I’d consider it a privilege Mountainbike and on my dime too. I’m a gigantic aircraft nut and would love to hear some stories about the B-52s and 135s.
A fantasy of mine has always been to take a ground hugging, 600 knots ride in an F-111 or old A-5 Vigilante but that will never happen.
The closest I’ve ever come is a ride in a simulator. Through luck, I got my foot in the door a few years back and got to fly the simulator at the AFB here. Three sorties, two crashes, and if the computer had not timed out maybe a 3rd crash.
My co-pilot, an F-15 pilot, asked me at the end if I had any questions and the only one I had was, “how many planes does the AF allow you to crack up before they decide you’re not pilot material?”.
I’ve been at the wheel of small piston engine planes but the jet simulator was an entirely new, and downright weird, sensation for me.
I managed to worm my way in, thanks to a friend, several times to 747, DC9, DC10, and A320 sims at an airline (this was before 9/11 when it wasn’t considered a big deal). It’s very interesting how freaking realistic those things are when you’re flying them on motion (they’ll work without the motion system engaged, but aren’t nearly as fun). In the DC9 particularly, which is the sports car of the group I played in, when you hit the throttle it REALLY feels like you’re accelerating. The instructor who was in the sim with me finally asked me what the sam hell I was doing, throttling up and down so much, and I had to sheepishly explain that it felt so cool I didn’t want to stop.
I was rather pleased with myself though - as a joke he set me up for an ILS landing in heavy turbulence at night (keep in mind I am not a pilot and until this point my entire experience with flying planes was provided by Microsoft) and I managed to set it down almost on the numbers.
My next goal is to get into a military flight sim. If the sky-busses are that much fun to fly, I can only imagine how cool it’d be to yank a fighter around.
ok4450, I’d be honored. If I ever make it down your way we’ll hook up. Whoops, I guess that term has different meaning now than it used to…change that to “we’ll get together”.
I only have one thing to say about 135s; never opt to sleep in the boomer’s pit! Man, it gets cold down there!
I guess I’ve been lucky that way…I’ve had flights on every SOF craft in the inventory (and a few others, too). OK, I give, they’re mostly 130’s, but all the different versions, and a few helo’s. Terrain following in a 130 @ 250’ off the deck is interesting, let me tell ya. Doing the same thing, at night, blacked out, in an MH-53 Pave Low is something else entirely…did I say dinner? Almost … I managed to keep it down, though. I wouldn’t have believed the kick the howitzer has in the back of the AC-130…but it’s pretty cool. Lots of toys out there. Never got to get into a jet, though. That was one thing I always wanted - only prop jobs.
I agree about the simulator realism. The instructor had me pull a loop after coming out of a dive and it felt just like I was upside down. My nerves were quivering and I was hoping that I would not embarass myself in front of an F-15 pilot, but I choked anyway.
Took off from Vance AFB (nice weather) and during the landing at Tinker AFB he turned the weather into torrential rain, constant lightning, and gusty 50 MPH crosswinds. I got it down on the tarmac where I immediately groundlooped it and killed us both.
The second flight took me to Key West NAS. He had me go into a dive and barrel roll past the control tower (as in Top Gun). I completed the barrel roll at high speed, the instructor said “Very good” and he spoke too soon. I barrelled another 1/3 turn and put us into the ocean at 400 knots while upside down. We both died again but it was quicker than the first one…
The 3rd was to Nellis AFB and he told me to fly down the strip in Las Vegas. So zipping between the buildings at 250 knots I was proud of myself for not crashing. All of a sudden at the end there’s a casino so it was yank the stick back and left into a high G 90 degree bank. All I could see was a wall of casino lights and at that point the computer timed out. I never knew if superb airmanship cleared me or I killed us again along with hundred of others at the Faro wheel…
The ultimate video game. I got out of the simulator with weak knees, pounding heart, and sweating like a pig…
Amps etc.;
I have a garage-sale find; a Heathkit amp, (actually got rid of that; wasn’t working and was in a pretty sad plywood box) but the guitar is great; good size hollow-body ‘Harmony by Heath’… I remember TV kits from Heathkit; I think my uncle built his stereo set.
Cheers,
Rick
I don’t work on cars, but my dad maintains his cars himself, and, under most circumstances, if HE can’t fix it, the car is TOAST. I have picked up some skills from him in diagnosing car issues, mainly from hearing something under the hood, or simply noticing patterns (such as a timing belt should be inspected every 60,000 miles).
I also watch car racing, and I have picked up many skills there, such as what could be causing the smoke coming out of the tail pipe.
I have no credentials other than being taught by my dad to never ignore the maintenance of your vehicle…that oil changes are the lifeblood of a car. I may not know what needs fixing, but I can sense when something needs attention.
