scary moments........

[sexybeets]

Did my qxc on Saturday, managed to fly 3 hrs 'perfectly', only to nearly crash on landing at my home field:(
Not sure what the f**k I was doing, but somehow went from a stable approach down the centreline (no wind to speak of), to right wing down, left drift, off the runway, skimming sideways just above the grass, heading for various airfield fixtures and fittings, realised I was holding the yoke full back, and had a brief thought..."how the hell will I explain this to the school"!!!!:eek:
Luckily I didn't panic, managed to get full power, flaps to 10', and performed a (extremely) short field take off !!.
Had to do two touch & go's to calm myself before finally landing and taxing back.

Any of you guys have any similar tales, in the "I learned about flying from that" vein??

[Chuck Ellsworth]

Yup:

Thats how we all learn. :D

The main thing is you did something that worked, you went around.

Good job.

Cat Driver:

......................
:D The hardest thing about flying is knowing when to say no.:D

[Evo]

Didn't have a particularly scary moment, but I did bu*ger up the overhead join when I arrived back home after my QXC - eventually managed a very unothodox entry into the circuit. I guess it's just the relief of finding yourself back home.

Still, congratulations on making it round. When's the dreaded test...? :)

[Julian]

My instructor taught me treat every approach as a 'Go Around', too many smack up the aircraft by trying to make the runway no matter what.

Bloody good advice! And well done for getting out of it.

[sexybeets]

Julian
The thought crossed my mind as it all started going pear shaped......."I don't HAVE to land"!!! :D

Evo
Maybe Sat 12th, still have Tech & FPP exams to do.
Can't wait :rolleyes:

[Saab Dastard]

Sexybeets -

I can think of several things, among them an interesting downwind leg in a glider when I got distracted and suddenly thought ****! I'd better turn base, ****! I'll never make the field - but I had a habit of cramping my circuits and I actually made a dream landing. :cool:

Another occasion, early solo in a Warrior, asked to expedite vacating the runway and put my feet over the top of the brakes when I wanted to slow down, so vacated the runway on two wheels! Evacuated the runway and self simultaneously.:eek:

Doing a touch and go I dumped all the flap rather than just the drag and had a bad moment or two as I debated whether to stop or go.

But I have learnt from these, (I hope!) thus filling my bucket of experience while emptying my bag of luck.

SD

[SKYYACHT]

My most scary moment was back in 1990 when I was doing my PPL at Dallas.....I was solo, practicing in the local area. Nearby Carswell Air Force Base was landing numberous B52......I was pottering about underneath this arriving aluminium overcast, (Never seen such dirty engines!!! smoke everywhere) when the seat securing pin decided to disengage itself. Needless to say Seat flew backwards, together with a hapless Skyyacht, and Cessna also flew - but upwards in an astonishingly high nose up attitude.....my feet were unable to reach the rudder and the stall warning was bleating at me......I managed to push the yoke forwards, and regained some semblance of order, and sorted out the seat.....Not THAT was ****ing scary.... I trembled my way back to Meacham field, and took the rest of the afternoon off for a few Buds.....Since then I ALWAYS check that the pin is fully engaged before I shut the door!

Ble skies.

[Chimbu chuckles]

I learned about flying from that stories?

Well there was the time I almost spun into the ground with a student:(,

or

the time I was taking off in a C185 in he PNG highlands and the seat flew backwards:(,

or

Have you ever been in cloud in a zoom climb with trees flicking past the wheels...I have:(

or

Landing at a mountain one way strip when I saw a rock fall from the end of the windsock...and it was way to late to do a missed approach:(

or

Got low and slow while dropping posters for an election in the PNG Highlands with a tree covered ridgeline in front of me:( :eek:

or

The time I got caught in a mountain valley in an Islander with weather closing in all around while flying 10000' below AMA:(

or

several engine failures..actually about 5:D

But that's life...and what experience is all about:D

Gotta maintain a sense of humour about these things ya know.

Chuckles.

[ariel]

Chuckles - you certainly gave me some, (chuckles, that is!). Only one question. How is it that you are still alive?!

[Circuit Basher]

Along the lines of Chimbu Chuckles (names / locations changed to identify the innocent and lay blame at their door, in the way of all good project managers!!! ;) ;) ):

During last solo hour B4 PPL, had inadvertent spin in C152 whilst trying to 'explore the envelope' ;) :D Had luckily had full spin training during Canadian portion of PPL training.

