Pilots and driving

I remember a discussion recently whether pilots are safer drivers. I
believed that to be true until recently. As a pilot, I tend to look up at
the sky while driving, particularly if an airplane is flying. The other day
I was looking up at the clouds to figure out which direction the wind was
blowing. The car in front of me made a sudden stop. You guessed it. I ran
into that car. This would not have happened had I not been a pilot
distracted by the sky. This is my first auto-incident ever, in twenty years
of driving. I guess that still makes me a safe driver, but not as safe as I
thought I was.

Remember. . .even while taxiing, ALWAYS FLY THE CAR!

Andrew Sarangan wrote:
I remember a discussion recently whether pilots are safer drivers. I
believed that to be true until recently. As a pilot, I tend to look up at
the sky while driving, particularly if an airplane is flying. The other day
I was looking up at the clouds to figure out which direction the wind was
blowing. The car in front of me made a sudden stop. You guessed it. I ran
into that car. This would not have happened had I not been a pilot
distracted by the sky. This is my first auto-incident ever, in twenty years
of driving. I guess that still makes me a safe driver, but not as safe as I
thought I was.


On the commercial end of things, the pager can often get you into
trouble when you're rushing to the airport.

I find that when I'm not gazing at the sky, my situational awareness is
much better than before I learned to fly.

"Ender" wrote in message
news:cnvXc.13524$A8.9567@edtnps89...

I find that when I'm not gazing at the sky, my situational awareness
is
much better than before I learned to fly.


Charlie Brown and the gang from "Peanuts" were all lying on a hillside
one sunny day staring at the sky trying to make objects out of the
Cumulus clouds.
Linus said, "In that one over there, I see the Spartans hovering over
the valley at the battle of Thermopylae . I see ten thousand Greeks
charging into the valley and the glittering light is shining off the
points of their spears as they advance. Look over there....I see Moses
parting the Red Sea as thousands of chariots chase him and are devoured
by the returning mountainous waves of angry water.
What do YOU see Charlie Brown?"

"Well..........I'm not absolutely certain mind you, but in that one over
there.....I THINK I see a cat!"

Dudley Henriques
International Fighter Pilots Fellowship
Commercial Pilot/ CFI Retired

For personal email, please
replace the at with what goes there and
take out the Z's please!
dhenriquesZatZearthZlinkZdotZnet

"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
ink.net...

Just to be fair to my hero Charles Shultz!
As it actually appeared in the strip.

"LUCY: If you use your imagination, you can see lots of things in the
cloud formations...what do you think you see, Linus?

LINUS: Well, those clouds up there look to me like the map of the
British Honduras on the Caribbean...that cloud up there looks a little
like the profile of Thomas Eakins, the famous painter and sculptor...and
that group of clouds over there gives me the impression of the stoning
of Stephen...I can see the Apostle Paul standing there to one side....

LUCY: Uh huh....that's very good....what do you see in the clouds,
Charlie Brown?

CHARLIE BROWN (growing alarmed): Well, I was going to say I saw a
ducky and a horsie, but I changed my mind!"

On 26 Aug 2004 23:48:04 GMT, Andrew Sarangan
wrote:


I remember a discussion recently whether pilots are safer drivers. I
believed that to be true until recently. As a pilot, I tend to look up at
the sky while driving, particularly if an airplane is flying. The other day
I was looking up at the clouds to figure out which direction the wind was
blowing. The car in front of me made a sudden stop. You guessed it. I ran
into that car. This would not have happened had I not been a pilot
distracted by the sky. This is my first auto-incident ever, in twenty years
of driving. I guess that still makes me a safe driver, but not as safe as I
thought I was.

I sympathize. I rear ended a 52 Ford that stopped suddenly. I was on
a Honda 50 "Super Cub" riding to 02C to work on my Triumph Bonneville
that was in the main hanger. I looked over my shoulder to check
overtaking traffic and then Whamo. Ultralights and regular traffic
don't mix! G

Steve Bukosky wrote:

I sympathize. I rear ended a 52 Ford that stopped suddenly.

You had me believing you up to that point. No American car of that era had brakes
that would let it "stop suddenly". :-)

George Patterson
If you want to know God's opinion of money, just look at the people
he gives it to.

On Fri, 27 Aug 2004 00:37:28 GMT, Ender wrote:

Andrew Sarangan wrote:
I remember a discussion recently whether pilots are safer drivers. I
believed that to be true until recently. As a pilot, I tend to look up at
the sky while driving, particularly if an airplane is flying. The other day
I was looking up at the clouds to figure out which direction the wind was
blowing. The car in front of me made a sudden stop. You guessed it. I ran
into that car. This would not have happened had I not been a pilot
distracted by the sky. This is my first auto-incident ever, in twenty years
of driving. I guess that still makes me a safe driver, but not as safe as I
thought I was.


On the commercial end of things, the pager can often get you into
trouble when you're rushing to the airport.

I find that when I'm not gazing at the sky, my situational awareness is
much better than before I learned to fly.

I see that I'm not the only one to gaze at the sky. I recently spent
some time on the porch watching a T-Storm build up in the distance.
It's still cheaper to have a cocaine habit than a flying habit. But
damn, I think flying has to be more fun in the long run.

On Fri, 27 Aug 2004 01:59:53 GMT, "Dudley Henriques"
wrote:

For personal email, please
replace the at with what goes there and
take out the Z's please!
dhenriquesZatZearthZlinkZdotZnet

You know that using earthlink is bad karma.....

Andrew Sarangan wrote in message .158...
I remember a discussion recently whether pilots are safer drivers. I
believed that to be true until recently. As a pilot, I tend to look up at
the sky while driving, particularly if an airplane is flying. The other day
I was looking up at the clouds to figure out which direction the wind was
blowing. The car in front of me made a sudden stop. You guessed it. I ran
into that car. This would not have happened had I not been a pilot
distracted by the sky. This is my first auto-incident ever, in twenty years
of driving. I guess that still makes me a safe driver, but not as safe as I
thought I was.

Hi Andrew,

You are just like me, a very safe driver as long there is nothing to
see up there.
I always get the remark "I'am not afraid to fly with you, the driving
to the airport that is really scary".
I'm not to blame, the runway extension is over the highway and as a
pilot I'm obliged to check the latest wheater info so I look if they
come in or take off in a wobbly manner ;-)
I hope you are ok.

-Kees.