Scariest moment in your career...
Nice-but-dim
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Rural Yorkshire
Posts: 636
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Scariest moment in your career...
Nope, I'm not a journo.
Have you ever genuinely been really scared by anything that's happened in flight during your career? (resist the in flight meal / demonic hostie quips if you can!).
Have you ever genuinely been really scared by anything that's happened in flight during your career? (resist the in flight meal / demonic hostie quips if you can!).
More than once...
- An aircraft in flight test which was showing a strong disinclination to recover from a spin.
- Rolling inverted at FL250 in a Tucano, looking up at the ground 5 miles above my head, as something gave way in my harness and I suddenly dropped about half an inch before stopping.
- Having a pillock in a PA28 come up in my 6 O'clock on short finals in a microlight and shooting past me half a wingspan away (I started a thread about this at the time, and believe it will be in the next batch of CHIRP reports).
- Being rolled inverted in wake turbulence when I was a pre-solo Bulldog student on a UAS.
- Sat in the back seat of a Jaguar landing with a u/s nosegear light and a full 1200 litre centreline droptank - and not sure whether it was the undercarriage light at fault, or we really didn't have a locked down nosewheel.
- And routinely whenever flying as a 19 year old Cadet with a Flt.Lt. D**** T*****, the most unnerving QFI ever employed by the RAF (now long retired, and possibly dead, but his ex-students still mention him and shudder).
- Plus several other incidents which were largely due to my own stupidity and I shall keep to myself.
G
- An aircraft in flight test which was showing a strong disinclination to recover from a spin.
- Rolling inverted at FL250 in a Tucano, looking up at the ground 5 miles above my head, as something gave way in my harness and I suddenly dropped about half an inch before stopping.
- Having a pillock in a PA28 come up in my 6 O'clock on short finals in a microlight and shooting past me half a wingspan away (I started a thread about this at the time, and believe it will be in the next batch of CHIRP reports).
- Being rolled inverted in wake turbulence when I was a pre-solo Bulldog student on a UAS.
- Sat in the back seat of a Jaguar landing with a u/s nosegear light and a full 1200 litre centreline droptank - and not sure whether it was the undercarriage light at fault, or we really didn't have a locked down nosewheel.
- And routinely whenever flying as a 19 year old Cadet with a Flt.Lt. D**** T*****, the most unnerving QFI ever employed by the RAF (now long retired, and possibly dead, but his ex-students still mention him and shudder).
- Plus several other incidents which were largely due to my own stupidity and I shall keep to myself.
G
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Beds
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I once went through an extremely noisy hail storm whilst going to Madrid. The hail set off the GPWS terrain alert. We responded to it and climbed 1000 feet in the TMA.
The noise and the alert certainly surprised me. Nigel, (landing at the same time) had the same.
Being struck by lightning is also a surprise.
Finding our destination was below CAT I actual when unforecast and with no CAT III. Diverting to our primary alternate and finding the same due to unforeacast sea fog. We got in (somewhere) but my knees were knocking.
Being on blocks 2 hours 57 minutes into discretion at the end of a truly awful day when everything went against us . . .
Paris Charles De Gaulle on a good day!
The noise and the alert certainly surprised me. Nigel, (landing at the same time) had the same.
Being struck by lightning is also a surprise.
Finding our destination was below CAT I actual when unforecast and with no CAT III. Diverting to our primary alternate and finding the same due to unforeacast sea fog. We got in (somewhere) but my knees were knocking.
Being on blocks 2 hours 57 minutes into discretion at the end of a truly awful day when everything went against us . . .
Paris Charles De Gaulle on a good day!
Flying/ being dragged towards an outcrop of rocks in a foot launched paraglider. Wondering which bone (s) would break- luckily only my finger and kneecap.
Fixating on a cow in landing field, in same paraglider. Hit it on the ar*e. I'm not sure who was more frightened.
Cow was ok, have now sold paraglider......doesn't suit fat people !
Fixating on a cow in landing field, in same paraglider. Hit it on the ar*e. I'm not sure who was more frightened.
Cow was ok, have now sold paraglider......doesn't suit fat people !
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: slightly left of you
Age: 43
Posts: 362
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My initial IR, Thunderstorms were forecast, and told the examiner that we were to treat as a public transport flight, so could not fly without a wx radar. Examiner told me not to worry, he would be the wx radar for me (as he could see out the window whilst i couldn't. I thought ok he's an examiner, he wouldn't try to mess me around. So we went, and the route involved flying north up to a vor in the midlands, and the turn round over the VOR to head south to a reporting point.