During take off from EGHA in C172, seat slid to the rear stop after rotating just as we hit a bump. Had luckily been warned that Cessna's do this for a hobby and discussed scenario / what if with fellow PPL in Canada; we'd both agreed that extending arms at same rate seat is sliding back is best option. [This was around a month after a C172 had spun in at EGHA with 3 fatalities - AAIB report stated seat unlocked as primary cause].

During take off from EGHA in C172 (honest, it's not a bogey airfield for me :D ), radio knob came off and fell into rear of cockpit. Not too critical, but was unfortunately 100kHz frequency change and was needed to dial in EGHH Approach frequency!!

During take off from EGTU in PA28 (you'll be thinking that I have a take off problem!), had port aileron applied to counteract strong, gusty crosswind. Just as I was rotating, there was a gust from 180 deg to main wind direction, causing wing to lift, assisted by the aileron I had applied! Safest way to avoid a 'flip over' was to dump the nose wheel back on the deck.

[Final 3 Greens]

Whilst under instruction for PPL, doing "instrument appreciation", we flew through a small CB in a Cherokee.

I didn't learn much about instrument appreciation, but I learned a lot about CB appreciation :)

Also, got a lot of beers bought to repeat story for a few weeks!

[Penguina]

I have more than one and I haven't even finished the PPL yet! Didn't tell anyone here, afraid of identifying myself!

[trustno1]

Had about 14 hours TT of which 1.5 were solo. Doing circuits with the instructor practising cross wind landings when he decided to get out and for me to do some circuit bashing. Off I went to the holding point to do the pre-flight power checks. Tested the mags etc and off I went. As I got to 500ft the engine began to cough. Absolutely **** myself. Called the tower and told them I was returning to the field. Flew the circuit (don't know how as I was so scared). I was quite surprised to see the fire tender waiting for me on finals. Landing was thankfully uneventful. Instructor was waiting for me in the parking area. The 1st thing he checked when he opened the door was the Mags. Needless to say only one was on. I obviously never moved the switch back to Both when I did the power checks. I felt like a complete to$$er.
What did I learn that day.......Never let your eagerness to fly distract you from doing the checks carefully.

[Who has control?]

Incipient spin training. God - how I hated incipient spins.

It was in a Cessna 152, flaps down, throttle to idle, easing the yoke back to raise the nose towards the stall.

My instructor said 'At the wing drop, pick up the dropped wing using opposite rudder'

The left wing started to drop and quick as a flash smart ole' WHC identified it ands applied right rudder. Full right rudder.

The aircraft rolled vertical, I looked past my instructor at the river below and without thinking applied full left rudder. We rolled back level and there was a stunned silence.

I said 'Too much rudder - right?'. He replied with something like 'Yes, but good correction - lets try that again'

Brilliant guy, my instructor.

[pulse1]

sexybeets experience shows that one of the potentially scary moments comes when we return to familiar surroundings after a XC.

With over a 100hrs logged, my similar experience didn't scare me at the time, but it did afterwards when I realise how close I came to breaking an aeroplane.

I had returned from Cardiff to Bournemouth with a friend who was a lapsed PPL. He flew it back and I enjoyed looking at the scenery on a lovely evening, taking over on downwind for the final approach and landing. I set the power and, as I approached the threshold, I was priding myself on not having to make any adjustments until I closed the throttle for the flare.

For some reason, and I have never done it before or since, I flared about 6' too high and didn't even realise it. Fortunately, I was in a PA28 and the low wing provided sufficient ground effect to cushion the impact which, in a C172, would probably have done some damage.

Unfortunately, the CFI was sitting at the holding point and transmitted suitable sound effects over the radio as I fell out of the sky. Something like "Wheeeeeeee!" At least I didn't have to worry about making a heavy landing report and the subsequent check showed I had got away with it.

