http://www.shockcone.co.uk/forums/rapide.wmv (warning large file!)
Plane Ride
Moderators: Guru's, The Ministry
If you want to know what flying in a Rapide is like, I have a video I made of my flight in Air Atlantique's aircraft last year. Great fun, very relaxing and I thoroughly recommend it. Its sufficiently different from a normal pax airliner to be novel and sufficiently close to airliner flying to dispell any fears anyone might have 
http://www.shockcone.co.uk/forums/rapide.wmv (warning large file!)
http://www.shockcone.co.uk/forums/rapide.wmv (warning large file!)
-
Prop Jockey
- Vulcan
- Posts: 418
- Joined: 23 Oct 2004, 22:59
- Location: EGLD
- Contact:
The only caveat I'd add is..............
Are we sure we know why your friend isn't fond of flying ? Is it the flying part ? Or the trust in the people/equipment that's taking him flying etc ? It hasn't happened to me (thankfully - and please, please, please god make it stay that way) - but I witness a fair number of Pipers/Cessna/Diamonds return early from PPL lessons every year with the left-hand seat occupant covered in thier own breakfast. Most of these people always say - "I don't know what happened - I'm fine in a big plane".
What happened, is usually that they're hot, not entireley comfortable in smaller aircraft at that stage, and the low level turbulance you usually get below about 3000ft has disorientated them a little. They go quiet for a while and then all of a sudden annnouce 'Errrrr, Errrrr I think going to be ..............................................'. Game over.
Last year I was inbound to my home airfield and I'd heard a mate of mine who's an instructor call at a reporting point ahead of me. Usually I'd catch that type of aircraft really quickly, and so I'm monitoring him on my traffic screen and trying to slow up a little. But I'm not catching him like I usually would and I'm trying to figure out why he's nailing it. When he turns finals and makes his radio call all became clear.
"Golf Foxtrot Tango, finals to land zero six .................. theatrical pause ........... covered in puke"
Don't get me wrong, it's not funny, but there are some things you just can't stop yourself laughing at, you could hear background histerics in the tower when the ATCO came back with his landing clearance.
The bottom line is that GA flying is a different experience - and it's exactly that difference that makes people do and love it so much. Just look at the photos that chaps have posted above - you just don't get that in Airbus.
The Rapide flight I made from Duxford was something like 2 circuits, so it was pretty short. Short enough to make it difficult for you to get disorientated and searching for the sick bag. So if you think you're mate won't be put off by an aircraft held together by wires and stuff - go that route. He'll fly in a wonderful piece of history and have the trip of a lifetime !
Cheers
Rich
Are we sure we know why your friend isn't fond of flying ? Is it the flying part ? Or the trust in the people/equipment that's taking him flying etc ? It hasn't happened to me (thankfully - and please, please, please god make it stay that way) - but I witness a fair number of Pipers/Cessna/Diamonds return early from PPL lessons every year with the left-hand seat occupant covered in thier own breakfast. Most of these people always say - "I don't know what happened - I'm fine in a big plane".
What happened, is usually that they're hot, not entireley comfortable in smaller aircraft at that stage, and the low level turbulance you usually get below about 3000ft has disorientated them a little. They go quiet for a while and then all of a sudden annnouce 'Errrrr, Errrrr I think going to be ..............................................'. Game over.
Last year I was inbound to my home airfield and I'd heard a mate of mine who's an instructor call at a reporting point ahead of me. Usually I'd catch that type of aircraft really quickly, and so I'm monitoring him on my traffic screen and trying to slow up a little. But I'm not catching him like I usually would and I'm trying to figure out why he's nailing it. When he turns finals and makes his radio call all became clear.
"Golf Foxtrot Tango, finals to land zero six .................. theatrical pause ........... covered in puke"
Don't get me wrong, it's not funny, but there are some things you just can't stop yourself laughing at, you could hear background histerics in the tower when the ATCO came back with his landing clearance.
The bottom line is that GA flying is a different experience - and it's exactly that difference that makes people do and love it so much. Just look at the photos that chaps have posted above - you just don't get that in Airbus.
The Rapide flight I made from Duxford was something like 2 circuits, so it was pretty short. Short enough to make it difficult for you to get disorientated and searching for the sick bag. So if you think you're mate won't be put off by an aircraft held together by wires and stuff - go that route. He'll fly in a wonderful piece of history and have the trip of a lifetime !
Cheers
Rich
-
Garry Russell
- The Ministry
- Posts: 27180
- Joined: 29 Jan 2005, 00:53
- Location: On the other side of the wall
Probably Jonesy but the GA bounce around more which will make up for that and perhaps add a bit more.
But in normal pleasure flights with something like the Rapide that wouldn't happen as if it was that rough the flight would go.
:think:
Garry
But in normal pleasure flights with something like the Rapide that wouldn't happen as if it was that rough the flight would go.
:think:
Garry
Garry
"In the world of virtual reality things are not always what they seem."
"In the world of virtual reality things are not always what they seem."
-
DispatchDragon
- Battle of Britain
- Posts: 4925
- Joined: 23 Feb 2005, 01:18
- Location: On the corner of walk and dont walk somewhere on US1
- Contact:
Jonesy
You tend to get bounced around much more in a GA acft - plus the visibility DOESNT help - Im very lucky to have only once thrown up on a flight - in the 3/4 seat of an Auster - while my brother was practicising
stall turns - incredible view but after the third one breakfast made itself
known , of course only being 12 at the time didnt help. In all seriousness
I took part in a program called "Young Eagles" with the EAA flying alot of
children on their first flights in GA aircraft and we never had a sickie Not sure if thats a tribute to the pilots, because we flew in some really awful North Alabama weather
Leif
You tend to get bounced around much more in a GA acft - plus the visibility DOESNT help - Im very lucky to have only once thrown up on a flight - in the 3/4 seat of an Auster - while my brother was practicising
stall turns - incredible view but after the third one breakfast made itself
known , of course only being 12 at the time didnt help. In all seriousness
I took part in a program called "Young Eagles" with the EAA flying alot of
children on their first flights in GA aircraft and we never had a sickie Not sure if thats a tribute to the pilots, because we flew in some really awful North Alabama weather
Leif
-
Prop Jockey
- Vulcan
- Posts: 418
- Joined: 23 Oct 2004, 22:59
- Location: EGLD
- Contact:
Jonesy - isn't that so you don't get it on the carpet ? 
What kicks it off is the mismatch in your brain between what your eyes tell you and what your ears tell you. The more you're being chucked around, the harder your brain is working to reconcile the visual/balance parameters. So if your brain is already busy managing a high level of anxiety - you might be more prone to feeling sick. Hence the earlier question as to what he isn't he fond of, what will raise the anxiety levels more ?
The bigger visual picture does help some people, I've seen the downside when flying from VMC (where they're fine) to complete IMC where the picture suddenly goes and they're reliant soley on external 'feel' and balance parameters.
But hell, why let this stand in the way of a Rapide flight, JUST DO IT
Cheers
Rich
What kicks it off is the mismatch in your brain between what your eyes tell you and what your ears tell you. The more you're being chucked around, the harder your brain is working to reconcile the visual/balance parameters. So if your brain is already busy managing a high level of anxiety - you might be more prone to feeling sick. Hence the earlier question as to what he isn't he fond of, what will raise the anxiety levels more ?
The bigger visual picture does help some people, I've seen the downside when flying from VMC (where they're fine) to complete IMC where the picture suddenly goes and they're reliant soley on external 'feel' and balance parameters.
But hell, why let this stand in the way of a Rapide flight, JUST DO IT
Cheers
Rich