"Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"

"Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"

An airline passenger (William Shatner) sees a creature on the wing.

Stars William Shatner, Christine White.
Original air date: October 11, 1963.

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great portrayal by shatner.
this episode is good but is so way overrated to me. and so overused in jokes and such. overplayed....and remade two many times too!!

an overrated but still above average ep.

This question is directly primarily at people with a sufficient knowledge of physics and/or aeronautics:

What would really happen if someone opens the emergency door while a commercial aircraft is flying at 20,000 feet? If the plane's interior is pressurized, would the air go rushing out of the opening and take everything -- and everyone -- in its path along with it? I know that Wilson is confined by his seat belt (I don't know whether it would really be sufficient), but I'm more concerned about the other passengers and crew.

This one is okay, it never really grabbed me. Maybe if the gremlin looked more like a gremlin and less like a man in a bear suit and Kabuki makeup, I'd like it more.

http://www.twilightzone.org/images/main/in...ce/fig_gre1.jpg

I hope this helps!

I'm a small plane pilot of Cessna 152's (trainers) amd 172's and 182's. I am not a commercial pilot.

Each plane, no matter their class, has what is called a service ceiling. This is the point of altitude where the plane's engine no longer produces thrust. The plane does not continue on a forward path. It simply cannot fly forward, but do not confuse this with a stall.

A Cessna 152, which is a teeny tiny little adorable toy-like plane with two seats, has a service ceiling of 13,500 feet, in an unpressurized cabin. 172's and 182's can fly higher, all with unpressurized cabins. The more power a plane has, the higher it can fly.

I have never piloted a plane to 20,000 feet. But people skyjump at that altitude all the time. I really don't think it's high enough for everything in the plane to be sucked out like we see in movies. A commercial airliner at that altitude would probably be in take-off or in a landing pattern, as that is fairly low, and they fly much higher than 20,000 feet.

For everything to be sucked out of the plane, it would have to be in one of two situations. (1) the atmosphere outside the plane would have to be less dense than the cabin pressure - only found at very high altitudes (commercial airliners); (2) the wind outside would have to be extremely strong, in which case it would not be pressurization, but could happen to any plane at any altitude if some idiot opened a door (small planes).

Only planes that can fly very high are pressurized.

That said, don't any of you jokesters go opening the emergency doors!

Mr. Hollis, I fear you have mischief in mind, you prankster! Please tell me you've never had the urge to open that door. Haven't we all? I know I have.

Like all small plane pilots, I have the classic fantasy, every time I fly commercially, that the pilots will be struck down with food poisoning or some dread disease and I will be called upon to bring the airliner down safely, saving hundreds and winning the acclaim of millions. Classic! All small plane pilots have this dream.

Well, despite spending 55 years on this planet, I've never flown. For that matter, I've never even set foot in a grounded airplane. My late mother never wanted to go into details, but I get the impression that she might have witnessed a plane crash. In any case, I was never taken anywhere via airplane when I was still a minor, and by the time I could start making my own trips, I found it more convenient and challenging (if the two are concurrently possible) to travel to as many places as possible on the ground, usually by automobile. I've visited every state but Hawaii so far, with a drive to Alaska and return to the lower 48 mostly by ferries the most ambitious contribution to that feat. I've also been to Europe and back via ocean liner (no, not the Lady Anne).

So I've never been in that position of temptation, but I know I have no particular urge to open the door of a moving automobile.

Thanks for the explanation, GGM. I was thinking of you when I posted the question.

Well, despite spending 55 years on this planet, I've never flown. For that matter, I've never even set foot in a grounded airplane. My late mother never wanted to go into details, but I get the impression that she might have witnessed a plane crash. In any case, I was never taken anywhere via airplane when I was still a minor, and by the time I could start making my own trips, I found it more convenient and challenging (if the two are concurrently possible) to travel to as many places as possible on the ground, usually by automobile. I've visited every state but Hawaii so far, with a drive to Alaska and return to the lower 48 mostly by ferries the most ambitious contribution to that feat. I've also been to Europe and back via ocean liner (no, not the Lady Anne).

