Tales from the Log of the Ruptured Duck
- Thread starter Kayak Jack
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Thanks, Mike. Leon Hale is my kind of guy. You just don't have to have much of a reason to do silly things. A tip o' my hat to him!
Kayak Jack said:Thanks, Mike. Leon Hale is my kind of guy. You just don't have to have much of a reason to do silly things. A tip o' my hat to him!
You'd probably like his "talking mule" stories. Poke Here
I really enjoyed his columns back when he did them daily. He's over 90 now and only does a Sunday column. You can find a bunch of his stuff with Google, if you're so inclined. He also has a few books available.
Mike
My buddy James that died anout three months after my Dad went to A&M with Leon Hale. Leon Hale hade a huge following and still does.
Bob
Ps. Sorry about the side trip Jack. Unfortunately I cannot promise that it won't happen again.
Bob
Ps. Sorry about the side trip Jack. Unfortunately I cannot promise that it won't happen again.
Bob, our sidetrips, hijacking, philosophizing, BS'ing, story telling, and pallavering of all kinds - not only fits our stories, it has become our trademark. War stories - our specialty.
Today, "A few clouds at 10,000' to 12,000'' became a solid overcast at 4,000' to 6,000'. But there was 7 to 12 miles of visibility underneath. So Tom Botsford and I took off. Well, it doesn't look as near spring when the skies are grey!
And, Baron The Wonder Dog was off on a visit today. Coffee and camaraderie were hip deep among pilots, but no Baron.
Fields and lawns are clearing of snow; a season of conversion (freeze and thaw), is coming. Maple sap is running, trees are tapped, syrup is simmering.
I wish I could smell that maple syrup as the Ruptured Duck flies past.
And, Baron The Wonder Dog was off on a visit today. Coffee and camaraderie were hip deep among pilots, but no Baron.
Fields and lawns are clearing of snow; a season of conversion (freeze and thaw), is coming. Maple sap is running, trees are tapped, syrup is simmering.
I wish I could smell that maple syrup as the Ruptured Duck flies past.
A bit more of Spring is in the air. Almost all of the snow is gone. Although there are still no jonquils, daffodils, or dogwoods out - there are a few high school kids in either shorts or tee shirt - none in both yet.
Southern Michigan was covered all over with a high pressure ridge today. CAVU (Ceiling And Visibility Unlimited) conditions prevailed. Last night, I called the remote switch and turned on the heater glued onto the bottom of the Duck's engine. This morning, it was toasty warm. I flew a bit over 60 miles SW'ly from Mason to Sturgis. A nice lady made me a cup of coffee, and I relaxed a bit just sipping it. Then, off to Three Rivers about 13 miles NW'ly, land, taxi back, and take off again to go about 30 miles E'ly and land at the town of Coldwater. ("Ever take a hot bath in cold water?")
The Prop Blast Cafe is in the terminal at Coldwater. Clam chowder and a pastrami sandwich (with dill pickle) helped erase the cares of the day (there weren't many to begin with.) Friendly conversation with a couple other pilots, watch a bit of Jimmy Stewart playing in "The Spirit of St. Louis", and return home to Mason.
I'd just gotten the Duck put to bed, when Tom Botsford drove up. He'd flown his 1946 Cessna 140 W'ly from Mason to Charlotte, and back. It was time for a cuppa tea/coffee. In Mason, the BestSellers coffee shop and book store is a favorite hangout of lots of town folk. Their deli has sandwiches, soups, and salads that I REALLY like. But, just tea this afternoon.
Visibility was even better this afternoon than it was in the morning. I could see 20-30 miles out there on the way home. Off to the northwest, I could see clear to Saturday. No $h!]
Southern Michigan was covered all over with a high pressure ridge today. CAVU (Ceiling And Visibility Unlimited) conditions prevailed. Last night, I called the remote switch and turned on the heater glued onto the bottom of the Duck's engine. This morning, it was toasty warm. I flew a bit over 60 miles SW'ly from Mason to Sturgis. A nice lady made me a cup of coffee, and I relaxed a bit just sipping it. Then, off to Three Rivers about 13 miles NW'ly, land, taxi back, and take off again to go about 30 miles E'ly and land at the town of Coldwater. ("Ever take a hot bath in cold water?")
The Prop Blast Cafe is in the terminal at Coldwater. Clam chowder and a pastrami sandwich (with dill pickle) helped erase the cares of the day (there weren't many to begin with.) Friendly conversation with a couple other pilots, watch a bit of Jimmy Stewart playing in "The Spirit of St. Louis", and return home to Mason.