Ever since then, any untidy landings have been a result of flaring too low

[PA28-161]

Took girlfreinds' Dad for local vfr in C152. First trip for him. Cloudbase low, skinning it I showed him a few handling exercises, noticed cloud was getting low, started to route back to airfield. 'Isnt it getting a bit dim?' he asks as the only thing I can now see is the ground up to maybe 1km in front of me. Now starting to feel the panic I start to use the AI and DI to get me home - wind up over some hills c/w own bloody wind farm (wind pushed me north) and out I pop over the lough, field in sight. Normally deserted field, suddenly I'm 5 to land...on the apron I can see the hills now COMPLETELY obscured by cloud. Took me a while to get over that. Have now designated IMC rating as Next Thing I'm Doing!

[The Nr Fairy]

Compton Abbas. Thrid attempt to get there in a year or so, weather better this time.

40 degree crosswind, go-around off first approach, very bumpy, ran out of aileron in the flare. Taxied in the strong wind up to near the restaurant where I parked.

Watched a C152 with 2 on board take off across the runway at a slant from where he was parked, thought "That's a good plan - I'll do that." Except I was in a Robin with 3 up. I did it, but was willing the a/c into the air when we crossed the far side of the runway at a hell of an angle and still weren't airborne . . .

Made it, thought about it, still shudder. Took up helicopters as that seemed the easiest way to avoid using runways . . .

[maggioneato]

On completion on my qualifying X county, the wind had changed to a hefty X wind on my return, I landed on the outside of the landing lights, on the nice pink bit, and just nipped between them to vacate the runway without hitting any,sure enough the CFI was at the hold,why are they always in the wrong place at the wrong time?:eek:

[sexybeets]

Thanks for all the feedback guys/gals, feeling much better now :)

Feel I should also mention the near miss (in my opinion) I had a week or so previously.
Poodling along at 6000ft or so, both myself and instructor looking out to the left to confirm I had correctly spotted a landmark for a position fix. I proceed to right a little note on my route plan......."Whoaa!! MY CONTROLS" announces my normally calm & collected Dutch FI. As I turn to the right on hearing this a twin Commanche or similar slips under our nose at no more than 150ft away, and less than that below, crossing right to left at 90' to our heading. We were in uncontrolled airspace, and after discussing it we were deceided we were probably at the wrong height for our heading. We were in good VMC, but it's possible the twin was flying IFR and was concentrating on his instruments. I certainly pay more attention to the quadranteral rules now, and keep a very good look out.

[englishal]

...pleanty !

......on my QXC when I was gazing out of the window only to see a warbird fly past, head on, same altitude, about 100m to my right....I remember thinking "hope he saw me"

.....not forgetting the time I mistook the mixture for the carb heat and applied carb heat :)


Happy flying !
EA:D

[Evo]

englishal - I've done the mixture-heat check too. Halfway back, engine starts to die :eek: :eek: f**k what have I done? mixture rich again. Instructor sitting there laughing - he had seen what I was about to do and let me do it... :o

[FlyingForFun]

Two particularly scary moments - I've talked about both of them plenty of times before, but here we go again anyway:

Second scariest moment was in a Pitts S2C, doing a loop. First time in a Pitts, which has far more responsive controls than anything I'd flown before. Pulled to enter the loop, pulled a bit harder than I should have done, and didn't ease off enough at the top of the loop. Aeroplane stalled at the top. I felt a buffet and recognised that I was stalling. Also knew that I was upside-down, so it must be an inverted stall. Recovery from an inverted stall is to pull, so I pulled. Aeroplane stalled even more, I couldn't figure out what was going on. Not knowing what's going on is veryscary - this would definitely count as number one scary moment if it wasn't for the fact that I had an instructor in the front seat who took the controls and pushed until we recovered. It was only afterwards that I realised that, although we were inverted, we were pulling positive Gs. The stall only counts as inverted at negative Gs. It's the wing loading, and not the attitude, that determines stall characteristics (which is just another way of saying that you can stall at any attitude - something your instructor should drill into you during your PPL)

The scariest moment was getting into IMC. Took off early-afternoon with a forecast of 5km vis and improving. I was flying north. Sure enough, the vis was exactly 5km. But, after about 1/2 hour or so it was showing no sign of improving. Eventually, only a few miles from my destination, I came across a band of cloud which was too low to get past. I explored the cloud a bit, trying to find a way round it, but it seemed to go on forever both to the east and the west. Decided there was no way I could make my destination, so I turned round to go home.

