Hey Guys, I was just wondering if anyone has flown there plane while riding in a car? I seem to think I saw this done on some TV show but can't remember. I know it's possible if you have the right plane and a convertible...that would help make it easier. I also know this could be dangerous but I'm sure it's been done.

Guys do it around here 3 or 4 times a year. It's called 'cross country', and usually involves a pickup truck, so the pilots can ride in back with a 360 degree view. It's very safe as long as you have a good driver.

Similar..... But different!

Two guys just set a world record over here in the UK by flying a plane acros the English Channel to France. They were on a rib boat and flew the plane (an electric Tucano) the 30 miles in one trip. Took about an hour. Very rough seas though!

Ian F.

I flew in the Baker Marathon 3 times from the back of a pick up truck for a couple hundred miles.... so yah, it's been done. Keep in mind it was a fairly controlled environment.

Around 1978-1979, as part of the Jerry Lewis MD telethon, there was an organized cross country relay race which started, as I recall, in Las Vegas at the Circus Circus Hotel, proceded tp the West Coast and the cross country to end in D.C. There were various legs of the trip with 5 teams chosen to participate in each leg. Application was made to the AMA, I believe, and the teams were selected there. Our leg began in Montgomery, Al. and went to Atlanta the 1st day. The second day ended in Greenville, S.C. (I think). The next leg picked up there. We flew from the back of trucks, down the interstate, landing in the median for refueling. Our team, The Flying Griffins from Griffin, Ga. finshed the 1st leg more than an hour ahead of the nearest finisher. For saftey, we landed outside of the Atlanta perimenter where timing was stopped. We then carried ours plans to a mall where we flew across the parking lot for publicity shots. For us, this was where it went bad! For adequate transmitter battery life we had designed and external battery. Unfortunately, during our publicity fly, someone pulled the commection from the transmitter causing and unfortunate series of events, resulting with the plane embedded in an AC unit on top of the mall.

I somehow believe with todays lawsuit happy world, this type event will be no more. I still have my pink jacket and hat, courtesy of Circus Circus, and our trophy for the leg win somewhere. Those were the days.

That's pretty cool! I have always wanted to do a heli cross country. Maybe one of these days I will.

Rod

Here ya go...... http://video.shutupandfly.com/Truckside.wmv

Most impressive! [sm=thumbs_up.gif]

How fast were you traveling and how many miles to the gallon did you get? Now I know I have to do the heli cross country!

Rod

I have road along in the back of a truck on a clubs cross country competition, it is very bizarre! The wildest thing is just like that video when the plane is just scooting along over the corn next to the vehicle. We were on dirt roads exclusively. I would think that heavy simulator practice would help alot for this kind of thing But it goes without saying choosing the right roads,and people looking out for others would be VERY important.

I forgot to mention its very strange flying almost all the time with the airplane coming towards you .......is not for everyone! My friends plane had a battery failure (we think) and it ended up in a giant cornfield...

And there is alway's a bad side flying in a area that there are other planes flying a club field or just a park flyier just out for the fun of it[&o]

With the new JR radio frequency interferance is now a thing of the past.[8D][sm=thumbup.gif]
Maybe it could be a reason to try this again, safely.

We entered a team on one of the Circus Circus events, flew from Montgomery, AL to Jackson MS. It was great but what a humbling experience! We made a number of practice runs along interstates as well as 2-lane country roads as that is where we knew we'd be flying. Everything went perfectly. Then came the event itself and it all went to hell. I wish we could do something like that again and we do still practice on occasion just for chuckles.

Rick H.

Do you think AMA would keep our insurance in force?!

You people give me bad ideas ... very bad ideas.
I love how this is in the crash forum. lol.
-Eric

The potential is there... just think about going under an overpass with the pilot not knowing... lol

i know that 2 guys in israel did that with a 40 trainer!
all the way from TEL AVIV to the DEAD SEA,( look at google map for distances!!!)

they payload the model with fuel and the RCpilot was at the back of an open truck!

3.5 hours flight to a safe landing at the dead sea airport.

Great vid, CrashPro.

Anybody know what song that was in the vid.? I love that song, but don't know who sings it, or what it is called. I'm sure someone knows.

S40

Not my video Stinger....the shutupandfly guys posted that awhile back......the song is Danger Zone....Kenny Loggins

CrashPro,

Thanks, man. Still, even if it was your video, it would still be awesome. I just assumed it was yours, since you posted it.

Thanks,
S40

This is great guys! Guess I'll try this when my trainer is just about used up so it won't be a big loss. Great video!

That was a pretty slick video. Thanks, crashpro!! I wish we had the same type of open road here to do such a flight. Would be a lot of fun, I imagine.

DS.

He cheated. The plane's right wheel was larger than its left wheel. Otherwise it would have been imposible...

So this is what Cross country is. I have always wondered what that was

I noticed that it also had a severe wheel alignment problem....LOL..maybe that's why it kept rolling inverted in flight!

Rod