The talk at Truman State last night went well, I think: there was a more-than-capacity crowd, with people sitting all over the floors and stairs, and the talk was followed, after a short book signing, with about an hour and 20 minutes of questions, with much of the audience staying (and asking thoughtful questions). That was a good sign, and was marred only by one crazy religious woman who, after my talk, thrust pamphlets in my hand, told me I was teaching the students lies, and that she “felt sorry” for me because I had rejected God and was bound for Hell. She also said I wasn’t allowing anybody to respond to the lies I’d told about evolution. I informed her that there was a Q&A session to come and she was welcome to ask me a question. She stayed but remained silent. So it goes. Such cowards these people are!
I’m flying back to Chicago today, and the first leg, from Kirksville to St. Louis, is in a tiny, 8 seater Cessna propeller on Cape Air. One of the passenger seats is right next to the pilot! I’m hoping to get that one, which I was assigned last time, but a bumptious passenger stole it from me when they said “seating is open. ” It’s fascinating to watch the guy fly the small plane, though I’m not sure whether some time it’s on autopilot.
But I sat right behind the pilot on his left side, so I was able to see everything, and it was so engrossing that I didn’t even read my book. Today I’ll try to take a video. And, after a longish layover in St. Louis, I’ll be home this evening. Meanwhile, in Dobrzyn, Hili has her usual First World problems:
A: Do you want to come into the house?Hili: I don’t know what I want. I’m thinking.
Ja: Chcesz wrócić do domu?
Hili: Nie wiem czego chcę, myślę.
Hili is always thinking…!
http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2014/08/08/friday-hili-dialogue-42/
🙂
Not the best weather for flying maybe. Might have been nearly as quick to drive?
Quick maybe. But not as much fun.
I had similar flying experiences, and it is fascinating watching them work the controls. I may be wrong, but they may not allow a video to be taken of the pilot flying the plane due to the security precautions.
Of course it would be smart to ask permission first, but I’m guessing video should be OK. Security can’t be too tight if they allow a passenger to sit next to the pilot.
And it’s not like there aren’t any images of Cessna cockpits out there already.
As a pilot of my own little plane, I can understand the wish for the jump seat. I don’t need an excuse to fly rather than drive. The view provides a widened perspective on life, the universe, and everything else.
Looking forward to seeing the video of your talk.
As a corporate pilot and instructor, I’ve piloted a number of Cessna aircraft from the two-seat Cessna 150 trainer to the near-speed-of-sound Cessna Citation X (Ten). Jerry was in a Cessna 402, one of a large family of Cessna twins last made in the mid-1980s. When I was charter flying in the early 2000s, one of my best trips ever was flying a group of John Hopkins physicists in a Cessna Golden Eagle 421C twin to a conference at Virginia Tech. Those guys had a ball on the flight–they were thrilled to be flying in a smaller aircraft and enjoyed every minute of it. Pilots love enthusiastic passengers!
Based on Jerry’s “8 seater” description, I would have guessed the Caravan. The 402 hasn’t been made since 1985 — though, of course, a well-maintained plane should fly well for several decades at the least. The Caravan (208) is still in production and typically seats about that many.
…and, to me, either of those isn’t “tiny”; they’re both medium-largish. Dad’s a CFI / MEI / AGI (long since retired), and for many years was the corporate pilot for a small company that owned a Cessna 182 with an Horton STOL kit. Sweet plane — a real workhorse.
For me, “tiny” would have to be something smaller than a Piper Cub — like something out of a James Bond movie. A Cub is small; a 182 is medium-sized; a 402 / 208 is large; and everything else ranges from big (Gooney bird) to freakin’ huge (Connie) to “You gotta be shitting me” (727) to “I swear that violates at least seventeen laws of physics” (L-1011) to “That’s no moon!” (747).
b&
You may be right, but Cape Air operates a very large number of 402s. They are all over Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and Cape Cod airports and airspace in the summer. If they also use Caravans, that’s news to me, but it could very well be the case. Keep in mind that one way Cape Air attracts pilots is by giving them “multi-time,” or pilot time and experience in twin-engine aircraft, a must for moving up to the airlines. Caravans, although turboprops, are still only single-engine airplanes. Lastly, piston-engine 402s are much cheaper to buy, run, and maintain than the turboprop Caravan.
Cape Air is listed as only having 402’s, plus 3 Britten-Norman Islanders and some ATR’s. The 402’s are due for replacement by Italian Tecnam P2012’s being developed in conjunction with Cape Air.
– Wikipedia
Ah — I know nothing of Cape Air, so you’re obviously much better informed and able to make reasonable guesses.
Personally, I think I’d pick the Caravan over the 402…half as much to go worng and an awful lot more lifting ability, plus I like the view afforded by the high wing. But the 402 is faster and there are those who really do think that second engine makes things better….
b&
Sporry for off-topic post, but you can follow the Philae comet landing from Rosetta spacecraft live here. you can also get a live xkcd interpretation here
oh, we are keeping an eye on it! But thanks for the xkcd link.
Hindsight is pretty useless, and I am sure the last thing you wanted was to engage this crazy lady, but the following occured to me. After you told her that there would be a Q&A period, it would have been fun to ask her why her god doesn’t allow any questions.
I’ve flown up front in a Cessna Skymaster, from Mitiaro to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. The push-pull Skymaster is quite unsuitable for short-strip operation so far as I could tell, primarily because the front engine blocks any view ahead, especially if the pilot is rather short (as this one was). We landed on the short coral strip at Mitiaro with plenty of power on, nose high, some horn (stall warning?) beeping away and the pilot looking out the side window at the edge of the runway for guidance. If a cow or a tractor had wandered on to the runway after our approach fly-by we’d have hit it without ever seeing it.
On the way back to Raro, the pilot set the autopilot, sat back, pulled out a paperback and settled down for a quiet read till we got there. I suppose it was safe enough with no other traffic and again, had there been an obstruction dead ahead the pilot couldn’t have seen it over the cockpit edge anyway…