So I've never been in that position of temptation, but I know I have no particular urge to open the door of a moving automobile.

Thanks for the explanation, GGM. I was thinking of you when I posted the question.

You are so thoughtful! I admit since I've never personally piloted a plane at that altitude, I'm not 100% sure what would happen, but I doubt it would be as dramatic as we see in movies.

I envy you traveling so much the way you have! That is fantastic. One reason the pets and I decided to travel the country in our van was because I'd flown all over, but had never driven farther than a few states from NY. There is nothing like driving and seeing the country.

And ocean voyages to Europe! My word! I would wear tailored suits and a hat and drink champagne the entire trip.

My first airplane trip was from NY to Florida, where a childhood friend and her family had moved. I was 12 or 13 and flew by myself and went down for a visit. I had absolutely no fear, I thought it was a blast. I have flown countless times commercially, but have become a more uneasy passenger since learning to fly myself. I recommend at least a 30 minute intro flight for everyone. You won't take off or land, but you will fly. It's a tremendous experience.

Great goofy episode! An instant classic!
An example of what would not work today as executed,
but an absolute masterpiece for its time.
Invokes indelible images.

No matter how goofy Carpet Remnant Man looks I just love this ep and have to give it a "10" When I watched this ep from the marathon I counted four times that he woke his wife up on this flight! Poor thing. And after a sleeping pill too!

Classic Shat!

Leen

Wow never been on a plane? I can't imagine it. Every time I sit in the seat aisle over the wing I'm looking!

Same way I think of Inger when I stop at a RR crossing.

That sounds contradictory, because that word is the past tense of a vulgar word.

A 9 for me. A classic. Though I do think that the remake was an improvement (the only segment of the movie that was).

Maybe it's time to trade in that car for one of these, Dan.

A 10 easy, for me. It's got Shatner, a gremlin, a creepy thunder & lightning storm, and add in the psychosis and you have a true TZ episode!

http://leapinbass.com/zone/picture_pages/t...05/tz123-03.jpg

Sweet!

The gremlin looked utterly fake, but the acting and script are both great.

10/10

That gremlin had superb timing, didn't it? In the time it took Shatner to turn his head away from the window and back, the furry guy was gone. And how come the gremlin didn't blow off the plane? Velcro on his little slippers, perhaps?

When I first saw the gremilin at age nine or so I found it very disturbing and not the least bit humorous. That scene when Shatner pulls back the curtain and its face is right there, though cliched now, was incredibly shocking at the time. And I still think Shatner does a fantastic job of acting. Plus that stewardess is pretty hot. I'll always give this episode a 10.

Same here. Today I can joke about some of the episode's silliness, but back then it scared the daylight out of me.

This story is perhaps the best illustration of "the supernatural is working on me, but no one believes me" theme so common in the series. Zicree describes that wonderful scene when the flight engineer tries to reassure Shatner that "We see it, too," followed by the curtain of hopelessness and dread that draws over Shatner's face.

I have to agree on that note. In the scariest zone thread I indicated that none of the episodes really seemed scary to me. When I think of the scene with the gremlin's face up against the window...that definitely scared me as a kid.

http://leapinbass.com/zone/picture_pages/t...05/tz123-02.jpg

Very good, creepy episode! William Shatner has you feeling bad for him.

I haven't visited this thread in a long time!

I have to say, "Carpet Remnant Man" is hysterical! Leen, that's priceless.

I think this ep is great; not because of the gremlin or even for the setting of the characters in an airplane, although I'm partial to anything concerning planes. But because of The Shat's increasing doubtfulness of his own sanity and growing paranoia - he is conflicted about what he sees, he's thinking he's going nuts (again) and yet he's convinced that what he's seeing is real. It's a great profile of a personality going to pieces.

And man, was he gorgeous. He's still a handsome man now, even though he's gone a little to pudge. But in his day, RROOWWRRR. Those eyes. That voice.

Good, suspensful episode well into my top 10%. Keeps your attention throughout.
I like Shatner's transition from disbelief to determination. Score goes well, too.

For Dan Hollis!

