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mary meagher
3rd Apr 2014, 06:24
Currently on this forum, the Raleigh Minerva is under discussion...I am not suggesting that buying one qualifies as something stupid!

But in my flying career since 1983, I have witnessed a number of events that qualify, and have personally initiated 3 arse end up arrivals. Always surprising the number of people that turn up to enjoy the event. Do tell, has this ever happened to you?

A and C
3rd Apr 2014, 06:53
I expected to get a logical answer from a gliding club committee !

onetrack
3rd Apr 2014, 12:23
There's a huge difference between a Rallye Minerva, and the Raleigh Minerva.
You can fly in the first - but about the best you could do with the second, airwise, is make a paper aeroplane out of it.

charliegolf
3rd Apr 2014, 12:56
I once, through excellent technical knowledge of the aircraft (Puma), diagnosed a persistent fuel leak from the tank. Everyone scratched their heads and gave their opinions, but I solved the problem. The installed ferry tank was 'on', and it was over filling (and slightly pressurising) the main internal tank. None of this is stupid.

I proved my theory to 6 or 8 onlookers by removing the filler cap! There's more. It was a non English speaking country, and I succeeded in buying fabric softener powder rather than washing powder. There's more. I only took one flying suit!

I learned about being a dick from that!

CG

Stampe
3rd Apr 2014, 14:13
I got married once .....that surely counts!

piperboy84
3rd Apr 2014, 19:46
Got married TWICE, at the same place!! Wee Kirk O, the Heather on the Vegas Strip,

The guy that says "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" was taking nonsense

glendalegoon
4th Apr 2014, 04:50
stupid things:

turn down job with giant computer company and pursued flying as a profession. difference in pay potentially enormous.

NEVER applied to southwest airlines, thought they were going nowhere fast.

should have bought extra cars with gear shift on the steering column and front bench seats, they stopped making them and I miss them!

FleetFlyer
4th Apr 2014, 09:47
I've never pranged a plane yet, but I have taken a few risks that seemed like interesting challenges at the time but in retrospect were suicidal. Flight into IMC without an AI(solo, in a glider), that kind of thing.

Anyhow, I think if you recognise what you did and are lucky enough not to have killed yourself or anyone else then you can learn from it and appreciate that next time you might not be so lucky.

Other daftnesses include forgetting to secure the fuel cap, mistaking a foreign object in a control run for a piece of the mechanism that was supposed to be there(luckily it wasn't in a place that could have jammed them had it shifted).

The important thing to remember is to react promptly an calmly to whatever emergency befalls you when you've screwed up. Always fly the plane first. I had a door pop open during a climb out and the noise and rush of air doesn't half surprise you, but rather than close it, I continued the climb, made sure I was stable(not flapping) and then that the climb was stable(at this stage it wasn't obvious that it wasn't something more serious). Only then did I reach across and secure the door. You hear some horror stories of where similar minor things end with a smoking hole in the ground because someone forgot there was a plane to fly.

Howard Long
4th Apr 2014, 12:41
Turned down a job with NextBase in the 80's who developed Autoroute, and were bought by Microsoft for an undisclosed sum in the early '90s. Still keep in touch with some of the founders who mostly live on their huge estates in WA.

Accidentally left the carb heat on on Sunday on takeoff on a PA-28-140 with 3 POB. Luckily it was a long tarmac runway. Won't be doing that again.

thing
4th Apr 2014, 16:10
Spent ages cursing Lycoming when the engine on a plane I was about to fly refused to start. Then I tried turning the fuel cock to 'On'...

Reached and looked behind me for a map that was on the back seat in IMC once and when I looked back at the AI I was in an 'interesting' attitude...didn't do that again.

Ummed and aaahed about buying a house for 42K in the early 80's. Decided we couldn't afford it, same house recently sold for 320K.

I left school after sixth form and didn't go to Uni which was without doubt the worst mistake I ever made. This was when Uni meant something.

Genghis the Engineer
4th Apr 2014, 18:56
More stupid things than I count any more, some I'll admit to, some I'll keep to myself.

I once joined the long and glorious list of British aviation "experts" who tried to help a famous designer with the initials JE to improve his most well known aeroplane into something faintly saleable. Like everybody else, I got ignored and sidelined, and as it always was, the EO remains a useless historical curiosity.

