Funny requests

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Meanee

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Meanee
A word got around the office that I am a licensed pilot, so people are trying to get me to give them a ride. These are requests that I received.

"Can you let me do a takeoff? It's very easy"
"How much is a parachute?"
"Can we do upside down? Denzel did it in Flight"
"What about like a dive? Can we do a spin?"
"Can we go to Florida?" (We are in New York)

Share yours!
 
I've had a few (joking) requests to buzz Air Force 1. It occasionally comes by here.

The types of questions you get aren't common here, as there are a fair number of private, commercial, and ATP pilots around here.
 
Meanee said:
A word got around the office that I am a licensed pilot, so people are trying to get me to give them a ride. These are requests that I received.

"Can you let me do a takeoff? It's very easy"
"How much is a parachute?"
"Can we do upside down? Denzel did it in Flight"
"What about like a dive? Can we do a spin?"
"Can we go to Florida?" (We are in New York)

Share yours!
Click to expand...

I tend to associate with people that have a pretty high level of intelligence, so most questions are pretty much question what most pilots would ask.

However, before GPS was common, and built into everything I did have fun with one girl, who legitimately asked how we navigated above the clouds, and I gave a very rudimentary explanation of the victor airways. She then asked how we knew when to turn. I said that at every intersection there were signs just like on the streets, and they were kept aloft by balloons. We would find the balloon, and fly towards it, read the signs, and then know which way to turn to get to the next balloon. I gave a very detailed explanation about that part of it. I don't recall if I ever let her know if that wasn't the case or not.
 
Cousin: "Can you pick me up at the airport and bring me home?"
Me: "Where are you?"
Cousin: "Phoenix"

(I'm in NY)
 
My favorite is always...

"So do they let you fly anywhere you want?"
 
I had a boss once ask me if I could land in the parking lot!!! I looked out the window at the parking lot then back at him and as seriously as I could said "Once"
 
As a new pilot what I get more of is a review of every single plane crash in the world, and many historical crashes. Movie and television crashes seem terribly important as well for me to know about.
 
You are a pilot? cool you can fly my dad's plane, if the government gives it back...
 
Meanee said:
A word got around the office that I am a licensed pilot, so people are trying to get me to give them a ride. These are requests that I received.

"Can you let me do a takeoff? It's very easy"
"How much is a parachute?"
"Can we do upside down? Denzel did it in Flight"
"What about like a dive? Can we do a spin?"
"Can we go to Florida?" (We are in New York)

Share yours!
Click to expand...

None of those sound unreasonable to me :confused:
 
The most common reply when I tell them I am a pilot is . . .

a long silence
 
Fly-Fla said:
As a new pilot what I get more of is a review of every single plane crash in the world, and many historical crashes. Movie and television crashes seem terribly important as well for me to know about.
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That is probably the most common reaction that I get. A lot of people will ask how much the hangar or gas costs, but never about the cost of the airplane itself.

The other common question I get is whether my wife likes to fly. They don't know whether to believe me when I say she is a pilot and is probably more fanatical about flying than I am.
 
Oh your a pilot? Dude! Really like airplanes and stuff. Could you like fly to like Mexico and like pick up a package from my umm cousin?

NO! :no:
 
Not so much funny requests, since those I worked with were in the business as well, but a social functions with my wife's cohorts, (attorneys) the misconceptions about flying were often hilarious.

"Oh I would never fly in a helicopter, they crash too much."

"It must be nice to just fly around all day and get paid for it."

"How to they stop the boat from moving up and down when it is time to land?" (My all time favorite) :dunno:
 
Them: o your a pilot

Me: Yes

Them: wow, cool. Do you have an airplane

Me: Yes

Them: what kind

Me: A 1948 Stinson

Them: WHAAAAAAAT.....They let planes that old fly???:eek:
 
I get "Does your wife let you fly your kids"? I usually tell them I let my daughter fly me.( She is 3)
 
Them: Can we fly to JFK?
Me: Uh... I can, but why do you want to go there?
Them: Well, isn't that the closest airport? You can let me out there.
Me: *facepalm*

One of the popular ones: "We are not going to crash, right? You are not going to crash the plane just to screw with us?" :confused::confused:
 
Meanee said:
Them: Can we fly to JFK?
Me: Uh... I can, but why do you want to go there?
Them: Well, isn't that the closest airport? You can let me out there.
Me: *facepalm*

