Like Gar, my scariest moments are always later when I realize what could have happened or how close it was. My first 300 hrs were so beyond my abilities, it’s just silly. All mountain flying because I was a guide and thought I had to spot and judge sheep horns from the air. The business end of it forced me (I thought at the time anyway) to do things that otherwise I wouldn’t have ever known is done. Of course I discovered every Do-Not-Do on my own. Like flying uphill in a box canyon, my left wing had to be inches from the ground when I banked for my life. Come to think of it, I thought I’d bit it that time. I’ve described some incidents here before, like the jammed Alder limb in the elevator, stalling on take off, losing the tail wheel, missing the creek bed, or going down on a frozen lake. They don’t really scare you at the time; you’re just fighting to correct the problem. But here is one that took my breath away anyway.
We were trying to get in to sheep camp for a 10 day hunt and as typical a storm was coming over the Chugiak’s, from the Gulf of Alaska. The gear was in my 170B and a Super Cub was to follow with my Client. Most of the flight I was somewhat sheltered, using the mountains for a windbreak, except where I had to track 90 degs by the mouth of the Nelchina. When I started south up Tazlina Lake the battle was on. I remember the winds were 60 to 500 mph. Flopping like a leaf I inched my way up the Glacier wondering what it would be like to have a wing tear off. At the top of the Glacier, just past my turnoff, the ceiling ran into the ice. I was thinking that if I could just get far enough to squeeze in front of that wall of black monstrous fury, I’d slip out of the jet stream and into my valley were camp was and be protected by the upwind mountain. Some of you know were this is going! Finally, as it turned nearly dark, I made the opening and turned in front of the mountain that was to protect me. Traitor! The long arms of the monster reached out and snatched me like a bug. Wadded me up in its fist and threw me down at the ice (this is where I lost my breath)! Everything hit the ceiling and stayed there. Then he jumped up and put a big foot right on me. Inches from the ice and expecting to splat, he let go and I flew up in the arm pit of the down draft, turning back to abort this mission. Back into the jet stream the monster kicked my butt and I was sling shot to warp speed. Traveling 300 mph with no Indicated Air Speed is a helpless feeling. Somehow I managed not to stall and made it to the route that the professional super cub pilot had taken. Well that’s my downdraft story!
Your scariest moment - In A 170
Moderators: GAHorn, Karl Towle, Bruce Fenstermacher
I had a pretty good thrill last summer (04) on the way to Johnson Creek Airstrip in Idaho.
After busting up my "real" airplane, I had fallen back on my "spare". This airplane can best be described as a PIG. I had been unable to locate the source of a gasoline smell that often gave me some serious concern.----but not enough to keep me from flying. It should have.
I was on my way from Jackson,CA, to Johnson Creek Airstrip at Yellowpine, Id. to camp with a group of my friends from Oregon. After a four hour flight I had landed at Nampa, Id. to top off the tanks before going into the back country. It's about a hour on in to Johnson Creek and I was at 9500 ft. just passing Warm Lake. At that point, I dumped the nose over to descend through the power line gap into the Johnson Creek canyon, about ten or fifteen minutes from destination.
Shortly after dumping the nose I felt a drop of wetness on my right hand. What the hell? I looked up and the headliner was saturated and gasoline was dripping down on the tunnel about at the flap quadrant. Now I knew where the gas smell came from!There was a broken hose at the roof vent tee on the cross cabin fuel vent line. As you C-170 guys well know, when the tanks are full and you dump the nose, the cross cabin vent line floods. Sometimes the fuel also comes out the center roof vent. This came out in the cabin.
This is not a really happy state to be in, what with nothing but big trees and granite all the way to the air strip which is about twelve minutes away. As I quickly shut down the master and alternator switches, I could feel the pucker string tighten excruciatingly! It was going to be an uncomfortable flight the rest of the way.
However, by dint of intreped airmanship, superior decision making, and all that kind of really neat stuff, I made it OK and even greased it in--- as usual.
Actually, it scared the s--- out of me! (Figuratively,of course, the pucker string being so damn tight.)
After busting up my "real" airplane, I had fallen back on my "spare". This airplane can best be described as a PIG. I had been unable to locate the source of a gasoline smell that often gave me some serious concern.----but not enough to keep me from flying. It should have.