I was now headed directly into the sun, and very quickly realised I couldn't see a bl00dy thing. :eek: I knew the M1 was around here somewhere, just a couple of miles away, but I couldn't see any major roads at all! I couldn't figure out what the problem was. But I knew that the town which I was on the edge of was Northampton, and the chart showed that if I followed the southern boundary of the town, I'd get to the M1. So that's what I did. About 2 minutes later, I saw the M1, and realised why I couldn't see it earlier. It was only a couple of miles away, but the vis into the sun was even less than that, probably about 1 or 2 kms.

I now had cloud to the north, and the vis to the south was seriously reduced by the sun. I had to land, and south was the only real option. I had two choices - either Turweston or Cranfield. I remembered being taught to follow line-features in reduced visibility, and the M1 took me directly to Cranfield, so that's where I went. I think it was 3 days before the weather improved enough to bring the aeroplane home again.

My bag of experience still looks very empty, but I can't quite see the bottom of it any more! :D

FFF
-------------

PS - Beets, a pilot flying IFR in VMC must still keep his eyes outside the aeroplane. If you're going to be flying on the instruments in VMC you must take a safety pilot with you, for exactly this reason. You may have been flying at the wrong level, but even if everyone's at the correct level you may still encounter converging traffic from the left or right, not to mention traffic climbing or descending through your level. I think it's far more likely he simply didn't see you. Which is why I usually ignore any rules about who was right of way - if I see traffic and he's not making any obvious moves to avoid me, I assume he hasn't seen me and give way to him.

[Aussie Andy]

Hey FFF - most of my scary stories have been in poor vis. also, to the point that, whereas just after getting my licence I was comfortable in these conditions, having had a couple of scares, I am now totally paranoid about vis. probs and have been building up my confidence in these conditions by flying with mates recently (thanks Alex, Adrian!) - and definitely hoping to do IMC in the new year when schedule allows...

I've described these incidents here before, so won't bore everyone again... one was sea fog on Devonshire coast, and the other entailed getting into Cranfield, as you were, in poor vis. due to a line of showers. Unfortunately though I was aproaching from another direction (WCO) so no line feature to follow - so this ended up being first time I had to use VDF in anger...

"QDM QDM QDM" etc... worked a treat! God Bless Cranfield Approach! :)

[eveepee]

Scary moments ?

Well there's been quite a few but the latest one to take the biscuit happened last week....Still on circuits (I hope to get it right one day, I'm beginning to feel like a hampster on a wheel!). Nice sunny afternoon in Rochester, final approach OK, well bit low really, over numbers, flare BANG!:eek: I'd only gone and hit a bird - a magpie - (its a good job I'm not superstitious).
It caught my right wing and then ended up somewhere near the flap. Well, never having a practice emergency for this type of thing I wasn't sure what to do..so I just continued the landing : wasn't half bad considering my heart was in my mouth and I am sooo glad I was, at least, near the ground when it happened.
My instructor then took over - taxied off, checked plane and then we were off back on the wheel again, sorry I mean back into the circuit. Not an experience I'd like to repeat in a hurry and fortunately no damage done (except to the magpie of course!).

[Aussie Andy]

I'd be interested to hear more stories of bird strikes... a few times I've passed high-flying birds in the middle of nowhere (e.g. approaching the town of Aylesbury at approx 2,000', something like a Kite maybe?) and wondered what would happen if it had hit me... I presume the bird would come of worse than the Dakota!

And this weekend, I'm planning to fly a Warrior from an airfield where proximity of birds is warned of in the Bottlang VFR plate for the field, so wondering what other experiences people have had like eveepee of birdstrikes on climb-out of approach?

[Chimbu chuckles]

Bird strikes!

4 bird strikes in the same aircraft (Twin Otter) going into the same airstrip, Kikori (Gulf of Papua..sort like the PNG Everglades) on four consequtive trips over about 2 weeks...little sparrow like birds hitting dead center windscreen right in front of my face. It was wet season so I was crawling in at 500':rolleyes: :D in very poor vis..after second one I went to our hangar at Moresby and got a thick black indelible marker and started a score board under the LH door window...date, place and a really good cartoon of a little bird...after 4 the aeroplane dissappeared out of the base back to Talair Central at Goroka...AND THE BASTARDS REPAINTED 'MY' DOOR...so I never made 'Ace' in that plane:(

Taking off from Lae in a Cessna 402a...large Hawk takes off and flys straight through the prop...cut him in half and the aerodrome fellas had to finish him off 'cause he weren't dead!

