I guess you know, that if you have the right wind, you can hover a C150/152. If one is fortunate to have a wind of, say 20-25K, and one puts down full flaps,adds power, does their best "slow flight" thing, you can just hang there with the airspeed vibrating around < 40K. It's kind of fun to do it over an interstate and watch the cars go by (heck, they do that at cruise, but this is more fun), and being "apparently stopped" draws some idiot behavior on the part of drivers LOL.
At any rate, no way did this go down as described. The Instructor is lying his butt off. You crack a door, the noise level is deafening, (so is the noise with the door closed, but one's ears soon adapt--what?? what'd you say?? ) No body??? No radio call?? I wonder if this "NASA thief" was wearing a suit, maybe a little bulky in back of the coat???
All this being said, it's still a good story, and reminded me to reserve my vanity tail number for another year (hey, one can hope, can't one??))
Keep the Faith for Freedom
Greg
I wasn't quite so stuck on myself when we headed back to the field and found that the wind had shifted round to the east and I had to do a crosswind landing . . . fortunately, the examiner was a hefty soul, and the wind was blowing from HIS side of the runway . . . hey, I passed, that's what counts! :-D
I don't recall the noise being THAT much worse when the door was cracked . . . but by golly there was a draft!
Since they've found the deceased, that scotches the fake suicide theory, but still, as Topsy said, "Somebody ain't tellin' all they knows." I wonder if the late lamented threatened the pilot & he's ashamed to admit it . . . he may have been afraid that a struggle in the cockpit would have planted 'em both . . . although a 150 will pretty much fly itself if you leave it alone.
On windy days I sometimes see birds do this. They'll be flapping their little brains out trying to get somewhere with a headwind, and they'll just be parked in midair. Looks really funny.