You are (unfortunately) correct. Experimental aircraft auto pilot $3-4,000. For mine, $22,000. So, I still hand fly the Duck.
Tales from the Log of the Ruptured Duck
- Thread starter Kayak Jack
- Start date
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
"Cruising Down The River", on a Monday afternoon . . . .
Some of us (Geezer class submarine-types) will recall the melody that accompanies those words. The original lyrics were for a Sunday afternoon. But in this case, it was on a Monday.
Yesterday, Julie abd I went for a short hop, just to "exercize the engine." Much of the beautiful fall colors are gone now. In fact - some spring colors are already here. Spring wheat is up, and furnishing lush, green carpets of 40-80 acre size. It really stands out amongst the fields of yellows, ambers, and browns.
Not far W'ly of our airfield, the Grand River flows. As the name implies, it's the largest river in the state. Hold up your extended, left hand, and look at the back of it. The Grand arises in a small pond in central, lower Michigan, just N'ly of the border beteween Michigan and Indiana. On your "handy" map of Michigan there, that's maybe an inch above your wristline, and in line with your extended middle finger. It roams N'ly to Lansing, maybe an inch to 1 1/4" north of its point of origin. There, it turns W'ly, goes through Grand Rapids, and on to Lake Michigan. Its mouth, in Lake Michigan, would be about at the bottom of the base of the knuckle of your little finger.
Yesterday, we roamed back and forth the over bends and stretches to the west of the field. In these parts, the Grand has a sand and gravel bottom, and is mainly bordered by farm fields, copses of trees, a few parks, and - every once in a while - a small, Midwestern town. This area is my homeland, and I never tire of looking at it. All of us, I think, still enjoy that pastime.
After a while, we returned home, did a three-squeaker crosswind landing, and headed home. Didn't even have to cheat death very much.
Some of us (Geezer class submarine-types) will recall the melody that accompanies those words. The original lyrics were for a Sunday afternoon. But in this case, it was on a Monday.
Yesterday, Julie abd I went for a short hop, just to "exercize the engine." Much of the beautiful fall colors are gone now. In fact - some spring colors are already here. Spring wheat is up, and furnishing lush, green carpets of 40-80 acre size. It really stands out amongst the fields of yellows, ambers, and browns.
Not far W'ly of our airfield, the Grand River flows. As the name implies, it's the largest river in the state. Hold up your extended, left hand, and look at the back of it. The Grand arises in a small pond in central, lower Michigan, just N'ly of the border beteween Michigan and Indiana. On your "handy" map of Michigan there, that's maybe an inch above your wristline, and in line with your extended middle finger. It roams N'ly to Lansing, maybe an inch to 1 1/4" north of its point of origin. There, it turns W'ly, goes through Grand Rapids, and on to Lake Michigan. Its mouth, in Lake Michigan, would be about at the bottom of the base of the knuckle of your little finger.
Yesterday, we roamed back and forth the over bends and stretches to the west of the field. In these parts, the Grand has a sand and gravel bottom, and is mainly bordered by farm fields, copses of trees, a few parks, and - every once in a while - a small, Midwestern town. This area is my homeland, and I never tire of looking at it. All of us, I think, still enjoy that pastime.
After a while, we returned home, did a three-squeaker crosswind landing, and headed home. Didn't even have to cheat death very much.
Taking Off Over Lake Michigan
The best flying weather in recorded history was dominating Michigan today! Surface winds were either favorable or calm. Amazingly - so were winds aloft. Plus, no turbulence or thermals! Wow!
Julie and I were up early, hustled around, and got into the air at 09:30. Our first leg was from Mason KTEW to Hastings 9D9. A nice facility is here. No one was home this morning, so we just signed in, enjoyed the necessary facilities, and relaxed. Then off for the real goal. We flew to Grand Haven 3GM.
The immediately previous post mentioned Michigan's Grand River. Here is where the Grand empties into Lake Michigan. As it approaches the big lake, the river bed meanders, roams, curves, and cuts back into itself repeatedly. Flying a downwind leg over this terrain of mixed water and land gives a bit of a roller coaster ride. We turned base leg about a mile inland from the surf, and touched down. Now, here is a REALLY nice terminal facility. It is twice as big as what most fields boast. Friendly folk man it. It would win a Good Housekeeping Award in anybody's league. Quite impressive.