Flaring to land at Gurney in an F28 when huge flock of little sparrow like birds gets airborne just beside the touchdown zone...and flys straight across our bows...counted 15 red smugges on nose and wing roots.

Near middairs,

Descending into Mount Hagen and cleared by tower for straight in approach (inbound track means the runway is about 11 oclock)...C182 cleared for takeoff "make right turn"...sorta figured he was taking off on the same runway and departing overhead..lean forward and peer out trying to spot him, can't see FA so sit back and as I do my focal length changes and windscreen full of C182...almost wrench control wheel from column turning right and give tower both barrels...including liberal use of the 'F' word....answer?..."Sorry...sorry...sorry" from the fuzzy haired chap in Da Towa!

How am I still alive you ask?

The Spin....from doing dozens of spins in numerous aircraft before so I could sit there and think..and not give up trying stuff!

The cloud and tree trick? I was valley flying in low cloud and light rain(normal in PNG) when the wet bulb/dry bulb relationship went screwwy causing the light rain to instantly turn to cloud (man ya gotta see that to believe it)..as I was approaching a gap at about 2500 amsl and 100 agl..within seconds IMC at 100 agl with hills above all around...except south above 4000'...lucky I'm in an empty Twin Otter.... the throttles went to the end of their travel...also I was on a descending flight path hence reasonably quick...dragged the aircraft into a steep climbing zoom, nose WAY up and just sat there saying "FK,FK,FK,FK"...trees visible really close out the side window in my peripheral vision..figured I'd stall in and maybe survive when the cloud thinned somewhat and the top of the hill I was flying up came into view near the top of my windscreen (think about that!!!) I had just enough energy to make it to the top and pitch over at less than 1g into the next valley and found myself in clear air...did 5 more sectors sifting coffee and stuff before heading home and calling it a day....two hours after getting home my wife asks me why I haven't put down our 10 month old daughter since I walked in the door...I guess we all react differently...I got away with it because I didn't give up.

The rock in the windsock?

You also need to picture the strip..elevated threshold approaching across a gorge maybe 2000' deep, strip elevation 6500' amsl, ISA+20, 400m long, 17% slope and a 20 degree heading change after touch down, 19m wide with deep 4 ft trenches each side (and a little bridge into the parking bay[150m in from the cliff] just wide enough for a twin otter's wheels..I was in a C185). Committed to land or crash handy to strip from 2 nm final:D In case you're all going :eek: this is not uncommon in PNG, I have personally flown into 100s that fit the above discription many thousands of times...after a while it doesn't raise the pulse at all.

Now if you were a villager and you saw aeroplanes fly high overhead and then leave when the windsock was dancing around a 20kt tailwind (adiabatic?) wouldn't you figure that a rock in the windsock was the answer?

Suffice to say the gentle 'kick in the bum' I was expecting as I crossed from 1000 agl to 10 in a few seconds was not so gentle...I passed the parking bay at 50' in a 40 flap full crossed controls side slip..touched down around the corner(dunno how) and stopped without a scratch on aeroplane or me:D

My legs were shaking on the rudder pedals so bad I couldn't taxi over the little bridge...I think I may have made some vaguely rascist comments about their heritage and refused to pick them or any of their stuff up and flew home!!!

All the rest and a bunch more were more the same than different...like the dude standing, facing uphill, mowing the grass at a 350mx19mX13% bush strip...where final was a commitment from about 3 nm out..somehow I landed beside him without clobbering him with the RH prop of the Twotter (he didn't see or hear me until I was touching down beside him in reverse from 2 feet agl) ...I slide to a halt way off runway heading but still in the flight strip and parked....looked down the strip to see him lying face down covering his head...and his mower had rolled off the bottom of the strip falling 80' down into a rocky creek:D

That's bush flying...I loved it and wouldn't swap that 7000 hours for ANYTHING.

But when ****s are trumps you fight the aeroplane to a standstill...then you have a chance...otherwise...:(

Chuck.

