Pilot followed GPS to airstrip that didn't exist.
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Location: Down at the sharp pointy end, where all the weather is made.
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I think this might just be one of our regulars on here, something to do with a Scottish musical instrument?
TOO
TOO
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The GPS line was just a red herring. Assuming this wasn't a stall/spin accident, the real story is how easy it is for an experienced pilot in a powerful aircraft to get downed by wave rotor or "clutching hand". A word of warning for us all.
PM
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A similar quandary 73 years ago may be of interest:
(From my Post on Military Aviation> "Gaining a R.A.F. Pilot's Brevet in WWII"> Page 139, #2777).
Danny42C.
(From my Post on Military Aviation> "Gaining a R.A.F. Pilot's Brevet in WWII"> Page 139, #2777).
...A signal came in to move to Double Moorings. "Double Moorings?"....."Never heard of it!" ... A lat & long was given, we plotted it ..... "It's Chittagong !"... "No, it isn't" .... The fix was a couple of miles away, between Chittagong and the sea. Most of us knew the area well ..... "There's nothing there !" ..... It was pointless, we'll just have to go and see. If we can't find anything at the spot, we'll land at Chittagong and take it from there.
The RAF (B) Flight took the lead in this bemused frame of mind, crossed straight over the Bay and reached the coast just off the position. Our Flight Commander, "Bill" Boyd Berry (henceforth "BBB") took our box round in a wide sweep. It really did look as if there was nothing there. We were in loose formation, spread out so that everyone could have a good look.
I spotted it first - or thought I did; the outline of a strip seemed to swim out of the bare paddy fields like a figure in a Ishihara plate.* I was on BBB's wing, I waggled and pointed downwards. He signalled me to take over the lead, and the rest strung out behind; I sincerely hoped that I was right. BBB hung some way back, ready to overshoot with the rest if I rolled myself into a ball on touchdown.
* Used to test for colour blindness: if you're colour blind, you can't see the numeral which is "hidden" among other colours.
But I was right. There was a strip there, but only recently bulldozed out of the paddy bunds, never been used, unworn and so perfectly camouflaged. The rest trundled in after me, and we surveyed our new home....
The RAF (B) Flight took the lead in this bemused frame of mind, crossed straight over the Bay and reached the coast just off the position. Our Flight Commander, "Bill" Boyd Berry (henceforth "BBB") took our box round in a wide sweep. It really did look as if there was nothing there. We were in loose formation, spread out so that everyone could have a good look.
I spotted it first - or thought I did; the outline of a strip seemed to swim out of the bare paddy fields like a figure in a Ishihara plate.* I was on BBB's wing, I waggled and pointed downwards. He signalled me to take over the lead, and the rest strung out behind; I sincerely hoped that I was right. BBB hung some way back, ready to overshoot with the rest if I rolled myself into a ball on touchdown.
* Used to test for colour blindness: if you're colour blind, you can't see the numeral which is "hidden" among other colours.
But I was right. There was a strip there, but only recently bulldozed out of the paddy bunds, never been used, unworn and so perfectly camouflaged. The rest trundled in after me, and we surveyed our new home....
I have been reading the memoirs of a wartime RAF techie who was posted to an RAF station he had never heard of. He was provided with 2 WAAF drivers and a car to take him there. When they got to the village of the same name they couldn't find the airfield anywhere. They stopped at the local post office to ask directions and were told that the airfield hadn't been built yet.
Google Earth has several fake airfields in Scotland. Haven't checked if they're still there.
I once was almost at round-out to a runway shaped cabbage area parallel to Easter runway.
Congratulations PB. Been there, done something similar, only got 3 lines in the P&J, and a bit more in the Orcadian. Nothing on STV.
I once was almost at round-out to a runway shaped cabbage area parallel to Easter runway.
Congratulations PB. Been there, done something similar, only got 3 lines in the P&J, and a bit more in the Orcadian. Nothing on STV.
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Astute observation there PM.
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A few yeas ago some colleagues showed me a copy of a Press and Journal article from something of a while ago.
There were 4 of us kneeing in front of my aircraft of the time. Generally a fairly nice article which was quite sensible. Not in the article was the reporter talking about the detail of his flight, there was some stuff about looking at Bennachie and the Garioch but he forgot (?) to talk about the PFL.
In the aircraft he was banging on about the usual plummet and puppy farm other stuff, we had arranged all this after an unfortunate forced landing that got a lot of negative publicity.
So I closed the throttle at around 2500 fairly close to the airfield and we glided. I talked to him all the way down, giving a commentary on too high, too low, too slow etc
We touched down and rolled to a halt just outside the club house and that was where the photo was taken.
The lesson is that newspaper memories last about a week!!!
Because the next unfortunate forced landing, the little beggar had already left!
There were 4 of us kneeing in front of my aircraft of the time. Generally a fairly nice article which was quite sensible. Not in the article was the reporter talking about the detail of his flight, there was some stuff about looking at Bennachie and the Garioch but he forgot (?) to talk about the PFL.
In the aircraft he was banging on about the usual plummet and puppy farm other stuff, we had arranged all this after an unfortunate forced landing that got a lot of negative publicity.
So I closed the throttle at around 2500 fairly close to the airfield and we glided. I talked to him all the way down, giving a commentary on too high, too low, too slow etc
We touched down and rolled to a halt just outside the club house and that was where the photo was taken.
The lesson is that newspaper memories last about a week!!!
Because the next unfortunate forced landing, the little beggar had already left!
I've flown with him before and I feel this article is angling for a nice story line at his expense.
I've flown with him too and would happily do so again. I agree with your assessment of the article.
Did he phone for PPR? If it was an unlicensed strip on private land, he should have done otherwise he would be landing without the landowners permission.
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Terrain, Vortices and Downbursts
In a glider, there can be a sudden silence. Since my incident two years ago where I lost 285' after turning final I've heard from other glider pilots who encountered such conditions.
I suspect that many stall/spin and wire strike fatal accidents would be more correctly attributed to a low level vortex and/or downburst.
Having narrowly missed the usual misattribution, analysis of my flight recorder data revealed a vortex and downburst.
I suspect that many stall/spin and wire strike fatal accidents would be more correctly attributed to a low level vortex and/or downburst.
Having narrowly missed the usual misattribution, analysis of my flight recorder data revealed a vortex and downburst.
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Interesting - PB has been on another thread this week on a quite similar topic. Having been (last flight) heading north to Ballater at a planned 5.000 ft, and finding one-self on an unplanned ascend to 6,500 feet, one does gain a bit more respect for the Scottish hills. Glad you we're ok. The AAIB report has been read and filed.
I know a guy who was a Victor captain and also a glider pilot. Stooging around Scotland, waiting for Lightnings needing fuel, a voice enquired on the intercom' Captain, we appear to be on descent power and climbing at 3,000 feet/minute, can we please know what's going on?'
Scottish mountains are interesting to fly near.
Scottish mountains are interesting to fly near.
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Mountain wave is, however, seldom (if ever) known to occur at ground level and certainly not in a manner to smash a powerful aircraft into the ground. It takes a microburst or roll turbulence to do that, does it not?