I was on my way from Jackson,CA, to Johnson Creek Airstrip at Yellowpine, Id. to camp with a group of my friends from Oregon. After a four hour flight I had landed at Nampa, Id. to top off the tanks before going into the back country. It's about a hour on in to Johnson Creek and I was at 9500 ft. just passing Warm Lake. At that point, I dumped the nose over to descend through the power line gap into the Johnson Creek canyon, about ten or fifteen minutes from destination.
Shortly after dumping the nose I felt a drop of wetness on my right hand. What the hell? I looked up and the headliner was saturated and gasoline was dripping down on the tunnel about at the flap quadrant. Now I knew where the gas smell came from!There was a broken hose at the roof vent tee on the cross cabin fuel vent line. As you C-170 guys well know, when the tanks are full and you dump the nose, the cross cabin vent line floods. Sometimes the fuel also comes out the center roof vent. This came out in the cabin.
This is not a really happy state to be in, what with nothing but big trees and granite all the way to the air strip which is about twelve minutes away. As I quickly shut down the master and alternator switches, I could feel the pucker string tighten excruciatingly! It was going to be an uncomfortable flight the rest of the way.
However, by dint of intreped airmanship, superior decision making, and all that kind of really neat stuff, I made it OK and even greased it in--- as usual.
Actually, it scared the s--- out of me! (Figuratively,of course, the pucker string being so damn tight.)
BL
-
rudymantel
- Posts: 451
- Joined: Sat Nov 23, 2002 4:03 pm
This wasn't my scariest moment and it wasn't in a 170 but I found it amusing and thought I'd share it. I took off in a Helio Courier with two pax in the rear seat- a lawyer (call him Fred) and a doctor's wife (call her Beryl). A few minutes after takeoff I was climbing and circling up through a hole to get on top VFR when fuel pressure went to zero and the engine lost all power. ADF was tuned back to the departure airport and I turned to follow it, now on instruments. Couldn't get it going with boost pump, mixture, etc. but broke out over the runway and landed.
While gliding back, the terrified Fred said "Oh please God, spare me- I have a wife and two children!" to which Beryl added;"And a mistress too- don't forget her!"
Rudy
While gliding back, the terrified Fred said "Oh please God, spare me- I have a wife and two children!" to which Beryl added;"And a mistress too- don't forget her!"
Rudy
-
Dave Clark
- Posts: 894
- Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2002 6:25 pm
About 10 years ago, I was trying to get me tailwheel signoff in a borrowed 'baby 170' 
I was flying with an old WW2 P51 pilot. the legend was that he was once busted by his CO who had been driving over the Golden Gate Bridge at the same time that my now instructor was flying under it.... inverted. I never knew his name becasue he went by his nick name. I'll change it and call him "Eagle Eye" to protect the innocent....err is it the guilty.
Well anyway, I was struggling. (because I don't think I've ever flown a properly rigged tailwheel -- everytime it would start to shake and rattle, making one heck of a racket resonating through the tailcone... but that's another topic). Anyway, on one particular landing in our rounds of touch and goes, the plane started towards the left side of the runway. A little right rudder... a little more.... Pretty soon, the pedal was bottomed out and that runway light was looking pretty big.
Meanwhile, "Eagle Eye" was pulling at his leg yelling "ooo, ooo, my boot is stuck, ooo, ooo". He had gotten his toe under his rudder pedal & I was standing on it! 
I just knew I was going to experience a ground loop for the first time!
The right main wheel must have missed the runway light by 6" as we went into the grass. I eased up so he could get his foot out. Then talk about grace..... he just calmy took the plane, gave it a little power and kicked it around. Back up on the runway we went like nothing ever happened. 
He was sure comfortable in that plane... just like walking for most folks.
I was flying with an old WW2 P51 pilot. the legend was that he was once busted by his CO who had been driving over the Golden Gate Bridge at the same time that my now instructor was flying under it.... inverted. I never knew his name becasue he went by his nick name. I'll change it and call him "Eagle Eye" to protect the innocent....err is it the guilty. Well anyway, I was struggling. (because I don't think I've ever flown a properly rigged tailwheel -- everytime it would start to shake and rattle, making one heck of a racket resonating through the tailcone... but that's another topic). Anyway, on one particular landing in our rounds of touch and goes, the plane started towards the left side of the runway. A little right rudder... a little more.... Pretty soon, the pedal was bottomed out and that runway light was looking pretty big.
