Waving "hi"

Richard

Richard

Final Approach
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Ack...city life
I've seen those TV ads promoting boating. It's true, boaters wave to each other. Why not pilots?

Even before 9/11 when we weren't all regarded as suspected terrorists even at our home drome, pilots seldom waved to each other.

F'rinstance, I was left base for 26L and a Cessna was right base 26R, right next to me. I couldn't help it; I wagged my wings, I waved, I flashed the peace sign, etc. No response. And that wasn't the first time.

The other day a SWA 737 crossed 800' above me at altitude. You bet I wagged my wings just to say, "Hi" to the crew or perhaps because I imagined even one bored pax was actually looking out the winder. Of course, I wouldn't have expected him to respond but something that cool had to be a treat for more than just me.

So why don't pilots wave to each other?

EDIT: OTOH, some years ago KFAT TWR had requested a flight of two F-16s reduce their speed for landing traffic on the parallel rwy. They complied when they had everything hanging and pitched up to a ridiculously high AoA. For what seemed like 5 minutes they were neck and neck with the traffic. That traffic was me in an Arrow IV. It was an awesome sight descending to a landing in the yellow arc trying to keep up with those proud birds. TWR even chimed in; "Nice view, huh?" Now that was a pilot waving to a pilot!
 
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I wave. no one ever seems to be looking when I do.
 
Richard said:
I've seen those TV ads promoting boating. It's true, boaters wave to each other. Why not pilots?

Even before 9/11 when we weren't all regarded as suspected terrorists even at our home drome, pilots seldom waved to each other.

F'rinstance, I was left base for 26L and a Cessna was right base 26R, right next to me. I couldn't help it; I wagged my wings, I waved, I flashed the peace sign, etc. No response. And that wasn't the first time.

The other day a SWA 737 crossed 800' above me at altitude. You bet I wagged my wings just to say, "Hi" to the crew or perhaps because I imagined even one bored pax was actually looking out the winder. Of course, I wouldn't have expected him to respond but something that cool had to be a treat for more than just me.

So why don't pilots wave to each other?
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In all honesty, I doubt I'd ever be in a position that I'd have my eyes on you long enough to notice the wing rock or acknowledge it as a salutation. Generally when I see another aircraft in the pattern or nearby, I make a note of their position and continue my scan before coming back to them, then making another scan, so on and so forth.

On a number of occasions I've said hi to individuals on frequency, though I've always kept it short and sweet. With the attention and diligence we have to keep at the controls I guess we just don't really have the setup for a nice friendly wave. But remember this. While boaters may wave at each other, they probably just continue with their day. We pilots on the other hand, not only greet each other on the ground, but can go sit somewhere and enjoy a 100$ hamburger while trading stories about our love of aviation.

So while we may not have many opportunities to meet and greet others of our kind, those opportunities we do have are generally much more involved and enjoyable than those of other hobbies in my opinion. And all you have to do to realize that is to look at the Gaston's videos.
 
Dunno - seems like if we're close enough to be waving at each other up there, I'm going to have other things on my mind! :eek:

(I'd wave at ya now, but there isn't a "wave" smiley! :dunno:)
 
Hi Richard!
wave2.gif
 
I guess this wasn't a wave, but close. Before MBNA sold out to BoA they had facilities in Rockland, Belfast, and Bangor, ME. Regular Gulfstream flights would leave Knox county Regional Airport(Rockland) KRKD with freight bound for Maryland. One day I was doing aerial photography over my home town, and was making repeated passes up, down, and around which included being over the St. George River, it nearly inescapable from any a/c approaching KRKD from the S or S/W.

Knowing that I wasn't many minutes out of KRKD space I advised "any traffic" where I was and what I was doing. One pilot, apparently tuned-in to my pinpointed photo-shoot, came back with, "Hey, Lawreston, is that you?"I might add here that only people from that area would know my legal first name, most "outsiders" relating to "Jerry." Anyway, shortly after that a Gulfstream a/c came out of the distance and my radio commented, "Red and white Cessna, you're looking good down there." I came back with, "Thanks; getting some good shots of my old farm and the Olson House."

So, in so many words I think they "waved."

HR
 
Actually, as I get older, I seem to notice people getting friendlier. This morning, I was standing on the ramp swinging my arm because my shoulder hurt. Some guy clear across the ramp waved back.
 
I waved. Didn't you see me? Oh, wait. I was in my airplane and you were in yours. About a quarter of a mile away. I guess you COULDN'T see me.