PS a week later I was landing on a huge old WW2 airstrip on the coast...a fella was mowing on a tractor and despite seeing me on final just wheeled through 180 degrees and kept on going...well there was room to land behind him so I did...then I chased him with the aeroplane until he lost control and rolled it into a shallow rain barrett...as I taxied back to the aprking bay I saw the expat who owned said tractor...in uncontrollable hysterical laughter:D

[Aussie Andy]

Great stories chuckles - sounds like PNG was quite an experience!

[skyraider]

... you must've started out with one helluva big bag of luck... :D

[BASmith]

I think we`ve all had our "moment" when it comes to flying - for me it was returning to my home airfield a mere wreck after the QXC flight ....... I closed the throttle a little too fast during the flare and my delightful PA 28 dropped out of the sky like a preverbial brick - I believe the expression is "an arrival".

PS - The more you practice, the luckier you get.

PPS - The only time you have too much fuel, is when you`re on fire.

[NigD2]

Landed at nearby local airfield, and landed on a patch of grass (R22) as advised by the A/G bloke. I was just starting to shut down when A/G bloke asked me to hover 20 yards to my left so they could mow the grass that I had plonked the heli on (small cosy, friendly airfield where A/G bloke mows the grass in between a/c on finals). "Yep no probs" into the hover I go, S%^t, B$^%^d, Boll*&ks, I've left the cyclic fricton on, it's like stirring treacle. Cold sweat, put aircraft down rather quickly and clean undies (there was a fair size crowd outside the club house on that love ly summers day and they don't usually see helicopters there). Friction off, move heli, swear I will never do that again as long as I live.

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Many years ago me and another group member flew from our Barton base to the PFA Cranfield rally on a Friday in our Chippy - he flew there, my flight back. We got there OK, and as we toured the stands we noticed the cloud lowering - and soon it started to rain. The guys in the Met caravan said 'no VFR 'till tomorrow', so we booked ourselves into the accomodation for the night and retired to the beer tent.

Next morning it was still persisting down, but Met promised a clearance by mid morning. It stopped raining and lightened up a bit, so we fired up and headed north. All was well until about Northampton, when the cloud was forcing us lower and lower. By now I was reduced to following the main West Coast railway line, and it was raining again. By the time we got to Shugborough we were pretty low. Pete in the back seat later reckoned we were hopping over the overhead wire masts on the railway, but that was a slight exadderation. But I do remember a scout camp flashing under our wing with many upturned faces as we whizzed over. Then out over Stafford, with its rooftops shiney in the rain, and low over the M6 motorway, with the cars driving in spray with headlights on.

By now I was getting pretty worried and pretty tensed up. Pete hadn't said anything for a while. This was getting dangerous; we were being succered into something nasty, and I was beginning to imagine what the AAIB report would say. And up ahead the slight rise in the ground near Newcastle was enough to put it in cloud. Maybe I should go back to Colwich, and follow the other railway line to find Hixon airfield?

Then I saw it, off to the left, shining wet - a runway. It was Seighford, a strip I knew well but under the pressure had completely forgotten about. So I went straight there and landed.

As we taxied to a halt I switched off and reached up to slide the canopy open. Cool drizzly air wafted in, and we sat there in silence, just the tinking and clinking of cooling metal, the whine of the gyros running down, and the sound of a tractor working in the fields nearby. We didn't speak. A car drove past on the lane that bisects the end of the runway. Still we sat there, each with our own thoughts, just thankfull to be out of the air. After a while, Pete climbed stiffly out, and went for a wee by the fence.

An hour later we felt a bit more relaxed - and the weather was improving. Shortly after that, we took off again. This was better!Over Cheshire, the sky was blue, with scattered cu, and all was right with the world - and we were still with it.

But I don't think either of us will forget that flight, ever.

SSD

[steamchicken]

PS: there's a very long-standing thread in D+G Aircrew Notices containing Chimbu and his mates' PNG photos....absolutely fascinating!

[BRL]

Anychance of the link or the name of the thread? Can't go trawling through them all there to find it. :)

[Aussie Andy]

Interesting story SSD - sounds like access to metoffice weather radar would have been of use that day!

[Simon W]

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=61282

[Holly_Copter]

Only one occasion has really caused me brown-trouser-syndrome. Coming home from work (Sometimes use an R44 for the hour-long trip - nearly 3 hours by car!). In the dark.

I have a helipad I can light from the R44. Has ground-floodlighting and also red marker lights for the approach and perspective.