Meanwhile, "Eagle Eye" was pulling at his leg yelling "ooo, ooo, my boot is stuck, ooo, ooo". He had gotten his toe under his rudder pedal & I was standing on it! I just knew I was going to experience a ground loop for the first time!The right main wheel must have missed the runway light by 6" as we went into the grass.
I eased up so he could get his foot out. Then talk about grace..... he just calmy took the plane, gave it a little power and kicked it around. Back up on the runway we went like nothing ever happened. He was sure comfortable in that plane... just like walking for most folks.Have a Great day!
Brad
-------------------------------------------------
Know how to listen and you will profit even from those who talk badly.
-- Plutarch
Brad
-------------------------------------------------
Know how to listen and you will profit even from those who talk badly.
-- Plutarch
-
rudymantel
- Posts: 451
- Joined: Sat Nov 23, 2002 4:03 pm
Let me tell you of my hariest moment ever. I had owned my Pitts S1S for a whole 6 months and considerd myself a great aerobatic pilot. This was in Jamaica, and I decided it was time to perform my first air show. The pie d' resistance was to be an outside loop and I had practiced them at altitude. A few days before the big event I obtained permission from the control tower at Montego Bay to do a practice run of my routine. All went well until the outside loop. I came over the runway inverted at 500 ft. and pushed up into the first half, coming out at around 8 or 900 ft., which is where I should have quit. But I kept pushing down into that second half. At about 45 degrees past vertical the runway was coming to greet me at what I considerd an excessive rate of closure and I made the big mistake of reducing power as I pushed very hard. Without warning the airplane did an outside snap roll into an inverted spin and I tought it was all over. (So did three of my pilots who were watching with interest.) I instinctively applied back pressure on the stick and by pure luck applied the correct rudder and the little red airplane snapped out of the spin as smartly as it had entered it. I recovered at maybe 300 ft., knees shaking.
(The air show was a great success and I only performed inside maneuvers, which looked just as good to the folks watching).
Curtis Pitts told me later, which I confirmed, that had I applied full power and kept pushing hard the airplane would have completed the loop nicely. Reducing power was the worst thing.
The really scary part occurred a few week later. The great aviator was now teaching himself tail slides, at a safe height. While sliding backways, the airplane fell into an inverted spin and I calmly pulled back on the stick and smartly applied full incorrect rudder. The spin tightened up and I quickly lost maybe 1000 ft. of altitude. I could only think back on that previous outside loop event.
My airplane was one of a handfull built by Curtis Pitts. When I took delivery, Curtis told me 1) This airplane will make you think you're a much better pilot than you really are and 2) Practice inverted spins. I did both.
I'd also like to add that a couple of years later I exchanged the 150 hp O-320 engine (with pressure carburettor) for a 200 hp IO-360. The added weight in the nose really helped (I then weighed around 230 lbs) and I never again accidentally got into those embarrasing inverted spins.
Rudy
(The air show was a great success and I only performed inside maneuvers, which looked just as good to the folks watching).
Curtis Pitts told me later, which I confirmed, that had I applied full power and kept pushing hard the airplane would have completed the loop nicely. Reducing power was the worst thing.
The really scary part occurred a few week later. The great aviator was now teaching himself tail slides, at a safe height. While sliding backways, the airplane fell into an inverted spin and I calmly pulled back on the stick and smartly applied full incorrect rudder. The spin tightened up and I quickly lost maybe 1000 ft. of altitude. I could only think back on that previous outside loop event.
My airplane was one of a handfull built by Curtis Pitts. When I took delivery, Curtis told me 1) This airplane will make you think you're a much better pilot than you really are and 2) Practice inverted spins. I did both.
I'd also like to add that a couple of years later I exchanged the 150 hp O-320 engine (with pressure carburettor) for a 200 hp IO-360. The added weight in the nose really helped (I then weighed around 230 lbs) and I never again accidentally got into those embarrasing inverted spins.
Rudy
Scary moments seem to come in bunches! Had two in a row within minutes of each other.
