Help me write 25 Aviation Trivia Questions!

Q: Who wrote "Amelia Earhart's Last Flight"?

A: Red River Dave McEnery.

About Red River Dave:
http://www.texasmonthly.com/ranch/so...9446627770.php

Listen he

http://www.kroesnest.com/Kroes_Nest/...ia_earhart.htm

The performance above is by the web poster, so it isn't copyright.
Red River Dave used "Wabash Cannonball" for the music, so that's
public domain. The lyrics themselves are (c) Red River Dave, who only
died two years ago (the song was written in 1937) so they're still in
copyright, but the radio station's BMI contract may cover that.

Q: What was the Doolittle Raid?

A: See:
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/e...-42/dooltl.htm

An amazing story of military audacity: Using the Navy to launch heavy
Army bombers (B-25s) against Tokyo on April 18, 1942, the immediate
effect was the destruction of the city's tinderbox slums, with great
loss of civilian life, but it precipitated the battle of Midway, a
month and a half later, in which four Japanese carriers were lost,
permanently crippling the Japanese Navy.


Q: Who was the first test pilot to roll a civilian jetliner?

A: Tex Johnson, August 7, 1955. I think you must have that on your
site. But if not, see:
http://www.historylink.org/output.cfm?file_id=390

Don

Q: What was the Doolittle Raid?

A: See:
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/e...-42/dooltl.htm

An amazing story of military audacity: Using the Navy to launch heavy
Army bombers (B-25s) against Tokyo on April 18, 1942, the immediate
effect was the destruction of the city's tinderbox slums, with great
loss of civilian life, but it precipitated the battle of Midway, a
month and a half later, in which four Japanese carriers were lost,
permanently crippling the Japanese Navy.

Wasn't the B-25 a medium bomber?

I know there was a joke among B-24 pilots about B-17's being termed
"heavy" bombers.

On Mon, 08 Dec 2003 18:57:06 GMT, EDR wrote:

Wasn't the B-25 a medium bomber?

Heavy in terms of what the Hornet was built for.

Don

"EDR" wrote in message
...

Wasn't the B-25 a medium bomber?


Yes, the B-25 was classed as a medium bomber by the Army. But they were
certainly heavy in comparison to anything else that had been launched from
an aircraft carrier. I believe the word "heavy" was used here in that
sense.

So, have at it! No one knows aviation trivia like you guys, so fling some
questions at me! (And answers would be good, too? :-)

How are runways numbered ?

What's the first letter in the aircraft tail number for all US aircraft ?
(wish I had been on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire that day)

Fastest aircraft in history that's not a spacecraft also ?

First guy to break the speed of sound in an aircraft ?

Seems like a good question will satisfy several criteria:

* possible for average person to answer
* not too obvious
* good flying P.R. properties

That means ones like "how many people were killed in the Canary
Islands in a famous airline disaster" are not optimal. Ditto ones on
the Hindenburg, atomic bombs, Dresden, etc.

How about "how many certificated pilots are there in the United
States?" Of course, you can tune the multiple-choices to make it
as hard or easy as you like. Hard: a) 427,000 b) 427,500 c) 427,501;
easy: a) 1 b) 1,000,000,000 c) 427,000. (By the way, I don't know
what the right answer is....).

Another one: what is the average distance from an airport in an
American metropolitan area (again, no idea, but it can't be more
than ten miles). An ever-popular one is "what is the proportion
of pilots in the state of Alaska." You could also ask that for your
state (Iowa, if I recall correctly).

You might ask some "ancient history of flight" ones. For
instance, "what German glider pilot inspired the Wright
brothers?" That one we all know the answer to--even me!
There's some claim that the ancient Egyptians flew gliders,
so you could ask a question like "what is the oldest heavier-than-air
flying machine proposed?" or something like that, possibly
being prepared to accept the legend of Icarus if you're feeling
generous. There's also a proposal that the builders of the
Nasca lines used hot-air balloons to observe the construction
(I don't buy it, but you don't need a verified fact for an interesting
question).

Some simple technology-of-flight questions might be good,
too, e.g., "the control surface that makes an airplane dive and
climb is a) the escalator b) the elevator c) the estimator."
"General aviation aircraft are ____ than airliners a) more convenient
b) more fun c) more comfortable d) all of the above."

