Gary Aldrich WebChat Transcript

May 18, 2005

05/18/2005 18:59:18	EAA Chat Moderator says Good Evening and welcome to our monthly Webchat with Gary Aldrich Test Pilot Instructor at Edwards Air Force Base.
05/18/2005 18:59:42	EAA Chat Moderator says Feel free to type in your questions and Gary will answer them.
05/18/2005 19:01:42	Original message from Cosmo: What's your favorite airplane to fly? Why?
05/18/2005 19:01:42	Reply from Gary Aldrich: Hi Cosmo! Welcome to the chat. Your question is both tough and easy. The tough part is that I've had the great fortune to fly lots of different kinds of airplanes. The easy answer is that my favorite airplane to fly is my Cessna 180 Skywagon. I really have a hard time saying that only one type is my favorite as I enjoy and learn from every one.
05/18/2005 19:03:42	Original message from Rocky: How did you get involved in flying?
05/18/2005 19:03:42	Reply from Gary Aldrich: Hi Rocky! I think flying was in my blood from a very early age. My dad was a pilot with the Army Air Force in World War II. Though he didn't fly much after I was born, he said that the few rides I had on his lap in a bright yellow J-3 Cub were very successful and it apparently had a big influence on me. I got my Private license when I was 19 and have been flying everything I can get my hands on since.
05/18/2005 19:05:12	Original message from Cosmo: Did you ever take off on an aircraft carrier? What was it like?
05/18/2005 19:05:12	Reply from Gary Aldrich: Yes, Cosmo, I have landed on a carrier (or "trapped") once, but it was as a passenger in the back of a tired old C-1 Greyhound. The deceleration was amazing. When I left the carrier (USS Constellation) the next day it was on a helicopter...not as exciting.
05/18/2005 19:05:29	Original message from Juliet: hi
05/18/2005 19:05:29	Reply from Gary Aldrich: Hi Juliet...got a question?
05/18/2005 19:06:38	Original message from Murray: how many years have you been flying?
05/18/2005 19:06:38	Reply from Gary Aldrich: Hi Murray, welcome. This July, it will be 35 years I've been an aviator. Over that time I've flown about 5000 hours between my military and civilian flying.
05/18/2005 19:07:05	EAA Chat Moderator says We are chatting with Gary Aldrich this evening, a Test Pilot Instructor from Edwards Air Force Base in California. Gary is available to answer your questions about military and civilian flying. Thanks for joining us tonight!
05/18/2005 19:08:24	Original message from Janet: Hi Gary! Do you do lots of aerobatics like they do at airshows? Or is it just those fancy military maneuvers?
05/18/2005 19:08:24	Reply from Gary Aldrich: Welcome, Janet. Aerobatics are neat to watch at airshows, but they really got their start as training maneuvers and strategies to defeat an opponent. Whenever we fly military airplanes, we try and make time for aerobatics because it sharpens our skills. Sometimes the mission demands other tasks, but the aerobatics are necessary and FUN!
05/18/2005 19:11:17	Original message from Cosmo: Have you ever been afraid as a test pilot?
05/18/2005 19:11:17	Reply from Gary Aldrich: Cosmo, Maj Gen Joe Engle, who earned his astronaut wings in the X-15 was once asked whether he was afraid when he was launched on his first Space Shuttle mission. He said, "If you are riding on top of 7.5 Million pounds of thrust and you aren't just a little concerned...you just don't understand your situation!" Fear is sometimes a good thing. It sets limits and causes you to analyze a situation before you act.
05/18/2005 19:14:52	Original message from SkyKing74: What is a typical day like for you?
05/18/2005 19:14:52	Reply from Gary Aldrich: Ahh, Sky King...one of my favorite aviation celebrities! A typical day for a test pilot can be pretty boring. If he is flying a test mission, he probably shows up early to prepare himself by studying the test cards. Then, he will participate in a briefing with the test team and any other test aircrew that may be involved to make sure everything is in order for the test. Ultimately, he suits up and "steps to the jet" to check in with the maintenance crew on its condition. After that, it's pretty scripted. You take off, perform the proper maneuvers and complete the mission with a landing. After the mission, there are more briefings and meetings to analyze the results and plan for the next flight. The actual flying part can be the shortest portion of the day. The rest is all meetings!