Time - 70's, place - Ft Smith, AR.
My roommate and I had met these two red headed twin sisters at a bar on Towsend Ave. The next morning when it was time to get them back, nothing seemed as it had the night before, it was an ugly picture. Something had influenced us that these were not a couple of unattractive females. The bright morning light made the truth unbearable. My motorcycle and their car were clear across town and all we had was my roommates souped up highly visible SS 396 El Camino - very small bench seat. The first really scary moment was at a red light when low and behold right across from us was Andy's Mom and Dad staring right at us. I was looking around for my relatives as we drove with only our eyes sticking above the dashboard when the really scary moment came. Andy's red head said "I still can't believe you did all that last night after I told you that I have the mumps, I just can't believe it!" From down low in the car I gave my red head an inquiring look and she said "NO, I don't have the mumps!" WHEW!
Time - 70's, place - Ft Smith, AR.
My roommate and I had met these two red headed twin sisters at a bar on Towsend Ave. The next morning when it was time to get them back, nothing seemed as it had the night before, it was an ugly picture. Something had influenced us that these were not a couple of unattractive females. The bright morning light made the truth unbearable. My motorcycle and their car were clear across town and all we had was my roommates souped up highly visible SS 396 El Camino - very small bench seat. The first really scary moment was at a red light when low and behold right across from us was Andy's Mom and Dad staring right at us. I was looking around for my relatives as we drove with only our eyes sticking above the dashboard when the really scary moment came. Andy's red head said "I still can't believe you did all that last night after I told you that I have the mumps, I just can't believe it!" From down low in the car I gave my red head an inquiring look and she said "NO, I don't have the mumps!" WHEW!
Joe
51 C170A
Grand Prairie, TX
51 C170A
Grand Prairie, TX
-
rudymantel
- Posts: 451
- Joined: Sat Nov 23, 2002 4:03 pm
Several thoughts come to mind about this story.N1478D wrote:Scary moments seem to come in bunches! Had two in a row within minutes of each other.
Time - 70's, place - Ft Smith, AR.
My roommate and I had met these two red headed twin sisters at a bar on Towsend Ave. The next morning when it was time to get them back, nothing seemed as it had the night before, it was an ugly picture. Something had influenced us that these were not a couple of unattractive females. The bright morning light made the truth unbearable. My motorcycle and their car were clear across town and all we had was my roommates souped up highly visible SS 396 El Camino - very small bench seat. The first really scary moment was at a red light when low and behold right across from us was Andy's Mom and Dad staring right at us. I was looking around for my relatives as we drove with only our eyes sticking above the dashboard when the really scary moment came. Andy's red head said "I still can't believe you did all that last night after I told you that I have the mumps, I just can't believe it!" From down low in the car I gave my red head an inquiring look and she said "NO, I don't have the mumps!" WHEW!
1) What exactly do you mean by the reference: "I gave my red head an inquiring look ..." Do you mean to say you actually considered one of them as yours?
2) D'ya recall if you did ev'r-thang as S L O W as you usually do? Didn't ya have sufficient time to change your mind about it all?
(Even so, at least is sounds like the red head was fast!) 3) D'ya suppose a young lady whose name begins with "M" might ever log on and read this?
It's funny what our imaginations do when we've got a guilty conscience. I'm sure Andy's parents were simply proud that you two would give even a couple of ugly girls a ride to their car! What fine upstanding gentlemen!
I know I've never done anything like that!
'53 B-model N146YS SN:25713
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons.
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons.
Joe, I am offended that you singled out red heads here!!! I'll take this up with you at Petit Jean!!! 
Honestly you should write a book called "The Adventures of Joe Harris". We laugh everytime we think about some of your near misses 
"the oncoming mustang", the guy backing over your mototcycle, survivng the dog bitting incident and nearly sufficating in a poleless tent . I am looking foward to more stories and laughs. Your friend, Jennifer
Honestly you should write a book called "The Adventures of Joe Harris". We laugh everytime we think about some of your near misses "the oncoming mustang", the guy backing over your mototcycle, survivng the dog bitting incident and nearly sufficating in a poleless tent . I am looking foward to more stories and laughs. Your friend, Jennifer51 Cessna 170A N1263D
OH, I love red heads! Really, my lost love was a red head named Lisa from Dyer, Arkansas. Still to this day think about that girl every day Jennifer. Can't wait to enjoy the good company at Petit Jean. Jennifer, ask me about the time I kicked the guy having an epelitic fit in the mall at Ft Smith one time.
