Spanky1

What are your superstitions? After drilling my duroplane yesterday a gentleman walked up to offer condolences and a pointer as to what happened.

He said "you know what you did wrong"? I said "well, I'm not the smartest guy but probably starting my loop 20 ft off the ground at half throttle with the wind may have had something to do with it."

He said "nope, you left your trunk open on your car"!!!!! He went on to claim it's no different than leaving your tackle box open in the boat......"it's bad luck" and of course he has seen it many times.

I wasn't real sure what to say after that, other than "maybe"?

Any body else even SORT OF superstitious on anything?
Spanky

RCKen

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Oh yeah, lots of superstitions!!! My big one is to never say "Just one more flight."!!!!! If you say that, then you're gonna crash. If you say that just pack up your plane, get in the car, and go home.

Ken

feep

I hear that one at my field all the time. I don't know about what things prevent me from crashing but it's getting so I have a spot at our field that's mine. My own personal Bermuda triangle you might say. Nothing unexplained however. Most of it was pilot error. The advantage of having your own spot is if someone finds sdomething out there they come to you first.

gjeffers

my biggest no no is to never think or talk about them, you dont have time for the stuff when your flying, you need all your brain power for reality

elenasgrumpy

My Feedback: (4)

I said it in another thread. The guys at my field all pack big hefty trash bags with them to pick up the pieces in case of a crash. I refuse to do so. I came to fly, not to crash! Allthough after 6 kills maybe I should start thinking about the trash bag?[:@]

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

ok I condensed it for you hahahahaha....sorry couldnt resist
oh and never completely fill the tank or something will go wrong with the engine!!!...Rog

gjeffers

oh! almost told a fib[X(] i forgot i do have one superstition, i never leave the house without my camera

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

When I used to go to the flying field in my car, I always left the trunk open. I kept my junk in there

Now when I go in my truck, I always leave the hood up because my quick charger is connected to the battery.

Never gave it a thought.

An airplane only has so many flights in it. You never know how many that is. When the last flight is made, it crashes.

Smoke is what makes electrical/electronic items work. When the smoke starts escaping into the atmosphere, they cease to work anymore.

In the last 7 years, I 've only had one plane destroyed beyond repair that was my fault. I lost the plane in the sun too close to the ground. The other one was a radio failure. But I am a casual conservative flyer.

Enjoy,

Jim

2slow2matter

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[sm=lol.gif][sm=thumbup.gif]

cruzomatic

My Feedback: (17)

Great thread.

We try never to say the word "crash" at the field,,,or we refer to it as the "C" word. Another superstition I've heard and that we go by is to never resuse a pilot figure in a plane that has crashed. Once a plane crashes the figure is retired, never to be used again.

Also,,,,,not quite a superstition, but always end a days flying on a nice greased landing. Never settle for a rough one, do touch-in-goes until it's accomplished.

rclement

My Feedback: (1)

I've heard that it's bad luck to be superstitious.....[X(]

Mode One

I'm cheap, I will reuse any and everything! How could it be the pilots fault? He never even had his hands on the controls and unless the flies or skeeders are real bad, the trunk is always open on my car. I hear more people say; Well, I think I'll fly one more time and then not crash, then I hear them say "Well, I think I'll fly one more time and crash! My opinion is; that one just don't hold water, or as Dr. Phil likes to say; "That dog won't hunt"!

I guess, what I'm trying to say is I don't believe in superstitions, because I have a Lucky Rabbit's Foot!

richrd

This is so true we tell our students that the factory only puts in so much smoke after it's let out it must be returned.[&o]

Also never take the maiden pre flite picture.

Mine also is never DO the last flite

Rich

typicalaimster

Don't fly on the 4th of July... Every time I do I crash
Don't take a picture of the plane @the field before the first flight.

Montague

That's funny, I ALWAYS take a picture before the first flight. Otherwise you can bet that something is going to happen to screw up the finish, making me wish I'd gotten a picture before it got messed up. It might be as minor as dropping a screwdriver on it, but it's always something.

I also follow the no "one last flight" rule. It's usually because I'm feeling tired and it's time to go home, but I figure "why not" and fly anyway. I seem to break things more often doing that. So, if I'm feeling tired, I don't fly. On the other hand, if I have to be home by a certain time, I'll say "one last flight before I run out of time". That's different, and not a problem. It's the "I've had a nice, long day at the field, but just one more flight..." that causes problems.

As for the trunk or other car part being open, shoot, I leave all kinds of things open on my van.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

I was at the flying field most of the day yesterday. It was windy with a lot of thermal activity.

Everyone left about the time the wind quit, the thermals were gone, and all the bugs came out. (I was in Alabama).

I thought that I had been there all day and now is the most perfect time of day for that last flight.

I was worried about being by myself and something happening to me or the radio would quit and the plane would fly out of site?

Was my best flight of the day except for the bugs crawling around on my glasses and exploring my ears. I flew the plane for 20 mins before coming in.

Enjoy,

Jim

gjeffers

sounds familar Jim, i almost always fly alone out here in the desert, and we have the biggest horseflys around and man can they bite[X(]and they always wait till ya get airborne then here they come, its gotta be scarry ( or funny) for someone driving by and they see me out there swinging my arms and spinning around like a wild man
when im lucky and my brother in law comes out with me and he mans the flyswatter(he likes that job)!!

Kostas1

Wow,
how did this happen to you?[]

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

I forgot to add about the Barbecue sandwiches and sweet tea for lunch.

When we were not flying, all us old guys were setting around talking about our prostrate and arthritis troubles

Last year, one of the guys did cut the back of his hand bad with a prop strike. Luckily the gang was there and one took him 20 miles to the emergency room. They then brought his wife down to drive the truck home. Surprisingly, she new just how to put the models and everything back in the truck. She will not let him go down there by himself now.

Jim

Mode One

W8ye, That yer Airknocker in the photo? What size is it? I built a Nosen back in the mid 80s, it was a fun plane to do T&Gs with.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

It's a full size 7AC Champ from the net. I learned to solo in one that looked just like that back in the early 60's. Got my flight instructors rating in a 7EC Champ. I think the real Airknocker was this planes predecessor the Aeronca 058/L3 but people called the Champ a Airknocker also.

Brings back a lot of memories

Enjoy,

Jim

kahn41

My Feedback: (4)

I agree with RC Ken
Last time I said "well fella's this is my last flight " and it was!!!
Have not said it since!

elenasgrumpy

My Feedback: (4)

I don't buy into all that supetstitious, good luck, bad luck hocus pocus. We create our own luck. And which ever one of you guys stole my 4-leaf clover, as long as it's back in my flight box by tomorrow morning then all will be forgiven.[:-]

Kwigen

richrd, I agree with you. Never, ever, photograph an aircraft prior to the first flight!

The practical side is that if you dump it in on it's maiden flight you can deny it's extistense.

No photo, no plane, no crash.

Mode One

Now come on, the no photo before the first flight is air-plane-old-HOKUM! I've taken photos previous to every new plane's first flight and never lost a one! As a matter of fact, all the planes I've first flighted for other folks have had photos previous and we've never lost one! I mean I know, I have this lucky rabbit's foot and all; but, come on! Now, if we're talking about real threats, like "Step on a crack" or "Breaking a mirror" or some of the real bad things a person can do; well, that's one thing! But, a simple pre-first flight photo, man you guys better start throwing salt over your right, or is that left shoulder, before every take-off!