People driving different modes of transport

[jonathan01n]

Does anyone in here drive different modes of transport, such as driving buses and trains or even boats?

Can anyone share their experiences?

 

[RichmondCommu]

I need to get my wife to post on this thread (although she doesn't have an account). Not only can the love of my life drive a car she can also drive me round the bend.

 

[Lrd]

A few years ago, I used to work on board the ferries from Southampton - Isle of Wight and although I didn't work on the bridge, I did get to drive once for about 10 mins.

I then went onto bus driving, then coach driving and I now drive trains.

Also ridden a motorbike. I'm tempted to get my tank license and would love to fly a plane but doubt that will ever happen.

 

[Bromley boy]

Cars, trains and planes for me!

Last year I achieved the objective of driving all three on the same day! I was a trainee at that point and it isn't something I'd care to repeat, driving on my own, fatigue being what it is.

I quite fancy learning to fly helicopters but the cost is absolutely extortionate, and would mean sacrificing a lot of enjoyable fixed wing flying, so I suspect it shall remain a pipe dream!

 

[J-2739]

I need to get my wife to post on this thread (although she doesn't have an account). Not only can the love of my life drive a car she can also drive me round the bend.

Hahahahaha, even you can sometimes make legendary jokes!

 

[Bromley boy]

Hahahahaha, even you can sometimes make legendary jokes!

Although best to avoid jokes about train driving being so easy that even women can do it .

 

[Economist]

I fly light aircraft when I get the chance, was doing an NPPL/LAPL (which allows me to fly most things under two tonnes) but that's on hold at the moment because I'm learning to drive trains. Had some good fun in a Boeing 737 sim once.

It was always going to be trains or planes but a lot of airlines want £100k-ish up front for training. One of the very few in Europe which doesn't had 3000 applicants for 12 places and I came fairly close to being offered a place with them.

Funnily enough, there's a documentary coming up about Easyjet's training programme, will be interesing to see whether they mention how many parents remortgaged their homes so their kids could afford the £109k price tag. Doubt I'll watch it though.

 

[Bromley boy]

Funnily enough, there's a documentary coming up about Easyjet's training programme, will be interesing to see whether they mention how many parents remortgaged their homes so their kids could afford the £109k price tag. Doubt I'll watch it though.

Of course the alternative is to go modular. Train driving will offer you the flexibility, free time (and, crucially, the finances) to make this a realistic prospect, if you so desire.

Whether the job of being a pilot, particularly for a LOCO, is all it's cracked up to be, is another matter!

 

[Economist]

That's the question these days isn't it:

BA/Aer Lingus/Virgin Atlantic via their programmes are generally good.

Thomas Cook/Thomson good if you can get in as a modular. I'd say Monarch too but you have to pay for a Type Rating. Jet2 also would be decemt if you got straight to the right-hand seat. BMI Regional prefer integrated I think, dunno about Air Tanker.

Easyjet Flexicrew, Ryanair and Norwegian contracting less so, though an Easyjet command (typically six year wait these days) can be very lucrative though with a tough roster. Wizz falls into the same category as RYR.

Flybe/Loganair/Eastern/Skybus all have F/Os on less than quite a few trainee drivers, dunno about Stobart.

Modular-wise, I hear Wings Alliance is supposed to be good, as is Kura, otherwise the Big 3 seem to have sewn up the market.

If only BALPA defended new entant T&Cs like ASLEF seem to have done, since with quite a few of the above you'd be giving up an awful lot as a driver.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

I'm surprised no one has yet claimed to 'drive' both a car and a bicycle, as that must be quite a common combination. So I guess I'll be the first to nail my colours to the car/cycle mast, since I use both regularly.

 

[507021]

Yes, car and bus.

 

[Ploughman]

Can't claim to have flown a plane but I have driven a variety of different vehicles on the same day with totally different steering and transmissions.
Right hand Drive Car, Left Hand Drive car, Manual and Auto.
LH D + RH D Lorries.
Centre Drive Alvis Stalwart.
Articulated Bucket Loader.
Skid Steer loaders.
Rear Steer Arrow Hammer. This was the hardest of the lot, think of a tractor and turn the seat around so the gear stick is behind you to the right.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Although best to avoid jokes about train driving being so easy that even women can do it .

Or indeed them being overpaid...that Mr Hammond was insulting and Im just a passenger!


I drive a long white stick personally but if given the chance would love to get behind the controlls of both a boat, prefferably a nice big one or a speedboat and of course a train!
However for some reason which I can't for the life of me fathom opportunitties for the visually impaired to do such things are almost non existant!

 

[PeterC]

As a teenager I qualified as a glider pilot through the air cadets but couldn't afford to joint a private club so let it lapse.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Anyone else on here driven a hovercraft...?

http://www.hover-gen.com/photograph-galleries/griffon-8000-gallery/

( Link goes to a gallery page with no text other than brief captions under the individual photos )

 

[AlterEgo]

I have "driven" the TS Earl of Romney (look her up) and flown several smaller aircraft when I was in the cadets. I've also driven a canal boat and will rent a cruiser on the Broads in the spring.

 

[Rick1984]

I can 'drive' a 3000t ship but I can't drive a car or any other form of transport, except a bike!

 

[Bromley boy]

Or indeed them being overpaid...that Mr Hammond was insulting and Im just a passenger!


