Comparing his plane to the Air France 447 Airbus is a tad over the top. If you can't tell from the feel of the stick that you're close to a stall or just put the throttle "where you normally put it" for level flight then you've got bigger problems.

Obvious

Pilot's mid-air horror after discovering speedometer had been sabotaged with glue

I didn't realize they were equipping airplanes with speedometers these days. What happens when the wheels stop rolling? It would just read zero anyway.

How high am I?

costermonger: Doug Blair had already taken off in his light aircraft, accompanied by his five-year-old son Daniel, when he realised that the airspeed indicator was not working.

Dumbass.

I have no idea about planes but these can be tested before a plane is moving?

Pilot realizes in mid-air that he picked the wrong week to stop start having his instruments sabotaged with glue

/bad subby, no biscuit

I guess no one's going to get on the dick who would sabotage the guy's plane to begin with, huh? Especially, when the guy had his five year old aboard. Yes, maybe he should have checked for such problems but I have to hand some hate to anyone who would do such a thing to begin with.

dittybopper

I didn't realize they were equipping airplanes with speedometers these days. What happens when the wheels stop rolling? It would just read zero anyway.

An airspeed indicator isn't a speedometer. It's a different kind of instrument altogether.

I'm always amazed at the difference between starting a plane and starting a car. My preflight consists of trying to find my keys. Does anyone really check their oil and all four tires every time they start their car?

FTA: Our inquiries continue and in the meantime we have urged the club members to be vigilant.' After the discovery, pilots in the area were warned to be vigilant. [...] 'Clearly we all need to be extremely vigilant particularly before flying.'

Got that, everyone? BE VIGILANT!

REDUNDANT VIGILANCE is the key to safe flying!

Repeat: REDUNDANT VIGILANCE!

A pilot averted disaster after discovering in mid-air that his flight instruments had been sabotaged with glue.

Doug Blair had already taken off in his light aircraft, accompanied by his five-year-old son Daniel, when he realised that the airspeed indicator was not working.

A pilot/owner who doesn't pay attention (apparently)
A 5 year old kid
Glue on your instruments

I think I've solved this mystery...

Anyone else get the feeling that some five year old is about to get his ass whipped?

Bondith: dittybopper

I didn't realize they were equipping airplanes with speedometers these days. What happens when the wheels stop rolling? It would just read zero anyway.

An airspeed indicator isn't a speedometer. It's a different kind of instrument altogether.

It's a different kind of instrument altogether.

vossiewulf: Flint Ironstag: Comparing his plane to the Air France 447 Airbus is a tad over the top. If you can't tell from the feel of the stick that you're close to a stall or just put the throttle "where you normally put it" for level flight then you've got bigger problems.

That too, a guy who doesn't notice his ASI isn't working on takeoff roll but needs it to tell whether he's getting close to stall = DO NOT WANT (to fly with).

Might explain why the wife and other kid opted out of going up with him.

protectyourlimbs: costermonger: Doug Blair had already taken off in his light aircraft, accompanied by his five-year-old son Daniel, when he realised that the airspeed indicator was not working.

Dumbass.

I have no idea about planes but these can be tested before a plane is moving?


A nice little blow job should do the trick.

vossiewulf: 1. Learn to do a preflight. Checking the pitot and static ports are on the list.
2. He should have noticed it the second the plane started rolling down the runway. Any pilot who's taking off without confirming he's at Vr/Vx/Vy is a dumbass who shouldn't be behind the controls.

Back when I wac flight instructing, I had something similar happen to me. The reason I didn't see the airspeed issue; soft field takeoff. There is no set airspeed inducation for a soft field, I just thought the plane unstuck early. But about 5 seconds later, realised the pitot tube was clogged. So one trip around the pattern, and full stop. No big deal.

Bondith: dittybopper

I didn't realize they were equipping airplanes with speedometers these days. What happens when the wheels stop rolling? It would just read zero anyway.

An airspeed indicator isn't a speedometer. It's a different kind of instrument altogether.