Almost all fields sport a deck that is specifically set up for picnics. Benches, tables, gas-fired grill - this facility has it all. Weather was a bit brisk for an outdoor picnic today, but had they been serving burgers, brats, or dogs - we would have dived right in.
At take off, winds were calm to mild and variable. So, I elected to take off to the west. This was a reversal from the direction we landed in, but just felt right. On lift off, we climbed over the end of the runway, then the highway, next wooded sand dunes, and then over Lake Michigan. Turning left, we skirted the coast going Southerly. Julie was busy snapping photos of Lake Michigan, dunes, lakes, and the city of Holland.
Working our way SSE'ly, we flew over series of lakes and "cottage country", and touched down at Allegan's Padgham Field 35D. While that's an astonishing bra size, the airfield is a modest one. Its best feature is a picturesque, blue and white compass rose. This eight pointed star adorns the apron as you taxi in. But, no passenger terminal here.
On a couple of landings, the Duck had shuddered through a pesky nose wheel shimmy. The FBO was manned here, so I found a mechanic to add air to the nosewheel. At first, he couldn't get his portable air tank to work. I looked at the tank gauge, and it read zero. "Uhhh, I think that my tire is inflating your tank." He was kind of embarrassed. He'd been in such a hurry to be of service that, he'd overlooked checking that. Haven't we all pulled a goof like that!
We got the tank aired up, and then the tire. They wouldn't accept any payment, so we thanked them sincerely.
Since winds were still wimpy, I took off from here heading due east. Navigating home from here is easy. Pick any road that goes east - follow it for 71 miles. The country side here has many lakes and rivers. I've paddled the Thornapple River a couple of times here. Slow, picturesque, dotted with small parks and cottages. Lakes have sea gull squadrons patrolling around. Vizibility was better here, 30 miles inland.
Soon, our homefield hove into view. Strangely, nobody else was flying today. It could have been because work crews were busy patching cracks in the taxiways. As luck would have it, the taxiway to the Duck's hangar was buggered up a bit, and men and machines were on it. No sweat, I hauled back on the yoke to lighten up weight on the nose gear, and cut across the grass. HEY - if it can land and take off on sod, it can sure as heck taxi on the stuff.
We'd cheated death four times today. So, we thanked the Duck, washed off the bugs, plugged in the Tanis heater to keep her warm, and hied ourselves off for a late lunch.
What a wonderful day. Thank you; thank you very much. We enjoyed it a lot.
The best flying weather in recorded history was dominating Michigan today! Surface winds were either favorable or calm. Amazingly - so were winds aloft. Plus, no turbulence or thermals! Wow!
Julie and I were up early, hustled around, and got into the air at 09:30. Our first leg was from Mason KTEW to Hastings 9D9. A nice facility is here. No one was home this morning, so we just signed in, enjoyed the necessary facilities, and relaxed. Then off for the real goal. We flew to Grand Haven 3GM.
The immediately previous post mentioned Michigan's Grand River. Here is where the Grand empties into Lake Michigan. As it approaches the big lake, the river bed meanders, roams, curves, and cuts back into itself repeatedly. Flying a downwind leg over this terrain of mixed water and land gives a bit of a roller coaster ride. We turned base leg about a mile inland from the surf, and touched down. Now, here is a REALLY nice terminal facility. It is twice as big as what most fields boast. Friendly folk man it. It would win a Good Housekeeping Award in anybody's league. Quite impressive.
Almost all fields sport a deck that is specifically set up for picnics. Benches, tables, gas-fired grill - this facility has it all. Weather was a bit brisk for an outdoor picnic today, but had they been serving burgers, brats, or dogs - we would have dived right in.
At take off, winds were calm to mild and variable. So, I elected to take off to the west. This was a reversal from the direction we landed in, but just felt right. On lift off, we climbed over the end of the runway, then the highway, next wooded sand dunes, and then over Lake Michigan. Turning left, we skirted the coast going Southerly. Julie was busy snapping photos of Lake Michigan, dunes, lakes, and the city of Holland.
Working our way SSE'ly, we flew over series of lakes and "cottage country", and touched down at Allegan's Padgham Field 35D. While that's an astonishing bra size, the airfield is a modest one. Its best feature is a picturesque, blue and white compass rose. This eight pointed star adorns the apron as you taxi in. But, no passenger terminal here.
