Knowing when you are overflying something

C J Campbell wrote:

Not that I have done this or given it much thought. :-)
Okay, I was a navigator/bombardier on C-130 Hercules planes, and had one
of the most consistently accurate drop records in our wing. But aside
from that....

So, bottom line, the only reason you need to know you are over an exact
point is indeed if you are going to drop something (or photograph
something straight down) and the way you tell you are there is to line
up on two objects in front -- so that they are line with each other --
and two objects in line with each other to the side. Roads work well. So
do utility lines, fences, buildings, and rows of crops or trees. Man
likes straight lines, and that makes it easier for other men to drop
things on him.

Hmmm. So my golf ball accuracy can become far better. So basically,
make crosshairs with landmarks, then calculate forward travel and
wind. Check.

My neighbor's car is in real trouble now.

"Erik" wrote in message
...
C J Campbell wrote:

Not that I have done this or given it much thought. :-)
Okay, I was a navigator/bombardier on C-130 Hercules planes, and had one
of the most consistently accurate drop records in our wing. But aside
from that....

So, bottom line, the only reason you need to know you are over an exact
point is indeed if you are going to drop something (or photograph
something straight down) and the way you tell you are there is to line up
on two objects in front -- so that they are line with each other --
and two objects in line with each other to the side. Roads work well. So
do utility lines, fences, buildings, and rows of crops or trees. Man
likes straight lines, and that makes it easier for other men to drop
things on him.

Hmmm. So my golf ball accuracy can become far better. So basically,
make crosshairs with landmarks, then calculate forward travel and
wind. Check.

My neighbor's car is in real trouble now.


Just stick with CJ, he'll have you dropping par in no time.

"Erik" wrote in message
...
...
Hmmm. So my golf ball accuracy can become far better. So basically,
make crosshairs with landmarks, then calculate forward travel and
wind. Check.

My neighbor's car is in real trouble now.


http://cgi.ebay.com/NORDEN-BOMBSIGHT-Rate-End-Computer-Manual-and-Book_W0QQitemZ110104630178QQihZ001QQcategoryZ585QQ rdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem


--
Geoff
The Sea Hawk at Wow Way d0t Com
remove spaces and make the obvious substitutions to reply by mail
When immigration is outlawed, only outlaws will immigrate.

On 2007-04-18 14:02:31 -0700, Erik said:

C J Campbell wrote:

Not that I have done this or given it much thought. :-)
Okay, I was a navigator/bombardier on C-130 Hercules planes, and had
one of the most consistently accurate drop records in our wing. But
aside from that....

So, bottom line, the only reason you need to know you are over an exact
point is indeed if you are going to drop something (or photograph
something straight down) and the way you tell you are there is to line
up on two objects in front -- so that they are line with each other --
and two objects in line with each other to the side. Roads work well.
So do utility lines, fences, buildings, and rows of crops or trees. Man
likes straight lines, and that makes it easier for other men to drop
things on him.

Hmmm. So my golf ball accuracy can become far better. So basically,
make crosshairs with landmarks, then calculate forward travel and
wind. Check.

My neighbor's car is in real trouble now.

Grasshopper, the acme of skill is not in hitting your neighbor's car
with a golf ball. The acme of skill is hitting the sunroof of your
neighbor's car with the golf ball.

Of course, when we lived in McCormick Woods, we had golf balls in our
driveway all the time. So we would not have noticed one dropped from an
airplane. A tomato, however...
--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor

"C J Campbell" wrote in message
news:2007041813510751816-christophercampbell@hotmailcom...
On 2007-04-18 12:02:54 -0700, Erik said:

Maxwell wrote:
"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...

How do you know when you are exactly overflying a specific spot on the
ground?
It's it just a matter of knowing your particular aircraft, or are there
tricks
that can help to determine this? I know you can look off the tip of
your wing
to see if you're abeam something (such as a runway), but how can you
tell when
you're right over something? I presume there's no way to look straight
down
from most aircraft, and it seems like the view over the nose is often
several
miles away.



Why would a pilot care?


You don't want to pelt noncombatants with errant golf balls!

A golf ball (or anything else) doesn't drop straight down. You have to
release it before you reach your target as it continues to move forward at
the speed of the aircraft.