Problem was, having agreed to sell the house, I'd taken off the marker lights about 2 weeks before & was only left with the floodlighting. (Well, they're fifty quid each, you know!!) So get overhead, activate the lights & swing round to approach from the East. OK, so where's my approach lights. S**t! No height/track guidance to get me past the trees I KNOW are there in the dark somewhere.

OK, so I'll take it a bit slower than usual. Neighbours won't mind. I've done the approach *loads* of times in the dark, but boy, is it different without those little red lights!

Slow, steady. Getting closer...

Slower...

slower... (I know those trees are there somewhere...)

Emergency night-lights are on. Still can't see them. Hmmm... don't seem to be getting much closer.

In my reticence, I'd subconsciously been easing the cyclic further and further back. A quick glance at the ASI showed... Zero!

Another sweaty, rapid glance out of the side window at some lights a way off shows me I'm still at a good height but.... I'm going backwards!

...time for a go-round. Second approach has an adequate split of attention between where I'm going AND the ASI this time.

Phew. Get that kettle on. Better still, where's the Brandy!

Holly_Copter

[Chimbu chuckles]

Here are the URLs to the threads that lead up to the current one that steamchicken has posted. It's been an ongoing and entertaining series of threads on D+G...lots of funny/scary stories, a little bit of stiring and rankle but all up I think you'd be hard pressed to find a 'thread' that's gone on as long on Pprune that is dedicated to fun flying!

Starting at the first one that set the whole thing rolling.

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=50096

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=51824

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=53191

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=54837

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=56990

Enjoy!

Chuck.

PS the URL to my piccies is on page 3 of the thread steamchicken posted...most of my PNG bushflying piccies were destroyed in Rabaul in 1994 but I've been in and out of 98% of the strips in the various threads. In fact looking at the Kanobea skyline piccy in one of he albums you can see the mountain I was flying up in IMC:(:D

[SCCM2theFlightDeck!]

:D :D :D

Oh yeah, so nice to see that others get it wrong too! I am sure we all deep down have a degree of sympathy when we are at the holding point / apron and see someone screw it up a bit - oh the shame!

My most sweat making moment was stuffing a Warrior into Elstree - something to do with being new on type and freaking out at the amount I was floating on a 656metre runway (seemed like I was going to overshoot. Lets just say that Space Hoppers bounce about as much, and when I vacated there weren't no anti-perspirant that could've done the job!

Recently landed on a 650m mountain bush strip (with slope gradient) in middle of forest on a mountain side in Canada - that was pretty hairy - no tarmac or even grass, just gravel - flaps 40 , 60 knots and kiss the trees on the way in - yikes! :eek:

[Awakevortice]

Interesting thread. Just to point out, in response to the seat sliding back in flight situation, that there is no need to push the yoke / stick forward - power on or off, regardless of attitude, the aircraft cannot stall if you have let go of the controls.

It is impossible to stall unless the stick is pulled or pushed to the stall. Just relax and concentrate on sliding the seat back to a more useful position!

[RotorHorn]

In an R22 practicing some solo circuits, I was taking off for a fourth circuit. As I hit 40 knots and started to climb away, I get this almighty vibration in the stick (yes, more than usual :p ). Thinking the rotors are about to part company with the mast I did a run on landing and shut down....

When I got out, I found a Quavers crisp packet folded around the leading edge of one of the main rotor blades...

It transpires that one of the Tinker Folk (who had set up camp next to the airfield) had thrown their rubbish over the fence and some of the lighter stuff had been blown across the landing area....

[edited to change the reference to 'bloody gypos' to a more politically correct term]

[no sponsor]

The one time I've been flying when I really felt things were getting beyond me was last winter. I had flown into WAP in the morning and things were pretty bad on the way down, I had been using Radar Information from Brize, but absolutely no other fuc*er was, and had one or to close shaves to keep my eyes transfixed to the outside world. Visisbility was down to about 8km, but the cloub base was getting lower and lower, but still enough for the hop over the chilterns into WAP. Landed and taxied to notice the students were all doing a circuit and coming back to land. The weather was getting worse. I figured a quick **** and pay my landing fee and off again was the best bet. That cloud base was starting to get too low. A cold front was moving south to north, but I figured that since my return flight was to the north I'd be OK.

