Does a Rock Hanging from a String work in an Airplane? Where is the Rock?

Does a Rock Hanging from a String work in an Airplane? Where is the Rock?
What do you think happens? Let's experiment!
/ flywire
FlyWire is about exploring flight and the freedom this incredible experience brings us on a personal level. Flying has always captured the imagination and excitement of living life to its fullest. Hi, I'm Scott Perdue. In a former life I flew the F-4 and F-15E, more recently I retired from a major airline. I've written for several aviation magazines over the years, was a consultant for RAND, the USAF, Navy, NASA as well as few others, wrote a military thriller- 'Pale Moon Rising' (still on Kindle). But mostly I like flying, or teaching flying. Some of the most fun I had was with Tom Gresham on a TV show called 'Wings to Adventure". We flew lots of different airplanes all over the country. Now with FlyWire I want to showcase the fun in flying, share the joy and freedom of flight and explore the world with you. Make sure you subscribe if you want to go along for the ride!
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[@carlhusain1012]

Scott, this is probably the most complete demonstration and explanation of the forces involved in flight that I have seen. Very well presented. Thanks. I am sure that this video will be used by many an instructor! Please give Wilson my best! Carl

[@FlyWirescottperdue]

Thanks, Carl. I'm beginning to like Wilson a lot.

[@77thTrombone]

Flight school _and_ physics classes.

[@montemenasco8584]

Reminds me of a day where the ceiling was about 2000 and tops at 6000 agl. I only had my instrument rating for about 3 months and I was trying to fly as much imc as possible. I really liked ceilings around 2000 too. I jumped up into the soup and ask for a holding pattern at a vor and did that perfectly. I was just flying in a local IFR clearance and I asked to go to a fix and hold there. This was 1987 and I had one vor and this fix was where 2 radials crossed. My nav radio work increased big time. Everything was going great and having a lot of fun. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I got to the fix and started my standard rate turn (approx 12 degree) and dropped my pen, opps. I reached down and picked it up, felt perfectly normal and I thought I was rolling my bank angle out of 12 and started leveling off too quick, my brain was telling the that. So After reaching for the pen and staring at the the vor head for about 5 seconds (4 seconds too long), I looked at the attitude indicator and I was at 60 degree bank and continuing to roll very slowly and very comfortably. This felt great, nice day to go for a flight. That was my oh crap moment, my nose was about 5 degree nose down and at 65 degree bank I took the bank out and started slowly bring the nose back while atc started yelling at me. I ignored them until I was established back at altitude and back on the hold. I just said sorry I messed that turn up and it wont happen again. If wilson would have been with me he would have had a nice smooth ride not indicating anything except very normal 1 G flight. I was majorly in trouble and it felt so good and normal. I would have been way nose down and rolling inverted very soon. Learned several lessons, carry more than 1 pen, don’t move your head, just move your eyes. Also stop flying imc with a death grip on the yoke and learn how to finger fly the airplane. I have never been in that situation again since 1987. What you explained about the inner ear was awesome. When I go imc I pretty much lock my head down. Even on AP I can’t look in the back of the plane and swing my head back around without being messed up for a few minutes. Great video!!!

[@FlyWirescottperdue]

Monte- What a great story! Thanks for sharing!

[@FlyWirescottperdue]

Monte- What a great story! Thanks for sharing!

[@glennbelldc1651]

I am not a pilot though I earned the opportunity to launch off a carrier in the back seat of an F4 Phantom when I was 20. the pilot did almost all those acrobatics. Your demo actually taught me a lesson that I understand, and I'm 65 now. I also enjoyed the flight.

[@randycollins5981]

I thought you were gonna be the first pilot ever declaring a emergency landing for being hit in the head with a rock , Thumbs Up !

[@nickinportland]

That would be a funny atc call. “Wilson hit me right in the forehead pan pan”

[@wokewokerman5280]

....yep, ball on a string makes for a poor gyro...and no head injuries

[@paul_k_7351]

A brilliant video and also a stark warning to anyone who thinks spatial disorientation wouldn’t apply to them in IMC conditions. Also as an aside it was interesting watching the artificial horizon on the instruments accurately showing which orientation Scott was heading in. A really neat piece of kit!