05/18/2005 19:17:40	Original message from Hootie: You mentioned the space shuttle earlier. Did you ever consider applying for NASA?
05/18/2005 19:17:40	Reply from Gary Aldrich: Good evening Hootie! Actually, the thought of applying for the space program did cross my mind. Unfortunately, about the time I was most qualified for such a competitive program, the Nation suffered the loss of the Challenger and her 7 brave astronauts. After that, the Shuttle program was "on hold" for quite a while and they weren't selecting new crews. By the time selections started again...I had moved on to other things. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
05/18/2005 19:21:19	EAA Chat Moderator says We are chatting with Gary Aldrich this evening, a Test Pilot Instructor from Edwards Air Force Base in California. Gary is available to answer your questions about military and civilian flying. Thanks for joining us tonight and keep sending those questions!
05/18/2005 19:21:46	Original message from GoonieBird: How do you prepare to fly an aircraft that has never been flown before?
05/18/2005 19:21:46	Reply from Gary Aldrich: Well, GoonieBird, that question is probably the toughest one to answer and we could go on for hours on the subject. The shortest answer is that you try and learn everything you can about the expected performance and handling qualities of the new airplane. Fortunately for the modern test pilot, our computer simulations are very good at predicting how the real airplane will fly. Couple that with the high level of aeronautical and systems knowledge we have today, and the first flight can be very routine...almost boring. And for a first flight, boring is good. When Col Rick Couch and Bruce Hinds were asked how the B-2 "Spirit" flew on its first flight, they said; "It flew just like the simulator!"
05/18/2005 19:22:51	Original message from Cosmo: Which cockpit is the most cramped?
05/18/2005 19:22:51	Reply from Gary Aldrich: Cosmo, the most cramped cockpit I've been in was probably the A-4 Skyhawk. I'm not a big guy, but my shoulders touched both sides and I couldn't maneuver the jet without banging my helmet off the sides of the canopy!
05/18/2005 19:25:50	Original message from snappy: What is the weirdest plane you've ever test flown? Or is that top secret? ;-P
05/18/2005 19:25:50	Reply from Gary Aldrich: snappy, I guess I'd have to have your definition of "weird". For a purely "different" kind of aircraft, I'd have to pick the Goodyear Blimp. It has no roll control, only rudder pedals and a huge wheel beside your seat to control pitch. It's a real hoot to drive that thing around. It does everything at 35 knots...takeoff, cruise, land. It's the only aircraft I've ever been in that I was at 200 feet on final, 30 degrees nose down, with FULL power! It took a week to get the grin off my face.
05/18/2005 19:29:12	Original message from Rocky: Have you ever been stationed outside the US? If so what was it like?
05/18/2005 19:29:12	Reply from Gary Aldrich: Rocky, I was stationed at Ramstein Air Base in southwestern Germany from 1987 to 1990. Living overseas is a tremendous learning experience and one that will make you appreciate what we have in this great country even more. It also makes you appreciate history.... both ancient and recent. I was in Germany when the Berlin Wall fell, essentially ending the Cold War. That was a very moving and memorable experience. If you ever get a chance to live abroad, I'd recommend it. But I suspect you will be glad, as I was, to return to the good ol' USA.
05/18/2005 19:31:42	Original message from snappy: I see from your bio that you are retired from the Air Force, but you still work at Edwards Air Force base? Do you work in some non-military capacity?
05/18/2005 19:31:42	Reply from Gary Aldrich: snappy, that's a complex question. I retired from active duty in 1996, after 22 years. However, I had the desire to continue my association with flight test and the Test Pilot School. They actually approached me with the idea of working at the school as an independant contractor. We did the negotiation thing, and...as they say, it's all history since then. I get to keep doing something I love and they get the benefit of my years of experience.