Went up to FL80, and about 5 miles south of the vor started hearing lots of little bangs on the a/c (hailstones) all the while heard commercial a/c all around asking for 10-20 degrees left or right to avoid cb's. I asked my examiner what i should do (i really didn't know and would rather fail the exam than come back in a cheap ply-wood box) He told me to carry on. Then the turbulence started, and got a bit hairy with my stuff being knocked off my knees etc.Then the wings started to ice up. The first time i've ever had to use de-ice for real in an a/c. Then we got out of it after about 1 min. oof that was lucky. Then i remembered had to turn south over the vor and go through the whole bloody thing again. b@$t@rd.
Anyways, obviously we survived, and it wasn't as bad as i thought it was. Had a chat with the examiner (very nice bloke and i liked him alot when he eventually signed my ticket) after the flight about it. He said he could see it wasn't gonna be that bad and it wouldn't last that long. I thought well yes a weather radar would tell me that INFLIGHT why didn't you then. Needless to say got v. pi$$ed that night and now chuckle about it silently whenever i get a bit of turbulence, and my passengers start yelping.
Went up to FL80, and about 5 miles south of the vor started hearing lots of little bangs on the a/c (hailstones) all the while heard commercial a/c all around asking for 10-20 degrees left or right to avoid cb's. I asked my examiner what i should do (i really didn't know and would rather fail the exam than come back in a cheap ply-wood box) He told me to carry on. Then the turbulence started, and got a bit hairy with my stuff being knocked off my knees etc.Then the wings started to ice up. The first time i've ever had to use de-ice for real in an a/c. Then we got out of it after about 1 min. oof that was lucky. Then i remembered had to turn south over the vor and go through the whole bloody thing again. b@$t@rd.
Anyways, obviously we survived, and it wasn't as bad as i thought it was. Had a chat with the examiner (very nice bloke and i liked him alot when he eventually signed my ticket) after the flight about it. He said he could see it wasn't gonna be that bad and it wouldn't last that long. I thought well yes a weather radar would tell me that INFLIGHT why didn't you then. Needless to say got v. pi$$ed that night and now chuckle about it silently whenever i get a bit of turbulence, and my passengers start yelping.
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Dublin
Posts: 135
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Did I hear my name being taken in vain ?
Mr HFH had this one .. and now he can come here and type it..
Just got qualified as an AFI and was checking out an experienced QFI with shed loads of hours on Cessnas who needed conversion onto the Pa38 Tomahawk... and I think you know what is coming ? we almost died because of a reverse cockpit gradient CRM problem
Showed him a spin.. his turn ... in we went, counted three turns.. felt the rudder hit the stop... four .. five..." It's not coming out !!!!".... Shouted "I have control" realised he had been holding the column all the way back throughout.... and the spin had gone into secondary mode .... and I pushed everything very hard to where it should have been, was aware of the ridgeline of the hills rising above us... and was thinking ...oh.. this is it
when out it popped still pointing straight down at a field that looked far to close..... saw airspeed was ok... and pulled to the buffet till the nose was pointed at the sky.
Tomahawks make a lot of noise when pulled to the buffet zone at high speed....... but all I could hear was my pulse.
Mr HFH had this one .. and now he can come here and type it..
Just got qualified as an AFI and was checking out an experienced QFI with shed loads of hours on Cessnas who needed conversion onto the Pa38 Tomahawk... and I think you know what is coming ? we almost died because of a reverse cockpit gradient CRM problem
Showed him a spin.. his turn ... in we went, counted three turns.. felt the rudder hit the stop... four .. five..." It's not coming out !!!!".... Shouted "I have control" realised he had been holding the column all the way back throughout.... and the spin had gone into secondary mode .... and I pushed everything very hard to where it should have been, was aware of the ridgeline of the hills rising above us... and was thinking ...oh.. this is it
when out it popped still pointing straight down at a field that looked far to close..... saw airspeed was ok... and pulled to the buffet till the nose was pointed at the sky.
Tomahawks make a lot of noise when pulled to the buffet zone at high speed....... but all I could hear was my pulse.
Last edited by Hostie from Hell; 14th Nov 2003 at 00:03.
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: NW England
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ethiopian famine relief, mid 80s.
C130 laden with ops equipment.
Out from Cyprus, and just south of Cairo.
Explosive decompression, as three of the ramp bolt sheared.
Anything that wasn’t fastened down flew towards the ramp at very high speed.
Driver got us down to a nice relaxing seven thousand feet, we chained and strapped the ADS arms, and continued on to Addis over the African midday heat at this altitude.
Nice and smooth, NOT.
C130 laden with ops equipment.
Out from Cyprus, and just south of Cairo.
Explosive decompression, as three of the ramp bolt sheared.
Anything that wasn’t fastened down flew towards the ramp at very high speed.
Driver got us down to a nice relaxing seven thousand feet, we chained and strapped the ADS arms, and continued on to Addis over the African midday heat at this altitude.
Nice and smooth, NOT.
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Europe-the sunshine side
Posts: 755
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
As a cadet,when doing the mandatory paraschute dive,jumping out of the plane and remaining stuck on the outside of the fuselage.After no more than 1 min I've managed to get rid of the sticky plane,but it seemed like a longhaul flight to me.
