Does your airplane have a personality?

You can equate the little nuances of a particular airplane of a make/model compared to another of the same as personality. I think you have to learn the intricacies of your particular airplane and be familiar with it's different sounds that are normal so you can tell when something is wrong. I wouldn't say she has a personality, but I would say she is unique.
 
Yes.

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Mine has no personality or soul whatsoever.

Never mind that she's named Ms. DueBeUs.

That was just an off the shelf nickname!

:)
 
One plane that I often fly has a psychopathic\homicidal personality. It's always trying to destroy someone. :eek:
 
In my (admittedly limited) experience, taildraggers and fabric airplanes have personality but not metal or tricycles. I'm serious.
 
N659HB said:
Why do you suppose that is?
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I'm low time so probably nuts, but fabric airplanes allow you to "feel" the plane a little more. Not in the sense of control, but you can hear/feel the prop blast more.

As far as the tailwheel thing...well it's a tailwheel. :)
 
I'll agree that tailwheel ac demand more attention for ground handling, and that definitely adds to their personality. Gotta "mind one's manners" around them.
 
All of my planes have had personality. Some have even had soul.

Our '75 Warrior was called "Baby". She was a pathetic, dainty thing when we got her, like an abused teenaged girl, having been used by an FBO that was going bankrupt. By the time we sold her, she was a real lady, sporting lots of new parts and no longer all raggedy. I loved her as you can only love your first airplane.

Our '48 Ercoupe was a grumpy old lady. We called her Sweetie, but she really did not like to get up and perform. Her fabric wings and little engine were like an old woman's hands, sort of stiff and unwilling to grip anything too hard. On the other hand, she could still let her hair down and laugh on a warm, sunny, Iowa evening, when we flew her with the top down.

Our '74 Pathfinder, Atlas, was a middle-aged body builder, definitely a guy. We could load anything in that plane, from bowling balls to anvils, and fly. Flying with four 200-pound guys, 84 gallons of gas, and 150 pounds of luggage was a snap. He never let us down, never failed to perform, whether it was over mountains or at -20 degrees.

Our current ride, a 2003 RV-8A, is definitely a young lady. We call her Amelia, but I often think of her as more Natalie Portman than Hillary Swank. She's fast, sleek, nimble, and loves to roll over on her back. She has not an ounce of extra weight, anywhere, and is always willing to try new things. I love her dearly, and flying her is like caressing a beautiful woman.

All planes have personality.
 
N659HB said:
I'll agree that tailwheel ac demand more attention for ground handling, and that definitely adds to their personality. Gotta "mind one's manners" around them.
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Yep, that and they're more elegant to fly IMO. Sure, they're pretty much like nosedraggers in the air but there's nothing like a takeoff in a taildragger. Instead of hitting rotation speed and rotating, you just push the nose down to a climb attitude, keep 'er straight, and off she goes. There's something beautiful about that...
 
Whimsical... friendly... like a Disney character...
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Unglamorous plain Jane, Docile, Forgiving, Reliable. Granddaughter named her after some Disney cat character from "Outward Bound" but I've forgotten the name. Cherokee 140/160. Owned her for over 20 years. Sold her a couple of years ago.
 
Mines like an old girlfriend......

I day dream about her with certain smells, I feel like the king of the world when I'm in her and anytime I call she begs me to come over and fire her up.


Doesn't matter she is 40 years old now. I still look at her with that spark in my eye just like it was her first time I gave her my fill. Doesn't matter she drains my bank account and my wife screams every time I go see her. She is worth it.
 
Jay Honeck said:
All of my planes have had personality. Some have even had soul.

Our '75 Warrior was called "Baby". She was a pathetic, dainty thing when we got her, like an abused teenaged girl, having been used by an FBO that was going bankrupt. By the time we sold her, she was a real lady, sporting lots of new parts and no longer all raggedy. I loved her as you can only love your first airplane.

Our '48 Ercoupe was a grumpy old lady. We called her Sweetie, but she really did not like to get up and perform. Her fabric wings and little engine were like an old woman's hands, sort of stiff and unwilling to grip anything too hard. On the other hand, she could still let her hair down and laugh on a warm, sunny, Iowa evening, when we flew her with the top down.

Our '74 Pathfinder, Atlas, was a middle-aged body builder, definitely a guy. We could load anything in that plane, from bowling balls to anvils, and fly. Flying with four 200-pound guys, 84 gallons of gas, and 150 pounds of luggage was a snap. He never let us down, never failed to perform, whether it was over mountains or at -20 degrees.