[@gerryjamesedwards1227]

I've had spatial distortion on a boat, being below-decks in rough weather, with no reference to the horizon. That's when just about anyone will get seasick. The thought of being on a 'plane in dense cloud, I'm amazed how pilots do it.

[@LTVoyager]

When people ask you that question, send them the video of Bob Hoover pouring a glass of water as he completes a roll. 😁

[@paulyoung181]

And he did it left handed!

[@stevespra1]

Water? No no, we're talking cool fresh iced tea! Bob Hoover, best of the best!

[@mattj65816]

I’ve always said the same, BUT: problem is, if you’re simple enough to believe the plumb bob theory, you’re probably simple enough to not understand that gravity and inertia work the same way on iced tea as they do on a weight on the end of a string. It takes a lack of understanding of some pretty basic stuff to believe this in the first place. Note that I’m using “simple” as shorthand for “stupid” in the above.

[@Mrsournotes]

That’s right! Pretty cool.

[@Andrew-13579]

That’s what I was going say...Bob Hoover.

[@Trialnerror]

Just have to add that was some smooth maneuvering in a Bonanza of all things. Really impressive flying.

[@dryan8377]

me too. I never knew bonanza's could do stuff like that.

[@Andrew-13579]

I got a ride in a Mooney, years ago (flown by a retired Navy pilot) who did a few wingovers. I had a 35mm camera on a neck strap. At the top of the maneuver, I let go of my camera and it floated there in front of me for a couple seconds with no load on the neck strap. 😀

[@orangetabby4170]

This video is astounding! Both for your incredible flying skills and for the comprehensive and understandable explanation of forces in play during flight. And for your wonderful teaching style too -- your enthusiasm for and fascination with the subject matter really shines through!

[@Joe_Not_A_Fed]

What a fun and engaging video. There's nothing like experimentation to put theory to the test and what better lab, than an airplane? Thanks, Scott.

[@davidetcheverry944]

what a great teacher....thanks...

[@nedanother9382]

I know nothing of aviation but I can say that was a hell of a video. It explains exactly what was happening during the doctors flight from Yuma to San Diego crashing in Lakeside Ca. in Dec. Based on the audio you could hear the pilot, blinded by weather trying to supress what he was feeling and look at the gauges. His confusion was very evident. Confirming a climb when he was in a deep dive. I don't know how you guys do it. Thanks for taking the time. Great job.

[@geddon436]

I was someone who believed the ball would move based on which way the airplane was turning. Glad to see a demonstration of what actually hapenns. I unfortunately did not take physics in high school.

[@michaeld.coulombesr.583]

I, as one, not only did not take physics in high school, I was lucky enough to not take high school itself, I quit February of the 9th grade. After that I spent the years from 15-to-19 learning everything I could get my hands on, physics, mathematics, chemistry, all kinds of science courses. Once I was able to get away from the damn schools I found that I liked learning, that period of my life lasted until I was 19 years old and went into the army on Dec 1963 joined up, and I had reasonable hi scores on all the tests they gave me. And once I was in the army I had great time. Michael said that, bye for now my friend.

[@skyhawk_4526]

If you ever fly in an airliner, you can see this by putting a full cup of water on your tray table. The water will stay level (as oriented to the tray table and rim of the cup) regardless of whether the plane is wings level or in a banked turn. The same happens if you happen to be standing in the aisle when the plane starts to turn. You're eyes will detect the turn if you're looking out of the windows, but your inner ear won't, and the two different signals going to the brain can make you feel momentarily disoriented. But if you stop looking out the window and look forward down the aisle, you will be able to walk without any sense that you are in a turn because you are still experiencing approximately 1 g, but instead of that g-force pulling you toward the center of the earth, it's pulling you toward the floor and the bottom of the airplane.