George, I hadn't made the connection between those two red headed twin sisters and your airplane till you pointed it out! The only differences, between the two of them and your plane, they had 4 large items that I don't see on your plane.
"M"? What am I missing?
George, I hadn't made the connection between those two red headed twin sisters and your airplane till you pointed it out!
The only differences, between the two of them and your plane, they had 4 large items that I don't see on your plane. "M"? What am I missing?
Joe
51 C170A
Grand Prairie, TX
51 C170A
Grand Prairie, TX
Like everyone else when the topic of scariest moments was posted I couldn't think of any. Like said before the trauma or shock blanks the moment from our minds that once the event has passed we tend to forget. Here's my moment of trauma inducing shock which I forgot until now.
Two years ago with a fresh private certificate and my first airplane which the ink on the endorsement still wet and a whopping 20 hrs PIC I planned a short 100 mile trip from Aeroflex to Cooperstown for a Saturday flyin. A flight service briefing forcasted typical late spring day of scattered clouds northwest winds of 5 to 10 knots later in the day after 3PM winds increasing to 15 to 20 gusting to 25 as they expected a front to come thru around that time. well the lure of fluffy eggs, crisp bacon and fluffy golden pancakes with real maple syrup forced me to reason that if I left cooperstown before noon I'll be back at aeroflex before the front came thru...well when I got my briefing it was for Aeroflex.....hmmm...Cooperstown North west relative bearing.....hhmmm front moving southeast.... You see where this is going?
Well the trip up to Cooperstown was pleasant, flying over the Catskills mountains was scenic and landing at Cooperstown's pool table smooth grass field was.... well let me say would make a tailwheel Instructor proud. Lot of neat planes showed up, and after gorging on tasty breakfast treats prepared by the EAA gang up there I laid myself down next to my beloved new ragwing I bought 4 months prior soaking in the days accomplishments. I sat there watching planes come and go then all of a sudden I notice the wind sock do a 180, a few minutes later it was like a air raid siren went off, all you heard was engines cranking over followed by a mad dash to position for take off. all i heard was people taking to each other " Yea the front's commin thru I think I'll beat it if I leave now".
Now me being wet behind the ears hearing all this came to the conclusion "well I gotta go too!!" Mistake #1, I hopped in my plane not doing a preflight.. Mistake #2 thinking that the other guy knows what they are doing..Mistake #3. I started my take off roll.... okay tail comin up... rolling...rolling, a little up elevator....rolling...ROLLING!! about now 1500 feet of the 2200 ft strip have gone by and my airspeed is reading between 60 and 90 mph, I yank a little harder and 09V becomes airborn....but thats it, here I am at 100 ft and any back pressure the stall warning would blare, airspeed showed 80 mph... no wait 60....100 back to 80... ok, wait, good I'm climbing now 200ft... 500ft, I start to relax a little..Mistake #4. Now if Thor's hammer had a vengeance it was against a lowly 1948 Cessna 170 that day, as other Ragwing drivers will tell you the ailerons are not the strong point of the 48, thank god the rest of the airplane is, with the controls to the stop was not enough to stop the rolling... full aileron..full rudder..aileron..rudder..rudder..aileron. Now I'm talking rolling 90 deg to the left and to the right, landing was out, those C140 ailerons will not allow a 25kt crosswind. As I climbed and turned on course things smoothed out a bit... only 40 deg left to right and up and down, now sectional charts and gps floating about the cabin, headset flying off my head wasn't all... Remember the two helpings of eggs, golden grilled bacon and sausage, fluffy pancakes with REAL maple syrup and countless cups of fresh brewed coffee? I normally don't get airsick but to say the least I was not comfortable. I climbed to 3500 ft, things calmed down, retrieved the gps from the hat shelf it landed on, maps were nowhere to be found, later I found them behind the rear seat. Ok gps fired up .. hhmm could that be? ground speed 145 mph.. indicating 105 mph.. Then I realized I was riding the front!! Remember those lovely mountains I crossed..Wham Thor's hammer...gps is again somewhere floating around the cabin, headset flying off, sunglasses crooked, then thought came climb boy..climb I figured I hitting mountain waves. As I climb I tried to figure what went wrong with my plan, 4000ft bounce roll bounce....6000ft bounce roll bounce... 