I'd just gotten the Duck put to bed, when Tom Botsford drove up. He'd flown his 1946 Cessna 140 W'ly from Mason to Charlotte, and back. It was time for a cuppa tea/coffee. In Mason, the BestSellers coffee shop and book store is a favorite hangout of lots of town folk. Their deli has sandwiches, soups, and salads that I REALLY like. But, just tea this afternoon.
Visibility was even better this afternoon than it was in the morning. I could see 20-30 miles out there on the way home. Off to the northwest, I could see clear to Saturday. No $h!]
Jack, it sounds like you're having heck of a good time. Good on ya for fulfilling a dream and getting that pilots license. Carpe diem.
Joey
Joey
Dutch oven, eh? Well......those airplane engines get hot, I'll bet. A small Dutch Oven strategically tucked into the engine compartment filled with meat and veggies and you'd have a meal cooked when you arrive at your next destination. Of course, it wouldn't be as good as piper's. But then, what else would?
Never used a dutch oven but I 've heated cans of beans, stew,ect. on the manifolds of my crewboat engine.
Bob
Bob
To tell the truth, I use the exhaust manifold heat to heat the cockpit. 'Twasn't any heat left over for Dutch ovens, or any other kind. Once on the ground again, I have a camp stove fitted with a jet to burn avgas. I just use that.
Wannabe said:Never used a dutch oven but I 've heated cans of beans, stew,ect. on the manifolds of my crewboat engine.
Bob
In the summer down here in Florida the construction workers heat cans of food in there vehicles. They roll the windows up and place the cans on the dash of the vehicle , come lunch time the food is nice and hot. It's called Solar Cooking. :lol:
oldsparkey said:Wannabe said:Never used a dutch oven but I 've heated cans of beans, stew,ect. on the manifolds of my crewboat engine.
Bob
In the summer down here in Florida the construction workers heat cans of food in there vehicles. They roll the windows up and place the cans on the dash of the vehicle , come lunch time the food is nice and hot. It's called Solar Cooking. :lol:
I had a Dr. Pepper on the dash explode in my truck many years back. What a mess that was!
Mike
Yesterday morning I got up early (6:15 is early for a retired geezer), and the Ruptured Duck and I toured around a bit. There's a lot of standing water in fields; farmers won't be out there for a few days yet. Canadian geese and sandhill cranes are all over the place. Those cranes are pretty big.
As a kid growing up around here, the only time I ever heard of a sandhill crane was in the poem, and that was boring. When one is flying along beside me - that's exciting! A little more exciting than I like, actually.
It was a beautiful, bright, sunny Saturday morning, so a lot of other pilots were out too. When I returned to my home field, the wind was at 90 degrees to the runway - a perfect crosswind. So, there was no advantage to landing one way or the other. As I was entering the pattern to land going west, another aircraft was taking off heading east. OOPS! Good radio transmissions let everybody know where everybody else was, and what they were doing. As I taxied in, another aircraft was lining up to take off to the west, the same way I'd just landed. No common agreement at all about which way was best.
A couple of fields I like to fly past or to, launch a passel of gliders. They are more difficult to see, and often don't carry a radio. While it's legal to fly without a radio (in some airspace), legal isn't always smart. I've been in situations several times, where good radio transmissions back and forth between pilots were definitely making it safer. Once in a while, a pilot will be late making a transmission, and sneak up on you. I now have a bright strobe light on top of the Duck to help them see me both quicker and better.
As a kid growing up around here, the only time I ever heard of a sandhill crane was in the poem, and that was boring. When one is flying along beside me - that's exciting! A little more exciting than I like, actually.
It was a beautiful, bright, sunny Saturday morning, so a lot of other pilots were out too. When I returned to my home field, the wind was at 90 degrees to the runway - a perfect crosswind. So, there was no advantage to landing one way or the other. As I was entering the pattern to land going west, another aircraft was taking off heading east. OOPS! Good radio transmissions let everybody know where everybody else was, and what they were doing. As I taxied in, another aircraft was lining up to take off to the west, the same way I'd just landed. No common agreement at all about which way was best.
A couple of fields I like to fly past or to, launch a passel of gliders. They are more difficult to see, and often don't carry a radio. While it's legal to fly without a radio (in some airspace), legal isn't always smart. I've been in situations several times, where good radio transmissions back and forth between pilots were definitely making it safer. Once in a while, a pilot will be late making a transmission, and sneak up on you. I now have a bright strobe light on top of the Duck to help them see me both quicker and better.
