Scary but cute "little" airplane

[Firebird2XC]

I flew with a CA once that would always make a PA after he heard a pax call the plane "little".

He'd remind them that it was still bigger than many corporate cubes and offices, and probably had a much better view, too.

 

[DoWhat?]

When I get the "small airplane" comments I just give the passenger a little wink and say "well it's the biggest thing I've ever flown"! Seems to help them out with the old comfort level. I have actually had passengers not take the flight because they are scared of the tiny airplane. Seriously...it's a 1900D.

 

[Firebird2XC]

I heard a pax comment that the MD-80 was "a little plane" once.

Seriously.

 

[DoWhat?]

Wow....

 

[dasleben]

My favorite is when pax follow up a comment on the size of my plane with a question on whether or not I'm old enough to fly it.

Luckily I can count on one hand how many times a passenger has commented about my age (after almost 2000 passenger flights in this martini shaker). The graying hair (I'm 26, damnit!) and the goatee help. However, I had a couple older ladies sit there and cackle about how the FO and I were younger than their grandchildren. I didn't care until they interrupted him during the passenger brief with their comments.

You'd figure older ladies would show some class. Who knew?

I flew with a CA once that would always make a PA after he heard a pax call the plane "little".

He'd remind them that it was still bigger than many corporate cubes and offices, and probably had a much better view, too.

One thing I've always wanted to do is turn around and say "Hey, I don't come to where you work and tell you your cubicle is too small." Of course, I'd probably lose my job over that. And frankly, I'd be no better than the passengers making the comments. Ah, but it'd be fun.

Actually, that reminds me of a recent exchange I had with a passenger. For some reason the passengers think that I can't hear them when I put on my headset. In fact, it's quite the opposite with the Bose; I hear them perfectly. Right after engine start a gentleman in the back starts laughing and says "It sounds just like my Harley!"

I remove an ear cup and say "Your Harley has 650 horsepower?" :rotfl:

When I get the "small airplane" comments I just give the passenger a little wink and say "well it's the biggest thing I've ever flown"! Seems to help them out with the old comfort level. I have actually had passengers not take the flight because they are scared of the tiny airplane. Seriously...it's a 1900D.

I've always laughed at the difference in perspective. To a pilot who's just finishing primary training, a 1900 is a plenty big plane. Intimidating, in fact. To the passengers, it's tiny. I get GA guys on my plane from time to time who comment about how it's so much bigger than their 172. Right next to them is a passenger who's about to get off our "tiny plane."

 

[MQAAord]

I heard a pax comment that the MD-80 was "a little plane" once.

Seriously.

Oh I used to hear that all the time on the F-100 and the -80 at AA.

I think I heard the "small plane" comment more on the -80 at AA than I did on the ATR at Eagle. Heard it a lot on the EMB, though I heard it there so much I just tuned it out.

I even heard "this just seems so small" in coach on a 767-300 transcon from JFK to LAX.

 

[Baronpilot244]

My favorite: "If you're a commercial pilot, how come you only fly a Baron? I thought you had to fly an airliner to be a commercial pilot."

Bp244

 

[ChasenSFO]

My girlfriend called a C208 a big plane a few weeks ago when it was sitting among a bunch of 172s, then went on to call a Brasilia "tiny" the next day.:dunno:

Whenever passangers ask me "Arrrr we gon' be on wuhnadem tiny thangs?", I always tell them "Its small for an airliner but bigger than most other planes".

Hell, I've been sitting in an A319 and heard some rednecks get onboard and go "Oh great, its wuhnadem tiny ones with no middle rows".

 

[Mark815]

Seriously people. I do this for a living. This is how I pay my bills. Do you think that I care so little about my own life that I'd put myself and everyone else onboard the aircraft at risk? Do you think I'm suicidal or don't have a life of my own?

This job has taught me one thing about the general public: Most of them have no class, and don't think before they speak.

I used to get this ALL the time while instructing\scenic flights. I've had people FREAK at the mention of a stall saying 'I don't want to crash and die!'. I've used what you said before though (if we crash I'm dead too) to pax, and that actually has calmed them down. OTOH I've also gotten 'Whatever, I don't want to die'. Gee thanks, I guess i do!

 

[SuperCubRick]

I used to get this ALL the time while instructing\scenic flights. I've had people FREAK at the mention of a stall saying 'I don't want to crash and die!'. I've used what you said before though (if we crash I'm dead too) to pax, and that actually has calmed them down. OTOH I've also gotten 'Whatever, I don't want to die'. Gee thanks, I guess i do!

Yeah that always annoys me to hear that when I take someone flying for the first time. It seems that those kind of comments usually come from girls.