8000ft bounce roll bounce... coming up on the cloud layer 8500 ft seam widely scattered 9500ft starting to smooth out then as a switch was flipped, at 11,000ft smooth as glass why? duh above the clouds... okay where's that gps again, oh there it is.. what... naw can't be I'm indicating 100 mph. You see the winds aloft I found out later to be at 12,000ft were 60 mph which the gps showed a ground speed of 168 mph. Okay time to navigate ( remember aviate navigate communicate?) huh.. naw can't be, could it be? It turned out that in all the excitement of me trying to keep the wings up and wheels down and the climb to 12000 combined with a 60kt tailwind had put me over Aeroflex in 30 Min's were the trip up was over 1 hour! Now this was a blessing in disguise, remember I was riding the front, I tuned to the ctaf for aeroflex and listen to excited voices of pilots in the pattern about the winds. Well here I am at 12000 ft and thinking that ill descend and if the winds were too crazy I'll divert to a more favorable airport. As not to thermal shock the engine I stared a circling cruise descent of about 500 fpm, me not being a math major I was perplex on the time it took to lose altitude. Twenty Min's later I was a pattern altitude, winds now from northeast at 5 to 10 mph where's the wind?Looking at my whatch.... the time.... 3:30!!! I landed... walked over the to the flight school...sat down on the couch still with a blank stare about me, strange thing was people who I hang out with left me alone sensing that I needed quite time.
A recap of the ordeal left me with this, I assumed the briefing was for destination but was for my departure point, in aviation as a private pilot I learned that there is no urgency or need to depart in questionable conditions, where did I have to go? it was Saturday, I had days to go before work no need to leave Cooperstown, I could of waited, should of waited because after a hour I left Cooperstown the winds at Cooperstown were light and variable and they were still serving eggs, Grilled bacon and sausage, and GOLDEN fluffy pancakes with REAL maple syrup!!!
Two years ago with a fresh private certificate and my first airplane which the ink on the endorsement still wet and a whopping 20 hrs PIC I planned a short 100 mile trip from Aeroflex to Cooperstown for a Saturday flyin. A flight service briefing forcasted typical late spring day of scattered clouds northwest winds of 5 to 10 knots later in the day after 3PM winds increasing to 15 to 20 gusting to 25 as they expected a front to come thru around that time. well the lure of fluffy eggs, crisp bacon and fluffy golden pancakes with real maple syrup forced me to reason that if I left cooperstown before noon I'll be back at aeroflex before the front came thru...well when I got my briefing it was for Aeroflex.....hmmm...Cooperstown North west relative bearing.....hhmmm front moving southeast.... You see where this is going?
Well the trip up to Cooperstown was pleasant, flying over the Catskills mountains was scenic and landing at Cooperstown's pool table smooth grass field was.... well let me say would make a tailwheel Instructor proud. Lot of neat planes showed up, and after gorging on tasty breakfast treats prepared by the EAA gang up there I laid myself down next to my beloved new ragwing I bought 4 months prior soaking in the days accomplishments. I sat there watching planes come and go then all of a sudden I notice the wind sock do a 180, a few minutes later it was like a air raid siren went off, all you heard was engines cranking over followed by a mad dash to position for take off. all i heard was people taking to each other " Yea the front's commin thru I think I'll beat it if I leave now".