[@ScumfuckMcDoucheface]

@@michaeld.coulombesr.583 amen, I couldn't agree more, the schooling I was exposed to was less than useless it was actually very detrimental, that coming from someone who adores learning... maths, physics, chemistry, literature... simply love learning =)

[@tomdchi12]

"Frames of reference" is the key concept. It's one of those things I put a lot of effort in school to wrap my head around to get a grasp of the idea, but I certainly couldn't do a good job explaining it. Once you can draw an imaginary box around yourself and imagine what's going on at the boundary of the box, you can break down these sorts of situations. But it is very much not intuitive, as you point out! Riding in an elevator is a great literal example of this idea, but it is only one degree of freedom, while an airplane in flight is 6 (up/down, right/left, front/back, roll, pitch, yaw) so it gets exponentially more complicated.

[@pj61114]

We have enjoyed the tent seminars at the Fantastic EAA Oshkosh Conventions every year since 1988. I am not a pilot but, go to the FAA pavilion where pilots get lectures for wings credits. Your video is the best ever on vertigo. The beauty of KZbin videos is experiencing inflight demonstrations that can be watched again as opposed to live one shot in house presentations.

[@johnpalgrave9331]

A great teacher - and a fine sense of humour. Ideal for a parent.

[@N34RT]

Excellent "object lesson". I've always enjoyed the video of Bob Hoover doing a barrel roll in his Shrike Commander while pouring tea from a hand-held pitcher to another pitcher mounted on a pedestal beside him. (the camera was mounted/held just behind the cockpit, facing forward to show the entire horizon, instrument panel, pitchers, etc.)

[@fhuber7507]

It was a barrel roll to maintain + G (relative to the cockpit) An aileron roll won't maintain the relative G.

[@N34RT]

@@fhuber7507 revised my comment. Thanks for the correction.

[@rbhoward9123]

Thanks for the ride and the lesson along with the soft, smiling disposition of your passenger Wilson.

[@geneskowron1440]

Scott, Love your factual presentations.....Please do something about the crooked pictures/photos on the wall behind you!

[@PhotographyEnthusiast]

What an amazing explanation and demonstration. Seeing is believing 😊. This should be recommended watching to all ppl students. Great vid 👍👍

[@FlyWirescottperdue]

Wow, thank you!

[@Ryanboy2020]

Great job at explaining gravity forces acting on us while in the airplane.

[@GenoSalvati]

Spacial disorientation is also key factor when scuba diving with no visual references. Many good divers have been killed by getting lost when the silt gets stirred up and you can't see your hands or anything else. The brain goes a bit haywire and the first human reaction is panic. Cave divers train to work with a line and zero visibility. This training process has a lot of similarities to instrument training (blinding aids, etc.). Train to trust your instruments and your lines. Thanks for the lesson Scott! Hey, another good topic for people who are learning about flying - how does the attitude indicator in a plane work (better than Wilson, obviously)? How does it get outside the environment of the plane to find your actual wing position relative to ground?

[@MegaSunspark]

Thanks Scott for making this great video with Wilson the tennis ball. Other aviation presenters only talked about why hanging a weight on a string inside an airplane wouldn't work; but you actually proved that it doesn't work with this video eyewitness. I'm also very impressed with your flying skills.

[@interactbiz2]

I'm not a pilot but have been fascinated by flight forever. Scott's work is intelligent and informative. This video has those qualities but is humorous as well. Two thumbs up!

[@lautburns4829]

As long as Wilson didn’t puke he’s a good passenger.😂😅Thanks Scott.

[@76guzzi78]

Scott, I'm not a pilot but had always thought after watching air crash investigations etc, as to why something like "wilson" was not carried by the pilots as a last resort to orientate themselves. Now I know why! Your demonstration and explanation was explicit! Thankyou so much for the education! Kind regards

[@markb.1259]

Thank you Scott!!! I've wondered this same thing many times about a ball on a string. I would have never guessed that the ball would stay nearly unmoved during all those maneuvers. Your video took me back to my U.S. Navy aviation physiology training classes... haha

[@saravananganapathy6089]

That is an amazing (lucid) explanation. I love the way you simplify and educate others. Thanks and God bless you.

[@whoever6458]

This was a great video! I had to take a whole year of physics for my biology major and, at first, it was intimidating but then I realized that it was just putting numbers to physical experiences I had been having my entire life. It helped that I used to jump my bicycle a lot as a kid. I did some backflips and you definitely stick to the bike but you have to put in that energy to carry you around the loop or you might land on your head (which has happened to me sort of although I managed to prevent myself from actually hitting my helmet on the ground at all). I think it was that new inertial frame of reference that made me find jumping my bike to be such an awesome experience.

