[simpits-tech] Memory Lane....

Mon, 30 Dec 2002 14:15:40 -0600

Hey Brian,

A Bell 47 is a classic...Where do you live? Just curious about the canals.
And just for the you suck part.. I have flown in the following:

Lufthansa 747-200 from DFW to FRANKFURT in 1984 in the cockpit chock to
chock
Lufthansa A310 from FRANKFURT to ATHENS Greece 1984 in the cockpit chock to
chock
Lufthansa 747-200 FRA to DFW in cockpit chock to chock
Iberia 747-200 from JFK to MADRID Spain in 1985 ( sat in co-pilots seat for
almost 3 hours over Atlantic)
Iberia 747-200 from MADRID to JFK 1985
Lufthansa 747-400 FRANKFURT to JOHANISBURG SOUTH AFRICA (over 12 hour
flight) in cockpit center jumpseat chock to chock 1990
Lufthansa 747-400 JOHANISBURG SA to FRANKFURT 1990
American Airlines 747 SP daily taxi from International Terminal 2E ( now
terminal A) to AA main maintance hanger ( did this almost every day before
work in 1989-90 with my MTC friends at AA when I worked there in Passenger
service) This was a blast cause the plane was empty and flew in every day
from Tokyo ( Narita Airport) and was still full of un- eaten first class
food still hot in the oven. The hanger was 3 miles away and we often had to
take the long way around the airport to avoid ramp traffic.
American Airlines 767-300 nite time taxi maintaince check at DFW airport. I
actually was allowed to taxi the plane from the co-pilots seat ( the  767
has a nose wheel tiller on both sides of the cockpit) I learned about how
NOT to brake a large jet ( I made it bounce way up and down by using too
much brakes)
American Airlines 727 simulator countless hours ( all thru 1990s)
American Airlines MD-80 ( same as above)
American Airlines MD-11 ( same as above)
American Airlines A300-600 ( same as above)
American Airlines 777 ( recenltly)
Thompson Training and Simulation *( now Thales) in Gatwick England Airbus
A330 Simulator - 2000
North American T-28 Trojan - at airshow flew thru down town Tulsa Oklahoma
1996
Polish Iskra Training Jet --------two flights in 1996
Bell Jet Ranger - flew around Hawaian Island of Kaui 1996
Brittish Folland GNAT supersonic Jet Trainer - Chino California ( ex Red
Arrows Jet) flew at 450 KTS at low level thru mountains around Chino
California ( puked my pizza and root beer up) have the video tape! year 2000
Multiple F-16 Simulators ( Thales MLU, L3 Block 40 UTD, F-16 Block 50
Lockheed Martin- 1997 thru this year
EF-111A Raven AMP simulator at Cannon AFB the week before the sim was
decommisioned 1998
A-10 UTD simulator- multiple times since 1998
C-130 simulator ( same as above)
F/A-18 A/ C/ E simulators ( multiple places and models since 1998)
actually since its now my line of work the full up sims I have been privy to
have flown, is almost countless.

I have been a pilot of small aircraft since 1987 ( was in a plane crash on
my second lesson!!!!!!!!) and I fly my fathers 2 airplanes almost every
weekend depending on weather.
And last but not least.. I spend countless hours dreaming in my own personal
cockpits.

I was lucky enough to have grown up in an Aviation household, as my father
was a US NAVY fighter pilot and also a Captain for Delta Airlines ( which is
how I scored all the flights in those foriegn airlines cockpits, I was an
exchange kid with other airlines families thru ALPA, and it let me get to
live in some cool places for the summer as well as fly in the cockpits with
my friends fathers on my trips to and from those stays)
Since I work in the Flight Simulation world as my carrer, I constantly use
my position to get into and fly different simulators either for fun ( cuase
I beg) or because its condusive to my job. Either way, dont think for a
second that I dont know how to wrangle my way into some cool stuff...and
always will.

I expect a full report from you on the TEXAN II when you go off to fly it
Brain! That is a really cool plane, and it will be much more safe and
comfortable than a TWEET!

Chris Woodul

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian Sikkema" <hangr18@hotmail.com>
To: <simpits-tech@simpits.org>
Sent: Monday, December 30, 2002 1:41 PM
Subject: Re: [simpits-tech] Memory Lane....

> In light of these revelations, I'd like to read a short statement I've
> prepared:
>
> *clears throat*
>
> You SUCK!
>
>
> LOL, that would be so much fun, I think I'd have to wear a diaper to the
> flight just in case. I love to give my dad grief about his obsession with
> hoopalopters, but they are definitely cool. My first time flying, ever, in
> anything, was in a Bell 47, and I'll never forget it...
>
> When I first got to school this year, just before classes started, I was
> setting up my room and I heard a helicopter, nice and close. I ran out and
> there was a Coast Guard Dauphin crawling along about 30 feet above the
> canal, just over a coast guard boat. They got to the middle of the canal,
> and then practiced hauling people up in the basket. Very cool to watch, I
> managed to get some decent pics, too. Fun stuff.
>
> Brian
>
>
>
> ----Original Message Follows----
> From: "Chris Woodul" <crewstation1@charter.net>
> Reply-To: simpits-tech@simpits.org
> To: <simpits-tech@simpits.org>
> Subject: Re: [simpits-tech] Memory Lane....
> Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2002 13:19:10 -0600
>
> While in Jacksonville Florida at the SAFE show where I took my F-111F
> Cockpit ( sim) and some of my seat collection, I met some pilots from the
> local sheriffs department. They wanted to sit in my Cockpit so I said,
"sure
> if you will let me go flying in your Helicopter" and the guy thought I was
> serious ( I would have let him sit in the cockpit anyway) well long story
> short they invited me and my freind Mike to come to the roofttop of the
> downtown police station where they would come fly in and pick us up. I had
> the funnest nite of my life getting 3 hours in the front left seat on the
> first trip, and then  flying in the back for 3 hours in a second
helicopter
> while Mike sat up front for his "turn". I went on at least four police
> chases, got to operate the NITESUN spotlight while circling a neighborhood
> for over an hour looking for some punk with an AK-47 who was hiding, as
well
> as the pilot letting me fly the thing most of the non-tactical time. I
even
> got to fly along the beach at nite at 100 feet with the spotlight shining
on
> the waves. On mikes flight we flew with the NVG goggles and did the
hunting
> that way. I am a fixed wing pilot, but I realy enjoyed getting to fly in
> those helicopters that nite for over six hours total. ITs even more fun
when
> you get to chase bad guys, that made it feel like some sort of combat. The
> coolest thing was them letting us fly lot, and that they let me fly up the
> river there and hover outside of the waterfront hotel area and then take
> pictures. I took almost 100 pictures that nite! I am going back there in a
> month or so to do it again, I cant wait!
>
> Chris W
>
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