On a couple of landings, the Duck had shuddered through a pesky nose wheel shimmy. The FBO was manned here, so I found a mechanic to add air to the nosewheel. At first, he couldn't get his portable air tank to work. I looked at the tank gauge, and it read zero. "Uhhh, I think that my tire is inflating your tank." He was kind of embarrassed. He'd been in such a hurry to be of service that, he'd overlooked checking that. Haven't we all pulled a goof like that!
We got the tank aired up, and then the tire. They wouldn't accept any payment, so we thanked them sincerely.
Since winds were still wimpy, I took off from here heading due east. Navigating home from here is easy. Pick any road that goes east - follow it for 71 miles. The country side here has many lakes and rivers. I've paddled the Thornapple River a couple of times here. Slow, picturesque, dotted with small parks and cottages. Lakes have sea gull squadrons patrolling around. Vizibility was better here, 30 miles inland.
Soon, our homefield hove into view. Strangely, nobody else was flying today. It could have been because work crews were busy patching cracks in the taxiways. As luck would have it, the taxiway to the Duck's hangar was buggered up a bit, and men and machines were on it. No sweat, I hauled back on the yoke to lighten up weight on the nose gear, and cut across the grass. HEY - if it can land and take off on sod, it can sure as heck taxi on the stuff.
We'd cheated death four times today. So, we thanked the Duck, washed off the bugs, plugged in the Tanis heater to keep her warm, and hied ourselves off for a late lunch.
What a wonderful day. Thank you; thank you very much. We enjoyed it a lot.
Here ya go Jack, a little flying of a different sort.
Bob
https://www.youtube.com/embed/u4D0yx4DvBk?rel=0
Bob
https://www.youtube.com/embed/u4D0yx4DvBk?rel=0
Thanks, Bob. Nothing in the world - absolutely nothing - is quite like a tactical jet fighter. I thoroughly enjoyed being around them, especially in Nam.
And similarly, nothing is like a simple stick and rudder plane. They all have their place. Interestingly enough, all the pilots that I know, both enjoy the planes they are currently flying, while casting envious eyes at other planes.
And similarly, nothing is like a simple stick and rudder plane. They all have their place. Interestingly enough, all the pilots that I know, both enjoy the planes they are currently flying, while casting envious eyes at other planes.
Sunny Skies, 25 Miles Visibility, Cheap Fuel
Today and tomorrow promise open skies. Other things punctuate my calendar over the next few days, so we grabbed today. Though we had low ground speed due to headwinds, the Duck was happy to be airborne again.
As we swung around to enter the pattern at Marshall KRMY, a Piper Commanche called 5 miles to the east for a straight in approach on 28. Hmm, that means we could end up seeing each other up close. I called him, turned on landing lights, and looked for him. We kept in contact. As I turned into final approach, there he was, about a half mile out. We were closer than comfortable, but handled it easily. I landed long, halfway down the runway, and taxied a bit fast. He landed short and slowed right down. We talked at the fuel pumps. Nice fellow.
On the way home, we gazed around at a 50 mile diameter circle. That's about 1,962 square miles! And, while traversing that vista, i relaxed at the wheel (something that's been difficult for me), and loosened my hold on the yoke. Frankly, it's been tense and tiring sometimes, all in that beautiful realm of flight. Lately, though, it has been getting easier. Today, it was much easier. The Duck took care of herself quite nicely. Ahh, sweet!
A bird was taking off from Mason Jewett Field as we flew our downwind leg, parallel to the runway. We watched him line up and open the throttle. Seconds later he lifted off, and we cut the throttle to 1,500 RPM, descended further, turned base and final, and touched down.
Having cheated death enough, we went to lunch.
Today and tomorrow promise open skies. Other things punctuate my calendar over the next few days, so we grabbed today. Though we had low ground speed due to headwinds, the Duck was happy to be airborne again.
As we swung around to enter the pattern at Marshall KRMY, a Piper Commanche called 5 miles to the east for a straight in approach on 28. Hmm, that means we could end up seeing each other up close. I called him, turned on landing lights, and looked for him. We kept in contact. As I turned into final approach, there he was, about a half mile out. We were closer than comfortable, but handled it easily. I landed long, halfway down the runway, and taxied a bit fast. He landed short and slowed right down. We talked at the fuel pumps. Nice fellow.