I drive a long white stick personally but if given the chance would love to get behind the controlls of both a boat, prefferably a nice big one or a speedboat and of course a train!
However for some reason which I can't for the life of me fathom opportunitties for the visually impaired to do such things are almost non existant!

I don't see why you shouldn't be able to drive a boat or a train, under the guidance of an instructor, as someone with a visual impairment.

Aeroplanes are even easier as aircraft are dual controlled, I know of quite a few blind/partially sighted people who have been up for some stick time.

 

[jonathan01n]

I wish to fly a cessna in somepoint in my life. I always admired the air. Currently I can only ride a bicycle, drive a go-kart and 'drive' a canoe. I like going to different places and enjoy the journey too!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I don't see why you shouldn't be able to drive a boat or a train, under the guidance of an instructor, as someone with a visual impairment.

Aeroplanes are even easier as aircraft are dual controlled, I know of quite a few blind/partially sighted people who have been up for some stick time.

Absolutely correct - in fact if you look at the photo on the right of mine on the hovercraft page, that's my wife and she is partly sighted. She really is driving it in that picture - both pictures of us were taken at about 50 knots in the Solent.


Meant to add the other day - I've had the helm of this beauty as well:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=....1.1.64.img..1.14.773.0..0i8i30k1.fGUNOWyGGPs

( Link is pictures only on Google Images )

 

[90019]

Cars and buses for me.

Starting to consider a move to HGVs since I've had a class 2 for years but I think I'd like to get a class 1 first, to open up more opportunities.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Drove a small truck in the Philippines?

 

[fowler9]

I've driven a boat on the Thames and the Norfolk Broads and also a home made off roader on the national highway on the Coromandel Peninsular in New Zealand. The latter was the stupidest thing I have ever done, almost.

 

[sk688]

In the UK , I’ve only driven go karts and bicycles, although I’ve just started driving lessons

Now that I’m in India however.... , the blatant disregard of most rules there , means that over the past two years , I’ve learnt to drive in my grandfather’s A class , along with a Honda Unicorn motorcycle , a TVS scooter , a Suzuki scooter , and a Honda scooter

Of course if I’m ever stopped by the police , well in that case...

 

[BR60062]

I have driven a few types of vehicles on and off.

On the road:
Land Rover Series 3
Vauxhall Corsa (too small for me)
Vauxhall Astra
BMW 3 Series 328i
Mercedes Sprinter

Private Land
1984 Leyland Olympian
2002 Dennis Trident Alexander ALX400

Soon to be going on a Train Driver Experience Day later this year once I can decide which locomotive to try my hand to. I have a very good reason for this .

 

[zuriblue]

I remember seeing an article in the Swiss inflight magazine about one of their employees.

He was working 40% for the SBB driving trains (he was pictured at the controls of an RE460) and spent the other 60% as a First Officer on Swiss's A32x fleet.

Apparently he'd started at the SBB but then got the LX job and his training bond at the SBB was still outstanding. Seems a sensible compromise but possibly a bit greedy

 

[12CSVT]

Setting aside any practicalities of getting to and from you workplace, is it possible to qualify as a train driver or airline pilot if you've never had a driving licence for a road vehicle ?

 

[Lrd]

Setting aside any practicalities of getting to and from you workplace, is it possible to qualify as a train driver or airline pilot if you've never had a driving licence for a road vehicle ?

Unsure about pilots but car driving license not necessary for train driving (some companies exempt as you may have to drive a company van to a remote location to pick up your train)

 

[Blindtraveler]

I don't see why you shouldn't be able to drive a boat or a train, under the guidance of an instructor, as someone with a visual impairment.

Aeroplanes are even easier as aircraft are dual controlled, I know of quite a few blind/partially sighted people who have been up for some stick time.

That is admitedly on the bucket list too, I must be unlucky where I live as no such opportunities for planes, trains or boats exist for folk like me sadly. Odly enough I have never wanted to try driving a car which is what many VI people crave to try.

 

[swt class 450]

I have a full bus driving license and CPC and regularly drive buses. I have a mate who is a manager of a local bus company so i will quite often help out and drive these local bus routes. And i also quite often do rail replacement bus work.

At a previous job i was also involved in the delivery of lots of the MBC Bendy Buses to London. I think i have driven more Bendy Buses than any other vehicle! And they are a lot more simple and easy to drive than most people think!

I have never driven a coach before though. Only actual buses.

I did once drive a train in Russia. A very nice driver actually let me drive an EMU train (i think it was an ER1 train or something like that). He saw i was interested in railways so i got talking to him and he let me have a cab ride. And after a while when we were on a smaller branch line (this was years ago so i cant even remember the actual line but it was not too far from Moscow) he offered to let me drive it (in passenger service)! I drove it for quite a few stops on a nice rural route. It wasn't as hard as i thought! Even though H&S wasn't as strict back then (especially in other countries) i am still amazed that he allowed me. This was many years ago (roughly around 20ish years ago or so). I doubt this would be allowed nowadays. I imagine Russian Railways (and most other railways) are far stricter nowadays.

Other than that i have never driven any other trains (other than a few small miniature railway ones if that counts).

I have driven a few small boats on some lakes and rivers before as well if that also counts.

That's about it for me. I've never driven a Airplane or Helicopter yet (in fact i have never even been on an Airplane or Helicopter).