One of the popular ones: "We are not going to crash, right? You are not going to crash the plane just to screw with us?" :confused::confused:
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To the second question, I would look them right in the eye and say, "Well, I WAS going to kill.all of us just for laughs, but now you've spoiled the surprise."
I thought I'd heard all the really dumb questions, but if more than one person has really asked you that..... amazing.:rolleyes2:
 
rottydaddy said:
To the second question, I would look them right in the eye and say, "Well, I WAS going to kill.all of us just for laughs, but now you've spoiled the surprise."
I thought I'd heard all the really dumb questions, but if more than one person has really asked you that..... amazing.:rolleyes2:
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People are used to large aircraft, commercial travel, etc. They look at your typical Cessna to be a toy, like a kite. "Eh, it's a small plane, how complicated can it be?" hence people who never touched a small plane asking me if they can do a takeoff, or a roll. So yea, I got few people asking "You are not going to crash it, right?" because that's exactly what I like to do. Crash an aircraft with me and pax in it, I am sure that will work well for everyone involved and we will have a laugh about it over some beers later :rolleyes2:
 
us AAirways said:
I get asked..."you're a pilot.....aren't you afraid of crashing????"
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This seems to be the #1 question, or something along the lines of "why do you have a death wish?".

I've been asked about rolls, loops and "flips".

"What about being in a flat spin heading out to sea?" :mad2:

I had one coworker ask me about engine failure, and I explained how the plane just becomes a poor glider, but you have lots of options to make a successful landing. He replied "oh, I thought whent he engine stops you spin into the ground, like you see on TV." :frown2:
 
Do you shutoff the engine when coming in for landing?

How do you keep from hitting all the other airplanes with everything going so fast, isn't it busy up there? (Hint: if your answer starts with Big Sky Theory their eyes glaze over and everything afterwards is like you're Charlie Brown's teacher).
 
numl0ck said:
I had one coworker ask me about engine failure, and I explained how the plane just becomes a poor glider, but you have lots of options to make a successful landing. He replied "oh, I thought whent he engine stops you spin into the ground, like you see on TV." :frown2:
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I heard bunch of these. And when you tell them that plane will glide, they look at you like you are retarded or something. You can make it worse by telling them that even big jets can glide. Then you will lose all credibility with these people lol
 
Took my PPL when I was 42 (50 now). My mother was under the belief that ALL non-commercial flights required a CFI on board and how could they let students solo:yikes::nono::lol:

My sister has a complete phobia to flying and hadn't fown in 10 years. I used to razz her that I was heading out to go get fuel at a nearby airport and did she want a ride (knowing she'd decline). One day she said yes which I hadn't expected and up we went. Told her the usual (could return to land anytime etc.) and she relaxed after a minute or two airborne. After 30 minutes asked if she had had enough, and she said she'd like to fly longer, so we headed over to the Class C field near us for an approach. She was filming on her phone the entire approach then exclaimed," Why aren't you landing?" ... I told her we already did and were on the "go" from the TNG. Had SWA on the parallel (her video below).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXNFgjPBCFQ
 
Why would you not let them do a takeoff? It's not exactly rocket surgery.
I let my passengers do rolls, if they've shown a small amount of aptitude at basic coordination.
 
Had two passengers, a man and his wife in their 60's or so. The man approaches me on the ramp before the flight and explains his wife is afraid to fly. Instructs me to fly low as he reasons that being near the ground will comfort his wife. This is a 600 mile flight we're about to launch on and I had filed for the mid 30's.

I ask 'how low do you want me to fly?' to which he says, 'well, above the houses and trees and stuff. Maybe a few hundred feet.'

I informed him I can't do that and in order to make the flight non-stop we're going to have to fly much higher than that. In the end they just closed the shades on her side and told her we were going to stay low.

Weird...
 
pericynthion said:
Why would you not let them do a takeoff? It's not exactly rocket surgery.
I let my passengers do rolls, if they've shown a small amount of aptitude at basic coordination.
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I am not a CFI, and I really don't feel like having them yank the stick all the way back and stall out. So no takeoff. And rolls, he meant barrel roll.

Person who asked me has zero training, zero understanding of aerodynamics, and asked me if I can do "loops and sh#t". Would you let someone like that do a take off?
 
Meanee said:
....and asked me if I can do "loops and sh#t"....
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will that maneuver be on my checkride? as long as I end up on the same heading and within +- 100ft I should be ok? :)
 
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