[@tomcoryell]

As you were taxiing past homes, I thought for a second you were driving your car through the suburbs.

[@igclapp]

Yeah, for a minute I was wondering why he was wearing his aviation headset in his car! 😂

[@skyhawk_4526]

If you ever fly as a passenger in an airliner, you can see and experience this on any flight by putting a very full cup of water on your tray table in front of you once you are at cruising altitude. The water will always appear to stay level (as oriented to you, the tray table and rim of the cup) regardless of whether the plane is wings level or in a banked turn. The same happens if you happen to be standing up in the aisle when the plane starts to turn. You're eyes will detect the turn if you're looking out of the windows, but your inner ear won't, and the two different signals going to the brain can make you feel momentarily disoriented (or feeling like you will fall or need to hold on to the seats next to you). But if you stop looking out the window and just look forward toward the front of the plane, you will be able to walk without any sense that you are in a turn. This is because you are still experiencing approximately 1 g, but instead of that g-force pulling you toward the center of the earth like it would if you were standing on the ground, it's pulling you toward the floor and the bottom of the airplane which may be pointing 25 or 30 degrees away from the center of the earth. This force is doing the same thing to the cup on the tray table as well as the water that's in it. As long as the turn is coordinated, the water will not spill and the cup will not slide off the tray table -- even if it's a steep banked turn, the water will always stay level with the surface of the tray table.

[@kevinstone9638]

I was pretty accurate with the exception of the nose low adverse attitude. I will give this to my instructor for use if you are ok with that. Sir. Thank you for inspiring others to fly safer. I have learned more from you, Dan Gryder, and Juan Brown over the past few months. You have made me a better and safer pilot, and talking these points over with instructors and others we are able to share from your years of experience. Thank you all for your inspirations and reliance on safety. I was a loadmaster on C-130 and heard the general rule of Dont do anything Dumb, Different or Dangerous and I have extended that to my 3 million miles accident free driving and hopefully years of flying to come. Love it.

[@FlyWirescottperdue]

Thanks Kevin! I really appreciate that! Please share it with anyone you'd like!

[@Pip2andahalf]

I think it would be interesting to demonstrate what Wilson would do in uncoordinated turns

[@lockedin60]

Scott you did an excellent job of explaining the forces that go on during an airplane ride/fly. Thank You Sir!

[@gzk6nk]

Try swing a bucket full of water back and forth until it goes right over the top in a 'loop'. Does the water fall out? Of course not. Does the level of your airliner gin & tonic in its glass tilt as the aeroplane banks? It does not. Go to Wuppertal in Germany and ride the 'danglebahn', a suspended monorail that 'swings out' at an angle as it goes round bends; do standing passengers fall into each other as the car tilts? They do not.

[@ChurchOfTheHolyMho]

Here from the blancolirio comment section. Excellent demonstration and explanation of factors leading to spatial disorientation.

[@FlyWirescottperdue]

Thanks for watching!

[@fdzaviation]

Great video Scott. The easiest way I explain it is this: Imagine you’re in a semi and you’re playing catch inside the trailer, throwing a ball from one side of the trailer to the other. No windows. If the truck is moving on cruise control or if it is standing still there would be no way for you to know it because (like you said) you sense acceleration. The only way for you to know if you were moving or not would be to use a GPS or a Radar gun pointed OUTSIDE to tell you your speed. So yeah you pretty much nailed it. In order to determine orientation you have to get an external reference. I’m so sharing this.

[@rnt-gutierrezgutierrez580]

Feel like I’m back in college physics and biology classes. Thanks Scott, great video.

[@SmittySmithsonite]

Class-A information right here! Excellent video! 😎

[@FlyWirescottperdue]

Much appreciated!

[@rik999]

Great explanation. The tennis ball on a string (shielded from the air stream) would behave the same way on a motorcycle. Yaw and roll are the same as an airplane but pitch and altitude controlled by wheel contact with the road. For a motorcycle in a turn, camber thrust from leaning (banking) replaces the horizontal vector in your diagram but everything else is the same. The faster I ride in a turn, the harder I'm pressed into the seat. You feel no centrifugal forces in a turn.

