Funny thing happened on the way to the runway

[Mudge]

So I'm turning onto final and announce, "Winchester traffic, Cherokee 20977 turning final, Winchester." And I proceed to slam the thing onto the runway.
Smart A-- sitting at the "Hold short" line says, "Take that, Winchester!"
Through my laughter replied, "If you've never bounced one, you've never flown." He replied. "You're right. Just joking." I suppose it was rather harsh looking from his viewpoint.
The other 5 were good, though.

Mudge the klutz

[SPANNERmkV]

It's day like that what makes ALL us pilots SOOOOO humble... innit?

[Robbie Stuart]

Mudge, I am not a pilot, but I have heard if you have an equal number of takeoffs & landings, then you have had a good day.
Robbie

[RickH]

I always figured that if I come back with most of the big parts still attached that I've had a good day.

[Second Air Force]

I'm filing that little comment in my memory. Lord knows others could have used it during some of my landings! (including recently, sorry Jim G.!)

Scott

[Ztex]

Smart A-- sitting at the "Hold short" line says, "Take that, Winchester!"

Now that's funny!

Sorry it was at your expense there Mudge...but it's not the last slam you will make...we all have had those "bounces"

[Cindy]

so if you bounce three times in 'one' landing, does it actually count as three separate landings???

I once asked that of one of my instructors when I did something similar. His response is not something to be repeated in polite company - or here!!!!!!!!!!

[Mudge]

As far as "Any landing...." goes, quote my instructor, "Any landing you walk away from is a good landing. Any landing that you walk away from AND can immediately use the a/c. is an EXCELLENT landing."

Mudge the persistent

[Old SAR pilot]

...Depends on how high each "bounce" was, Cindy!

.....There are landings, and then there are "Arrivals"...

I think one of my most memorable of the latter was making a four-point "Arrival" in a Schweizer 1-26...

[Aircraft Mech Paul]

Hiya Mudge,

Well, speaking of landings. When I was taking my private pilots flight school, I was, on purpose, flying in a tail wheel aircraft, a Citabria to be exact. I had been out with my instructor doing touch and goes, or full stop landings and take-offs. Well, I found myself staring up, after some gentle nudging from my Flight Instructor, flying in formation with a pretty good sized hawk on my downwind leg. The tower said that they would call base and final turns for me. Well, I really REALLY wanted make an impression with my instructor, so I concentrated VERY hard on the landing approach after the tower called and Citabria XXXX cleared to land, Runway 27L, winds calm. After which I acknowledged the transmission.

Now, here is the best part. I greased that landing perfectly....no bumps or skids, made it right down the center line and felt just terrific. This is where I wanted to crawl under the pilots seat. You see, when I hit the intercom button to ask the Instructor what he thought of that landing, before the Instructor could reply, the TOWER called me back and said "Boy....I don't know what your instructor thinks but that was a Great Landing !"

See what I forgot to do is switch out the intercom button and had both the Tower AND the Instructor on my headset at the same time. And when I asked the Instructor about the landing, I had forgotten to switch over the comm system.

I taxied back to the Flight School tie-down pad, I was greeted by all the Instructors and ground folks who were listening in on the whole conversation....BOY was I red faced and embarrassed. But I was proud of the landing nonetheless.

But even after all the ribbing and teasing even I got a chuckle out of it. Thought I'd pass this along to for your fun as well....hope it gives you a laugh,

Paul

[Bill Greenwood]

Great story Mudge. I needed a laugh today. You are a little out of the GC limit for the rear cockpit of the Spitfire, but if you happen to be in Colorado sometime and want to fly a Bonanza let me know.

[ZRX61]

so if you bounce three times in 'one' landing, does it actually count as three separate landings???

Once overheard:
"So Ace, ya logging all of those landings?"

& another:
"When you're doing circuits & bumps, only one bump, per circuit, counts as a landing"

[Bill Greenwood]

I heard a great excuse the other day as I was landing in Rifle as a flour bombing was goin on. The airboss said to one pilot. "hey Dan you are a little too low, pull it up". Dan says"I know, its this new altimeter I just bought". I have new main tires for the Spitfire to be installed at the anual in Nov. So any bad landings I do after that can be blamed on the new tires.

[phil65]

Mudge you may want to check to make sure you didn't set off the ELT after a hard landing. I like to check the ELT and the P-leads before shutdown.

Phil

[Robbie Stuart]

Mudge you may want to check to make sure you didn't set off the ELT after a hard landing. I like to check the ELT and the P-leads before shutdown.

Phil

Many years ago I had this customer that had just bought a Cessna P210. This guy was a low time pilot & was always coming in the shop with unusual problems. One day he comes in & says "after I landed a burglar alarm started going off in my headset, & I can't make it stop." Well some of you probably already guessed it. This cat had really plowed it in on the last landing hard enough to set off the ELT. I don't know what ever happened to that guy, but I do remember the last time I saw him he was wearing a helmet flying that P210.
Robbie

Last edited by Robbie Stuart on Thu Aug 09, 2007 12:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.