Need Help Convincing

[Pyroflash]

So, I have this dumb friend. And this dumb friend here, thinks that formation lights are just reflective strips of tape that glow in the dark when you shine a light on them. This particular dumb friend is also a maintenance tech in the USN, go figure.

 

As I knew this, I asked him, "You've seen them before, they are stuck on the F/A-18's you guys had on the boat". To which he responds "Our aircraft run black".

 

At this, I was astonished, that was tantamount to saying that cars without their headlights turned on do so because they have no headlights, which is wrong.

 

So, after a couple minutes of arguing about the tape, I turned on A-10C, took off, and turned the formation light switch to full BRT. I then hit F2 for an external view, thinking this would finish the argument. Nope, he now instead believes that everything about DCS: A-10C is a fake, and that the developers consult SME's that falsify all of their credentials. He then said that he could personally walk up to ED and say that he was a subject matter expert on the entirety of the airframe he works on, even though he is only trained on one specific part of the aircraft.

 

After trying to dispel his disbelief about the accuracy of a sim, I then told him that it doesn't matter as long as there is a switch in the real aircraft that pertains to the real operation of a real light. Then he starts going on about notices that get sent out about maintenance updates every other week. Then after that he went back to saying that they are reflective strips of tape, and that they borrow them from the F/A-18 guys all of the time.

 

:TLDR:

 

Now I need to find a couple of images from any version of the F/A-18 that show a cockpit lighting switch for the formation lights.

 

Google images has not been particularly helpful with me here.

 

In that regard, I would ask if someone could help me find these images so that I can win this argument.

Edited May 23, 2011 by Pyroflash

[cichlidfan]

So, I have this dumb friend. And this dumb friend here, thinks that formation lights are just reflective strips of tape that glow in the dark when you shine a light on them.

 

In that regard, I would ask if someone could help me find these images so that I can win this argument.

 

I suspect you are wasting your time. Some people can not be convinced. I would be more inclined to ask your friend to provide the full part number and nomenclature for the strip of tape. That should be easy for him to do....or not!:doh:

[MTFDarkEagle]

Dude that guy knows... nothing:doh:

[AlphaOneSix]

He is either pulling your leg, or he is a complete idiot. Either way, you're not likely to convince him. Anyway, if he really has access to these things, or aircraft with them installed, then he knows damn good and well that they are electric lights.

[EtherealN]

Sounds like a guy that is incapable of ever having been wrong. In that case, even if he is given clear evidence he will not admit to having been wrong, simply because it would risk deflating his ego.

 

Give up and stop worrying about him is my advice.

[cichlidfan]

On the plus side, his crew chief probably does not let him touch anything important.

[Pyroflash]

He is an airframe tech who works on the E-2C... And yes, he is one of the reasons I will never join the Navy.

 

Of course this is completely aside from the fact that his car wouldn't start this morning, so he took a wrench and started beating random parts under the hood with it instead of attempting to properly fix it. To my surprise it started... This time at least.

 

Aaaaand he just said he doesn't have a crew chief.

 

And you are right, I showed him the manual, and he denied it saying that they might have used them in the past, but it is old and out of date.

Edited May 23, 2011 by Pyroflash

[cichlidfan]

He is an airframe tech who works on the E-2C... .

 

...and as much FOD duty as someone can schedule him for, no doubt.:megalol:

[Pyroflash]

I wouldn't doubt it, but I think he was somehow responsible for this, I heard it when i was talking to him over the phone. We were talking for a little over 10 minutes when I hear this boom, and then followed by "WTF was that? there is a big fireball at the end of the runway, dude, a plane just crashed!"

[Shaman]

Get him one from Ebay :) http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Military-Surplus-Aircraft-Formation-Light-Assembly-/270743631639

 

...and then ask what that power cable is for ;) I really wish to know what his answer will be :P

 

Aircraft engineer MR MURPHY would say:

"Never argue with a fool, people might not know the difference."

or

"Never argue with a fool, he might pull you down to his level and beat you with experience" (I made this up a little, I don't recall exactly how it goes)

Edited May 24, 2011 by Shaman

[EtherealN]

Of course this is completely aside from the fact that his car wouldn't start this morning, so he took a wrench and started beating random parts under the hood with it instead of attempting to properly fix it. To my surprise it started... This time at least.

 

Is it a Toyota Camry, and has it been standing in sunlight? If so, he might just have used the right method. :D

(At least if it's a pre-96 Camry - the solenoid assembly on the starter engine would dislocate when exposed to heat without the benefit of electric power, and giving it a good hit would reseat it.)

 

Aaaaand he just said he doesn't have a crew chief.

 

Lols. :P

 

And you are right, I showed him the manual, and he denied it saying that they might have used them in the past, but it is old and out of date.

 

Hahah, yeah. Give up, or show him the e-bay listing that was linked as a possible last attempt, but this guy is clearly a case of "meh". Not worth your effort.

[cichlidfan]

Hahah, yeah. Give up, or show him the e-bay listing that was linked as a possible last attempt, but this guy is clearly a case of "meh". Not worth your effort.

 

Unfortunately, the Ebay post would only help him prove his "old equipment" theory.

 

Nope, I have to agree that he is a lost cause.

 

People like that do occasionally provide entertainment value if little else.:D

[Pyroflash]

Yeah, at this point I am considering stopping this argument if the ebay listing doesn't convince him. If nothing else though, my argument is making him quite the angry fellow, and it could be worth my time to troll him about it some more :P

[cichlidfan]

Hmmmm...

 

Do you wonder if maybe the guys he works with have convinced him this is the case, as a sort of running joke. I have seen and heard of worse tricks being played on the suitably gullible.

 

If that were the case then this is just plain funny as hell!!

[Pyroflash]

I hope so, because if not he might just really be that ignorant.