[@larryevans2806]

Outstanding! This should be required viewing in high school and college physics 101 classes. I always wanted to do this but never did. Very enjoyable! I think Wilson even had fun!!!

[@northwesttravels7234]

That barfing sound that Wilson makes is haunting.

[@MichaelLloyd]

Wilson did what I thought he would do, show us the lift vector. Awesome video lol

[@robertbuick1500]

Hi Scott, this is Robert and Jackie, the discovery of your channel is a delightful surprise (Thanks to Laura). I look forward to digging through your channel.

[@FlyWirescottperdue]

Thanks for watching!

[@stuartessex4535]

I saw Wilsons cousin in the film Castaway with Tom Hanks!😂 Fascinating video Scott, I thought I was quite good at physics, but the ball didn't move anywhere as much as I suspected....

[@manowaari]

Wilson was as reliable as your inner ear in IMC. Awesome demonstration, only thing make Wilson "jump" was that small negative g... Very cool video Scott!!!

[@cluelessbeekeeping1322]

I have a suggestion for you... for a video. ...because, a tennis ball just isn't IFR enough. Take up a fish bowl With 'stuff' suspended in it. It wouldn't hurt to throw in a goldfish, just for kicks. With a tennis ball, some string, and spherical fish bowl, you've got the advance IFR package! Impress the chicks, other pilots...an endless list! Just thought of an upgraded IFR delux package...add a *_rubber band_* instead of a string (G-Meter) to the turn and bank Wilson ball.

[@rudyramos5911]

...Scott.... you're having too much fun.....best regards...Rudy

[@funkyzero]

Gee, who could have predicted that the hanging weight reacts the same exact way that your inner ear and butt gyro does and causes the problem in the first place?

[@FlyWirescottperdue]

Indeed!

[@ForTheLoveOfRightRudder]

That’s funny timing, I was trying to explain this to me non pilot brother last weekend. You explained it and of course demonstrated much better then I did. Great video.

[@FlyWirescottperdue]

Excellent!

[@WarblesOnALot]

G'day, Yay Team ! That was mildly hilarious..., well done. Apparently, back in the day, people used to fix a length of String with a loop at it's free end, to the Instrument Panel - with the length tailored so as to hold the top of the Joystick in the Loop, in the correct fore-aft position to hold the Aircraft's Nose at it's "Best Glide Speed", (at flight-idle)...; if the Loop was placed over the top of the Stick & one pulled back against the String's Restraint. Thus, the Stick could be centralised with Mechanical certainty in Pitch, by a restraint which visually highlighted any lateral displacement that might initiate a pesky Roll (putting one's Faith in Dihedral...) - while enabling a selected Compass-Heading to be maintained with the Rudder. Thus, people used to apply Climb-Power and go (literally) blindly up into yonder Clouds, planning on then going places by Ded(uced) Reckoning, or Astro-Navigation with a Sextant (!) once above the Cloud...; and then throtting back while pulling against the String to "safely" glide in a straight line, back down into the Clear Sky - which they HOPED to find, under the (pesky) clouds (!). I used to fly Ultralights with a bloke who didn't believe me when I suggested that he would become disoriented in the Clouds ; and so he tried it at about 5,000 Ft AGL..., and he said that it was quite OK for a while, but then it went sort of soggy & quiet, and after that it got loud & the controls all felt wrong..., and when he emerged he had about 60-degrees of Bank on, with the Nose about 20-degrees below the Horizon, and he was Side-slipping wildly at the time. Well on the way towards inverting, and then spinning, so he reckoned ; and after that, he believed what ALL the Textbooks & Memoirs have to say about Flying Blind, ie... "Thou Shalt NOT...; unless thine IFR Rating be Valid & Current & also thy Hairygoplane be must suitably rated & equipped, and propperly maintained, for the Adventure..." Segue..., I managed to more or less successfully complete my "...RAAF Coral Sea Catalinas.." coverage....; learning along the way a lot which I hadn't previously known, in the process. I'm still trying to get my head around A24-12 on the 9th of May...; an hour & thirtyseven minutes of solo dogfighting with 3 "Rufes" (Zeroes on Floats...), a thousand miles from Base..., and arriving back an hour & a half late with 92 bullet-holes in their Catalina, & 2 Bullet Wounds in their 2nd Flight Engineer/Rear(Tunnel) Gunner...(!). "Well DONE..., those Men !" as the Imperial British liked to put it. Such is life, Have a good one... Stay safe. ;-p Ciao !

