Lostdog65
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2006
- Posts
- 356
Don't know if this has been done but I've got a tale to tell and I'm sure some of you do too!
Last week, called the office, told them, "not available Thurs - Sun". Wife's out of town, no one to watch kids, etc. Not 30 minutes later get a call, "Can you take a quick charter to ACV? Only 2 hours stand by? Really nice people. You'll fly his 340. Nice plane. Etc." Since my wife wasn't supposed to leave until noon Thurs I said okay.
Rich guy, rich wife. She is on him like white on rice from the moment she gets out of the 2004 3-Series Beemer. Forecast is for VFR but some winds on the coast. Smooth ride up and across from RDD to ACV but, as I expected, a few bumps on the way down. We were crossing the ridges at 90 degrees with the winds out of the southeast at 20 gusting to 30. I'm making a nice, gradual descent; planned it so I'd come out south of the airport a little high and lose altitude for a right downwind to Rwy 14. (Normal traffic is to 32, ie: the ILS goes in on 32 but winds were 150 at 20G28.)
Owner in the right seat, also a pilot but not current, notices the shallow descent and says, "Pick it up but don't let Betty know." Curious thing to say but I push it over to 1000 fpm descent and throttle back. We hit what I'd call moderate chop and I start to shallow out and slow down as I hear this blood-curdling scream from the back seat..."SLOW DOWN!!!" "OH GOD!! SLOW DOWN!!"
I have the Bose X headseats. I heard her voice through my mic into the intercom system. I thought, "WTF? She's been riding in planes for years and she can't handle a little chop?"
So we roll out over the airport (212 MSL) at about 4000 MSL. I cross over, do a left 270 to join the downwind when I hear, "HOW COME WE'RE LANDING THIS WAY!!????" "DON'T WE NORMALLY LAND ON 32??"
Husband explains the winds as I set it down in nice crosswind landing. Taxi in and they depart.
Return trip, smooth on climb out, smooth up top, a bit bumpy on the way down. What I'd call light chop/light turb. She's screaming "OH GOD", "OH SH!T" again and I'm trying not to laugh. Husband curls up in a ball in the front seat; whipped position. This is a guy who owns and runs the Bud distributorship here in town. Smart guy. Nice guy. Beatch of a wife.
Get back to the FBO and find out that everyone who has every flown with her knew about the screaming and yelling. Apparently one guy nearly sh!te his pants when he flew them. Big laugh on me. Apparently, since I have been in this town for 16 years, everyone thought I'd flown them before. Nope....never had...and never will again. Don't need to be screamed at from the back seat by a non pilot who has about a thousand hours of time in a plane.
Someone said she just wanted to let me know who was in charge. Yeah...like I am in charge of the wind!
My rant.
Next.
Eric
Last week, called the office, told them, "not available Thurs - Sun". Wife's out of town, no one to watch kids, etc. Not 30 minutes later get a call, "Can you take a quick charter to ACV? Only 2 hours stand by? Really nice people. You'll fly his 340. Nice plane. Etc." Since my wife wasn't supposed to leave until noon Thurs I said okay.
Rich guy, rich wife. She is on him like white on rice from the moment she gets out of the 2004 3-Series Beemer. Forecast is for VFR but some winds on the coast. Smooth ride up and across from RDD to ACV but, as I expected, a few bumps on the way down. We were crossing the ridges at 90 degrees with the winds out of the southeast at 20 gusting to 30. I'm making a nice, gradual descent; planned it so I'd come out south of the airport a little high and lose altitude for a right downwind to Rwy 14. (Normal traffic is to 32, ie: the ILS goes in on 32 but winds were 150 at 20G28.)
Owner in the right seat, also a pilot but not current, notices the shallow descent and says, "Pick it up but don't let Betty know." Curious thing to say but I push it over to 1000 fpm descent and throttle back. We hit what I'd call moderate chop and I start to shallow out and slow down as I hear this blood-curdling scream from the back seat..."SLOW DOWN!!!" "OH GOD!! SLOW DOWN!!"
I have the Bose X headseats. I heard her voice through my mic into the intercom system. I thought, "WTF? She's been riding in planes for years and she can't handle a little chop?"
So we roll out over the airport (212 MSL) at about 4000 MSL. I cross over, do a left 270 to join the downwind when I hear, "HOW COME WE'RE LANDING THIS WAY!!????" "DON'T WE NORMALLY LAND ON 32??"
Husband explains the winds as I set it down in nice crosswind landing. Taxi in and they depart.
Return trip, smooth on climb out, smooth up top, a bit bumpy on the way down. What I'd call light chop/light turb. She's screaming "OH GOD", "OH SH!T" again and I'm trying not to laugh. Husband curls up in a ball in the front seat; whipped position. This is a guy who owns and runs the Bud distributorship here in town. Smart guy. Nice guy. Beatch of a wife.
Get back to the FBO and find out that everyone who has every flown with her knew about the screaming and yelling. Apparently one guy nearly sh!te his pants when he flew them. Big laugh on me. Apparently, since I have been in this town for 16 years, everyone thought I'd flown them before. Nope....never had...and never will again. Don't need to be screamed at from the back seat by a non pilot who has about a thousand hours of time in a plane.
Someone said she just wanted to let me know who was in charge. Yeah...like I am in charge of the wind!
My rant.
Next.
Eric
