Author Topic: Bush's adventure in a C172 (Read 809 times)

midnight Target · « **Reply #15 on:** October 11, 2004, 03:38:14 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by SunTracker
I have to disagree with you MT. I flew after a seven year hiatus, and Bush's nervousness fits the mold pretty well.

I believe the story is true. Especially where it mentions he tried to yank the c172 off the runway (like a F102) rather than a gradual climb.

At the very least (if its false), the story was written by a pilot.

I wasn't questioning the veracity of the story, only the style of the writer.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #16 on:** October 11, 2004, 03:43:35 PM »

Aha! My friend Eric, who is an Alaska Airlines pilot, mentioned this at our son's soccer game last week. He went onto explain how his father is a private pilot (Eric flew T-38's in the NG, now flies 727 and 737's) and took him up during some cloudy, eventually foggy conditions, turned the plane over to Eric while dad dug through the nav charts while they flew from Seattle to Ocean Shores on the coast. Now, I really don't know Eric's politics, we don't discuss them, but he seemed to be defending Bush by relating his own harrowing and scarey bit in the 172 they flew. He summary was basically this: Unless you fly it all the time, its rather spooky to be thrown at the controls of aircraft that you are not familiar with.

Dnil · « **Reply #17 on:** October 11, 2004, 04:07:25 PM »

I have only been flying newer 172s lately and no warning system there blinks or crackles. Blinking maybe on the annunciator panel and thats for oil,fuel,volts,vacuum type stuff. But for sure no crackling, and never has it been called a warning system.

Golfer · « **Reply #18 on:** October 11, 2004, 04:42:10 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Dnil
I have only been flying newer 172s lately and no warning system there blinks or crackles. Blinking maybe on the annunciator panel and thats for oil,fuel,volts,vacuum type stuff. But for sure no crackling, and never has it been called a warning system.

The warning light I referred to is added on as requested by the owner. They're rare but they're there. I've installed basic warning lights and buzzer or beeper to be triggered by the stall warning horn. They don't come standard on C-172s now nor do I believe they ever did.

Dago · « **Reply #19 on:** October 11, 2004, 04:46:03 PM »

The article smells of BS.

Among the things that would be very questionable, nobody "yanks" an F102 off the runway, that isn't exactly an F16. Yanking one off is a good way to stall.

And no 172 I have flown had a blinking warning that I remember. Maybe some models did, I just don't remember any.

Here is a picture of a 172 panel I took one day while flying:

No stall warning light that I see.

dago

Golfer · « **Reply #20 on:** October 11, 2004, 04:55:08 PM »

Dago thanks for the pic!

Where we installed the lights on the 172s was to the left of the ADF needle. There was one light for primary vaccuum failure and the other we rigged to the mechanical stall horn in the wing with a switch. Just to give a visual.

john9001 · « **Reply #21 on:** October 11, 2004, 06:52:03 PM »

where's the ammo counter, i don see no ammo counter.

Dnil · « **Reply #22 on:** October 11, 2004, 08:03:52 PM »

I dont think we are doubting you at all golfer, just the story smells of fecal matter.

Habu · « **Reply #23 on:** October 11, 2004, 08:19:24 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by type_char
I can't - I'm a little man, I'm a little man, he's, he's a great man. I should have been a pair of ragged claws scuttling across floors of silent seas...

in the room the women come and go. Talking of Michelangelo.

cpxxx · « **Reply #24 on:** October 12, 2004, 02:43:43 AM »

As a pilot the story rings true to me and it doesn't reflect all that badly on Bush.

The article was not written by a pilot but Evans clearly wasn't. He is obviously the source of the story and I don't think he meant it as a critique of Bush. Non flyers impressions of a flight are often way different to the pilot's. I could tell you stories!!!

The initial unfamiliarity with the controls. That makes sense. Every Cessna I ever flew had a different layout. Any pilot would look around to get familiar with it. A non pilot would think that was having 'no idea how to fly the thing'.

The over rotation would be a classic mistake by a pilot who last flew swept wing fighters. 'Give it some gas' was a pointless comment from Evans as undoubtedly the throttle was at full power already. Lowering the nose would have done the job. The wobbly flight would be typical for a pilot getting used to trimming again. Plus it's very bumpy on hot days in Texas.
The poor landing would be no shock given all of the above.

Taking off again and looking scared would be no surprise. The fact that he scared himself but took off again to try to do better speaks to some extent for his character.

It really depends on how you look at it whether the article makes Bush look bad. Most non pilots might think that. Most pilots have been there to some extent on one or two occasions. Not naming any names or anything, you understand!!

FUNKED1 · « **Reply #25 on:** October 12, 2004, 03:50:12 AM »

Seems believable to me that Dubya would try something like that, and that he would be rusty after not having flown for years. It also reads like a story narrated by a non-pilot to another non-pilot.

Dinger · « **Reply #26 on:** October 12, 2004, 06:44:08 AM »

Um, did any of you actually go to the link and see what the sources were?
Then you go to those sources and you see what their sources were. Minutaglio's account sounds like Don Evan's wife was retelling it (check the sources). The other account of the same gag is Don evans by way of David Maranis.