[@GenoSalvati]

These stories about early flying in what is now known as IMC would make a great video. Scott?

[@cmans79tr7]

This was great! I was hoping that when you bought that aerobatic-capable aircraft that you would demonstrate the "weighted pendulum effect". I LOL'd at 9:30 "...gettin' back into the G.." and you sank four to six inches into your cushy seat😄...When I first started watching Aviation vids on YT, i thought i was real smart thinking in the event of the dreaded instrument failure in IMC, to rely on a washer on a string hanging from the roof. Then one or more of the YT Aviators explained that wouldn't work, and i accepted that explanation, but still thought on say, a 45 degree turn, that the weight would deflect some, but in an unreliable manner. I was impressed when you did the 45 degree turn, and the rolls, the weight, for all practical purposes, stayed static, and any "Seat of the Pants" flying in IMC could indeed end in crashing in a matter of seconds. It was comical when you talked to "Wilson" similar to Tom Hank's character in that movie.

[@stevenparker5334]

Very nice presentation...especially the classroom. Please do more of these!

[@skid2151]

Thanks Gunny! Just logged my IRC requirement for 2021! Cheers, Skid

[@johnturnbull7798]

Scott that's a great practical demonstration. I've heard the pendulum idea suggested by others and as a Physics major I have always understood the impracticality of it but I have never seen anyone demonstrate it in a plane. Oddly enough the same thing happens in a roller coaster but I wouldn't try Wilson on that as there's no windshield to stop him being blown away.

[@larumpole]

Thank you, Scott, you made at all so easy to understand. The part that is hard to understand is why pilots, some of them quite experienced, forget these concepts. In the heat of the moment, they are unable to overcome their (understandable) fear and allow their training and experience to be overcome, and they’re relying on their senses to figure out up from down. Can that ever be fixed?

[@FlyWirescottperdue]

I just don't know.

[@m118lr]

Great example, and IF I’m honest...thought I’d actually work to be a noticeable description of flight ‘maneuver’. Apparently indescernible to us. This was a great vid Scott..always appreciated.

[@johnb7490]

Love the video as always, good quality.

[@etudigger3340]

Scott, great science experiment and video. As "Rocky" from "Rocky and Bullwinkle" would say, "Thank you, Mr. Know-It-All." Keep the videos coming.

[@IvanSkyFlight]

The best part of this video is watching you taxi in front of houses. Great video!

[@travelingtimothy]

Wow, I didn't know this at all! Great lesson and illustration!

[@artnickel7624]

Remember the spinning chair in military flight physiology training? The best trip within 10 feet of 0 AGL.

[@leifvejby8023]

Sure remember it - absolutely beats having warm and cold water into your ears - I've tried that too.

[@thomasgreen1688]

Thank you for such a real world demo Scott. I for one would be interested in a further in-depth look at the physics in a future video. 👍🏻

[@stevet8121]

I'm just impressed that Wilson didn't get air sick.

[@HoundDogMech]

Great demo of coordinated flight. You could have put a synced PNP of the camera wilson was hanging from say in the lower right corner. but....Might have shown the Planes attitude better.

[@Rigoton95]

Hope to see a second part to this video!

[@KSH243]

A buddy of mine going through his license and I were talking about this theory. Glad to see an answer. We both thought this would be the outcome. Thanks!

[@jateipen]

Excellent - thanks for doing this!

[@topguncg47]

Scott, your a fantastic instructor would love to go through flight school with you. I learn tons from you every vlog you do.

[@thomashudson4489]

Very good summary of the surprising physics of no longer standing on the ground.