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 562
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Rapidly building thunderstorm in Johannesburg. Double diversion, airspeed increasing / decreasing by large amounts, upper surface of wing warping in the turbulence, getting pushed down towards high ground, almost decided to stick it down on a highway.
Finally managed to crawl away from the storm and get to airport near Pretoria. Landed, went to the toilet and was coughing blood where I had been grinding my teeth against my cheek!
Closest I've ever come to buying the farm.......
Finally managed to crawl away from the storm and get to airport near Pretoria. Landed, went to the toilet and was coughing blood where I had been grinding my teeth against my cheek!
Closest I've ever come to buying the farm.......
Join Date: Nov 1998
Location: In a Hotel
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Had mine when I was flying the SD360 as FO. It was pouring and we were at 500 ft on MDA. Just before reaching MAP, the Capt., old and retirable, saw the runway on his left. He went for it with a slip and a descent of 1500 fpm. I started screaming the speed and sink rate. I saw the runway getting bigger and told him to pull. He said "not yet". I said it again but he didn't move. I yanked at the yoke and the gears hit the pavement. Capt. asked what happened? I could only grin at him with my knees clacking. I must have been terrified at the thought of what could have happened and my grabbing the yoke from him. My first and last I hope.
TS
TS
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: North of CDG
Posts: 1,043
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Flying out of Fort Pierce/St. Lucie to the practice area in a PA-28 just solo in may 2001, and seeing weather closing in from the ocean before I could firewall my way back to the airfield... ending up in marginal VMC, then proper IMC and trying to see recognisable ground features/reporting points on the ground 1,000' below. Having never flown in IMC before, starting selective radial scan probably prevented me becoming a statistic that day! The TAF said CAVOK...
Utmost respect for ATC since then (they remembered they had a student pilot out there).
Also, backseating a CM170 jet trainer in the French Air Force in 1993 and being told "you have control" at 500' agl and 240 KIAS, looking through the periscope with the front guy whistling to himself... hard work!
Cheers
Utmost respect for ATC since then (they remembered they had a student pilot out there).
Also, backseating a CM170 jet trainer in the French Air Force in 1993 and being told "you have control" at 500' agl and 240 KIAS, looking through the periscope with the front guy whistling to himself... hard work!
Cheers
Last edited by FougaMagister; 15th Nov 2003 at 06:26.
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Surrey Hills
Posts: 1,478
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hostie from Hell said....
'Tomahawks make a lot of noise when pulled to the buffet zone at high speed......'
Aviate1138 says..
Thank God you didn't look over your shoulder at your tailplane wobbling on top of the fin... My first and only spin recovery [Gnoss Field, Northern California 1978] in a Tomahawk was my last[ and last Tomahawk flight for me] as I looked behind to see such flexing of fin and tailplane, that I could not believe they would stay attached! Shortly afterwards someone lost their tailplane and 2 died. Then another spinning Tomahawk crashed. IMHO not one of Pipers best efforts.
Aviate 1138
'Tomahawks make a lot of noise when pulled to the buffet zone at high speed......'
Aviate1138 says..
Thank God you didn't look over your shoulder at your tailplane wobbling on top of the fin... My first and only spin recovery [Gnoss Field, Northern California 1978] in a Tomahawk was my last[ and last Tomahawk flight for me] as I looked behind to see such flexing of fin and tailplane, that I could not believe they would stay attached! Shortly afterwards someone lost their tailplane and 2 died. Then another spinning Tomahawk crashed. IMHO not one of Pipers best efforts.
Aviate 1138
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Somewhere South of the Limpopo
Posts: 371
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Way back in the dark ages, whenst still a sprog - I would watch the great aviators climb out of the aeri and lean nonchalantly (had to look that up) against the side / wing / prop.....
Now I know why.....
My first Mayday, some years back, Charlie 182, over mountains and losing 200 fpm with surging fan...
Pulled EVERY knob, lever, button and even some I didn't know were there, all other TX traffic went very quiet...
Made it over the ridge and there in front was a nice little local town strip, with the Sunday lunchers on the veranda in front of the clubhouse.
My landing was followed by a dead stick coast to the apron (very short distance) and quiet reflection for a few minutes..
Why do the pilots lean against the aeri..? Because their legs DONT WORK...!!!
Now I know why.....
My first Mayday, some years back, Charlie 182, over mountains and losing 200 fpm with surging fan...
Pulled EVERY knob, lever, button and even some I didn't know were there, all other TX traffic went very quiet...
Made it over the ridge and there in front was a nice little local town strip, with the Sunday lunchers on the veranda in front of the clubhouse.
My landing was followed by a dead stick coast to the apron (very short distance) and quiet reflection for a few minutes..
Why do the pilots lean against the aeri..? Because their legs DONT WORK...!!!