On the way home, we gazed around at a 50 mile diameter circle. That's about 1,962 square miles! And, while traversing that vista, i relaxed at the wheel (something that's been difficult for me), and loosened my hold on the yoke. Frankly, it's been tense and tiring sometimes, all in that beautiful realm of flight. Lately, though, it has been getting easier. Today, it was much easier. The Duck took care of herself quite nicely. Ahh, sweet!
A bird was taking off from Mason Jewett Field as we flew our downwind leg, parallel to the runway. We watched him line up and open the throttle. Seconds later he lifted off, and we cut the throttle to 1,500 RPM, descended further, turned base and final, and touched down.
Having cheated death enough, we went to lunch.
Silent Disabler - Invisible Killer
A couple of weeks ago, I participated in a webinar about carbon monoxide (CO) in the cockpit. Interesting. Some things I learned:
1. The little cardboard indicators with the orange dot of active indicator stuff on, are virtually useless to pilots. The chemical indicator stuff that is supposed to warn us - turns from orange to grey - has a service life of only 30 to 90 days. Worse yet, it lacks the sensitivity to detect CO until it reaches a level and time of exposure where it's almost too late. Humans would already be incapacitated by the time it changes color. And, that's if you think to divert your attention from flying, to even look at the card.
2. CO detectors sold for homes are almost as ineffective. Fire departments were getting so many calls, that Underwriters Lab could be convinced to desensitize home detectors.
I purchased a detector that starts alerting as low as 7 parts per million (ppm). We velcroed it to the instrument panel. On our first take off, it started beeping. Let me say that, even on the busy job of taking off, I could hear it beeping. Once in the air, I then looked at it. BINGO. The meter read 7ppm!
On climbout, it continued to read 7 until I retarded the throttle some. That puts less fuel into the mixture, and combustion gets more efficient. A very slight, almost undetectable, reduction in power is rewarded with a more efficient engine, and less fuel consumption. Care has to be taken. A leaner fuel mixture yields a hotter flame, as indicated in exhaust gas temperature (EGT). Even the Pratt and Whitney J-57 jet engines on OldBUFF pilot's B-52 has EGT gauges. I glance at my EGT gauge to ensure it is well within tolerance. Long story short is thst, the CO indication went away with retarded throttle.
Later, in some relative wind conditions, the BEEP would recur. We tested whether or not it was related to cockpit heat. Cockpit heat is from a heat jacket wrapped around the exhaust pipe. It furnishes lots of heat. I fly comfortably with no gloves even in below zero temperatures. As long as there are no leaks in the system, it works very nicely. If there is a crack or poor weld, exhaust gasses leak into the heat duct, and are intruduced straight into the cockpit. Presently, the CO was not related to cockpit heat.
That meant some other source. The most likely source seems to be gasses dispersing from the short exhaust stacks into the nose wheel well. There are probably some lesks in the firewall. Many holes are there for tubes, hoses, etc. Probably, some aren't properly sealed off. We'll leave the hangar door closed to keep a dark hangar, leave the lights off, put Julie into the cockpit and me in the wheelwell. I'll shine a bright light around while she looks foe light shining through culprit holes.
As Gilda Radner used to say, "It's always something!" We're still active on this cheating death thing.
A couple of weeks ago, I participated in a webinar about carbon monoxide (CO) in the cockpit. Interesting. Some things I learned:
1. The little cardboard indicators with the orange dot of active indicator stuff on, are virtually useless to pilots. The chemical indicator stuff that is supposed to warn us - turns from orange to grey - has a service life of only 30 to 90 days. Worse yet, it lacks the sensitivity to detect CO until it reaches a level and time of exposure where it's almost too late. Humans would already be incapacitated by the time it changes color. And, that's if you think to divert your attention from flying, to even look at the card.
2. CO detectors sold for homes are almost as ineffective. Fire departments were getting so many calls, that Underwriters Lab could be convinced to desensitize home detectors.
I purchased a detector that starts alerting as low as 7 parts per million (ppm). We velcroed it to the instrument panel. On our first take off, it started beeping. Let me say that, even on the busy job of taking off, I could hear it beeping. Once in the air, I then looked at it. BINGO. The meter read 7ppm!
