Here you go, from the horses mouth as it were,
There was fuel in the plane, 10 litres equates to about 45mins in that plane
Take this in the spirit it was written, Vince IS a character!!
Yes guys it IS "your" vince.
In answer to questions:
"RUNWAYTREE" was selected after MAYDAY - engine cut out unexpectedly with between 5 and 10 litres in the port tank. The AAIB will concentrate on this.
Under instruction from Dundee Tower I was where I was, doing what I was doing.
"Mayday Mayday Mayday November Hotel engine out" - River Tay too far across with hard looking dunes (with grass) and a road in the way.
Too low to consider engine restart - might have worked as 5+ litres fuel back in sightglass but if not????.
0 deg flap for best glide angle "November Hotel Heading for Crop field due North of Tay Bridge"
Did 180deg turn toward a handy crop field (noted as part of ******* safety training), but that was up a slight hill and the other side of a small group of houses. "November Hotel Negative crop field."
Discarded playing fields off to the East nice and flat but full of kids and goalposts (Oliver would have landed past the lot, he does sheep!, but I didn't fancy a scottish kid on my conscience)
All that was left was a golf course. "November Hotel - Will try golf course to Left" Looked at fairways but riddled with bunkers, trees, shrubs and dozens of golfers (later found it was their annual competition day!)
"Negative fairway."
That left terminal tree!
Recalling Biggles crashing his SE5a deadstick into a forest I threw a viscious side slip Right (to add a downwards component to velocity) and at the last moment yanked back the stick to "stall" into the tree. Biggles calls it a "pancake" and that is a good description. Going mad might suit better!
Went into tree bottom first, wings fuselage etc took the strain - the CT behaved impeccably in the air and in breaking my arrival cushioned the impact.
result - bruised ribcage - getting better with hot baths, sprained ankle - (as that and my shoulder was all that kept me from falling out through the RH door) and a few light scratches on face - makes me look rugged I'm told.
A Senior RAF instructor has told me since that this was in the manual for flying over Burma - which is 99% forest, and that Biggles had described it perfectly!
I am up and about and fine - playing Bridge tonight.
There will be a full description of the manoeuvre with pictures in the Chronicle next edition and there are a couple of film crews coming - might have to get my hair tinted!!!
If you want to try it yourself, please tell me so I can be 10000000 miles away!
I came to Damyn's to get my car this morning but apart from ******* who was at least pleased to see me and ******* who definitely wasn't there was no-one there.
I am lucky my parents gave me Biggles books when young!
Incidentally that was not a "crash" which is uncontrolled but an "Emergency Landing" I am told by the AAIB. And there were NO bounces!
All the best to you all,
May drop in tomorrow if time.
Vince