Yak down at Shoreham.
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Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Brighton. UK. (Via Liverpool).
Yak down at Shoreham.
Heard yesterday that one of the Yaks had to circle for ages to get rid of fuel before landing with his wheels up. The plane looks a bit rough but not to badly damaged and the pilot is ok. Here is the report from' Thisisbrightonandhove.co.uk.
Well done Lance. 
An aerobatics pilot returning from an air show was forced to make an emergency landing when his wheels got stuck.
Lance Nicol was preparing to land at Shoreham Airport after performing in his Yak 50 Russian plane at Airbourne 2003 in Eastbourne with the Yakovlevs Display Team.
The undercarriage would not come down and rather than bailing out over the sea, Mr Nicol prepared to land without wheels on the grass runway.
Fire crews from Shoreham and Worthing were put on standby at the scene as he glided in at 3.50pm yesterday.
Mr Nicol, whose team is based in Sailsbury, turned off the engine and fuel system before touching down. He landed safely but the plane took a beating as it bumped to the ground, suffering damage to its fuselage and propellers.
Mr Nicol said he had been flying for 20 years and had never experienced the problem before.
He said: "I've been doing this for a long time.
"There were a lot of emergency checks to do prior to landing so you don't have time to get scared They keep your mind occupied."
Lance Nicol was preparing to land at Shoreham Airport after performing in his Yak 50 Russian plane at Airbourne 2003 in Eastbourne with the Yakovlevs Display Team.
The undercarriage would not come down and rather than bailing out over the sea, Mr Nicol prepared to land without wheels on the grass runway.
Fire crews from Shoreham and Worthing were put on standby at the scene as he glided in at 3.50pm yesterday.
Mr Nicol, whose team is based in Sailsbury, turned off the engine and fuel system before touching down. He landed safely but the plane took a beating as it bumped to the ground, suffering damage to its fuselage and propellers.
Mr Nicol said he had been flying for 20 years and had never experienced the problem before.
He said: "I've been doing this for a long time.
"There were a lot of emergency checks to do prior to landing so you don't have time to get scared They keep your mind occupied."
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From: The Valley Where the Thames Runs Softly
Propellers? Plural?
It only had one when I watched it earlier.
Funnily enough, the commentator made quite a lot of the Yak being a good trainer because the semi retractable main gear minimises damage from a wheels-up arrival.
It only had one when I watched it earlier.
Funnily enough, the commentator made quite a lot of the Yak being a good trainer because the semi retractable main gear minimises damage from a wheels-up arrival.
Joined: Aug 1999
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From: england
Yak Crash
The reason a bail out was considered was because only one wheel came down and remained locked down. There is an emergency system on the aircraft that allows you to blow the gear down in an emergency, however once blown down you can not get it up again. As it was an up lock release actuator that had sheared and failed. there was no way the gear was coming down anyhow.
A one wheel landing in the tail dragger Yak 50 could easily result in a cartwheel on the aircraft. I think Lance managed to get the the wheel back up by reducing the air pressure in the system holding the gear down . rolling inverted and pushing -6 G.... good lad.
Mind you on landing he was out of the aircraft and running before it came to a halt!!!
A one wheel landing in the tail dragger Yak 50 could easily result in a cartwheel on the aircraft. I think Lance managed to get the the wheel back up by reducing the air pressure in the system holding the gear down . rolling inverted and pushing -6 G.... good lad.
Mind you on landing he was out of the aircraft and running before it came to a halt!!!
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From: Zummerzet
Seems to have been a week for it at EGKA - apparently the Jordanian display team had a 'coming together' on landing on Wednesday - four Extras were reduced to three for the Eastbourne show. Still, no human damage (other than pride!)
Gotta admire the Yak guy though - textbook landing, by all accounts...
JP
Gotta admire the Yak guy though - textbook landing, by all accounts...
JP