Now me being wet behind the ears hearing all this came to the conclusion "well I gotta go too!!" Mistake #1, I hopped in my plane not doing a preflight.. Mistake #2 thinking that the other guy knows what they are doing..Mistake #3. I started my take off roll.... okay tail comin up... rolling...rolling, a little up elevator....rolling...ROLLING!! about now 1500 feet of the 2200 ft strip have gone by and my airspeed is reading between 60 and 90 mph, I yank a little harder and 09V becomes airborn....but thats it, here I am at 100 ft and any back pressure the stall warning would blare, airspeed showed 80 mph... no wait 60....100 back to 80... ok, wait, good I'm climbing now 200ft... 500ft, I start to relax a little..Mistake #4. Now if Thor's hammer had a vengeance it was against a lowly 1948 Cessna 170 that day, as other Ragwing drivers will tell you the ailerons are not the strong point of the 48, thank god the rest of the airplane is, with the controls to the stop was not enough to stop the rolling... full aileron..full rudder..aileron..rudder..rudder..aileron. Now I'm talking rolling 90 deg to the left and to the right, landing was out, those C140 ailerons will not allow a 25kt crosswind. As I climbed and turned on course things smoothed out a bit... only 40 deg left to right and up and down, now sectional charts and gps floating about the cabin, headset flying off my head wasn't all... Remember the two helpings of eggs, golden grilled bacon and sausage, fluffy pancakes with REAL maple syrup and countless cups of fresh brewed coffee? I normally don't get airsick but to say the least I was not comfortable. I climbed to 3500 ft, things calmed down, retrieved the gps from the hat shelf it landed on, maps were nowhere to be found, later I found them behind the rear seat. Ok gps fired up .. hhmm could that be? ground speed 145 mph.. indicating 105 mph.. Then I realized I was riding the front!! Remember those lovely mountains I crossed..Wham Thor's hammer...gps is again somewhere floating around the cabin, headset flying off, sunglasses crooked, then thought came climb boy..climb I figured I hitting mountain waves. As I climb I tried to figure what went wrong with my plan, 4000ft bounce roll bounce....6000ft bounce roll bounce... 8000ft bounce roll bounce... coming up on the cloud layer 8500 ft seam widely scattered 9500ft starting to smooth out then as a switch was flipped, at 11,000ft smooth as glass why? duh above the clouds... okay where's that gps again, oh there it is.. what... naw can't be I'm indicating 100 mph. You see the winds aloft I found out later to be at 12,000ft were 60 mph which the gps showed a ground speed of 168 mph. Okay time to navigate ( remember aviate navigate communicate?) huh.. naw can't be, could it be? It turned out that in all the excitement of me trying to keep the wings up and wheels down and the climb to 12000 combined with a 60kt tailwind had put me over Aeroflex in 30 Min's were the trip up was over 1 hour! Now this was a blessing in disguise, remember I was riding the front, I tuned to the ctaf for aeroflex and listen to excited voices of pilots in the pattern about the winds. Well here I am at 12000 ft and thinking that ill descend and if the winds were too crazy I'll divert to a more favorable airport. As not to thermal shock the engine I stared a circling cruise descent of about 500 fpm, me not being a math major I was perplex on the time it took to lose altitude. Twenty Min's later I was a pattern altitude, winds now from northeast at 5 to 10 mph where's the wind?Looking at my whatch.... the time.... 3:30!!! I landed... walked over the to the flight school...sat down on the couch still with a blank stare about me, strange thing was people who I hang out with left me alone sensing that I needed quite time.
A recap of the ordeal left me with this, I assumed the briefing was for destination but was for my departure point, in aviation as a private pilot I learned that there is no urgency or need to depart in questionable conditions, where did I have to go? it was Saturday, I had days to go before work no need to leave Cooperstown, I could of waited, should of waited because after a hour I left Cooperstown the winds at Cooperstown were light and variable and they were still serving eggs, Grilled bacon and sausage, and GOLDEN fluffy pancakes with REAL maple syrup!!!
Vic
N2609V
48 Ragwing
A Lanber 2097 12 gauge O/U Sporting
A happy go lucky Ruger Red label 20 ga
12N Aeroflex
Andover NJ
http://www.sandhillaviation.com
" Air is free untill you have to move it" BB.
N2609V
48 Ragwing
A Lanber 2097 12 gauge O/U Sporting
A happy go lucky Ruger Red label 20 ga
12N Aeroflex
Andover NJ
http://www.sandhillaviation.com
" Air is free untill you have to move it" BB.
-
rudymantel
- Posts: 451
- Joined: Sat Nov 23, 2002 4:03 pm
-
PilotMikeTX
- Posts: 99
- Joined: Sat Jul 02, 2005 4:46 am
-
Stinson driver
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2005 1:53 pm