Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:27 pm
I started to taxi out and had run up to about 1500rpm and wasn't moving.
WTF? Guess who forgot to untie the tail? My instructor could have jumped out and done it, but no...he made me get out and do it.
Now, me getting out of a Piper Cherokee ain't a pretty sight and it also ain't easy for me to climb across the right seat to do it.
NEVER forgot the tie downs after that.
Mudge the educable
WTF? Guess who forgot to untie the tail? My instructor could have jumped out and done it, but no...he made me get out and do it.
Now, me getting out of a Piper Cherokee ain't a pretty sight and it also ain't easy for me to climb across the right seat to do it.
NEVER forgot the tie downs after that.
Mudge the educable
Wed Mar 26, 2008 11:19 pm
Now I would never cop to this myself but I believe I have the right to say with a certain authority that there is something truly mindnumbing about watching a forward cargo hatch on a PA-31-T3-1040 open up right at about rotation and to then watch (in seemingly slow motion) a 25 lb duffle bag be digested (and in the act digest) a PT-6. Right at about that time there is no more wondering as to whether or not you forgot to latch the cargo door. So I've been told...
Wed Mar 26, 2008 11:22 pm
Urban Legend Time:
I've heard the toss the stick out story RObbie mentions several times:
The details... I think it was Ens. George Gay in his book "Sole Survivor" that mentions one instructor he knew who had a habit, when a pilot trainee got near graduating, to go up with one, and then throw the rear stick out of the aircraft, and say "Your Airplane!" in fight, so the student knew he had the full responsibility to land. This apparently stopped after a student saw him throw his stick out- and the student did the same! (apparently there is a pin at the base which can be easily removed, followed by the stick) After the instructor had his heart attack, he could see the student laughing... He'd brought a spare stick with him, and thrown that one out, fooling the instructor...
Watch AMC sometime... They had a movie called WEST POINT OF THE AIR, a 1935 classic with Robert Young (Father Knows Best, Marcus Welby) as a pilot learning to flyin the Army. He did the exact same toss the stick out and his instructor bailed out, and he landed the airplane routine.
I'm sure they got it from somewhere (I doubt Hollywood was smart enough to make that one up), but I'm sure it influenced any copycat actions in the future.......
Mark H
I've heard the toss the stick out story RObbie mentions several times:
The details... I think it was Ens. George Gay in his book "Sole Survivor" that mentions one instructor he knew who had a habit, when a pilot trainee got near graduating, to go up with one, and then throw the rear stick out of the aircraft, and say "Your Airplane!" in fight, so the student knew he had the full responsibility to land. This apparently stopped after a student saw him throw his stick out- and the student did the same! (apparently there is a pin at the base which can be easily removed, followed by the stick) After the instructor had his heart attack, he could see the student laughing... He'd brought a spare stick with him, and thrown that one out, fooling the instructor...
Watch AMC sometime... They had a movie called WEST POINT OF THE AIR, a 1935 classic with Robert Young (Father Knows Best, Marcus Welby) as a pilot learning to flyin the Army. He did the exact same toss the stick out and his instructor bailed out, and he landed the airplane routine.
I'm sure they got it from somewhere (I doubt Hollywood was smart enough to make that one up), but I'm sure it influenced any copycat actions in the future.......
Mark H
Wed Mar 26, 2008 11:50 pm
That stick tossing incident is also reported in "Teacher Wore a Parachute", the biography of Joe James, a WWII USN primary flight instructor.
I've done so many dumb things in airplanes over the years that it's hard to keep track exactly, but as for warbird related ones I taxied out one evening in the Stearman, backtracked to the button of Lacombe's runway 16 and began my take-off roll. Somewhere in the vicinity of 50 knots or so a stray brain cell awoke and made me let go of the throttle with my left hand, reach outside the cockpit and confirm as I'm charging down the runway that yes, I have indeed left the baggage door unlatched. The resulting RTO caught the attention of most of my airport buddies but it was still a lesser evil than potentially tearing the door off or at least bending it badly during the resulting circuit.
How's that saying go? "Good judgement is based is based on experience, and experience is based on bad judgement."
I've done so many dumb things in airplanes over the years that it's hard to keep track exactly, but as for warbird related ones I taxied out one evening in the Stearman, backtracked to the button of Lacombe's runway 16 and began my take-off roll. Somewhere in the vicinity of 50 knots or so a stray brain cell awoke and made me let go of the throttle with my left hand, reach outside the cockpit and confirm as I'm charging down the runway that yes, I have indeed left the baggage door unlatched. The resulting RTO caught the attention of most of my airport buddies but it was still a lesser evil than potentially tearing the door off or at least bending it badly during the resulting circuit.
How's that saying go? "Good judgement is based is based on experience, and experience is based on bad judgement."