05/18/2005 19:32:34	Original message from Cosmo: Have you ever been to the EAA museum in Oshkosh WI?
05/18/2005 19:32:34	Reply from Gary Aldrich: Yes, Cosmo, I've been to the museum several times. I try and get to AirVenture at least every other year, and the museum is always a stop.
05/18/2005 19:34:15	Original message from GoonieBird: This is fascinating! Have you ever had to eject from an aircraft?
05/18/2005 19:34:15	Reply from Gary Aldrich: No, GoonieBird, I've never had to eject. Fortunately, with our level of safety and technology, that event is not a frequent as it was in, say, the 60's. So far, my total takeoffs equals my total landings...and that's the way I'd like to keep it.
05/18/2005 19:35:44	EAA Chat Moderator says We are chatting with Gary Aldrich this evening, a Test Pilot Instructor from Edwards Air Force Base in California. Gary is available to answer your questions about military and civilian flying. We have about 30 minutes left in this chat session. Feel free to ask your questions.
05/18/2005 19:36:47	Original message from Rocky: Do you have any advice for classes I should take in high school if I'm thinking about becoming a military pilot?
05/18/2005 19:36:47	Reply from Gary Aldrich: Rocky, to become a military pilot, a college education is mandatory. So, in high school, you should concentrate on whatever gets you to a good college...and then do the best you can. In college, you can study pretty much any area, but if you want to understand how your airplane flies, or your systems work, a science or engineering degree is really the way to go. If you ever want to be a military flight tester, engineering, usually aerospace or electrical, is the norm.
05/18/2005 19:38:58	Original message from Cosmo: What plane do you use during young eagle flights?
05/18/2005 19:38:58	Reply from Gary Aldrich: Cosmo...I use the Cessna 180 for Young Eagles flights, though I have also done them in Gliders. The fastest I've ever been is Mach 1.98...couldn't quite coax that F-4 fast Mach 2. The highest I've actually flown is just over 50,000 feet in an F-15. However, I once "flew" to over 120,000 feet in a pressure chamber while wearing a space suit. Oh, yeah, no solar planes.... yet.
05/18/2005 19:39:46	Original message from SkyKing74: Do you do any civilian flight instructing or just military?
05/18/2005 19:39:46	Reply from Gary Aldrich: SkyKing, I do occasionally give some civilian flight instruction to my friends, but the Air Force keeps me pretty busy.
05/18/2005 19:43:07	Original message from ChadW: I'm 16 and just starting to take flight lessons and I love it! I think becoming a test pilot would be great, but how do you get into something like that?
05/18/2005 19:43:07	Reply from Gary Aldrich: Good evening, ChadW! If you want to know the road to being a military test pilot...you've probably already taken the first step by learning to fly early on. Now you have to study the best you can in school and get into a good engineering school. You can join the military during college or after. If you do well and you are physically qualified, you can go to pilot training. After about a 1000 hours and, say, 7-8 years, you can submit an application to the Test Pilot School. It's pretty competitive, so your grades and flying performance have to be top notch. There are other ways to become a test pilot, and I think you will find Mike Melville's story fascinating next month.
05/18/2005 19:44:28	Original message from j.murray: i know that you had to go through a lot of training but were did you go to get your pilots license?
05/18/2005 19:44:28	Reply from Gary Aldrich: Hi j.murry... I got my Private Pilot training when I was 19, in 1970 (no fair doing the math) from a nice older lady who had a PA-11 Cub Cruiser on a farm strip. It was a neat way to learn to fly and inexpensive as well.
05/18/2005 19:45:23
Connection to server failed	EAA Chat Moderator says sorry for the server problem. We’d like to thank Gary Aldrich for taking time from his busy schedule to answer your questions and thanks to everyone who logged on to chat this evening. Our next Webchat is Wednesday, June 15. Join our guest Mike Melvill, the world’s first civilian astronaut. The Young Eagles web chat is held on the third Wednesday of the month, between 7 and 8 p.m. CDT.

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