[@gomphrena-beautifulflower-8043]

Wow! Non-pilot here, just love all things Aviation. I’m pretty amazed at all your acrobatics there, but it’s incredulous that “Wilson” didn’t always behave as I thought it would. Your explanations made sense and I understand SD better. Wonder what people on the ground thought during those moments they might have seen you!

[@FlyWirescottperdue]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@rex8255]

Naming the ball "Wilson"... LOVE IT! Very cool video in the aircraft, as well. And you half-ass barrel roll was PERFECT! If you'd have corrected the things you mentioned, it wouldn't have been half-assed. EDIT 3: Interestingly, I could see using Wilson or one of his relatives as a training tool for coordinated turned. I think it would be more, I don't know, illustrative than a turn and bank indicator.

[@nidurnevets]

Wonderful explanation! Thanks

[@beyondthegoats6048]

Excellent demonstration...

[@txkflier]

I went up with an instructor in a CAP Cessna O-1 Bird Dog one day in the 70’s. When he rolled it, all of the dirt on the floor went to the ceiling while we were inverted. As we rolled right side up, the dirt fell on us and everything else..

[@awuma]

I think Scott was really doing a barrel roll, which he called an "aileron roll" ;-) In a true straight line roll with rudder and elevator corrections to maintain level flight (not just with ailerons), one would indeed get dirty...

[@elcapitan7352]

Thanks to both you and Wilson. It looked like he might need an air bag at times when he started oscillating. Look forward to the more extended physics presentation.

[@BDavid760]

You should show the old Bob Hoover footage of him pouring tea from a pitcher into a glass while rolling the airplane...

[@Parr4theCourse]

So cool, that looked like a fun video to produce!!

[@FlyWirescottperdue]

I thought it was silly question at first, but the more I thought about it... I figured we could have some fun with it and maybe by keeping it simple learn something about Newtons' Laws.

[@Parr4theCourse]

@@FlyWirescottperdue Nope great question snd I learn more visually, so great presentation!!!!

[@jeffshafer9079]

I totally understood the physics, being an engineer and all. What I didn’t understand was that guy driving an airplane through everyone’s front yard. I thought skateboarding kids were a menace! ;)

[@FlyWirescottperdue]

I live on an Airpark... and airplanes have the right-of-way... including over skateboarding kids.

[@dewaynehill4045]

Scott.... thank you, thank you. Fantastic video. Love your channel.

[@MyJoyInTheAir]

Great presentation. thanks!

[@qhew]

Rich from Australia: loved the video - good topic to discuss. i find forces experienced by occupants in aircraft manoeuvres quite fascinating. No matter what manoeuvre you did, the gravity (pendulum) stayed virtually the same as if you were in straight level flight (down towards base of aircraft). i’m not a pilot & have only flown normal commercial flights, but from my knowledge of Newton’s laws, i would have expected just that. it would feel more comfortable too, to not be experiencing other than downwards effective g forces ( rel to a/c and pilot axis down axis). also enjoyed your sense of humour & very relaxed way you did so many manoeuvres in succession.… (“Wilson” def needs some swing damping lol!). The 4g look loop & rolls looked particularly exciting. guess a lower or higher g loop feasible by making the loop circle (& angular rate) greater or smaller, but subject to aircrafts structural limits……would imagine the structural limit was mainly the wing to fuselage shear force & bending moment. years ago, i read about blackouts & redouts experienced by ww2 pilots in military aircraft, doing loops & bunts (bunt is loop starting with dive) respectively, with bunts more dangerous due to increased blood pressure in head (neg “effective” g). does anyone do a bunt in normal aircraft these days? “Wilson” would bounce off roof haha. The forces experienced in a roll are interesting to consider. i would have thought if you did a “pure” roll about the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, you would sense a “rotating g”, with -1 g at 180 deg into roll. but seems a barrel roll is more common (& comfortable) where (i’m hypothesising here) you generate ~1 g downwards centrifugal force by flying on the surface of an imaginary cylinder, with roll axis offset to c/l of cylinder. you would experience varying g (from +2 at start of roll to nil at top). am i correct? by controlling roll speed & radius, you control the offsetting centrifugal force. Regarding turns, is a “side-slip” turn possible in an aircraft, where only rudder is input but no aileron? wings would remain horizontal, airflow over wings would becomes skewed from normal flow, you would experience some sideways acceleration. maybe this would create neg consequences, like reduced lift, even a stall? comment? Another weird phenomenon: I noticed little change in engine speed/note throughout the manoeuvres, eg. the loop, which surprised. at start of loop/climbing, do you (or autopilot) apply more throttle input (& poss less coming out of loop). without any power input change, i would have expected a slower note climbing & faster note descending, due to airspeed changes…..prob from experience viewing aerobatics. sorry for so many Q’s…..pls, only if u have the time to give feedback.

