Youth's lack of judgment
06-13-2013, 10:15 AM
#31
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Joined APC: Jun 2013
Posts: 57
Originally Posted by USMCFLYR
Don't know about the other posters - but I didn't miss that. Just think it is far from what a casual observer would be doing in that situation. In the middle of it all - 'Hey - I ought to be thinking about how many airplane wing spans that guys is above the horizon and at what lateral distance he is away from me so that future calculations could be made for the eventual police report that I will be asked to fill out once the pilot is identified and charged with a crime!'
Of course these are the same people who reported (a school official mind you) that the small Cessna ""revved the engine, then went straight up and turned the engine off."
I probably wouldn't be thinking that myself but would rather stick with making terrible height estimations like I seem to do every time I step outside and try to guess the bases!
No - - unless the pilot was flying below some other reference, like the high school stadium lights or something else in the immediate vicinity, I wouldn't put much validity to eyewitness statements.
Of course these are the same people who reported (a school official mind you) that the small Cessna ""revved the engine, then went straight up and turned the engine off."
I probably wouldn't be thinking that myself but would rather stick with making terrible height estimations like I seem to do every time I step outside and try to guess the bases!
No - - unless the pilot was flying below some other reference, like the high school stadium lights or something else in the immediate vicinity, I wouldn't put much validity to eyewitness statements.
06-13-2013, 10:46 AM
#32
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Position: Pilot
Posts: 2,625
Originally Posted by FlyerOnWall
My argument is really more about whether a pilot could make any better distance judgment... I think that's been answered. I still have vivid images in my mind of that 747 I'm thinking about and I believe I could still come up with a fairly accurate estimate of how many wing spans it was off the ground.
06-13-2013, 10:55 AM
#33
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Joined APC: Jun 2013
Posts: 57
Originally Posted by Red Forman
But you said "any half intelligent person" and not any half intelligent pilot. Then a few pilots have said they wouldn't be able to or would have a hard time figuring out height above the ground of an airplane flying over.
Yeah, I covered all bases... "half intelligent person" covers pilots too.
06-13-2013, 11:57 AM
#35
Gets Weekends Off
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Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: FAA 'Flight Check'
Posts: 13,837
Originally Posted by N9373M
I've tried to estimate cloud bases from the ground. A call to the local ATIS shows I don't have a clue. It's tough.
, at least much better than my eyeball cal.
06-13-2013, 11:59 AM
#36
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Joined APC: Jun 2013
Posts: 57
Originally Posted by Ottopilot
Non-pilots estimating altitudes is worthless.
On the flip side, experience does count for something. I do have a much better sense of distance/thickness measurements with my eyes than most. It could be partly some natural instinct, but probably has to do with work experience.
Last edited by FlyerOnWall; 06-13-2013 at 12:10 PM.
06-13-2013, 12:04 PM
#37
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Joined APC: Dec 2009
Position: 127.0.0.1
Posts: 2,115
Originally Posted by USMCFLYR
Someone posted a formula to figure that out when I was still back in CA flying. I tried it out a few times and found it to be surprisingly accurate.
, at least much better than my eyeball cal.
, at least much better than my eyeball cal.
06-13-2013, 01:36 PM
#38
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Thread Starter
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: FAA 'Flight Check'
Posts: 13,837
Originally Posted by N9373M
Is that the (temp - dewpoint)/4 trick? I was just trying the mark 1 eyeball.
AVIATION MATH FORMULAS: Aviation Formulary V1.46
Cloud Bases:
Temperature(F) minus dewpoint divided by 4.4, then multiplyed by 1000.
Temperature(C) minus dewpoint divided by 2.5, then multiplyed by 1000.
temp - DP X either 200 (if using C) or 400 (if using F)
If reading temps from a digital ATIS, use the T000000 series of numbers for the exact temp spread.... IE temp 6 C and Dewpoint 7 C in the ATIS can be found again at the end as T056074 meaning 5.6 degrees C temp and 7.4 degrees C on the DP... the difference being 1.8. 1.8 x 200 = 360 feet estimated bases... with just the ATIS 6/7 you'd come up with 200 for the bases and be significantly off....
yes, if you HAVE to be mr perfect, use the 4.4 and 2.2 OR 440 feet and 220 feet per degree.
Cloud Bases:
Temperature(F) minus dewpoint divided by 4.4, then multiplyed by 1000.
Temperature(C) minus dewpoint divided by 2.5, then multiplyed by 1000.
temp - DP X either 200 (if using C) or 400 (if using F)
If reading temps from a digital ATIS, use the T000000 series of numbers for the exact temp spread.... IE temp 6 C and Dewpoint 7 C in the ATIS can be found again at the end as T056074 meaning 5.6 degrees C temp and 7.4 degrees C on the DP... the difference being 1.8. 1.8 x 200 = 360 feet estimated bases... with just the ATIS 6/7 you'd come up with 200 for the bases and be significantly off....
yes, if you HAVE to be mr perfect, use the 4.4 and 2.2 OR 440 feet and 220 feet per degree.
06-13-2013, 10:46 PM
#39
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Joined APC: Mar 2013
Position: Death by Powerpoint
Posts: 447
The kid Is not the stupidest story I've heard... I did hear about some one who passed the private and immediately went to show off by flying below the lights at a football game.
And that is How to be a pilot for only 4 hours...
And that is How to be a pilot for only 4 hours...
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