On climbout, it continued to read 7 until I retarded the throttle some. That puts less fuel into the mixture, and combustion gets more efficient. A very slight, almost undetectable, reduction in power is rewarded with a more efficient engine, and less fuel consumption. Care has to be taken. A leaner fuel mixture yields a hotter flame, as indicated in exhaust gas temperature (EGT). Even the Pratt and Whitney J-57 jet engines on OldBUFF pilot's B-52 has EGT gauges. I glance at my EGT gauge to ensure it is well within tolerance. Long story short is thst, the CO indication went away with retarded throttle.
Later, in some relative wind conditions, the BEEP would recur. We tested whether or not it was related to cockpit heat. Cockpit heat is from a heat jacket wrapped around the exhaust pipe. It furnishes lots of heat. I fly comfortably with no gloves even in below zero temperatures. As long as there are no leaks in the system, it works very nicely. If there is a crack or poor weld, exhaust gasses leak into the heat duct, and are intruduced straight into the cockpit. Presently, the CO was not related to cockpit heat.
That meant some other source. The most likely source seems to be gasses dispersing from the short exhaust stacks into the nose wheel well. There are probably some lesks in the firewall. Many holes are there for tubes, hoses, etc. Probably, some aren't properly sealed off. We'll leave the hangar door closed to keep a dark hangar, leave the lights off, put Julie into the cockpit and me in the wheelwell. I'll shine a bright light around while she looks foe light shining through culprit holes.
As Gilda Radner used to say, "It's always something!" We're still active on this cheating death thing.
Another Year, Another Look
It's time again for the Duck to be taken out of service, and have her annual inspection. On aircraft that are rented out, the same inspection is done every 100 hours of flight time. I try to get it done over tne holidays, if I can.
I've owned the Duck for over 7 years now. Every year, I've had an improvement project done - mostly to improve safety and reliability. This year, there are no big projects planned. It's already pretty well outfitted. Come warmer weather, there's some painting to be done. But not now.
One of the big things on this inspection is, it is being done by a different guy. A new set of eyes is looking over the Duck for any problems. It's important to do that now and then, a new perspective. Yesterday, on the flight into Howell KOZW, the ceiling was low. It wasn't a long flight, and I'm familiar with the territory. Yesterday, I paid more attention to low hanging clouds and high rising towers, than to scenery. Having Wing-X on the iPad gave me eyes out ahead of the plane. While actually seeing the towers wasn't easy (or, in fact possible yesterday), it was easy to fly around them with 1/2mile grace.
In a week or two, we'll be scouting for good flying weather to bring home the Ruptured Duck. In the meantime, I will be enjoying family and friends. And, maybe, just a teensy weensy bit of good food.
It's time again for the Duck to be taken out of service, and have her annual inspection. On aircraft that are rented out, the same inspection is done every 100 hours of flight time. I try to get it done over tne holidays, if I can.
I've owned the Duck for over 7 years now. Every year, I've had an improvement project done - mostly to improve safety and reliability. This year, there are no big projects planned. It's already pretty well outfitted. Come warmer weather, there's some painting to be done. But not now.
One of the big things on this inspection is, it is being done by a different guy. A new set of eyes is looking over the Duck for any problems. It's important to do that now and then, a new perspective. Yesterday, on the flight into Howell KOZW, the ceiling was low. It wasn't a long flight, and I'm familiar with the territory. Yesterday, I paid more attention to low hanging clouds and high rising towers, than to scenery. Having Wing-X on the iPad gave me eyes out ahead of the plane. While actually seeing the towers wasn't easy (or, in fact possible yesterday), it was easy to fly around them with 1/2mile grace.
In a week or two, we'll be scouting for good flying weather to bring home the Ruptured Duck. In the meantime, I will be enjoying family and friends. And, maybe, just a teensy weensy bit of good food.
I will be enjoying family and friends. And, maybe, just a teensy weensy bit of good food.
Enjoy the family and friends and especially a good meal as long as it is not Roasted Duck. :roll: Try to stay with Ham. :wink:
Never met a Roasted Duck I liked or any other duck for that matter. If they leave me alone I will leave them alone. Ham is a different story. Never net a Ham I did not like. Ya'll and everybody else on hereHave a Merry Christmas. Hold your Family and Friends close because without Family and Good Friends, we have nothing.