[@FlyWirescottperdue]

Side Slip is possible and some aircraft can do a side slip on the the fuselage and fly for a short time (wings vertical). The engine is a constant speed one... a prop governor adjusts the blade pitch to maintain the same RPM throughout the maneuver. When you view from the outside, you are probably hearing the noise generated at the propeller tips. Fixed Pitch props do slow and speed up with airspeed. Thanks for watching!

[@paratyshow]

Thanks Scott, you make physics fun and easy to understand as it relates to objects in 3 dimensions.

[@Buzzaard1949]

Great video. Excellent visual! Thank you for posting this. I did think that the weight would always be forced to the bottom of the airplane...most of the time. But, I never thought of using a rock, or ball, to use in an airplane, so mine was just a bit of a guess.

[@bobrowlette4143]

Thanks for this excellent video.

[@RodCornholio]

Can't argue with empirical evidence. Great content!

[@waukeshapilot6462]

I have entertained doing this for years, Interesting Results, Thank You.

[@bernardc2553]

Boom Scott nailed it for ALOT of New Pilots & Why it's the instruments and NOT your body you must trust, when Wisconsin "Spats-ya"

[@CDhn455]

Great video! I found the tennis ball interesting but I also found seeing what the artificial horizon was doing just as interesting. Not everyday I get to see what the artificial horizon does during aerobatic moves like this.

[@snowman100]

Wilson! Where are you Wilson!... Tom Hanks is probably jealous of your Wilson, he stayed in the plane! 😆😆.. great demonstration Sir!

[@cruizerdan71]

Loved this. Thanks Scott!

[@stationmanager2821]

I can't see the sense of hanging a weight from a cockpit roof for some form of visual reference. The formula says it all i.e.., CLHALFEROWVSQUAREDS. The biggest and most important thing to learn in VFR flying, is how to spin and recover safely. The PA28 is a very good spinning aircraft, but it requires very quick accurate work in recovery, due to the limitation of the aircrafts VNE. I always remember having to demonstrate this to a pretty tough CAA gov., test pilot for my CPL renewal. The other great danger in spinning a conventional low wing light aircraft is its near impossible to stay inside the VNE. High speed stalling on recovery is REAL and very dangerous . Don't try it un-less you get some very professional dual instruction. Retired CPL.

[@brianfeeney9493]

Spot-On Scott ...... Solid !!!! ✨🇺🇸💫

[@b.maguire3506]

Great Video! Thanks this!! Cheers and CAVU! B&M, CYVR.

[@biastv1234]

Excellent example

[@MooneyOvation2]

Very interesting thanks. Next a review of the Cat & Duck method of IFR? 😃

[@williamjcallahan1620]

This was a great video, thx

[@lockedin60]

TG you chose a different object to teach a lesson. Rocks work best lying on the ground. Not swinging around in a cockpit. Though maybe the new concussion helmets that the NFL has been testing for their Quarterbacks would be a nice addition.

[@danielhawley6817]

GREAT DEMO! esp fr those overconfident types who thing they can fly out of an inadvertent incursion into IMC. Maybe you can do a video on using your autopilot for an IMC escape.

[@artnickel7624]

Wilson proved you can fly with proper stick-rudder coordination. The problem is that Wilson will not show AOB in coordinated flight. I knew what would happen, no surprise.

[@corinneharmsen6175]

A great video. I would've like to see what happens to the ball in an uncoordinated turn

[@m118lr]

..an uncoordinated NOTHING different

[@igclapp]

It won't be hanging straight down in an uncoordinated turn.