Respected company “Rolls Learjet”

[Windsor]

Now, who wants to go shoot an ILS down to mins with a p.o.s. ADI/HSI/etc.

Happens every day. Welcome to freight dawgin.

 

[Whistlin' Dan]

I don't know why people have this idea that rolling an airplane is easy or safe to do in A/C not designed for aerobatics.

I don't know either. Maybe from watching that video of Bob Hoover on You-Tube, rolling an airplane "not designed for aerobatics" while pouring a glass of iced tea?

Questions of legality and professional discipline aside, rolling most airplanes isn't that big of a deal, if it's done right. At least it's not as far as the airplane is concerned. Properly executed, it needn't subject the airframe to more than 1.5-2.0 G's. What effect it may have on the instruments is another matter, although it seems to me that an HSI that could be damaged by excessive roll or pitch inputs has no place on anything other than a general aviation airplane anyway.

One of the biggest problems I see with rolling an airplane like a Lear is that not all of us have the skills of a Bob Hoover or Bobby Younkin. If you don't know what you're doing, it easy to dish out of a roll and exceed airspeed or "G" limitations. The danger in that of course is that it's impossible to know what you don't know until you've tried it.

Another problem is that in a 2-pilot airplane (or a single-pilot airplane in a three-ship formation), you're leaving witnesses to your misdeed. Stuff like that eventually gets around, and can have career-altering consequences.

I've rolled a few airplanes in my time, including several that clearly weren't intended to be rolled, and I'm still here to tell about it. But if I had a guy working for me that did the same thing, I'd fire his a$$ in a heartbeat, if for no other reason than to discourage other guys from trying it.

 

[400A]

I bet Hoover could roll that thing and not spill a drop.

I had a guy roll me in a Starship with half full cup of coffee by his left knee and it never moved, not even a drop. Also as mentioned before, if you did not know it was coming, by the time you realize what is going on, it is to late to stop it.

 

[cruxx@9]

… I’d love to hear some of your stories of fun you have had in a company airplane. Even war stories that made you have to check your seat when you got on the ground are welcome. ….

Dude...are you high?

 

[Whistlin' Dan]

...I had a line check down to Mexico with the owner of the freight disaster I worked for and he flew back. He kept it on the deck after TO and did a nice roll below 500agl.

That's the stupidest #$%&*! thing I ever heard of. All it takes is one goosey guy with access to the flight controls to start trying to "undo" his roll as he goes over the top, and the next thing you know, you're toast. No...croutons...many, many little pieces of toast.

Congratulations...you obviously survived working for this Bozo. That alone should qualify you for some sort of "Civilian Battle Ribbon" or something.

If I had to ride on one of two lears and one guy wanted to roll it and the other wanted to fly formation I would ride on the roller.

I'd tell both of 'em to go pound sand, and take the bus home. All jobs, especially those at the end of aviation at which this stuff seems to be tolerated, are temporary. Crashes (and violations) are forever. When dealing with guys like you've described, I'd much rather read about their misdeeds than be a party to them.

 

[cruxx@9]

There are a lot of good points on here about what an airplane can and can't do. I would have to agree with most of the comments that a company aircraft is not a place to be experimenting with aerobatics. There have been times and places that I've worked that I may have not felt like a professional, but that's what we are. Sometimes we loose sight of that fact. We are professionals paid to to a specific job.

There was a time in my life I may have not had the same opinion. The long term consequences for "having fun" could haunt you forever if and when something goes wrong. For those of you that have flown with me in the past and I know what you are going to say....please see below. :erm:

As for the "war" stories and the "fun on company time"....I believe the correct response to CactusCMH is:

"I have no clear recolection of that at this time sir."

 

[cruxx@9]

"Congratulations...you obviously survived working for this Bozo. That alone should qualify you for some sort of "Civilian Battle Ribbon" or something."


That's some funny Sh*t! And true too!

 

[ableone]

How do I apply for the "civilian battle ribbon" and is it appropriate to wear it on the leather jacket or only on the blazer. (Most importantly, do chicks dig it?)

Ahh...the glory of being a freight dog.

(What do you call three vending machines next to each other - a food court)

 

[400A]

How do I apply for the "civilian battle ribbon" and is it appropriate to wear it on the leather jacket or only on the blazer. (Most importantly, do chicks dig it?)

Ahh...the glory of being a freight dog.

(What do you call three vending machines next to each other - a food court)

I see you survived the Metro/Merlin and the MU-2, You deserve one...LOL

 

[Nolife]

I got one... last night I did some LUV induced aerobatics. ATC put me too close in trail and I rolled almost 90 degrees and lost 300 feet. Big fun.

 

[GVFlyer]

Just as a point of fact, the production test pilots at Lear roll them all the time.

Rolling the C-21A (military version of the Lear 35A) in the Air Force was endemic when I flew them. I believe this became part of the C-21 culture because the Lear factory pilots who qualified the initial cadre of Air Force IPs routinely rolled the airplane with them and these first IPs brought the maneuver to the field.


GV

 

[400A]

Beech / Hawker test pilots are said to do the same. They say the Beechjet rolls really well, but I am gonna take their word for it. Never been trained to do it, and I am not going to try and figure it out on my own.

 

[ableone]

Hey GV flyer, how was the XV-15? There can't be many who got a chance to fly it.

I bow to your cool factor.

 

[cl604driver]

I heard from a mechanic at airnet that the pic had just gotten hired at Jetride and this was his last flight for airnet and did what the sic called a victory roll. Losing about 10,000 feet before recovering the plane and severly damaging to the the point where it is a total loss. The mechanic said that the horizontal stab was bent, wing spar broken and seemed like the only reason wings did not come off was because the skin was holding them on??? Basically plane was fu**ed up. Someone has gotten to teach this guy how to roll a airplane.

 

[Princedietrich]

You know, I think the starcheckers wanted to keep that quiet and internal for a reason.

Just a thought.