You hear a small plane fly overhead...

182s are pretty distinctive with the low rpm Contis.
 
I can tell most airliners by their sound, or by their landing lights on approach. We'll hear one flying overhead and I'll tell the wife "that's one of mine" and she'll be amazed, it is. So, yeah, I bet there are people that can do it with bug smashes, also.
 
MAKG1 said:
Dang.

I work at an airfield, and I can barely tell a high wing single from a low wing single from 1000 feet below. You can identify a 182 vs, say, a 172 or 177 or 206?
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No, that was kind of my point. I could see it was a high wing nose pusher with struts so naturally I'm thinking of those two since they are the most ubiquitous. But the engine sounded different to me - enuff so I could have been convinced it was something entirely different. I don't know why, maybe because it was throttled back and descending into the pattern?
 
I don't pay attention to small planes since I live under the pattern. Big planes I pay attention to. Last November I heard a C-130 flying over head. Then I realized there was more than one. I ran out side to see one C-130 taking on fuel from what looked like a KC-10 with the other two waiting for their turn. This was at about 10,000 feet. I live at ground elevation of 6600 feet.

Many years ago I was helping a friend of mine install a septic system for the house he was about to build. It was out in the middle of no where and pretty quiet. Then we heard a moderately loud BANG, CLANK. We looked at each other, then looked up to see 3 B-52 refueling. They were approximately 10,000 feet, we were at ground elevation of 300 feet and we could hardly hear any noise from any of the planes.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Very easy to distinguish between jet, turboprop, and piston. Very easy to determine piston single from twin. And not hard to determine 4cyl from 6.

One thing I have noticed is certain C182s have a very distinctive sound. A whistle or certain whine, can't describe it, but easy to hear.
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Turbo?

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Shepherd said:
Oh yeah. I can identify a Huey before it's in "hearing distance" just from the physical vibrations. A lot of my buddies have the same reaction. We can feel it before we hear it.
It's not a sound any of us will ever forget.
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I was able to work on and fly in a couple Hueys when I first got i to Army Aviation. One thing I want to do is obtain a Huey and form a nonprofit living history type organization around it and fly it to Veterans events, do over flights of burials, fly vets around in it, etc. Basically I want THAT specific sound to never be forgotten.

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Sitting here finishing up some work, hear a heavy sound, I look up and out my window to see a C-17 doing a right base for the airport. I look out the front to see it make a low pass, followed by a second one about a minute later.

At least they don't shake the house like the Ospreys do.
 
zodiacflyguy said:
I was able to work on and fly in a couple Hueys when I first got i to Army Aviation. One thing I want to do is obtain a Huey and form a nonprofit living history type organization around it and fly it to Veterans events, do over flights of burials, fly vets around in it, etc. Basically I want THAT specific sound to never be forgotten.

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Bell still makes the UH-1, including a civilian version. I think Agusta used to make a knockoff at one time as well.
 
I live in the flight path for SWF, home of the 105th Airlift Wing.
I don't think a day goes by without a C-17 or C-130 flying over the house.
Every few months I get a real thrill when a couple of fighters will drag in. We had a couple of F-16s go over last month.
 
My wife gave me a CD recording of aircraft engines, Jet, Radial, piston, .... It is a great sound track. We sometimes pack a lunch go down to the float pond and watch the planes coming and going. My least favorite is C-185 on floats, love the Beavers and Otters.
 
Sac Arrow said:
Bell still makes the UH-1, including a civilian version. I think Agusta used to make a knockoff at one time as well.
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I know, I want a real deal UH-1, period correct for VN era. The only thing I would probably change is the tail rotor and maybe use 212 gearboxes, and elastomeric bearings. Failing that, I would love to use an OH-6. Lower operating and maintenance costs.

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zodiacflyguy said:
I was able to work on and fly in a couple Hueys when I first got i to Army Aviation. One thing I want to do is obtain a Huey and form a nonprofit living history type organization around it and fly it to Veterans events, do over flights of burials, fly vets around in it, etc. Basically I want THAT specific sound to never be forgotten.

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I am certain I will never forget that specific sound. My last ride in a Huey was in October 83 and I had a bayonet stuck in my groin. The important parts are still with me.
 
Shepherd said:
Oh yeah. I can identify a Huey before it's in "hearing distance" just from the physical vibrations. A lot of my buddies have the same reaction. We can feel it before we hear it.
It's not a sound any of us will ever forget.
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I was moving a Huey cross country and had climbed high to cross the Grand Canyon SFRA. Once past the ditch I entered a shallow power on descent into my next fuel stop. When I arrived the fuel truck was parked by the helipad and the ramp guy was just waiting. He said he was listing to me come in for 20 mins. That old bird was announcing her arrival.
 
zodiacflyguy said:
I was able to work on and fly in a couple Hueys when I first got i to Army Aviation. One thing I want to do is obtain a Huey and form a nonprofit living history type organization around it and fly it to Veterans events, do over flights of burials, fly vets around in it, etc. Basically I want THAT specific sound to never be forgotten.

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If you are close to a unit of these guys you can donate your time a cash for exactly what you propose.

https://armyav.org
 
Tarheelpilot said:
If you are close to a unit of these guys you can donate your time a cash for exactly what you propose.

https://armyav.org
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Looks like the closest to me would be in St Louis. Approx 400 miles East. I have talked a bit to a group that has a couple H-34's. May see if they need a hand from time to time. I do have experience with some of Sikorsky's product line too.

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nope, cant tell.

... but i wonder if one could write an app that could. Youd need a better mic, probably, but the phone should be more than powerful enough to identify type.
 
GlennAB1 said:
I heard Rolls Royce Darts a couple days ago, got all excited because thats so rare now, damn, it was too cloudy to see that plane.
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OK, make that 2 engine/prop combos I can identify by sound. Holding short of a runway which watching a P-51 make a low pass has permanently burned that sound into my brain.
 
Neighbor has landed his r44 in the yard, sprayed the field out front, and overflown his house so many times that I can tell an r44 without looking, and can tell his from the other one that flies in the area.

What the difference is between them, I don't know... But they sound subtly, but for sure different from one another.
 
asicer said:
OK, make that 2 engine/prop combos I can identify by sound. Holding short of a runway which watching a P-51 make a low pass has permanently burned that sound into my brain.
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P-51, made me think.... Maybe I heard a Piper PA-48 Enforcer (Cavalier Turbo Mustang III)? ;)
 
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P-51 is unmistakable.
P-51 at 120 inches around the sticks at Reno...REALLY unmistakeable!
 
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