Your a smart man Jack. Not only is it good to see everything around you It is also good to be easily seen. Strobes are good.
Bob
Bob
Back sometime in the '80s, I was dispatched to a plane crash at the local airport. It seems two small aircraft had tried to land at the same time, one on top of the other, going the same direction. The top aircraft somehow managed to crash land with non-critical injuries, the bottom aircraft went nose-in into the runway, killing both the pilot and the passenger. If memory serves, we had to sit on that scene for two days before the FAA took it over for their investigation.
I've often wondered how they could not have seen each other at some point in the descent and glide path.
Mike
I've often wondered how they could not have seen each other at some point in the descent and glide path.
Mike
Mike...
Same here , dispatched to a small plane wreck near an airport where no one survived. Took a couple of days and nights there till they cleaned everything up and we could be released.
We had several more of them and no one walked away , those little planes are a one way ticket off this planet when an uncontrolled landing happens. It appears that the trees always win. Except for one time when it was a Plane vs a Buzzard , they both lost.
Same here , dispatched to a small plane wreck near an airport where no one survived. Took a couple of days and nights there till they cleaned everything up and we could be released.
We had several more of them and no one walked away , those little planes are a one way ticket off this planet when an uncontrolled landing happens. It appears that the trees always win. Except for one time when it was a Plane vs a Buzzard , they both lost.
Maybe I can help clear up some misunderstandings and misconceptions for you. When one aircraft settles down on top of another one while both are on final approach to the runway, there are several things than could have been happening. In no particular order:
1. Neither pilot was doing a good job of communicating position and intentions. Neither pilot was doing a good job of listening for someone else's position and intentions. Sometimes, we get on the wrong frequency and don't realize it - we're talking to planes at another field. Sometimes, a pilot simply doesn't broadcast his position and intentions - that's legal, but dumb as all get out. Sometimes, there are distractions that disrupt a pilot's concentration - bee/wasp in the cockpit, sick passenger, unruly/disruptive passenger, mechanical or electrical malfunction, fatigue, have to pee, get-home-itus, etc.
2. If the top plane was a low winged bird, visibility downwards is severely blocked, and another aircraft can be down there and not at all visible. (That's one of the reasons it's smart to broadcast position and intentions.)
3. If the bottom aircraft was a high winged plane, visibility upwards is severely restricted. (That's one of the reasons it's smart to broadcast position and intentions.)
4. While getting ready to land, it's a very good idea to be scanning the sky for other planes that may be in using unorthodox procedures to enter into the traffic pattern. There are standard ways to enter the pattern, and we expect to see someone there. When a plane comes in from an angle where we don't expect them, it's easy to miss them altogether. (That's one of the reasons it's smart to broadcast position and intentions.)
5. Sometimes, pilots are a$$holes and try to cut into line ahead of someone else. Not legal and not smart. (That's one of the reasons it's smart to broadcast position and intentions.)
6. Other damned stuff.
Chuck, I don't know exactly what you mean by an "uncontrolled landing". If you mean without air traffic controllers to control the aircraft traffic, that would not be a good statement at all. I don't think that's what you meant, though. If you mean a precautionary or emergency landing off field, you are about 1% right. When landing off field, you still want to go in level, not straight in nose first. All general aviation aircraft have to have at least safety belts for aircrew and passengers. I have lap belts and shoulder harnesses with inertial reels, those and a fire extinguisher were the first two mods I made to the Duck. An aircraft landing level, in farm fields has every chance of people surviving. The secret is, how long it takes to slow down - how many G forces are involved. It's exactly like a car going off the road, and plowing up 200 yards of dirt coming to a stop. They're going to survive. BUT - if that car goes off the road and hits a concrete bridge abutment, survivability goes down pretty drastically.
Making an emergency (power out) landing in the dirt will likely bend aluminum, maybe give some injuries, and upset the pilot and insurance company. Better than 99% of the time, no fatalities. But, if that aircraft goes in nose first, the odds reverse.
Trees are not a good landing field. So, there will be bent aluminum. If I lose the engine, and there are no flatish or levelish fields around, and there are only trees out there, I've been told to turn into the wind, look for the softest tree, try to stall out just above it. Corn fields and wheat fields are not the best either. My landing gear is fixed, and always sticks out down there. If I have to go into a corn field, the wheels will catch on the corn/wheat/tall grass and flip me over.
In all the above situations, my shoulder harnesses will work to decrease injury, and increase survivability. Actually, though, I hope they're a total waste and never get used.