The reason you probably don't want a window seat!


http://www.shortarmguy.com/planeengine.jpg

PS: That's not a plane I ever flew, thankfully! It looks to me like the engine is fine but the cowling has just peeled off.

Hey! That was my 300th post! Whoo-hoo!

In honor of Dan Hollis!

Thanks, GGM. That may help preserve my airplane virginity (and I don't mean Virgin Airways) all the longer. Then again, that reminds me of how my car looked last August after I thought I had left it parked safely overnight in the Motel 6 parking lot outside of St. Louis.

By the way, is "cowling" a word that the average person should know? I don't recall ever hearing it before watching this episode, and if it's on the technical side, it would be odd for an ordinary passenger to use it so readily.

Congratulations on post #300 Amy!

I hoped you might enjoy that, Dan! And, um, just what were you doing at a Motel 6? Hee! I'm kidding. You were probably traveling. Hope the car wasn't damaged beyond repair. I was just yanking your chain by posting that, I hope you know it was all in good humor.

To me that plane looks like it's only at about 3,000 feet; and the engine isn't smoking or flaming. It is obviously a multi-engine plane flying over a populated area so even if the engine was in trouble, the pilot would probably be able to find a place to land, even if this engine were malfunctioning and the others were working. And whoever took the photo was not panicking; they were in enough self-possession to take a picture, which leads me to believe that there was no real emergency.

Cowling is probably a word that the average person knows, I'm not sure. It refers to the skin of the airplane; usually metal, but sometimes, surprisingly, it's fabric in small planes, especially home-builts (those are planes that are actually built by hand, normally by a pilot, oftentimes in their own garages, and home-builts are absolutely cherished by their owners. Who knew you could build your own plane?). I knew what a cowling was before I started to fly. Sorry if I got too technical.

I'm sorry if I offended you; I meant it in fun.

Thanks hon! I pale in comparison to most of you. But I got a hoot out of getting my 300th.

I take everything said on this board in good spirit unless it's an explicit attack, and it has been a while since I've seen anything like that directed at anyone. I think that's a good rule of thumb for all of us. The written word often lacks the inflections that tell us it's meant in fun, which is why we sometimes have to resort to and such. When in doubt, assume the best of the writer, and we'll all stay friends.

That Motel 6 was on the last leg of a one-person tour of Midwest MLB parks, following Milwaukee, Minnesota, and Kansas City. I found my right headlight dangling from electrical cords. The police sergeant who wrote up the incident gave me some suugestions, which inspired me to give some in return, and between us we took a detachable cord from my portable radio, poked it through a small hole I was able to cut through my bumper with a small knife from my emergency tool kit, and tied the bumper so that it was able to stay far enough off of the ground. We detached the headlight, so I had only one, but by then I was able to restrict my driving to daylight hours and get back to New Jersey. Ultimately it cost me only a $250 deductible, three days without a car when I could make do with public transit, and the initial agony of the discovery.

I'm being perfectly serious when I say that "What You Need" was going through my mind as the sergeant and I were making the car functional. I just happened to have a few seemingly trivial items that made it possible to make temporary but essential repairs.

I take everything said on this board in good spirit unless it's an explicit attack, and it has been a while since I've seen anything like that directed at anyone. I think that's a good rule of thumb for all of us. The written word often lacks the inflections that tell us it's meant in fun, which is why we sometimes have to resort to and such. When in doubt, assume the best of the writer, and we'll all stay friends.

That Motel 6 was on the last leg of a one-person tour of Midwest MLB parks, following Milwaukee, Minnesota, and Kansas City. I found my right headlight dangling from electrical cords. The police sergeant who wrote up the incident gave me some suugestions, which inspired me to give some in return, and between us we took a detachable cord from my portable radio, poked it through a small hole I was able to cut through my bumper with a small knife from my emergency tool kit, and tied the bumper so that it was able to stay far enough off of the ground. We detached the headlight, so I had only one, but by then I was able to restrict my driving to daylight hours and get back to New Jersey. Ultimately it cost me only a $250 deductible, three days without a car when I could make do with public transit, and the initial agony of the discovery.

