Have you ever done something stupid?
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Have you ever done something stupid?
Currently on this forum, the Raleigh Minerva is under discussion...I am not suggesting that buying one qualifies as something stupid!
But in my flying career since 1983, I have witnessed a number of events that qualify, and have personally initiated 3 arse end up arrivals. Always surprising the number of people that turn up to enjoy the event. Do tell, has this ever happened to you?
But in my flying career since 1983, I have witnessed a number of events that qualify, and have personally initiated 3 arse end up arrivals. Always surprising the number of people that turn up to enjoy the event. Do tell, has this ever happened to you?
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There's a huge difference between a Rallye Minerva, and the Raleigh Minerva.
You can fly in the first - but about the best you could do with the second, airwise, is make a paper aeroplane out of it.
You can fly in the first - but about the best you could do with the second, airwise, is make a paper aeroplane out of it.
I once, through excellent technical knowledge of the aircraft (Puma), diagnosed a persistent fuel leak from the tank. Everyone scratched their heads and gave their opinions, but I solved the problem. The installed ferry tank was 'on', and it was over filling (and slightly pressurising) the main internal tank. None of this is stupid.
I proved my theory to 6 or 8 onlookers by removing the filler cap! There's more. It was a non English speaking country, and I succeeded in buying fabric softener powder rather than washing powder. There's more. I only took one flying suit!
I learned about being a dick from that!
CG
I proved my theory to 6 or 8 onlookers by removing the filler cap! There's more. It was a non English speaking country, and I succeeded in buying fabric softener powder rather than washing powder. There's more. I only took one flying suit!
I learned about being a dick from that!
CG
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Got married TWICE, at the same place!! Wee Kirk O, the Heather on the Vegas Strip,
The guy that says "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" was taking nonsense
The guy that says "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" was taking nonsense
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stupid things:
turn down job with giant computer company and pursued flying as a profession. difference in pay potentially enormous.
NEVER applied to southwest airlines, thought they were going nowhere fast.
should have bought extra cars with gear shift on the steering column and front bench seats, they stopped making them and I miss them!
turn down job with giant computer company and pursued flying as a profession. difference in pay potentially enormous.
NEVER applied to southwest airlines, thought they were going nowhere fast.
should have bought extra cars with gear shift on the steering column and front bench seats, they stopped making them and I miss them!
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I've never pranged a plane yet, but I have taken a few risks that seemed like interesting challenges at the time but in retrospect were suicidal. Flight into IMC without an AI(solo, in a glider), that kind of thing.
Anyhow, I think if you recognise what you did and are lucky enough not to have killed yourself or anyone else then you can learn from it and appreciate that next time you might not be so lucky.
Other daftnesses include forgetting to secure the fuel cap, mistaking a foreign object in a control run for a piece of the mechanism that was supposed to be there(luckily it wasn't in a place that could have jammed them had it shifted).
The important thing to remember is to react promptly an calmly to whatever emergency befalls you when you've screwed up. Always fly the plane first. I had a door pop open during a climb out and the noise and rush of air doesn't half surprise you, but rather than close it, I continued the climb, made sure I was stable(not flapping) and then that the climb was stable(at this stage it wasn't obvious that it wasn't something more serious). Only then did I reach across and secure the door. You hear some horror stories of where similar minor things end with a smoking hole in the ground because someone forgot there was a plane to fly.
Anyhow, I think if you recognise what you did and are lucky enough not to have killed yourself or anyone else then you can learn from it and appreciate that next time you might not be so lucky.
Other daftnesses include forgetting to secure the fuel cap, mistaking a foreign object in a control run for a piece of the mechanism that was supposed to be there(luckily it wasn't in a place that could have jammed them had it shifted).
The important thing to remember is to react promptly an calmly to whatever emergency befalls you when you've screwed up. Always fly the plane first. I had a door pop open during a climb out and the noise and rush of air doesn't half surprise you, but rather than close it, I continued the climb, made sure I was stable(not flapping) and then that the climb was stable(at this stage it wasn't obvious that it wasn't something more serious). Only then did I reach across and secure the door. You hear some horror stories of where similar minor things end with a smoking hole in the ground because someone forgot there was a plane to fly.
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Turned down a job with NextBase in the 80's who developed Autoroute, and were bought by Microsoft for an undisclosed sum in the early '90s. Still keep in touch with some of the founders who mostly live on their huge estates in WA.
Accidentally left the carb heat on on Sunday on takeoff on a PA-28-140 with 3 POB. Luckily it was a long tarmac runway. Won't be doing that again.
Accidentally left the carb heat on on Sunday on takeoff on a PA-28-140 with 3 POB. Luckily it was a long tarmac runway. Won't be doing that again.
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Spent ages cursing Lycoming when the engine on a plane I was about to fly refused to start. Then I tried turning the fuel cock to 'On'...
Reached and looked behind me for a map that was on the back seat in IMC once and when I looked back at the AI I was in an 'interesting' attitude...didn't do that again.
Ummed and aaahed about buying a house for 42K in the early 80's. Decided we couldn't afford it, same house recently sold for 320K.
I left school after sixth form and didn't go to Uni which was without doubt the worst mistake I ever made. This was when Uni meant something.
Reached and looked behind me for a map that was on the back seat in IMC once and when I looked back at the AI I was in an 'interesting' attitude...didn't do that again.