Damn good stuff snipped...



Not that I have done this or given it much thought. :-)

--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor


Our EAA chapter has a blue tarp that we use as a target for "flour
bombing".
Actually we use gypsum in an ice cream bag. The tarp remains unscathed after
many years of use. In fact, standing directly on the aim point might be the
safest spot.

Al G

"Al G" wrote in message
...

...

Our EAA chapter has a blue tarp that we use as a target for "flour
bombing".
Actually we use gypsum in an ice cream bag. The tarp remains unscathed
after
many years of use. In fact, standing directly on the aim point might be
the safest spot.

Al G

Apparently not:
http://www.alexisparkinn.com/photoga...s_reporter.wmv

--
Geoff
The Sea Hawk at Wow Way d0t Com
remove spaces and make the obvious substitutions to reply by mail
When immigration is outlawed, only outlaws will immigrate.

Maxwell writes:

Why would a pilot care?

When reporting position, or when following instructions to "cross XYZ at
6000," or whatever. Or when giving the location of a family in distress next
to their SUV below.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Mxsmanic wrote:

Maxwell writes:


Why would a pilot care?


When reporting position, or when following instructions to "cross XYZ at
6000," or whatever. Or when giving the location of a family in distress next
to their SUV below.


Reporting position is all about just letting people know what direction
to look for you. I'm not IFR, but I've never heard anyone get a request
to cross a particular point, I have heard them tell pilots to turn
left/right to a particular heading.

If I tell an airport that I'm 6 miles east inbound and will enter a 45
for downwind, they know what direction to look, they generally know the
area and what approach I'm going to use to enter the pattern. I never
say my altitude unless I'm crossing over an airport or in a situration
where there's a high likelyhood of having company close by. Coming into
a pattern, your altitude changes a lot. Do not be one of these people
that call every damn thing you do.

I don't care if you were at 3000 and are going to 2000. If you call
that you're entering the pattern, I care where you are and how you're
entering. I already know your altitude (should be) is at TPA by the
time you get there. If you call that you're leaving the pattern, I
don't care where you're going. You can say that you're departing to the
north or whatever, but there's plenty of people out there that make
completely useless calls. I'm departing to the north. Now I'm heading
north at 2500. Now I'm 5 miles north of the airport. Now I'm at 3000.
I DON'T CARE GO AWAY.

If you were directly overhead of an SUV and a family, you wouldn't see
them. You'd really make a turn around a point and look for landmarks
around them.

Erik writes:

Reporting position is all about just letting people know what direction
to look for you.

Telling them that you're crossing the XYZ VOR or the football stadium is one
way to do that.

I'm not IFR, but I've never heard anyone get a request
to cross a particular point, I have heard them tell pilots to turn
left/right to a particular heading.

I've regularly heard "cross XYZZY at or below 12000."

Do not be one of these people
that call every damn thing you do.

Why not? You can never be too aware of your situation.

I don't care if you were at 3000 and are going to 2000.

Someone who is at 2000 and things I'm still at 3000 might care a lot.

... but there's plenty of people out there that make
completely useless calls. I'm departing to the north. Now I'm heading
north at 2500. Now I'm 5 miles north of the airport. Now I'm at 3000.
I DON'T CARE GO AWAY.

If you were in their path, you'd care a lot.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Mxsmanic wrote:

Erik writes:


Reporting position is all about just letting people know what direction
to look for you.


Telling them that you're crossing the XYZ VOR or the football stadium is one
way to do that.


I'm not IFR, but I've never heard anyone get a request
to cross a particular point, I have heard them tell pilots to turn
left/right to a particular heading.


I've regularly heard "cross XYZZY at or below 12000."


Do not be one of these people
that call every damn thing you do.


Why not? You can never be too aware of your situation.


I don't care if you were at 3000 and are going to 2000.


Someone who is at 2000 and things I'm still at 3000 might care a lot.


... but there's plenty of people out there that make
completely useless calls. I'm departing to the north. Now I'm heading
north at 2500. Now I'm 5 miles north of the airport. Now I'm at 3000.
I DON'T CARE GO AWAY.


If you were in their path, you'd care a lot.


Has anyone used the word douchebag yet?