Rather earlier as a quite new PPL and rather before I became as well educated (and cynical) as I am now, I broke a perfectly serviceable aeroplane through a combination of accepting what another PPL told me in a syndicate checkout rather than insisting on getting and reading the POH before I flew the aeroplane on my own. (And failing to recognise the need to divert when there was plenty of evidence that this would be a bloody good idea at that point).

Non aviation mistakes are between me and my maker.

However, to quote a long retired boss of mine at the old Royal Aircraft Establishment, and a very old fashioned "hairy a**ed engineer": "The man who never made any mistakes, never made owt else either."

G

AirborneAgain
4th Apr 2014, 19:43
The (likely) most stupid thing I ever did was during my night qualification training. I was about to do a solo nav exercise in a Cessna 172 from my home airfield to airport XXX. My instructor (an airline F/O) could not make it to the airfield as he was working than night, but suggested I fly anyway while he instructed me from the right seat of an airliner enroute to XXX using the airliner's #2 COM. We would meet in XXX for a bit of dual and then both return the same way we came using the same procedure. (I have no idea how he made his captain agree to this.)

The first -- and most -- stupid thing I did that night was agreeing to this arrangement. But I had just recently got my PPL which I did easily in minimum time so I had a lot of confidence both in myself and in my instructors.

I fired up the engine, had an initial chat with my instructor, switched to the ATC frequency, got the necessary clearances and took off. Immediately after I got airborne there was a load BANG from the area of the left wing. After a second or so it was followed by another load BANG then another and another... I advised ATC that I had an problem with the aircraft and had to land immediately. The aircraft seemed to handle well, so I made a very short but otherwise normal circuit and landing.

My instructor told me later that he nearly had a heart attack, as he had been listening in on the ATC frequency but unable to do anything to help me.

After shutting down and getting out of the aircraft to investigate, I found that I had not secured the left fuel tank cap... The cap was attached with a short chain so instead of being blown away by the airstream it banged on the top of the wing, causing an unbelievable racket in the cabin.

coldair
4th Apr 2014, 20:42
Pottering along the down wind leg as a very low hour student. ( thirty years ago )

A seagull decided to fly in front of me, right to left, and looked straight at me.

Well, what to do ? I instantly put both feet hard on the brakes.

Continued in the circuit thinking ' Perhaps I could have handled that a little bit better' :ugh:

Piper.Classique
4th Apr 2014, 21:02
Yes..............

dobbin1
5th Apr 2014, 06:38
My most recent stupidity was pulling the mixture to idle cut off instead of applying carb heat during a PFL with a student. Fortunately the student did a good job on the restart drills and noticed my "deliberate mistake".

gemma10
5th Apr 2014, 08:46
Coldair-love it :D On a cross country into Stapleford with her indoors I asked her if she enjoyed her first flight. Replied yes but why did I stay in the same gear all the way

BEagle
5th Apr 2014, 09:41
Blonde?


.

sharpend
5th Apr 2014, 09:47
Flying with The Beagle at Chivenor :ok:

sharpend
5th Apr 2014, 09:48
And his HUGE mistake, flying with me at Chivenor

gemma10
5th Apr 2014, 17:27
Yep, fraid so.

rolling20
5th Apr 2014, 18:54
Getting a multi engine rating.

mary meagher
5th Apr 2014, 19:40
The worst fright I've had while flying was trusting somebody else to do the lookout! I had my back to the winch launchpoint, sitting in the tow plane; an instructor holding the wingtip of the glider ready for an airtow signaled to take up slack, so I did. This was before we used to bother with radio for the tug.

At the same time over on the winch launchpoint, some prat also signaled to take up slack and proceeded with the winch launch. This I didn't notice. Everyone on the ground sure did, in considerable anxiety. Because usually, to gain height, the tow plane would move to the right, same airspace currently occupied by a K13 glider and 900 feet of braided steel wire cable.

Because it was only a small light glider, I didn't bother to move to the right side on this occasion. Became aware of a cable and red cable parachute descending about ten feet from my right wingtip.....

Glider just hung on. Both gliders just hung on. I was just bloody lucky, and after towing the little glider to 2,000 I seriously considered leaving the country altogether and going someplace else, rather than having to face the people on the ground who had to watch the whole thing and couldn't do anything to help.

We did improve our safety measures after that one.