I'm being perfectly serious when I say that "What You Need" was going through my mind as the sergeant and I were making the car functional. I just happened to have a few seemingly trivial items that made it possible to make temporary but essential repairs.

How did it happen that your headlight was dangling? Were you vandalized? That is terrible; I have a real issue with vandalism. I interact with the police on almost a weekly basis here concerning vandalism and domestic issues in my complex. I just don't know why people screw with other people's property.

As for me and car repairs; I do most of my own except for the big jobs. When I repaired my van with duct tape in Louisiana when we were traveling, I decided I had earned the title of unofficial redneck! I was so proud to be an redneck, even though I'm a Yankee, hee.

Diamonds may be a girl's best friend (and indeed they are) but you can never go wrong with duct tape. Comes in handy every time.

OH - and as for Motel 6; before we left for our long trip, I researched pet friendly motels on the internet, since I was traveling with a dog, two cats and the iguana. I got a list of chains that welcome pets, and Motel 6 was one of them. I stayed at them occasionally and they were very tolerant of my pets. They were very nice, clean and a few even had dog walk enclosures. And they didn't charge extra, either.

I had backed my car up to my room door to make it easier to load and unload, so the front of the car was exposed to the path of traffic. We figured that someone accidentally hit my car with his own and then just drove away. Apparently this other car didn't possess the conscience that Oliver Pope's did.

I had backed my car up to my room door to make it easier to load and unload, so the front of the car was exposed to the path of traffic. We figured that someone accidentally hit my car with his own and then just drove away. Apparently this other car didn't possess the conscience that Oliver Pope's did.

Or the conscience that I would have had.

even though i knew what was going to happen.. it's still chilling. that scene is great. shatner's hand moving toward the curtain and that short pause before he pulls it.. very suspenseful.

i think shatner does a great job with this part. i liked the way he was trying to stay calm.. i think a little part of him did not believe it either, but like he says to ruth what if he is seeing a man on the wing if the plane.

-ag

Jayo mentions in this thread how much better the gremlin looks in the 1983 movie than in the 1963 TV episode. (Many previous posts in this thread have also made fun of the original gremlin, aka "Carpet Remnant Man." Good one, Leen. ) That reminded me that Richard Matheson has said many times that the actor playing the first gremlin, Nick Cravat, looked exactly the way he wrote the gremlin to look like in his script, just as he was.

Here is the description from the script: "It is a hideously malignant face, a face not human. Its skin is grimy, its lips misshapen, cracked, forced apart by teeth of a grotesque size and crookedness, its eyes small and recessed, unblinking. All framed by shaggy, tangled hair which sprouts, also, in furry tufts from the man's ears and nose, in birdlike down across his cheeks."

You be the judge.

http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/j/Nick%20Cravat.jpg

Eeeks! That description is definitely frightening.

I can't help it, the term "Carpet Remnant Man" cracks me up big time. I think it's a riot.

Darn, the pic of Nick Cravat au naturel is still not coming up as of this writing.

Here's one picture that speaks for itself:

http://www.buyersmls.com/americantv/wacky/kirkplane.jpg

Hmmm... I don't know. I think he looks better than most of the rock stars I see.

While checking on the background of Roald Dahl in IMDb this evening, I discovered the following:

Credited with coining the term "Gremlin" during the Second World War. These were little men who lived inside fighter plane engines, causing them to stall at the worst possible time.

That reminds me of the Warner Brothers cartoon Russian Rhapsody, where dozens of literally colorful creatures sing "We're gremlins from the Kremlin" as they bedevil Hitler, who has decided to fly a bomber into Russian territory himself after his troops meet defeat. Watching this cartoon as a child was my first exposure to the word, years before N@20KF. An in-joke is that all of the gremlins are caricatures of the Warner animation staff.

Riddle: What's the difference between a stewardess and a prostitute?
(obviously there's a difference, sincere apologies to both professions)
Anyone know the answer? (sorry, it's kinda dirty)

Okay, I'll bite. I don't know, what is the difference between a stewardess and a prostitute?