I took this girl flying in an AA-5 Tiger at the flight school, and she was pretty apprehensive at first but settled down once we were in flight - she had a good time overall, but did make comments about "Don't crash!" before the flight, those kind of comments are just unnecessary and somewhat disrespectful.

Then I asked if she'd like to go up in dads Cub sometime and she was like "no way, I'm not getting in that death trap!" :laff: Damn.

I guess I have to look at it from her perspective, it IS a really small airplane that was built in 1954 (new fuselage & struts in '94 though!) and is covered in fabric - but it's not a death trap!

My favorite: "If you're a commercial pilot, how come you only fly a Baron? I thought you had to fly an airliner to be a commercial pilot."

Bp244

Heh, I get that one too - then I try to explain what a commercially rated pilot is and how even though all airline pilots are commercial pilots, not all commercial pilots are airline pilots - it's just a level of piloting education.

 

[MikeD]

Oh I used to hear that all the time on the F-100 and the -80 at AA.

You say F-100, and the fighter always comes to mind first.....

I think I heard the "small plane" comment more on the -80 at AA than I did on the ATR at Eagle. Heard it a lot on the EMB, though I heard it there so much I just tuned it out.

That's because very soon, alll airlines will be regionals!

I even heard "this just seems so small" in coach on a 767-300 transcon from JFK to LAX.

Sure it was referring to the plane?

 

[Boris Badenov]

The Shorts 360. Fiercely loved by the crews that flew it, ugly as sin.

Ah the Irish Concorde. A face only a mother could love...

 

[ILS37R]

Pilot: Nowhere Center, Skyhawk N1234 Little, level 5500.

 

[MQAAord]

You say F-100, and the fighter always comes to mind first.....

F-100:

F-100:

Properly, I should call it a Fokker, not an F-100, eh?

That's because very soon, alll airlines will be regionals!

Sadly, that's probably not an inaccurate statement. I watch my friends at Eagle flying routes that I used to work at AA on the Fokker (see, I called it a Fokker ) or the -80.. ORD to SYR, BUF, RST. DFW to CMH, etc. I'm on the street (well, recall has expired so technically I'm fired) while they fly flights I used to work. Makes me sad, but there's nothing I can do about it.

Sure it was referring to the plane?

Now that you mention it, she was facing her male traveling partner when she said that! Hmm...

 

[Jshutt64]

In their defense, when I was younger I used to always get bummed when I flew American Super 80's because I felt it was "smaller".

Actually, it might have just been the lack of TV's. :laff:

 

[BobDDuck]

I had my flaps break at zero degrees yesterday (in level cruise flight... who knows). Anyhow, we had to make a landing with the trucks waiting for us when we got to Charlotte. Not a big deal, other than the fact our Ref speed was around 175 knots. We had a mainline jumpseater up front and I'm sure the passengers were feeling better about things thinking that there was an old gray haired guy in charge. If only they knew :insane:

I get the "are you old enough to fly" thing about once or twice a day. My normal response is that it's ok because I have a note from my mom.

Years ago I was flying with a furloughed mainline J4J captain who upon hearing a passenger mention what a small plane it was, responded, "nope... your wife's ass is just really big". I thought we'd have a Chief Pilot waiting for us by the time we got back to base, but I never heard anything else about it.

 

[MQAAord]

Years ago I was flying with a furloughed mainline J4J captain who upon hearing a passenger mention what a small plane it was, responded, "nope... your wife's ass is just really big". I thought we'd have a Chief Pilot waiting for us by the time we got back to base, but I never heard anything else about it.

 

[Firebird2XC]

Years ago I was flying with a furloughed mainline J4J captain who upon hearing a passenger mention what a small plane it was, responded, "nope... your wife's ass is just really big". I thought we'd have a Chief Pilot waiting for us by the time we got back to base, but I never heard anything else about it.

There's a gag going around Eagle:

Apparently a passenger commented on the size of the Embraer.

"This thing is so small I don't like it", etc.

Apparently the FA was standing there, hands on her hips, and didn't miss a beat.

"Gee, if I said that to YOU, I'd get slapped!"

 

[pullup]

Years ago I was flying with a furloughed mainline J4J captain who upon hearing a passenger mention what a small plane it was, responded, "nope... your wife's ass is just really big". I thought we'd have a Chief Pilot waiting for us by the time we got back to base, but I never heard anything else about it.

:clap::clap::clap:

 

[tonyw]

I'd love to make another comment here, but I'd have to give myself an infraction, so ask me what I was going to say when we see each other at NJC.

Something about men who, uh, need a little help from Enzyte and flying a big plane with a "heavy" moniker attached to it?