http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/8115216.stm

I wonder how they'd react if asked to move rearward so that "we can true out a few knots faster?"

I've been on several RJ flights and been asked to move, or had the flight attendant ask for volunteers to move to different locations in the cabin. A friend who is a retired MD-80 and 777 captain said on the MD-80 he could sense pax walking from the front of the aircraft to the rear.

I wouldn't be surprised if he could feel the difference. In my wee little plane, reaching out to fiddle with something on instrument panel will change pitch noticeably.

tom

Savannah-Tom wrote:I wouldn't be surprised if he could feel the difference. In my wee little plane, reaching out to fiddle with something on instrument panel will change pitch noticeably.

tom

Same with me in my Skylane . I can lean forward and she'll pitch down.

If I fart, the passenger's attitude will change

I had that problem in my Luscombe 8A. Ask somebody to move to the back and they acted like you were asking them to get out of the airplane! Just can't understand people.

Some of my passengers don't really like being referred to as "ballast" but this Husky sure seems to land better with someone in the rear seat! Maybe I just try harder since I have an audience...?

Ernie,
I'll bet when you fart, you're "over gross"!

I forget which aircraft it was, but one of them in my past would make a ticking sound when the trim was active. Throw in a + size FA and you would get really tired of hearing the thing tick as she made her way up and down the isle. A few months ago for the first time ever I was on a 757 that was out of Takeoff CG. It cost me and a bunch of non-revs first class seats, but of course I was just happy to get a ride.

On a long smooth air descent into St. Maries Id yesterday, I had both feet flat on the floorboards and my hands in my lap for about 10 minutes, and besides adjusting the pitch angle by leaning forward or back (I do that all the time, its second nature for an old hang glider pilot), I also was able to effect minor course changes by leaning left or right in my tandem S7-S. That actually surprised me....it took a while and was minor, but it definetly re aimed the aircraft. Man that air was smooth!