Its a different kind of instrument altogether.

old_toole
Bondith: dittybopper

I didn't realize they were equipping airplanes with speedometers these days. What happens when the wheels stop rolling? It would just read zero anyway.

An airspeed indicator isn't a speedometer. It's a different kind of instrument altogether.

I just knew someone would bite.

Fat-D
It's a different kind of instrument altogether.

So did I.

Suspect #1

Bondith: dittybopper

I didn't realize they were equipping airplanes with speedometers these days. What happens when the wheels stop rolling? It would just read zero anyway.

An airspeed indicator isn't a speedometer. It's a different kind of instrument altogether.

It's a different kind of instrument!

1. kick tires
2. light fire
3. push go handle

guess he didnt kick tires properly.

SpaceButler: dittybopper: I didn't realize they were equipping airplanes with speedometers these days. What happens when the wheels stop rolling? It would just read zero anyway.

Obviously he just lets the wheels keep spinning in the wind, and the uses the resulting speedometer reading to gauge airspeed. It's how all the cool pilots do it.


The baseball cards in the spokes really screw up the readings.

Flint Ironstag: Comparing his plane to the Air France 447 Airbus is a tad over the top. If you can't tell from the feel of the stick that you're close to a stall or just put the throttle "where you normally put it" for level flight then you've got bigger problems.

This. My dad owns two old Aeronca's, and I've flown with him numerous times. There was little need for an airspeed indicator; you could judge your speed from looking at the ground and noticing the sound of the engine.

/flies it off a 1400' runway on the farm
//once you chase the cows off of it first

Sir, there's a problem in the cockpit.

Gobobo: Obvious

I love how Spike Lee ripped that off

Amos Quito: Bondith: dittybopper

I didn't realize they were equipping airplanes with speedometers these days. What happens when the wheels stop rolling? It would just read zero anyway.

An airspeed indicator isn't a speedometer. It's a different kind of instrument altogether.

It's a different kind of instrument!

They were flying on instruments?

ArkPanda: I'm always amazed at the difference between starting a plane and starting a car. My preflight consists of trying to find my keys. Does anyone really check their oil and all four tires every time they start their car?

If my car was going to be doing 125 mph several thousand feet off the ground? Yes.

T-Servo: Sir, there's a problem in the cockpit.

The cockpit...what is it?

T-Servo: Sir, there's a problem in the cockpit.

what's that?

tothekor: I guess no one's going to get on the dick who would sabotage the guy's plane to begin with, huh? Especially, when the guy had his five year old aboard. Yes, maybe he should have checked for such problems but I have to hand some hate to anyone who would do such a thing to begin with.

How's the wife, captain? Haven't seen her much lately.

My instructor hammered it into me that as soon as we started the takeoff roll I was responsible to say "Airspeed is alive", otherwise we would abort.

And don't start that white zone nonsense again.

portscanner: T-Servo: Sir, there's a problem in the cockpit.

The cockpit...what is it?

it's a room in the front of a plane where the pilot sits, but that's not important right now

ArkPanda: I'm always amazed at the difference between starting a plane and starting a car. My preflight consists of trying to find my keys. Does anyone really check their oil and all four tires every time they start their car?

Of course. But then again, I still fire a shotgun 3 times before proceeding through the intersection of Douglas and Broadway. Safety first.

ArkPanda: I'm always amazed at the difference between starting a plane and starting a car. My preflight consists of trying to find my keys. Does anyone really check their oil and all four tires every time they start their car?

if a flat tire or low oil pressure meant my car might plummet out of the sky ending in a horrible fiery death, I might check a few more things before I turn the key

portscanner: The cockpit...what is it?

Voiceofreason01: what's that?

It's a little room at the front of the plane where the pilot sits, but that's not important right now.

Voiceofreason01: portscanner: T-Servo: Sir, there's a problem in the cockpit.

The cockpit...what is it?

it's a room in the front of a plane where the pilot sits, but that's not important right now

Dammit, got pulled away for a minute.

Hey, you know what they say: "See a broad to get that booty yak 'em..."

How fast are we going?

Al Gore Vidal Sassoon: How fast are we going?

I can't tell.