Ummed and aaahed about buying a house for 42K in the early 80's. Decided we couldn't afford it, same house recently sold for 320K.
I left school after sixth form and didn't go to Uni which was without doubt the worst mistake I ever made. This was when Uni meant something.
More stupid things than I count any more, some I'll admit to, some I'll keep to myself.
I once joined the long and glorious list of British aviation "experts" who tried to help a famous designer with the initials JE to improve his most well known aeroplane into something faintly saleable. Like everybody else, I got ignored and sidelined, and as it always was, the EO remains a useless historical curiosity.
Rather earlier as a quite new PPL and rather before I became as well educated (and cynical) as I am now, I broke a perfectly serviceable aeroplane through a combination of accepting what another PPL told me in a syndicate checkout rather than insisting on getting and reading the POH before I flew the aeroplane on my own. (And failing to recognise the need to divert when there was plenty of evidence that this would be a bloody good idea at that point).
Non aviation mistakes are between me and my maker.
However, to quote a long retired boss of mine at the old Royal Aircraft Establishment, and a very old fashioned "hairy a**ed engineer": "The man who never made any mistakes, never made owt else either."
G
I once joined the long and glorious list of British aviation "experts" who tried to help a famous designer with the initials JE to improve his most well known aeroplane into something faintly saleable. Like everybody else, I got ignored and sidelined, and as it always was, the EO remains a useless historical curiosity.
Rather earlier as a quite new PPL and rather before I became as well educated (and cynical) as I am now, I broke a perfectly serviceable aeroplane through a combination of accepting what another PPL told me in a syndicate checkout rather than insisting on getting and reading the POH before I flew the aeroplane on my own. (And failing to recognise the need to divert when there was plenty of evidence that this would be a bloody good idea at that point).
Non aviation mistakes are between me and my maker.
However, to quote a long retired boss of mine at the old Royal Aircraft Establishment, and a very old fashioned "hairy a**ed engineer": "The man who never made any mistakes, never made owt else either."
G
Last edited by Genghis the Engineer; 4th Apr 2014 at 19:08.
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The (likely) most stupid thing I ever did was during my night qualification training. I was about to do a solo nav exercise in a Cessna 172 from my home airfield to airport XXX. My instructor (an airline F/O) could not make it to the airfield as he was working than night, but suggested I fly anyway while he instructed me from the right seat of an airliner enroute to XXX using the airliner's #2 COM. We would meet in XXX for a bit of dual and then both return the same way we came using the same procedure. (I have no idea how he made his captain agree to this.)
The first -- and most -- stupid thing I did that night was agreeing to this arrangement. But I had just recently got my PPL which I did easily in minimum time so I had a lot of confidence both in myself and in my instructors.
I fired up the engine, had an initial chat with my instructor, switched to the ATC frequency, got the necessary clearances and took off. Immediately after I got airborne there was a load BANG from the area of the left wing. After a second or so it was followed by another load BANG then another and another... I advised ATC that I had an problem with the aircraft and had to land immediately. The aircraft seemed to handle well, so I made a very short but otherwise normal circuit and landing.
My instructor told me later that he nearly had a heart attack, as he had been listening in on the ATC frequency but unable to do anything to help me.
After shutting down and getting out of the aircraft to investigate, I found that I had not secured the left fuel tank cap... The cap was attached with a short chain so instead of being blown away by the airstream it banged on the top of the wing, causing an unbelievable racket in the cabin.
The first -- and most -- stupid thing I did that night was agreeing to this arrangement. But I had just recently got my PPL which I did easily in minimum time so I had a lot of confidence both in myself and in my instructors.
I fired up the engine, had an initial chat with my instructor, switched to the ATC frequency, got the necessary clearances and took off. Immediately after I got airborne there was a load BANG from the area of the left wing. After a second or so it was followed by another load BANG then another and another... I advised ATC that I had an problem with the aircraft and had to land immediately. The aircraft seemed to handle well, so I made a very short but otherwise normal circuit and landing.
My instructor told me later that he nearly had a heart attack, as he had been listening in on the ATC frequency but unable to do anything to help me.
After shutting down and getting out of the aircraft to investigate, I found that I had not secured the left fuel tank cap... The cap was attached with a short chain so instead of being blown away by the airstream it banged on the top of the wing, causing an unbelievable racket in the cabin.
Last edited by AirborneAgain; 5th Apr 2014 at 05:25. Reason: typo
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Pottering along the down wind leg as a very low hour student. ( thirty years ago )
A seagull decided to fly in front of me, right to left, and looked straight at me.
Well, what to do ? I instantly put both feet hard on the brakes.
Continued in the circuit thinking ' Perhaps I could have handled that a little bit better'
A seagull decided to fly in front of me, right to left, and looked straight at me.
Well, what to do ? I instantly put both feet hard on the brakes.
Continued in the circuit thinking ' Perhaps I could have handled that a little bit better'
Last edited by coldair; 4th Apr 2014 at 21:47. Reason: Just to say it was a long time ago !
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My most recent stupidity was pulling the mixture to idle cut off instead of applying carb heat during a PFL with a student. Fortunately the student did a good job on the restart drills and noticed my "deliberate mistake".
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Coldair-love it 
On a cross country into Stapleford with her indoors I asked her if she enjoyed her first flight. Replied yes but why did I stay in the same gear all the way
On a cross country into Stapleford with her indoors I asked her if she enjoyed her first flight. Replied yes but why did I stay in the same gear all the way