That is the difference between boating and flying. In a boat you can stop and talk. A bit difficult in an airplane.
 
wbarnhill said:
So while we may not have many opportunities to meet and greet others of our kind, those opportunities we do have are generally much more involved and enjoyable than those of other hobbies in my opinion.
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I guess you have never tied your boat up to Champlin's Dock on Block Island any Saturday night between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Be ready to Party!

-Skip
 
Richard said:
F'rinstance, I was left base for 26L and a Cessna was right base 26R, right next to me.
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As a newbie pilot I'm still trying to visualize how you were right next to each other........... I'm sure I'm missing something. But should add that (also as a newbie pilot) I tend to wave to the whole world on final. ;) :D
 
I'm not sure I've ever flown close enough to see if anybody had been waving at me, or to be able to count the number of fingers they were waving at me with.

I have sent and received waves on the ground. Once when I was preflighting and a Stearman taxied by and another when I was preflighting and a Citation taxied by.
 
N6399A said:
As a newbie pilot I'm still trying to visualize how you were right next to each other........... I'm sure I'm missing something. But should add that (also as a newbie pilot) I tend to wave to the whole world on final. ;) :D
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I guess I assumed you could read my mind. What I meant is we had turned to final. I was ahead of him on the turn but was already slowing way down in order to let him get on my wing and then I added power to match his speed.

Thanks for pointing out my air or.
 
I remember some dude named "Troy" who was waived at by an Air Force pilot. I bet that was pretty neat.
 
I'll wave when passing aircraft on the taxiway.

In the air? Nah, too busy flying. :D
 
I "waved" at several airplanes today on my out and back. Each time I crossed paths with an airliner above or below me, I'd give'em a wingflash. I crossed pretty close to an MD-80. I wonder if they or the passengers even saw me. :)
 
I wave all the time, to airplanes, boats, people in their backyards, eagles, turkeys, deer.... I wave at everything. One day, while flying up in the flight levels(3000 ft MSL:) ) I spied an airplane that I figured would pass head on just off my right wing, so I waved at him to let him know I was out here. At first I got no response, then he waved back. It was the most awesome wave I've ever seen, an A-10 snapped up to 90 degrees on edge, then back to the opposite 90 degrees, back again, then straight. It was too cool! That's not the only plane to wave back. There are plenty on friendly pilots, you just have to do a real noticeable wave. Mine kind of looks like I got caught in a Tornado.

Barb
 
Heck .. everyone around here waves. If we're too far away to wave we
just use the radio.
 
When I was first certificated, I'd go up all I could. I had quit drinking and strangely, had more money in my pocket. Much of it was during the night hours after I got off work at 11PM at Cecil Field. I'd drive over to Navy Jax, get the keys for my favorite C-152 and head for the night sky.

I went up to Fernandina Beach a lot and did night landings. That explains the large amount of night time I've accumulated. Sometimes, I'd go up on a Saturday or a Sunday afternoon after church and the rain had gone past. A few times, I flew along the beach when it was covered with people. I'd get down to 500 out over the water and look. No binoculars and that was probably a good thing.

On another winter day, the beach was bare and a lone boy walking along. I flew low as I had before. It seems like I had been into the airport and gotten a Coke before leaving again. As I flew along, he waved at me. So, I rocked the wings in reply. I couldn't see his face but I could imagine how I'd feel in his place. I went up the beach and turned around for one more pass; again rocking the wings and seeing his wave before I climbed out and headed back to NIP.

During that same time, I was seeing a girl who went to Trinity Baptist College there in Jacksonville. Any time we were alone, we had to have one of her friends along for a chaperon.

Well, along comes a time I'm more confident and I offer to take her flying. As it was, I had to get checked out in the Skyhawk as I'd never flown more than the 152. I can't recall his name but still the face of a seemingly older guy who flew P-3's. He was in his mid-thirties. I did fine and he signed me off with the club records.

Of course, we have her friend as a chaperon to go with us. This was going to be on a Sunday after church. On Saturday, she gets word to me at my barracks that another friend wants to go along. Here I was at twenty-one. I'm getting three girls seated and buckled up in this bird, all between nineteen and twenty. Naturally, my focus was on Sherry, the girl I was seeing.

No waving but I saw some pretty smiles that showed appreciation for the flight. We flew over the college but not low enough to really see anyone. I wasn't as brave over land as I was over the water and a beach area to land on if needed.

As simple as those times were... yet, they were a couple of the best.
 
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