True story - just a few weeks ago I told my husband that I heard an odd rattle in the front end. He thought I was crazy; that I was hearing things. I assured him this was a new sound, and with a long trip coming up in a few days to collect our daughter from college I wanted it checked out.
Three of four front-end tie rods needed replacing. Sway bar bent and one crushed motor mount. Months of winter driving took its toll. The risk of driving over 1500 miles at high speed with these problems could have been catastrophic.
My husband has promised never to doubt my “mechanic’s ear” again.
I learned about car work from my father who is a physician; he learned about it and still did some jobs on his car (like timing belts) into his late 70’s. I’ve been working on cars since I was 16, starting with the 1963 Chevy II that my parents gave to me. I’ve done many things like brakes and struts, exhaust, axles, steering components, water pumps, clutches, etc. I will try most things if I have the time, which is a lot more limited now than it used to be.
My day job is a consultant in the field of energy conservation and renewable energy. I have a physics degree and love to get my hands dirty and understand how things work.
I have great respect for mechanics who do this for a living. I could never - and would not ever want to - make a living this way.
I’ve just signed up to answer a question I happened to see as I was looking for a question about my car. My credentials are pretty nil in comparison, but I work for a car rental agency, so I have some experience with a large number of people’s having their vehicles repaired for a variety of reasons. Therefore, I’ve heard some stories. I also have some industry information, as far as “there’s a recall out,” or something along those lines.
I do have some level of comfort, though, working on my own vehicles. I’d say I have average general repair skills on the whole (I can usually figure out how to do stuff if I REALLY wanted to), but in comparison to others on this site, don’t take my word for it.
All this in mind, I’ll try to keep to my boundaries, and only post when I really think it’s appropriate for my low level credentials!
CCarr, you need not feel inhibited. Many times we’re just guessing too. We all possesss knowledge and we all possess ignorance. It’s entirely possible, even likely, that you’ll see something in a particular question that we don’t.
Just got out of the hospital and back going so I’ll list my quals. First I’m 80 years old and my first car was a Hudson Terraplane that that my brother and I had to finance(paid $12.50 and had to make 2 payments. Tag cost us 2 bucks and that was the only cost. Over the years I became a flight engineer with about 4200 hours and an A@P mechanic license which I still use. Pilot MEL and 3 gold patches in ASE, only Auto Mech is up to date now. I was a Master body and Paint, Master Truck and Master Auto at once. 36 years working as a fleet mech and shop foreman. Later opened 2 garages, and a machine shop. The Machine shop is still in business. It’s my pride and joy and I stay in it more than my own home.
I would recommend that anyone entering the automotive maintenance field to pick a specialty and stick with it. Vehicles have become too complicated for Jack of all Trades anymore.
Lee A Danley Jr
Panama City Fl
Some of us are only auto owners who like to tinker. I’m… er… um… a bit older than you and have also been tinkering since I was old enough to wonder what’s inside a mechanical clock. I can remember when cars were so simple one could REALLY tinker. My first car was a 1965 Datsun. When I was a kid and Mom wanted help with the housework I suddenly remembered that Dad needed me to help with the car. I can now do a lot of work that most owners wouldn’t dream of but there’s a serious coat of dust in the house. Oh, yes, I have an MFA in opera stage direction… hence “Wotan.”
Since you’re into robotics, could you invent a car that can drive itself around the block when I can’t find a parking space???
Even though I’ve taken more advice than given, I’ll throw in my 2 cents while I’m here reading all these far more experienced posts, which has been a good read by the way…
I was able to replace cylinders (among other parts) on a 600 horse radial engine at 15, but I’ve only been a certified A&P mechanic for 12 years now. I’ve had the lucky life where if it was broke, you fixed it. From washing machines to cars. Deep down, I’d rather try to fix it myself than take it to someone else. Why let someone else have all the fun?
Someone told me once that you can never mess up a (insert item) so bad that you couldn’t replace it, so at least try to fix it.
I have an idea. Why don’t you make “credentials” part of our profile page. That way, if we decide to list our credentials and someone is considering our advice, they can check credentials by clicking on the name in our post instead of hunting through this very large thread. It would be much more convenient for those seeking advice.
I am a mechanic of 17 years. I’ve been working on cars since I was 12, and started going to school for it at 16. I started at a shop in fountain co at 12 doing oil changes and working up to motor rebuilds and tranny jobs. Now I work for myself and love it. I speciallize in v-8 performance, but even work on light diesels.
I don’t need no stingking Creedentials! Actually I am just a guy who has an interest in cars and I have more questions than answers- I am more like the car talk listener than I am like Tom or Ray- so there you go .
I have done repairs since i was old enough to drive because i couldnt afford to pay a mechanic.
I recently paid 1000 to have motor mount bolts extracted.
My first bicycle still runs