Bob
Bob
I certainly concur with your assessment of family and friends, Bob. Man, like most other mammala, is a pack animal.
Plus, the old "buddy system" continues to pay large benefits.
Plus, the old "buddy system" continues to pay large benefits.
Broken Baffles - High EGT
A few months ago, after take off and climb out to cruising altitude, I started to lean out the engine to set it up for cruise. I found the Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) indication was already up to the target temperature range where it would be AFTER I'd leaned it out! Hmm, that isn't right.
When operating piston powered aircraft at full throttle, it's customary to set the mixture control to "full rich", so as to induct extra fuel into the combustion chamber. The extra gas provides cooling, to prevent burning the exhaust valves. And, you always take off with a wide open throttle. It was obvious that I couldn't lean out the engine without endangering it - and that isn't smart. So, we flew home on full rich, and used a couple extra gallons of fuel to protect the engine.
A day later, I flew over to Charlotte KFPK to have the problem checked out. Turned out thst, neither the EGT probe or its accompanying instrument were erroneous, and the Duck was returned to service. But, EGT indications never have behaved as they did before this incident. And then - I learned the rest of the story.
I'd already decided that it was time to have a new set of eyes look at the Duck. So last week I took her to Jim, an old friend, to do the annual inspection. And, as he was doing a preliminary walk aroind inspection, he made several remarks. Several aspects of the work that had been done were complimented. "He does good work. Nice." And, he asked me to lay on the floor, and look up into both exhaust pipes. "OK, if you'll give me a hand getting back up."
One exhaust pipe serves the right hand bank of three cylinders, where the EGT probe is. Broken baffles (part of the innards of the muffler sub-system) were lying crossways up in that pipe. Of course, the left pipe is all clear. "They're not much of a problem as they lay. But, if they shift around, the opening of the exhaust pipe gets plugged - like when you were a kid, and shoved a potato up someone's tailpipe on their car."
"I'm kinda familiar with that. I know from experience that those cylinders will heat up because their breathing is restricted." And, something went "CLICK" in my mind. THAT'S what caused the EGT readings to go awry, and read high. It never had been an indication problem. It was a real problem all along! Damn!
"OK, fix whatever's broken. Where's your coffee?"
A few months ago, after take off and climb out to cruising altitude, I started to lean out the engine to set it up for cruise. I found the Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) indication was already up to the target temperature range where it would be AFTER I'd leaned it out! Hmm, that isn't right.
When operating piston powered aircraft at full throttle, it's customary to set the mixture control to "full rich", so as to induct extra fuel into the combustion chamber. The extra gas provides cooling, to prevent burning the exhaust valves. And, you always take off with a wide open throttle. It was obvious that I couldn't lean out the engine without endangering it - and that isn't smart. So, we flew home on full rich, and used a couple extra gallons of fuel to protect the engine.
A day later, I flew over to Charlotte KFPK to have the problem checked out. Turned out thst, neither the EGT probe or its accompanying instrument were erroneous, and the Duck was returned to service. But, EGT indications never have behaved as they did before this incident. And then - I learned the rest of the story.
I'd already decided that it was time to have a new set of eyes look at the Duck. So last week I took her to Jim, an old friend, to do the annual inspection. And, as he was doing a preliminary walk aroind inspection, he made several remarks. Several aspects of the work that had been done were complimented. "He does good work. Nice." And, he asked me to lay on the floor, and look up into both exhaust pipes. "OK, if you'll give me a hand getting back up."
One exhaust pipe serves the right hand bank of three cylinders, where the EGT probe is. Broken baffles (part of the innards of the muffler sub-system) were lying crossways up in that pipe. Of course, the left pipe is all clear. "They're not much of a problem as they lay. But, if they shift around, the opening of the exhaust pipe gets plugged - like when you were a kid, and shoved a potato up someone's tailpipe on their car."
"I'm kinda familiar with that. I know from experience that those cylinders will heat up because their breathing is restricted." And, something went "CLICK" in my mind. THAT'S what caused the EGT readings to go awry, and read high. It never had been an indication problem. It was a real problem all along! Damn!
"OK, fix whatever's broken. Where's your coffee?"
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would be proud of you,Bob.