Have to work in a Zeppelin question, maybe something along the
lines of "what was the first luxury air service between Europe
and South America" or when (I think it was 1934 but have to look
it up....).

I'm really good at asking questions, I just don't know any of the
answers.... Good luck with your contest--it sounds like fun.

Regards,

Mike Beede

"Nick" wrote in message
...

What's the first letter in the aircraft tail number for all US aircraft ?
(wish I had been on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire that day)


Better make that all US civil aircraft.

The commercial freight business has become one of the airlines main sources
of income in recent years. This freight can include every thing imaginable
including animals. At any given moment, there is at least one of these
animals in the air somewhere around the world.

A horse.
--
Jim Burns III

Remove "nospam" to reply

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:QL0Bb.269543$Dw6.917079@attbi_s02...
I need some suggestions for aviation trivia questions, pronto! Who better
but you guys and gals to ask, no? :-)

Why? We've decided to do a month-long radio contest in January, on our
most
popular local radio station, promoting our aviation theme inn. It's going
to be called "the '100th Anniversary of Flight Trivia Contest', sponsored
by
the Alexis Park Inn & Suites", and will run every day at prime "drive
time".
Daily winners will each receive a FREE night in one of our aviation theme
suites. (It'll be something along the lines of "the tenth correct caller
wins...)

Thus, every day, for 25 days, the announcer will ask a different aviation
trivia question that must be (a) interesting to the non-flying public, (b)
hard enough to weed out the riff-raff, and (c) easy enough so that someone
can actually win! Ideally, the questions should relate to the theme of
our suites in some way...

So, have at it! No one knows aviation trivia like you guys, so fling some
questions at me! (And answers would be good, too? :-)

Thanks!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

No propeller driven airplane is capable of breaking the sound barrier (in
level flight). The fastest propeller airplane is the Russian TU-95 Bear
which has a maximum level speed of Mach 0.82 or 575mph.
--
Jim Burns III

Remove "nospam" to reply


"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:QL0Bb.269543$Dw6.917079@attbi_s02...
I need some suggestions for aviation trivia questions, pronto! Who better
but you guys and gals to ask, no? :-)

Why? We've decided to do a month-long radio contest in January, on our
most
popular local radio station, promoting our aviation theme inn. It's going
to be called "the '100th Anniversary of Flight Trivia Contest', sponsored
by
the Alexis Park Inn & Suites", and will run every day at prime "drive
time".
Daily winners will each receive a FREE night in one of our aviation theme
suites. (It'll be something along the lines of "the tenth correct caller
wins...)

Thus, every day, for 25 days, the announcer will ask a different aviation
trivia question that must be (a) interesting to the non-flying public, (b)
hard enough to weed out the riff-raff, and (c) easy enough so that someone
can actually win! Ideally, the questions should relate to the theme of
our suites in some way...

So, have at it! No one knows aviation trivia like you guys, so fling some
questions at me! (And answers would be good, too? :-)

Thanks!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

In 1931, 207 people boarded and flew in a single aircraft but it wasn't an
airplane. It was the airship Akron operated by the US Navy.
--
Jim Burns III

Remove "nospam" to reply

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:QL0Bb.269543$Dw6.917079@attbi_s02...
I need some suggestions for aviation trivia questions, pronto! Who better
but you guys and gals to ask, no? :-)

Why? We've decided to do a month-long radio contest in January, on our
most
popular local radio station, promoting our aviation theme inn. It's going
to be called "the '100th Anniversary of Flight Trivia Contest', sponsored
by
the Alexis Park Inn & Suites", and will run every day at prime "drive
time".
Daily winners will each receive a FREE night in one of our aviation theme
suites. (It'll be something along the lines of "the tenth correct caller
wins...)

Thus, every day, for 25 days, the announcer will ask a different aviation
trivia question that must be (a) interesting to the non-flying public, (b)
hard enough to weed out the riff-raff, and (c) easy enough so that someone
can actually win! Ideally, the questions should relate to the theme of
our suites in some way...

So, have at it! No one knows aviation trivia like you guys, so fling some
questions at me! (And answers would be good, too? :-)

Thanks!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"