IHF
5th Apr 2014, 22:02
I'm not sure this quite qualifies (as I'm a very lowly pre-solo PPL, on a forum with a lot of seriously experienced people, and I suspect I do something stupid pretty much every lesson) but - identifying somewhat with coldair's experience - having for once done a really fairly creditable soft & short field landing in a PA28 with the nose where it should be (i.e. not much visible out front) I heard the stall warner as I decelerated quite nicely and then decided the right action was to push the nose down hard. My instructor was suprisingly polite - I felt like a d!ck :ouch: !

More seriously, as a very lowly pre-solo PPL, on a forum with a lot of seriously experienced people, I don't think I'm making the same mistake twice (FWIW, I tell those who mean most to me that this is probably the most realistic standard for fallible humans to live up to !)

Regards to fellow avaiators

IHF

ShyTorque
5th Apr 2014, 22:29
I proved my theory to 6 or 8 onlookers by removing the filler cap! There's more. It was a non English speaking country, and I succeeded in buying fabric softener powder rather than washing powder. There's more. I only took one flying suit!

I learned about being a dick from that!

Once, in NI we landed for a briefing for an "op". The refueller for some reason decided to refuel the aircraft while were were away and filled the ferry tank first. Unfortunately it was still switched on so he unwittingly proceeded to refuel the entire aircraft through it; it must have seemed like the biggest ferry tank in the world.

He then took off the #2 filler cap to begin refuelling the main tanks - which of course were already bulging.... he got a very nasty surprise due to 100 gallons of jet fuel under pressure waiting to get out! !

When we got back he was like the Dutch boy with this finger in the leaking dyke - he couldn't get the filler cap secured so was having to lean on it with all his weight. He was drenched in fuel.

Lessons were learned all round. :ooh:

localflighteast
6th Apr 2014, 01:45
Still red faced about this one.
First solo
Very very nervous
Did my circuit . landed with minimal incident.
Took wrong turn in taxi back to apron
Had to be marshalled through very tight gap.

:mad:

FantomZorbin
6th Apr 2014, 11:17
First solo, greaser of a landing, taxied in to be greeted by instructor:


"I'm going to fine you 2/6d, do you know why?"


Me. "Because I was late with the gear on the downwind leg?"


Instructor. " Oh! I didn't see that so that'll be another half-crown! How often have I told you to make your landings positive?"


The last point being hammered home with a boney digit in the chest!! :eek:


Lesson: "Better to say nothing and be thought a fool rather than speak and remove all possible doubt" apologies to Mr. Johnson

BullHughes
6th Apr 2014, 19:29
Newly minted PPL turning up at a new club for a checkout, the instructor was unavailable because during the day he had an engine failure in a twin and diverted 50nm away.
I was to fly the owner up to Cardiff in a 172 to fetch the instructor and carry out my check on the way back.
Left in a hurry, taxied in and shut down at Cardiff,

Marshaller: Hey mate, you know theres oil pissing out of the engine dont you?

I'd left the oil dipstick on the tarmac in Haverfordwest. We had to wait for another guy to fly it up to us. Three aeroplanes in a row 50 miles from base, and a film of oil over the Welsh countryside.
Very embarrassing.

Jan Olieslagers
6th Apr 2014, 22:59
Yes of course, who hasn't? With all due respect but I find the question on the less clever side.
We all do stupid things in everything we do. Mostly, we come out on the lucky side, and those who don't won't tell.

[edit] PS I fully subscribe the comments by Stampe and Onetrack.

mary meagher
7th Apr 2014, 06:53
Good morning to you, Jan. Thank you for contributing to this thread and I regret that you find the original post (mine) less than clever.

I freely confess that I mispelt the Minerva name, confusing that sturdy French aircraft with a bicycle.

However, looking up your details, I see that (1) you fly a microlite
and (2). You live in Belgium.

I rest my case.

ChickenHouse
7th Apr 2014, 09:23
So, I'll add up to the nasty stupid things.

About half way through the PPL, I was entering home base CTR northbound from a x-country solo student round trip, got clearance "expect 09L". Tower vectored me onto common base for both runways and gave me "cleared to land 09L", when I was in perfect position for 09R, saw the airliner exactly in front of me on ILS 09L and decided in a second of stupidity, that landing was meant to be on 09R, took the turn and got down on 09R, asking for confirmation and apologizing when I was already on my way to taxi off. Tower was quite relaxed and said they saw the action, but did not disturb me, because in that minute there was no danger in doing the wrong runway. I insisted to come to the tower and we had a long discussion on how to prevent things like this. We figured out that the tower should have given me the "you are number two after airliner" to help my brain focus on the correct runway. They also said my radio communication was so well, they did not expect a student. So, in the end we learned that the tower should not take shortcuts and I should not radio like a pro. Everything ;-) has been fine since (don't believe this from a pilot).