Our current ride, a 2003 RV-8A, is definitely a young lady. We call her Amelia, but I often think of her as more Natalie Portman than Hillary Swank. She's fast, sleek, nimble, and loves to roll over on her back. She has not an ounce of extra weight, anywhere, and is always willing to try new things. I love her dearly, and flying her is like caressing a beautiful woman.

All planes have personality.
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There's so many awful jokes I could make from those... :) :) :)

Resisting...

Okay enough of that.

Why are you climbing all over Natalie Portman every weekend? Don't lie, I've seen the photos. :)

And where were you going with four 200 lb guys and 150 lbs of luggage? SausageFest? :) For that matter, who was flying your plane? You've gotta be over 200. :) :) :)
 
denverpilot said:
There's so many awful jokes I could make from those... :) :) :)

Resisting...

Okay enough of that.

Why are you climbing all over Natalie Portman every weekend? Don't lie, I've seen the photos. :)

And where were you going with four 200 lb guys and 150 lbs of luggage? SausageFest? :) For that matter, who was flying your plane? You've gotta be over 200. :) :) :)
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Hey, now. I was 199 at my 3rd Class Medical a few months ago.

 
Jay Honeck said:
Hey, now. I was 199 at my 3rd Class Medical a few months ago.

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Hehehe... sorry, I knew that one was questionable! You're one of those tall, skinny people. But I know quite a bit of it is muscle, so I guessed. Congrats though... I need to get to 199... :)
 
denverpilot said:
Hehehe... sorry, I knew that one was questionable! You're one of those tall, skinny people. But I know quite a bit of it is muscle, so I guessed. Congrats though... I need to get to 199... :)
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I'd rather be 185, but I'm just not willing to give up the great Mexican food here in Texas...

But back to planes, the Pathfinder was just a load - hauling SOB. If it fit, it flew.
 
The N3N like all of the military trainers I have flown likes to have a firm hand in control. When you think you have them mastered and start to relax or not give them your complete attention they turn around and bite. Then there's the Zenith 750 I have been test flying that keeps trying to kill me. We have come to an understanding however and have had no problems the last few hours.
 
yakdriver said:
Then there's the Zenith 750 I have been test flying that keeps trying to kill me. We have come to an understanding however and have had no problems the last few hours.
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That's surprising. What has it been doing?
 
On the third flight the right door imploded. Then the alternator had a dead short and I barely made it back to the airport. Engine has electronic ignition and was starting to surge and cut out on short final. Lots of other little issues on this one but it has been working great the last few hours.
 
Just like when you're getting set up on a blind date with some uggo and the person subjecting you to such a hideous beast, I would say my plane has a "great personality"
 
I knew a C-141 that was homicidal, though it was never quite successful at it.

And a C-130 that was a little parnoid - it was hit in the wing root by a rocket, a dud, but needed a lot of work, never flew quite straight, and was always "skittish" on low-levels.
 
Ever see that older lady that has a few wrinkles she is trying to hide while wearing a short skirt. She might be older, but still has that silky walk that gives you a few wrong thoughts.... Yep, that's just before the old engine fires up and you find out the old cougar can still run...


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Mine looks more like Helen Thomas.
 
Sundancer said:
And a C-130 that was a little parnoid - it was hit in the wing root by a rocket, a dud, but needed a lot of work, never flew quite straight, and was always "skittish" on low-levels.
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Kosovo? I may know someone who was on board when it was hit. Starboard side? Jammed the inboard flap down?

He says the flight to a longer runway to recover it felt like it took a loooooooooong time. Lordy, those airplanes will take punishment...
 
denverpilot said:
Kosovo? I may know someone who was on board when it was hit. Starboard side? Jammed the inboard flap down?

He says the flight to a longer runway to recover it felt like it took a loooooooooong time. Lordy, those airplanes will take punishment...
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Oh, Lord, no! This was an "E" model, hit in Viet Nam, left wing. Our guys said the repairs were never quite straight, and the airplane flew a little crooked. You could stand in the back, look up at the aileron booster pack, and watch it hunt constantly, left and right, when the autopilot was engaged. Then again, most of them did that to some degree. It was either a 1962 or 1963 model, and I think the tail number was 825 (or 852?). Long ago. . .
 
Yeah, the whole fleet has a personality. It likes to break at the worst locations such as El Centro, CA and Minot, ND. But everything works perfectly when you fly to Rota, St. Croix, Hawaii, Japan.
 
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