There'll be another item on the preflight checklist now. I should have caught this one sooner.
There'll be another item on the preflight checklist now. I should have caught this one sooner.
Getting Down Out Of A Tree
You know those "once in about 10 lifetime energencies"? While I'm working to avoid that, but may want to prepare for it anyway - just in case. Here's the situation. Where I fly, there are a lot of places to make a forced, off-field landing. Farm fields, pastures, etc. abound; so do dense woodlands.
The difference between a "precautionary landing" and a " forced landing", is one of choice. If a situation is deteriorating, and a good field (read: airport) isn't close, a pilot may elect to make a precautionary landing while he still can, under controlled conditions - while he still has choices and capabilities. On the other hand, in a forced landind, the choices have already run out.
The particular emergency I'm thinking of here is a forced landing in trees. A landing where the cockpit is still intact, and so is the pilot. But, we're still in the upper part of the tree. So, after we gather our wits and take inventory, how do we get that last 25-50 feet down? I thought that it's better to think this thing out ahead of time, sitting comfortably in my living room. So, here is the central set of questions.
Following the KISS principle, a couple hundred feet of light weight rope seems logical.
See:
http://www.samsonrope.com/pages/product ... ductID=872
Has anyone on here done any rapelling?
Does it require any gear in addition to the rope?
Is it realistic to expect to rapell using rope of 1/8" diameter?
Other thoughts and suggestions?
Thanks.
You know those "once in about 10 lifetime energencies"? While I'm working to avoid that, but may want to prepare for it anyway - just in case. Here's the situation. Where I fly, there are a lot of places to make a forced, off-field landing. Farm fields, pastures, etc. abound; so do dense woodlands.
The difference between a "precautionary landing" and a " forced landing", is one of choice. If a situation is deteriorating, and a good field (read: airport) isn't close, a pilot may elect to make a precautionary landing while he still can, under controlled conditions - while he still has choices and capabilities. On the other hand, in a forced landind, the choices have already run out.
The particular emergency I'm thinking of here is a forced landing in trees. A landing where the cockpit is still intact, and so is the pilot. But, we're still in the upper part of the tree. So, after we gather our wits and take inventory, how do we get that last 25-50 feet down? I thought that it's better to think this thing out ahead of time, sitting comfortably in my living room. So, here is the central set of questions.
Following the KISS principle, a couple hundred feet of light weight rope seems logical.
See:
http://www.samsonrope.com/pages/product ... ductID=872
Has anyone on here done any rapelling?
Does it require any gear in addition to the rope?
Is it realistic to expect to rapell using rope of 1/8" diameter?
Other thoughts and suggestions?
Thanks.
Try Googling Repelling Equipment and I would never trust any rope under 3/8 inch for that. In fact I would only trust a rope made for repelling even if it was only from the top of a tree.
Before you ask ...NO I have not jumped off the top of a perfectly good platform or anything else. :roll: I have observed our Swat Team doing it during there practice secession's.
In fact you might want to contact your local Law Enforcement Dept and see if they could show you there repelling equipment and explain it , if they have any.
Before you ask ...NO I have not jumped off the top of a perfectly good platform or anything else. :roll: I have observed our Swat Team doing it during there practice secession's.
In fact you might want to contact your local Law Enforcement Dept and see if they could show you there repelling equipment and explain it , if they have any.
Jack,
It doesn't matter how strong 1/8 inch line is. You do not want to trust your life to 1/8th line. To repel you have to wrap the line around your body and control your decent with your hands. Given your weight (???) the 1/8th line will be exerting many many times more force per square inch on your legs, ass, and hands than 1/2 inch or larger rope. That is just a small amount of food for thought to get you started on this quest of saving your hide. Very clever of you to think of that.
Bob
It doesn't matter how strong 1/8 inch line is. You do not want to trust your life to 1/8th line. To repel you have to wrap the line around your body and control your decent with your hands. Given your weight (???) the 1/8th line will be exerting many many times more force per square inch on your legs, ass, and hands than 1/2 inch or larger rope. That is just a small amount of food for thought to get you started on this quest of saving your hide. Very clever of you to think of that.
Bob
I think that you're right, Bob. I guess that what I'm looking for is someone with a simple, lightweight, $1.98 harness that will make it possible.
sigh
sigh