Regarding the Minerva I only have to confess one thing I do not treat as a stupid thing - I crashed one on taxiing ...

FleetFlyer
7th Apr 2014, 10:45
Morning Mary,
I'd just like to say I think its a bloody good idea for a thread. Its a great way to discuss the things we have done that might otherwise have ended in a 'That Worst Day' article.

We really don't seem to discuss this kind of thing outside of discussing what went wrong when a fatal accident occurs, and even then half of every thread is devoted to daft argument that we should not speculate on the causes, as if somehow educating each other through debate is mawkish.

Anyway, come on people, own up! Highlighting where you went wrong might just save someone else's pride or even their life.

Pirke
7th Apr 2014, 11:07
On my PPL checkride last Saturday... the examiner and I were on board, the engine was started, we were putting on the headsets when the mic of the examiner didn't work. Bad headset. I shut down the engine etc, and waiting until he was back with a new headset. I then tried to start the engine to continue the checklists from where we left off... but it wouldn't start. Applied some primer, it seemed to want to start but then stopped again.

Then the examiner pointed me to the mixture still being in idle cut off. Great way to start your checkride! :ugh: Luckily we both had a laugh and I passed the exam (yay! :ok:), but I really felt stupid :) Next time I'll restart with the checklist from the top, instead of trying to continue where I left off.

Exiled Martian
7th Apr 2014, 11:17
A few posts in here warrant a chuckle... I can relate to Cold air's mid air braking attempts, faced a similar scenario last year on my way to Blackpool via the Low level VFR corridor (Manchester TMA fly not above 1300ft). Saw a massive flock of seagulls in my 12 O'clock opposite direction North to South headed straight for my ship over Warrington. Hit the brakes..no cigar:O

Rapidly begged Manchester on the RT for a heading & height deviation ASAP, got the greenlight & banked 30 degrees left (towards Liverpool) going from 1100 to 1500 with the seagulls passing just below our port wingtip making their way leisurely with blatant disregard for their inconvenience :mad:

Stupidest thing I have ever done came in my early PPL'er phase, in fact I made a point to document it in detail - you can read all about it here:

http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/531831-vfr-vfr-oops-gulp-hello-ifr-literally-out-blue-sky-pun-intended.html

Lesson thoroughly learned & valuable MET insight gained firsthand :ok:

RudyPerea
13th Apr 2014, 22:54
I own a Cessna 210. Take offs are usually accomplished with 10 degrees of flaps. I once flew for 1.5 hours wondering why my ground speeds were a little slow. When I arrived at my destination, I went to set flaps to 10 degrees on downwind. The flaps were still at 10 degrees because I never retracted them on takeoff...is that stupid enough?

Maoraigh1
23rd Apr 2014, 19:46
(2) er anyone else left the master switch on when shutting down!? :-)
I don't understand why aircraft with an electrical stall warner don't have a "touch the stall warner vane as you go away" check. I now have it.
PS I forgot to do that check, leaving in a hurry - and found the battery flat - this month.:{

Chuck Ellsworth
23rd Apr 2014, 20:58
It is easy to see you left the master switch on if you always leave the Strobes on. ( Or the red beacon / Nav lights. )

Sam Rutherford
24th Apr 2014, 18:24
As a newly qualified pilot, I rented a machine with a mate (from same pilot course) in Florida. After our 15 minute check-out (and credit card details), we were given the green light and off we went.

We spent the first three days frequently having to fly around large blocks of unidentified (and no height limit) airspace....

...until we realised they were compass roses for VORs :hmm:

Maoraigh1
24th Apr 2014, 22:20
It is easy to see you left the master switch on if you always leave the Strobes on. ( Or the red beacon / Nav lights. )

No strobes. No beacon. No Nav lights. Wood & fabric taildragger with O200.
Master has to be switched on to fill rear tank, so fuel guages show.

Silvaire1
24th Apr 2014, 22:53
No strobes. No beacon. No Nav lights. Wood & fabric taildragger with O200. Master has to be switched on to fill rear tank, so fuel guages show.

You have an electric fuel gauge? Wow ;)

shortstripper
25th Apr 2014, 07:21
If I tell you all the stupid mistakes I've made over the years you'll know how inept I really am as a pilot! .... So I won't ;)

SS