Winner - Flight inner-workings contest

[Chris Dunlap]

Frank Nagy of FermiLab came in with the first description judged to be
"complete and correct" by my judges. 

Here is his description:

>I hope this is satisfactory (I still think like a physicist):
>
>	Since the plane is flying, the altitude must be a positive
>	value, let us call this X.  This is measured between the
>	plane's ventral surface (here I hope I'm using ventral
>	correctly as being the plane's "bottom" surface - for instance
>	before taking off the ventral surface is nearest the ground
>	(except for the landing gear ;-) in normal attitude).   The
>	pilot's eyes are then Y feet above the ventral surface; or
>	X+Y feet above the ground in normal attitude.
>
>	Now, when flying inverted, the ventral surface of the plane
>	is *furthest* from the ground.  Thus inverted flight with
>	altitude X has the pilot's eyes at X-Y (remember, inverted
>	flight) feet above the ground.  Since the algorithm for
>	"I've crashed into the ground and can't get up" is to just
>	examine the X value, judicious flying in inverted position
>	will make X positive but have X-Y negative (below ground
>	level) which supposedly leads to rather interesing displays.
>	(I can't say since I have a tendency to get into the X<0
>	regime too easily.)
>


Congratulations to Frank. As soon as he gets me his address I'll be
sending out his shirt...


chris