I returned to the aircraft after doing my things. It then started to sleet, the wind came up and vis was down. Being on the chilterns at 500 amsl I figured that once I was away I'd be ok. Fortunately the air temp was well above zero.

I departed from 25, gear up, and sorted the power settings, turning to the west to track WCO. By now things were getting really bad. The sleet was very heavy, and I'd reckon vis was about 2-3 km. I descended to about 1000 ft QNH, but things didn't look any better. I thought to myself that I should turn back now and land back at WAP - probably only 3 minutes flying. I then made a huge error. I figured it can't get any worse, and that I'd carry on for a few more miles. I was tracking WCO, and my height was OK. But forward vis was total pants. I could hear other aircraft over the R/T all requesting re-joins back to WAP. I was fooling myself, there's no way I should have carried on. I was being sucked into the situation. But, I carried on. Vis wasn't getting any better. I cursed the Met Office, since non of this was forecast and the front should have been miles to the south. I gave up on WCO, punched in Daventry into the VOR and started tracking north. Things improved greatly. I climbed up to a few thousand feet and in the clear.

Why was I in a hurry? Well, the aircraft was booked for a IR test later that day, and I'd said I'd have it back in time. I was just plain foolish and should have called up the club, explained the situation, and not left WAP. I'd put myself under unnecessary pressure. In anycase, the bast*rd doing the test wasn't even a club member (nor was the instructor).

Since then I've almost finished my IMC. In the future, I just climb above the cr*p and track home in the cold smooth air.

[Grim Reaper 14]

Starting to get worried now. I've come nowhere near any of these type of incidents yet (granted I've only 65 hours under my belt), so I'm wondering when my time will come :(

Bu99er....

[Select Zone Five]

....Even so, I would never step in an aircraft with someone called Grim Reaper 14 :eek:

[sennadog]

Some interesting stories here and above all else the message seems to be that you shouldn't persist or let yourself get suckered into continuing the flight!

Luckily, I'm Captain Cautious as I've said before and there's nothing worse than flying, like sailing, when you'd much rather be on the ground.

My story is quite brief but for a 60 hour PPL gave me a wake up call in a "safe" environment so I'll change the names to protect the innocent.:D

Briefly, a few weeks ago I'd planned a trip to another airfield about half an hour away on a really great flying day with Mrs.Sennadog. We trundled down the RWY, began climbing and just as I started banking over to starboard at around 500ft the donk starts losing power, feeling very much like a vapour lock in a car - basically stuttering like hell and not producing power.:eek:

Carb Heat out, switch magnetos, fuel pump on and off (luckily none of the knobs broke off in my hand) but as I was working it all out the first thought that came into my head was, oh no we're not going to make it to XXXX airfield!

Anyway, nothing worked so I stamped all over the rest of the circuit RT and did a Mayday requesting the immediate use of the RWY we had just left. As nothing was curing the problem, I took the throttle off and glided in on the tightest circuit I've ever done and managed to get down in one piece. The funniest thing was that I was worrying about getting a bollocking from ATC for landing slightly short of the threshold!:D

Mrs.Senndog was brilliant, not flapping at all which was really pleasing and it hasn't put her off at all. A quick lesson with an instructor during the week restored my confidence and all is well.:)

[Flyswift]

Hey Senna - Good job, glad you got it together just when it counts. Being able to 'act' like you did shows great skill, all of which us pilots hope not to use ;).

Saw something like you've discribed the other week too; was it at EGTR?

FS

[Fujiflyer]

Well done Sennadog ;)

Did you find out what the problem was with the aircraft?


Fuji :)

[sennadog]

Flyswift. I'm not sure where EGTR is. Give me the English version.:D

I'm not going to say where it was as to be honest I'm a bit embarrassed about it and I don't want to make a mountain out of a molehill either.:)

I'm not the most technical pilot but the good thing was that the training must have lodged in my brain as at least I tried to work the problem. At the end of the day I probably should have just called a Pan Pan but hey, we all make mistakes.:D

[Aussie Andy]

EGTR = Elstree, see http://www.ais.org.uk/aes/pubs/aip/html/aipad2.htm (sheesh!) ;)

[Bluebeard2]

Sounds like you did a great job there, sennadog. If/when that happens to me I only hope I can do as well!:cool: