Learn From my mistakes!
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: CA
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The following happened in mid - '00s. (Has anyone decided on a proper name for the decade 2000-2009 yet?)
Me: recently soloed glider pilot. English as a second language. Not very familiar with the British accent.
Glider: K-13. Wood, tube and fabric.
I still need a check flight with an instructor to fly solo on any given day. And there we are, me in the front, her in the back, ready for a winch launch.
We take off. I gradually transition to a full climb and fly with the nose pointing 45 degrees up. I am pretty happy with my performance so far.
The variometer is going crazy, the winch wire is singing, and there is the usual wind noise. Over all of this I suddenly hear:
"<Unintelligible> <unintelligible> CONTROL!"
Oh darn. I messed up somehow. She wants to take control. Who am I to object? I take my hand off the stick.
We keep on climbing.
"Left wing low", says she.
Huh?
"Left wing LOW"
Must be my cue to take control. I grab the stick, level the wings and - being at the top of the launch - release.
"Didn't you see that the left wing was low?"
"I did... but you were flying"
"WHAT?"
"You said 'I have control', didn't you?"
"I said 'Don't bend the pole', you were climbing too steeply!"
What did I learn? Three-stage control exchange ("I have control/You have control/I have control") is a great idea. Two-stage is the absolute minimum.
Also, that a training glider will quite happily fly a passable winch launch with no human intervention.
Bart
Me: recently soloed glider pilot. English as a second language. Not very familiar with the British accent.
Glider: K-13. Wood, tube and fabric.
I still need a check flight with an instructor to fly solo on any given day. And there we are, me in the front, her in the back, ready for a winch launch.
We take off. I gradually transition to a full climb and fly with the nose pointing 45 degrees up. I am pretty happy with my performance so far.
The variometer is going crazy, the winch wire is singing, and there is the usual wind noise. Over all of this I suddenly hear:
"<Unintelligible> <unintelligible> CONTROL!"
Oh darn. I messed up somehow. She wants to take control. Who am I to object? I take my hand off the stick.
We keep on climbing.
"Left wing low", says she.
Huh?
"Left wing LOW"
Must be my cue to take control. I grab the stick, level the wings and - being at the top of the launch - release.
"Didn't you see that the left wing was low?"
"I did... but you were flying"
"WHAT?"
"You said 'I have control', didn't you?"
"I said 'Don't bend the pole', you were climbing too steeply!"
What did I learn? Three-stage control exchange ("I have control/You have control/I have control") is a great idea. Two-stage is the absolute minimum.
Also, that a training glider will quite happily fly a passable winch launch with no human intervention.
Bart
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Somerset, UK
Age: 75
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
About 5 years back I needed to take my aircraft to another field about 120 nm away for an engineer to check over the controls (the elevator seemed a bit too stiff but still within limits and flyable).
Got to the airfield a little late and the weather at the destination was fine but at the home airfield was just about on limit for wind, with rain sqaulls coming in. So I decided to get a quick departure and on my way out of the crud.
Did all the checks a bit quickly, started, warmed up and taxied to holding point - got clearance and away I went. Bit of a nasty cross wind on take-off so concentrating pretty heavily on keeping in full control and climbing out of the "curl over" from trees down the side of the runway.
At about 100 feet quick check - ASI was reading 0... suddelnly it dawned on me that I had left the pitot cover on. Quick circuit to land but now the cross wind was VERY gusty and above the limit I had ever landed before. So now I am committed to fly to the destination.
Flew all the way on power and attitude and was pleased to find my waypoints at about the expected times so airspeed was right for power / attitude.
Approaching the destination I called them up - expalined that the ASI was not functioning and I may have to do a go-round. Again used power and attitude for the landing and did a reasonable one on the (thankfully) long concrete runway - I need that extra length that day.
A bit emabaraased to have the fire truck tracking me to the parking area.
Now this may not seem too bad for you thousand hours guys, but at the time I was just over a hundred hours and had only done about 10 on type.
My back was SOAKING wet when I climbed out - very, very stressful flight worrying about the landing.
Lesson learnt - do not rush the pre-flight, and double check if you are not 100% CERTAIN. It is defintiely better to be down here wishing you were up there, rather than the other way round... and all because of a little fabric tube left in place.
Got to the airfield a little late and the weather at the destination was fine but at the home airfield was just about on limit for wind, with rain sqaulls coming in. So I decided to get a quick departure and on my way out of the crud.
Did all the checks a bit quickly, started, warmed up and taxied to holding point - got clearance and away I went. Bit of a nasty cross wind on take-off so concentrating pretty heavily on keeping in full control and climbing out of the "curl over" from trees down the side of the runway.
At about 100 feet quick check - ASI was reading 0... suddelnly it dawned on me that I had left the pitot cover on. Quick circuit to land but now the cross wind was VERY gusty and above the limit I had ever landed before. So now I am committed to fly to the destination.
Flew all the way on power and attitude and was pleased to find my waypoints at about the expected times so airspeed was right for power / attitude.
Approaching the destination I called them up - expalined that the ASI was not functioning and I may have to do a go-round. Again used power and attitude for the landing and did a reasonable one on the (thankfully) long concrete runway - I need that extra length that day.
A bit emabaraased to have the fire truck tracking me to the parking area.
Now this may not seem too bad for you thousand hours guys, but at the time I was just over a hundred hours and had only done about 10 on type.
My back was SOAKING wet when I climbed out - very, very stressful flight worrying about the landing.
Lesson learnt - do not rush the pre-flight, and double check if you are not 100% CERTAIN. It is defintiely better to be down here wishing you were up there, rather than the other way round... and all because of a little fabric tube left in place.
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 1,546
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Choxolate, well done on handling your flight sans ASI! But guys reading this, although it is nice to have a functioning ASI, don't panic if you forgot to remove the pitot cover. Fly by attitude, and when high enough, check the stalling speed just to be sure you know the feel of the approaching stall. The attitude should give you feedback enough to approach safely.
If in a glider you can also judge your airspeed by the airflow noise. The approach to the stall will remind you of how it should sound at the correct airspeed.
If in a glider you can also judge your airspeed by the airflow noise. The approach to the stall will remind you of how it should sound at the correct airspeed.
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 1,546
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Most of my mistakes have been in flying gliders,( and now I am too old to fly without a safety pilot, if anything gets bent it will be his fault!)
And I am happy to say the only thing I ever damaged was ripping off the undercarriage doors of the glider in a truly horrible field, recently tilled by the farmer and still in a succulent state. Found out why straps should be done up done up tightly before landing.....talk about sudden deceleration!
But to go back to pitot covers; in a glider, as we prefer not to have any sticky out bits to spoil the performance, the useful holes are fairly streamlined, and if you have covered them over with electrician's white tape to keep off the morning dew, it is all too easy to forget about that small detail the next day....
I did it in Scotland, to the amusement of the tug pilot. "If she cannae fly withooot an ASI she shouldna be solo!"
The second occasion in Oriel, the USSR, flying a Jantar III in a competition, had the stimulation of being towed up by a Wilga, and watching the ASI which of course had the drawback of being in kph, begin registering ZERO! (as we were in flight, that was a lie for a start) and ascending right through the scale to 500 kph,,,,or whatever it was when it bent the peg.... My return to the airfield earned the rebuke from my Russian crew, who expostulated "Too Fast, Too Fast!!!!" and when I pointed to the tapes which he had failed to remove....he shrank into apology mode, excpecting no doubt to be sent to Siberia for the omission of duty to the glider.....
The third occasion (will she ever learn?) was at home club, Shenington, behind the Supercub. My fault this time, definitely, but I decided as the ASI was reading zero again, that it was being economical with the verity, and I took a high tow to perform the recommended stalls, and feeling quite happy with no ASI and the conditions, soared for an hour and a half before returning without any problem.
Try to remember to put RED electrician's tape over the statics next time.....
And I am happy to say the only thing I ever damaged was ripping off the undercarriage doors of the glider in a truly horrible field, recently tilled by the farmer and still in a succulent state. Found out why straps should be done up done up tightly before landing.....talk about sudden deceleration!
But to go back to pitot covers; in a glider, as we prefer not to have any sticky out bits to spoil the performance, the useful holes are fairly streamlined, and if you have covered them over with electrician's white tape to keep off the morning dew, it is all too easy to forget about that small detail the next day....
I did it in Scotland, to the amusement of the tug pilot. "If she cannae fly withooot an ASI she shouldna be solo!"
The second occasion in Oriel, the USSR, flying a Jantar III in a competition, had the stimulation of being towed up by a Wilga, and watching the ASI which of course had the drawback of being in kph, begin registering ZERO! (as we were in flight, that was a lie for a start) and ascending right through the scale to 500 kph,,,,or whatever it was when it bent the peg.... My return to the airfield earned the rebuke from my Russian crew, who expostulated "Too Fast, Too Fast!!!!" and when I pointed to the tapes which he had failed to remove....he shrank into apology mode, excpecting no doubt to be sent to Siberia for the omission of duty to the glider.....
The third occasion (will she ever learn?) was at home club, Shenington, behind the Supercub. My fault this time, definitely, but I decided as the ASI was reading zero again, that it was being economical with the verity, and I took a high tow to perform the recommended stalls, and feeling quite happy with no ASI and the conditions, soared for an hour and a half before returning without any problem.
Try to remember to put RED electrician's tape over the statics next time.....
Last edited by mary meagher; 20th Feb 2013 at 15:18.
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Cambs
Age: 37
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
zero gravity chocolate
I can remember once conducting a cross country flight (probably back from an aerobatic competition, I can't quite remember) where I'd deemed it a nice idea to stow a mid-flight emergency snack in my secure, zip-up cockpit bag from which nothing can fall out mid maneuver (I fly a Pitts S1S and do very little other than aerobatic flying). This had been a great idea, except as it happened I never quite felt the urge to eat it, hence in the bag it stayed.
You can probably see where this is going...
On the cross country flight I'd not had the zip up bag zipped up as I'd been using the chart on and off and trying to unzip the bag one handed is a complete pain in the butt. It was a completely uneventful trip. My next flight a few days later was for a training sortie - I think if I remember rightly I was flying the BAeA Intermediate Known sequence or something similar, anyway, off I trundled up to 2500', wing rocked and I was away. I remember I was flying a really nice sequence until I got to something that involved a push to about -3g and all of a sudden I heard something bang, hard.
Feeling somewhat concerned at this point I very rapidly righted the little Pitts and wondered what on earth had come loose. A quick glance revealed that I'd somehow managed to leave the bag unzipped (lesson 1 learned - ALWAYS check the bag is done up), so now I knew that I had a loose article somewhere in the aeroplane. I couldn't see anything anywhere so there was nothing for it but to invert the aeroplane and see what dropped up into the canopy. Of course nothing did - the offending item was obviously stuck under the seat at this point, or worse - down the tail somewhere. So there I was, upside down, feeling like a bit of a lemon, jiggling the aeroplane back and forth until finally, a particularly forceful inverted jiggle released said article...
I was then unceremoniously smacked in the face by a floating Snickers bar.
The main lesson for me really was one of conducting more rigorous checks of the little things before flight. Loose articles can kill or at least leave a bruise ;-)
You can probably see where this is going...
On the cross country flight I'd not had the zip up bag zipped up as I'd been using the chart on and off and trying to unzip the bag one handed is a complete pain in the butt. It was a completely uneventful trip. My next flight a few days later was for a training sortie - I think if I remember rightly I was flying the BAeA Intermediate Known sequence or something similar, anyway, off I trundled up to 2500', wing rocked and I was away. I remember I was flying a really nice sequence until I got to something that involved a push to about -3g and all of a sudden I heard something bang, hard.
Feeling somewhat concerned at this point I very rapidly righted the little Pitts and wondered what on earth had come loose. A quick glance revealed that I'd somehow managed to leave the bag unzipped (lesson 1 learned - ALWAYS check the bag is done up), so now I knew that I had a loose article somewhere in the aeroplane. I couldn't see anything anywhere so there was nothing for it but to invert the aeroplane and see what dropped up into the canopy. Of course nothing did - the offending item was obviously stuck under the seat at this point, or worse - down the tail somewhere. So there I was, upside down, feeling like a bit of a lemon, jiggling the aeroplane back and forth until finally, a particularly forceful inverted jiggle released said article...
I was then unceremoniously smacked in the face by a floating Snickers bar.
The main lesson for me really was one of conducting more rigorous checks of the little things before flight. Loose articles can kill or at least leave a bruise ;-)
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Los Angeles, USA
Age: 52
Posts: 1,631
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I just had a similar experience with pitot system, but this was not because I'd forgotten the cover. I was down having a look at an airplane I might want to buy and we were going to fly it back to where I'd left my own aircraft for repairs. This is a pretty complex twin, but thankfully one of the instructors that checks people out in this type was with me for the whole 4hrs flight. As we pop into clouds on the IFR clearance, I can see that the VSI, Altimeter and speed don't seem to behave normally. We switch to alternate air, and it gets a little better, but still very erratic. Either big jumps, or frozen needles etc and not much in between. Turns out we have some water in the pitot static system and it needs to be drained, but the experienced instructor decides to continue our flight as we were now on top and forecast was good for destination. This is a high speed stalling airplane, so had I been alone and new to the aircraft, it would have been a bit scary.
There is no real way of checking for this on a preflight, so this is another reason one has to be alert and perceptive on the climbout before one gets into cloud. An AOA meter should be standard equipment on all aircraft. Thankfully the FAA have started to realise this and have made it a lot easier to get approval for AOA retrofits. I don't know how it is in EASA land, but I'm assuming they will see the benefits, too.
There is no real way of checking for this on a preflight, so this is another reason one has to be alert and perceptive on the climbout before one gets into cloud. An AOA meter should be standard equipment on all aircraft. Thankfully the FAA have started to realise this and have made it a lot easier to get approval for AOA retrofits. I don't know how it is in EASA land, but I'm assuming they will see the benefits, too.
Last edited by AdamFrisch; 22nd Feb 2013 at 20:05.
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Whitby, North Yorkshire
Age: 38
Posts: 129
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Almost ran one tank dry in a cherokee.
Anyone who ive flown with will back me up in saying im excellent at balancing the tanks to within minutes of each other and was good at compensating for take off at one tank fuller than the other.
Dont know what happened that day, but the math and speeds and flying worked out, just when i got on the ground, there was dregs left in one tank.
Shook me up a bit to be honest.
That leads to the question, people have classic cars, cars far older infact than most aircraft i've flown and yet the fuel guages don't read correctly in the aircraft, yet they do in a car worth far less than the aircraft - WHY
Dan
Anyone who ive flown with will back me up in saying im excellent at balancing the tanks to within minutes of each other and was good at compensating for take off at one tank fuller than the other.
Dont know what happened that day, but the math and speeds and flying worked out, just when i got on the ground, there was dregs left in one tank.
Shook me up a bit to be honest.
That leads to the question, people have classic cars, cars far older infact than most aircraft i've flown and yet the fuel guages don't read correctly in the aircraft, yet they do in a car worth far less than the aircraft - WHY
Dan
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: In a hole somewhere
Age: 46
Posts: 378
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Learn From my mistakes!
Door coming open on solo happened to me in a 152 too, but to be honest the doors don't really seem like "doors" more like a cardboard thing with a plastic window and a dodgy latch!
Good way to cool down when heat gets ya!
Good way to cool down when heat gets ya!
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 26
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Robin HR200
Hi,
I'm learning to fly in Robin HR200's, and anyone who has flown/ flies the HR200 will know how small it is inside when you are sat next to a passenger / instructor.
Well, on one of my lessons, It was a relatively chilly day so decided to wear my jacket, and didn't thing about body heat inside a small stuffy cockpit....
During the flight I became very hot, and just couldn't seem to concentrate very well on the job in hand.
When we were returning back to the aerodrome, turning finals, I was boiling hot and just could not concentrate again..... Anyway the approach wasn't good and the landing was the worst I've ever done, I bounced.....
Although...... It was only my 3rd time landing an aircraft!
A lesson learnt - always thing about your clothing, are you going to be too hot or cold?! I'll never forget that one...
I'm learning to fly in Robin HR200's, and anyone who has flown/ flies the HR200 will know how small it is inside when you are sat next to a passenger / instructor.
Well, on one of my lessons, It was a relatively chilly day so decided to wear my jacket, and didn't thing about body heat inside a small stuffy cockpit....
During the flight I became very hot, and just couldn't seem to concentrate very well on the job in hand.
When we were returning back to the aerodrome, turning finals, I was boiling hot and just could not concentrate again..... Anyway the approach wasn't good and the landing was the worst I've ever done, I bounced.....
Although...... It was only my 3rd time landing an aircraft!
A lesson learnt - always thing about your clothing, are you going to be too hot or cold?! I'll never forget that one...
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: In a hole somewhere
Age: 46
Posts: 378
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Learn From my mistakes!
Aviator::
That happened to me too.
Its hard to get balance right especially when its freezing cold wind whilst checking out aircraft... When you get in, you appreciate the coat/jacket etc
During flight we would get naturally hot anyway.... Also watch when instructor sends you solo.... My instructor seemed to be cold and i was obviously hot.. By downwind the cabin heat had cooked me!
Not the best thing to add to the pressures
That happened to me too.
Its hard to get balance right especially when its freezing cold wind whilst checking out aircraft... When you get in, you appreciate the coat/jacket etc
During flight we would get naturally hot anyway.... Also watch when instructor sends you solo.... My instructor seemed to be cold and i was obviously hot.. By downwind the cabin heat had cooked me!
Not the best thing to add to the pressures
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 1,546
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A few years back one of our eager gliding club members did his five hour endurance flight on our local ridge....in FEBRUARY, in a K8, which is exceedingly draughty. History does not record what he was wearing....
An Ozee suit is de reiguer when standing around on the airfield in this weather....long johns, wooly jumper, ski pants, furry boots, russian hat and of course, your white silk scarf.....
My personal preference in this weather would be flying the tug, which has a heater......
Or flying in Florida....
An Ozee suit is de reiguer when standing around on the airfield in this weather....long johns, wooly jumper, ski pants, furry boots, russian hat and of course, your white silk scarf.....
My personal preference in this weather would be flying the tug, which has a heater......
Or flying in Florida....
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: 23, Railway Cuttings, East Cheam
Age: 68
Posts: 3,115
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Did my 5 hour one incredibly hot and humid August day in a K8 back in the mists of time. I was wearing a pair of longish shorts, trainers and a polo shirt. I managed to get away around lunchtime and went up.....and up. Finished up doing most of the flight at around 8,000' and came down like a block of ice. It took me a good half hour to get any warmth back.
Thing is what do you do? It was wiltingly hot on the ground wearing just shorts, sitting in the cockpit waiting for launch dressed for 8,000' would have been frankly dangerous. You can hardly take warm clothing with you and put it on in the confines of a glider cockpit, that's a definite non starter.
Thing is what do you do? It was wiltingly hot on the ground wearing just shorts, sitting in the cockpit waiting for launch dressed for 8,000' would have been frankly dangerous. You can hardly take warm clothing with you and put it on in the confines of a glider cockpit, that's a definite non starter.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: In a hole somewhere
Age: 46
Posts: 378
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Learn From my mistakes!
Really i didnt think it could be that dramatic at 8000 if it was roasting at ground level?
Mind you I'm out wearing a sweatshirt in the snow and cant feel it..... Bit of a machine you see
Mind you I'm out wearing a sweatshirt in the snow and cant feel it..... Bit of a machine you see
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Hampshire
Age: 71
Posts: 112
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Learn from my mistakes
5th day of my first gliding competition and already tired after having flown 15 hrs in the first four days. Task was a 300km. Day was hot and mainly blue with only the occasional whispy cumulus. After about 1/2 hr I tried to have a drink only to find the bottle had slipped out of reach.
Five hours later i was about 6 miles from the finish but getting a bit low for comfort so I decided to fly over the town to find a final thermal to make sure. I didnt find one of course so decided to final glide to the finish. A few minutes later over a large wood i discovered things were getting very marginal. Past the wood all the fields had standing crop. Eventually i arrived ( I wont say landed) in a crop field 2 short of the airfield.
Mistakes
Hydration- take enough water and make sure you drink it before you feel thirsty. Being dehydrated led to me making all the other mistakes.
press-on-itus. Dont let a competition effect good airmanship. i should have found a safe field before I got to the wood.
Watch the wind direction. the 10 knot tail wind I was expecting on that leg had turned into a 6 knot head wind due to a sea breeze.
Result of my foolishness was a bollocking by the CFI, a slightly bent glider and bottom place in the competition.
Five hours later i was about 6 miles from the finish but getting a bit low for comfort so I decided to fly over the town to find a final thermal to make sure. I didnt find one of course so decided to final glide to the finish. A few minutes later over a large wood i discovered things were getting very marginal. Past the wood all the fields had standing crop. Eventually i arrived ( I wont say landed) in a crop field 2 short of the airfield.
Mistakes
Hydration- take enough water and make sure you drink it before you feel thirsty. Being dehydrated led to me making all the other mistakes.
press-on-itus. Dont let a competition effect good airmanship. i should have found a safe field before I got to the wood.
Watch the wind direction. the 10 knot tail wind I was expecting on that leg had turned into a 6 knot head wind due to a sea breeze.
Result of my foolishness was a bollocking by the CFI, a slightly bent glider and bottom place in the competition.
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 1,546
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
cumulus rider, great story! been there!
Thing, your verification of the fact that temperature declines with height must have been quite a chilling experience!
Let me share with all you good people; if you begin your flight when the weather is hot hot hot on the ground, how to prepare for the possibility of spending your five hour endurance flight at 8,000'?
I learned to dress cool, light shirt, long sleeve, long lightweight trousers, and hanging down within reach behind me, a baby blanket! and if it got horrible cold, simples, just pull the blanket down over your body, parachute and all.
Sandals are never a good idea, by the way. If the glider is primitive and draughty, wear proper trainers and thick socks. If the rest of you is cool, your feet will stay comfortable, and if you climb to cooler heights, still comfortable
under your little blanket.
Thing, your verification of the fact that temperature declines with height must have been quite a chilling experience!
Let me share with all you good people; if you begin your flight when the weather is hot hot hot on the ground, how to prepare for the possibility of spending your five hour endurance flight at 8,000'?
I learned to dress cool, light shirt, long sleeve, long lightweight trousers, and hanging down within reach behind me, a baby blanket! and if it got horrible cold, simples, just pull the blanket down over your body, parachute and all.
Sandals are never a good idea, by the way. If the glider is primitive and draughty, wear proper trainers and thick socks. If the rest of you is cool, your feet will stay comfortable, and if you climb to cooler heights, still comfortable
under your little blanket.
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: 23, Railway Cuttings, East Cheam
Age: 68
Posts: 3,115
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Really i didnt think it could be that dramatic at 8000 if it was roasting at ground level?
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Scotland & Abu Dhabi
Age: 59
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've got lots of mistakes to share!
Quite a few years ago I rented a 172 out of KFXE to fly to Freeport, Bahamas (MYGF). The plane had just come out of maintenance. The flight was uneventful, but on landing at Freeport and getting out I saw that the whole of the underside of the plane was covered in oil....I checked the dipstick and saw that at least there was still some oil in the sump...I found an A&P who quickly determined that the oil return line from the oil cooler had not been tightened up and a fine mist of oil had been spraying out the whole way over 60nm of water....So a fire and/or seized engine possible. Lesson Learned: never take a single over hostile terrain or water straight after maintenance!
Other lessons include landing at the wrong airstrip in Western Australia (they all look the same: long strips of gravel with nothing else for miles!)... This was pre-GPS...
Also learned about density altitude in California (hot and high) and in Australia (just bloody hot!)....always lean to max power in the Runup....
In Stavanger, Norway I was taxying for the runway and holding at the instructed hold point for what seemed like an eternity....after about 10 minutes a vehicle approached and a guy got out and came over....to tell me to check my radio...had managed somehow to turn the volume down without noticing!
Quite a few years ago I rented a 172 out of KFXE to fly to Freeport, Bahamas (MYGF). The plane had just come out of maintenance. The flight was uneventful, but on landing at Freeport and getting out I saw that the whole of the underside of the plane was covered in oil....I checked the dipstick and saw that at least there was still some oil in the sump...I found an A&P who quickly determined that the oil return line from the oil cooler had not been tightened up and a fine mist of oil had been spraying out the whole way over 60nm of water....So a fire and/or seized engine possible. Lesson Learned: never take a single over hostile terrain or water straight after maintenance!
Other lessons include landing at the wrong airstrip in Western Australia (they all look the same: long strips of gravel with nothing else for miles!)... This was pre-GPS...
Also learned about density altitude in California (hot and high) and in Australia (just bloody hot!)....always lean to max power in the Runup....
In Stavanger, Norway I was taxying for the runway and holding at the instructed hold point for what seemed like an eternity....after about 10 minutes a vehicle approached and a guy got out and came over....to tell me to check my radio...had managed somehow to turn the volume down without noticing!
Last edited by awqward; 24th Feb 2013 at 23:44.