My wife and I used to fly RW together all the time. Our first dates were in a plane, but she doesn't get too excited about my 'PC simming' flights. Last night, after 24 years, she decided on her own to sit down and watch my landing, at our home field of Savannah Georgia. Of all times for something to go wrong....

 

 

I noticed that I was missing a green light for the left gear. Me, being mindless as I am, thought "Well, RealAir didn't model gear failures, did they? It can't really be a gear failure"

 

 

Wrong.... A gear failure it was. And cycling the gear numerous times didn't help. So I decided to try an alternate gear extension, but as far as I can find, alternate extension cranking of the gear, behind the pilot seat really wasn't modeled. Golly. 

 

So, the wife is just looking at me like "Now what have you done? I thought you were landing..."

 

 

I managed to cage the left engine over the numbers, but I didn't have time to feather the prop. I was actually surprised at how long I was able to hold the wing up off the asphalt. But, eventually we slowed enough that it began to lower itself, even with full aileron.

 

 

Contact wasn't too bad at first...

 

 

But then the drag began to pull us around. I was glad that I stayed to the right of center, expecting to be pulled to the left somewhat...

 

 

Finally we came to a stop, just off the runway, after taking out the sign. She didn't say a word. She just stood up, and said "OK, I'll just go to bed now." and off she went. Luckily, I paused the flight before going off to bed myself, so I was able to come back this morning and grab some images of our harrowing ordeal. 

Great pictures and funny story, thanks for sharing Kerry!

Nice shots!

So, my wife just turns her head slowly from side to side, and rolls her eyes whenever she sees me "flying" - and then exits the room...  I guess they don't quite get this flight sim obsession of ours (plus the love we have for the whine of jet engines) 

I guess you might say that could've gone better than it did, Lol.

 

Glad you had the chance to rewind it backward for some shots, though.

So, my wife just turns her head slowly from side to side, and rolls her eyes whenever she sees me "flying" - and then exits the room... I guess they don't quite get this flight sim obsession of ours (plus the love we have for the whine of jet engines)

My wife usually does the same. My wife just doesn't have too much interest in aviation unfortunately. She goes to air shows with me, sometimes does some plane spotting with me at DFW and FLL where the have nice designated spotter locations, but just doesn't have the interest in all aspects of aviation like I do. The one thing that I haven't done yet is take her up flying with me in a 172. Maybe once I do that it will spark some interest.

Great Story Kerry...

Ha ha ha, funny story. What is it with wifes and grilfriends? My long time girlfriend has exactly the same reactions.

Sometimes it hits me that maybe, just maybe, we are being ridiculous, but then, nah.

LOL.  Great story.  Yeah, I can't get my wife nor kids to get excited about it (well...my youngest will take a plane up for cranking and banking sometimes).  In my mind, we're a bit like those guys who had expensive train kits or something (which I also think is cool.)...the guys in their basements tweaking their 'scenery' adding tracks, towns, cars and all that.  Truly, if it ever gets interesting to them, it will only be when the realism notches up some more...when the daylight, clouds and haze is more real, the wx is more real, the scenery and land look more real.  The evolution is slowwww but it's moving forward, bit by bit.

 

Gregg

Nice shots/story.

 

nebojsa

Nice story

 

Fortunately I have to say that my girlfriend is quite positive about my flight simming. )

Great pictures and funny story, thanks for sharing Kerry!

Thanks Peter

So, my wife just turns her head slowly from side to side, and rolls her eyes whenever she sees me "flying" - and then exits the room...  I guess they don't quite get this flight sim obsession of ours (plus the love we have for the whine of jet engines) 

 

 Yea, that's usually what mine does as well. Except for this one time. Figures....

Great Story Kerry...

 

Thanks. Sure could have used your avitar the other night! lol

Great shots

 

I can guess your wife is NOT going to buy you airport sceneries or aircraft add ons for Christmas

 

Regards,

Aharon

Great shots

 

I can guess your wife is NOT going to buy you airport sceneries or aircraft add ons for Christmas

 

Regards,

Aharon

 

Ha ha! 

Great story! 

This is an epic story!!! So funny! My wife isn't too fond of my flightsim hobby... thinks it's a waste of time! (I keep telling her how much money the family is saving compared to flying the real thing). 

 

Then again... she has a 6th sense for detecting when I'm about to land ! I mean, I could be 1 hour or 2 or even 14 hours   into my flight and she would be minding her own business around the house or whatever. But as soon as I'm finished flying my STAR and ready to land the plane, she would start calling me or simply appear next to me and start talking or asking that I do this or that. It comes to the point that I have an item as part of my descent checklist to notify the wife that I'll be unavailable for the next half hour or so!!!

 

And I know I'm not alone in my suffering! LOL

 

cheers

-E