If, by "uncontrolled landing" you meant that the pilot was no longer controlling the plane, then you would be pretty correct. A basic truism in aviation is our priorities are: 1. Aviate, 2. Navigate, 3. Communicate
What that means is that our first and most important task at all times is to fly the airplane. At no time do we allow anything else to get in the way of that job. When - and only when - we can afford to divert attention from that task, we can spend time navigating. That requires answers to only three questions: A. Where am I now? B. Where do I want to be? and C. How do I get there from here? Only when we have the aircraft under control AND see no immediate dangers to handle AND have an acceptable idea of how to properly navigate, can we afford to spend time on the radio. During all this, our eyes are constantly scanning the horizon and instrument panel, we're keeping the aircraft reasonably straight and level, and we make extra sure to look cool as hell doing it.
1. Neither pilot was doing a good job of communicating position and intentions. Neither pilot was doing a good job of listening for someone else's position and intentions. Sometimes, we get on the wrong frequency and don't realize it - we're talking to planes at another field. Sometimes, a pilot simply doesn't broadcast his position and intentions - that's legal, but dumb as all get out. Sometimes, there are distractions that disrupt a pilot's concentration - bee/wasp in the cockpit, sick passenger, unruly/disruptive passenger, mechanical or electrical malfunction, fatigue, have to pee, get-home-itus, etc.
2. If the top plane was a low winged bird, visibility downwards is severely blocked, and another aircraft can be down there and not at all visible. (That's one of the reasons it's smart to broadcast position and intentions.)
3. If the bottom aircraft was a high winged plane, visibility upwards is severely restricted. (That's one of the reasons it's smart to broadcast position and intentions.)
4. While getting ready to land, it's a very good idea to be scanning the sky for other planes that may be in using unorthodox procedures to enter into the traffic pattern. There are standard ways to enter the pattern, and we expect to see someone there. When a plane comes in from an angle where we don't expect them, it's easy to miss them altogether. (That's one of the reasons it's smart to broadcast position and intentions.)
5. Sometimes, pilots are a$$holes and try to cut into line ahead of someone else. Not legal and not smart. (That's one of the reasons it's smart to broadcast position and intentions.)
6. Other damned stuff.
Chuck, I don't know exactly what you mean by an "uncontrolled landing". If you mean without air traffic controllers to control the aircraft traffic, that would not be a good statement at all. I don't think that's what you meant, though. If you mean a precautionary or emergency landing off field, you are about 1% right. When landing off field, you still want to go in level, not straight in nose first. All general aviation aircraft have to have at least safety belts for aircrew and passengers. I have lap belts and shoulder harnesses with inertial reels, those and a fire extinguisher were the first two mods I made to the Duck. An aircraft landing level, in farm fields has every chance of people surviving. The secret is, how long it takes to slow down - how many G forces are involved. It's exactly like a car going off the road, and plowing up 200 yards of dirt coming to a stop. They're going to survive. BUT - if that car goes off the road and hits a concrete bridge abutment, survivability goes down pretty drastically.
Making an emergency (power out) landing in the dirt will likely bend aluminum, maybe give some injuries, and upset the pilot and insurance company. Better than 99% of the time, no fatalities. But, if that aircraft goes in nose first, the odds reverse.
Trees are not a good landing field. So, there will be bent aluminum. If I lose the engine, and there are no flatish or levelish fields around, and there are only trees out there, I've been told to turn into the wind, look for the softest tree, try to stall out just above it. Corn fields and wheat fields are not the best either. My landing gear is fixed, and always sticks out down there. If I have to go into a corn field, the wheels will catch on the corn/wheat/tall grass and flip me over.
In all the above situations, my shoulder harnesses will work to decrease injury, and increase survivability. Actually, though, I hope they're a total waste and never get used.
If, by "uncontrolled landing" you meant that the pilot was no longer controlling the plane, then you would be pretty correct. A basic truism in aviation is our priorities are: 1. Aviate, 2. Navigate, 3. Communicate
What that means is that our first and most important task at all times is to fly the airplane. At no time do we allow anything else to get in the way of that job. When - and only when - we can afford to divert attention from that task, we can spend time navigating. That requires answers to only three questions: A. Where am I now? B. Where do I want to be? and C. How do I get there from here? Only when we have the aircraft under control AND see no immediate dangers to handle AND have an acceptable idea of how to properly navigate, can we afford to spend time on the radio. During all this, our eyes are constantly scanning the horizon and instrument panel, we're keeping the aircraft reasonably straight and level, and we make extra sure to look cool as hell doing it.