty sad news.
MBDiagMan
Final Approach
Yes, right after the Euro caused the shut down of the border stations I missed a flight from Eindhoven to Hamburg late in the afternoon. I needed to be in Hamburg first thing next morning. I rented a car and in my time calculations it was going to be tight getting to the hotel before midnight when the desk closed. When I hit the German border I was very pleasantly surprised to find the buildings closed down and went flying through like driving from Texas to Oklahoma.
Once out of Holland there was no speed limit for the most of the rest of the trip and I made it about fifteen minutes before they shut down the office at the hotel. It was a really fun drive in a Ford Mondeo that could cruise 125MPH all day long.
Germany has been propping up the EU fiscally for many years now, and the German people are finally starting to resent paying for everyone else. Once again, the Germans are taxed to pay for the Greeks, and the people don't like it anymore. If you add up all the taxes in Germany, it's over 50% of take home pay, and the money flows out of the country to pay for things like the Greek bailout. That's just one of the reasons we're glad we don't live there anymore. Think about how you would feel if you were taxed over 50% and the money went to Mexico. Same concept. To pay for all that, the German social benefits have been eroding for years, so that ticks people off too.
MBDiagMan
Final Approach
Yes, it was controversial when Germany started spending money to get their Brothers and Sisters in the East back on their feet when the curtain came down. It must have been a serious strain, NOW they are having to prop up the rest of it. A very resolute people.
Yes, we lived there in the 1990s when the west Germans were taxed to pay to rebuild the previous East Germany. They didn't even try to sugarcoat that, it was the eastern tax. At first people thought it was a good thing to rebuild the east, until reality set in that it was much more expensive than the people were told. I've seen parts of eastern Germany in the early 1990s, and it was decrepit. I don't think the eastern part ever fixed damage from World War II, there was still rubble and bomb debris. It was incredible, not in a good way. I have never seen roads in such bad condition. Now that has all changed; the only thing I've noticed whenever we've driven though eastern parts recently, is some places the road signs still are lacking. My husband's generation are the people forced to pay the most for reunification, and he's glad we left when we did.
Eagle I
Pre-takeoff checklist
I promised to report back on my visit to Germany, so here it is. I've never attempted to post photos before, so hopefully they will show up. First of all, I was able to get a cockpit visit, although not in the 747 on my flight to Germany. But that was simply because after an overnight flight that was stifling hot and crowded, I just wanted to get off that plane as soon as possible and didn't even ask to see the cockpit! But on the return trip to Boston, I was able to see the cockpit of an A340-300. I have to say the visit was a bit anticlimactic, if only because by the time I was ready to get off the plane, the pilots had already shut everything down and were on their way out. But the captain was gracious enough to go back and turn a light or two on for me. Since I'm just a new student pilot, I was too afraid to ask much.
As usual, Germany was fun. Nuremberg is a beautiful city rich in history, and we enjoyed our stay there. Just a few photos from there, too, in case anyone is interested. The city has some of the most delightfully grotesque statues I've ever seen! And if any of you like Germany, too, feel free to PM me with questions or comments, in German or in English.:wink2: Einen schönen Tag noch!
As usual, Germany was fun. Nuremberg is a beautiful city rich in history, and we enjoyed our stay there. Just a few photos from there, too, in case anyone is interested. The city has some of the most delightfully grotesque statues I've ever seen!
And if any of you like Germany, too, feel free to PM me with questions or comments, in German or in English.:wink2: Einen schönen Tag noch!Attachments
kimberlyanne546
Final Approach
I promised to report back on my visit to Germany, so here it is. I've never attempted to post photos before, so hopefully they will show up. First of all, I was able to get a cockpit visit, although not in the 747 on my flight to Germany. But that was simply because after an overnight flight that was stifling hot and crowded, I just wanted to get off that plane as soon as possible and didn't even ask to see the cockpit! But on the return trip to Boston, I was able to see the cockpit of an A340-300. I have to say the visit was a bit anticlimactic, if only because by the time I was ready to get off the plane, the pilots had already shut everything down and were on their way out. But the captain was gracious enough to go back and turn a light or two on for me. Since I'm just a new student pilot, I was too afraid to ask much.
As usual, Germany was fun. Nuremberg is a beautiful city rich in history, and we enjoyed our stay there. Just a few photos from there, too, in case anyone is interested. The city has some of the most delightfully grotesque statues I've ever seen!
Those are huge rudder pedals. Thanks for the photos! Cool.
Eagle I
Pre-takeoff checklist
Yeah, I noticed that, too! I wish I had been able to ask more questions, but besides being a bit shy, I also wanted to be respectful that the captain was probably also exhausted and eager to get off that plane. It was nice of him to even go back so I could take a photo.
gprellwitz
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Grant Prellwitz
Which is particularly funny because they probably never get used! LOL
kimberlyanne546
Final Approach
Why not? Auto pilot? Electric rudder trim switch located somewhere else? Other? Perhaps they are there if the electric system fails or ?
DaleB
Final Approach
Hey... I think I've eaten at that place too! Nuremberg is pretty cool, and that fountain is really a trip. Wir lieben Bayern und Hessen! I would love to make it back there for Tannkosh 2013 (they're not doing it this year, unfortunately).
On our last trip we flew into Nuremberg, visited friends about 40km west of there (Markt Erlbach & Hagenhofen), drove up to Berlin (east side - what a trip!!), then to Frankfurt, then back to Nuremberg and home.
On our last trip we flew into Nuremberg, visited friends about 40km west of there (Markt Erlbach & Hagenhofen), drove up to Berlin (east side - what a trip!!), then to Frankfurt, then back to Nuremberg and home.
HerrGruyere
Line Up and Wait
I just wanted to chime in and say that I lived in Konstanz for a year from 2007-2008 as an exchange student in college. I had a blast and even got to drive on the Autobahn several times. I was there to hone my German skills, and I did pretty well. Good enough that I got an extra degree in German and a job speaking German.
On to the main topic: I must try to get inside the flight deck of these aircraft the next time I fly commercially.
On to the main topic: I must try to get inside the flight deck of these aircraft the next time I fly commercially.