Sorry to say this but someone died on the field this year. the crash involved a Breezy that was landing and the pilot initiated a go-around. I’m not going to comment on it other than to say the plane cartwheeled into the military vehicles they store on the airport grounds. If you can call it lucky the passenger survived.
It’s amazing more people don’t get killed but most of the accidents don’t make sense. The only crash I actually witnessed was a private jet and the whole time I was watching it all I could think of is “WTH is this guy doing, he can’t make this approach”. He destroyed the plane but no deaths.
Just got an email from the instructor. He’s active-duty Navy and will need to be available on short notice in two weeks, so it will be September before I can finish the BFR unless I go up with someone else. I like this guy. I’ll stick with him.
The Cherokee we flew was N8737N, which is a '69 and has a 150 hp engine. The nose wheel shimmied a bit, which was disconcerting when I’m taxiing back to the departure end and the pedals are pumping my feet. It’s been recorded on the squawk sheet. As I said previously, it flies differently from a Skyhawk. The sight-picture is different, so it took me a minute to calibrate where on the cowl the horizon should be; and it’s a bit of a reach for the Johnson bar to work the flaps. I’m used to the big Fowler ‘barn doors’ that go down to 40º. The Cherokee felt different with its flaps. The biggest difference was getting in and out. You all know I destroyed both of my knees in high school. It’s difficult getting in on the right side when my left knee lacks a patellar tendon. It’s also weird getting in on the right side at all, and undignified having to slide across the passenger seat. Nevertheless, it’s good to fly something different. I’ll make sure we fly the Cherokee next time. After that, I’ll take up the 172C. No ‘Omni-Vision’ window, and it too has a Johnson bar; but it’s easier to get in and out of.
Oh, yeah. I slid over into the left seat while the instructor was sorting his things out outside. I said to him, ‘Looks like we have an extra passenger, of the stinging variety.’ There was a wasp on the windshield. I was looking for something to smash it with, but the instructor took off his hat to try to coax it out. It took him a few tries, but he finally got the critter into his hat and got it outside where it flew away.
Call me over-cautious, but I don’t think a cockpit is the place for stinging things.
I greatly preferred the Cherokee. That’s what I finished up my license in. I really like the ability to set the flaps quickly. And on a really windy day where you have to fight it all the way down to the last inch it’s great to dump the flaps upon touchdown.
I think one tends to prefer the airplane one trained in. I learned in Cessnas. Well, one Cessna. To me, they’re like Fords and Chevys. They each have their strong points, and they each have their weak points. All airplanes are compromises, and I prefer Brand C. Others prefer Brand P.
I do have to vote with my knees. If I could climb up on the [del]proper[/del] left side, as on a Grumman, that would be easy. I’ll have to practice getting up on the right side. For one thing, don’t try to climb up with my bag in my hand. Getting in the door will just take some practice, too. I’m not giving up on the Cherokee. I’ve just bought an original POH for the '68 and '69. (Don’t need. Want.) Skagit is an hour away from my house, but I’ll finish my BFR there and do the occasional rental. Command Aviation, in Bellingham, has a Warrior and a Skyhawk; so I can have some variety closer to home.
But anyway, the reason I came back to post today is that I was looking at airplane pictures and was reminded of another difference between what I’m used to and what I’m getting used to. The Cherokee has a T-handle for the throttle, where the Cessna has a vernier knob. Normally I’ll keep my hand on the throttle when it needs to be there. In cruise I rest my hand on my knee, close to the throttle so I can reach it quickly. My instructor insisted I keep my hand on the throttle at all times. I found the position to be less comfortable than when my hand is on the throttle of a Cessna.
I learned in Cessna’s too. finished up in Pipers. Didn’t like the electric flaps. Liked the stall warning horn and dual doors. The low wing piper was easier to land in high winds.
you can never fly too many different planes. They’re all good.
I’ve always thought this was a silly habit to instill in pilots. Sure, guard the throttle during taxi, takeoff and landing. But at all times? What’s going to happen during normal cruise that requires anyone to get to the throttle instantly, rather than the one second it takes if you have your hand in your lap?
A few students I inherited from other instructors had this habit, and it always seemed to cause problems. Mostly, I felt it kept them on edge - in a bad way. One CFI went so far as to train his students to do this even when the plane was sitting still on a taxiway. The poor guy was constantly swapping hands in order to look at his map or write something down. He was greatly relieved when I told him that wasn’t necessary.
I agree too. When I learned to fly, I was taught to ‘guard’ the throttle; i.e., rest my hand on my knee, where I could reach the throttle quickly. But his plane, his rules. Once I’m signed off he won’t be there for a hand check!
I may be exaggerating a little. But he did admonish me to put my hand on the throttle during a phase of flight when IMO my hand didn’t need to be there. The other thing he’s strict about is stepping on the ball. After years of not flying, I wasn’t quick enough and he’d often tell me to step on the ball just as I was about to step on the ball. I think different instructors have different things they pay particular attention to. Before I got my license, my instructor always shouted (‘nobody’ wore headsets in the early-'80s) ‘LOOK OUTSIDE THE AIRPLANE!’ I’ll tell you what: I learned pretty quickly to watch the skies instead of the instruments. I’m sure next time we go up I’ll be stepping on that ball more quickly. And keeping my hand on the throttle.
The last thing I said to the last student I ever had as an actual, legal flight instructor was, “Okay, it is your airplane, do what you want.” ( Owner student in an 7AC Champ. )
Then we crashed into the fence, no blood or broken body parts so I just walked away.
Airplane was not so lucky.
Apparently he did not want the FAA to know so he never reported it and the days of dogooders had not hit this airfield yet so nothing happened on an official level.
I knew from the second I said that that I would never try to teach officially again. I let my instructor rating slide into oblivion.
He crashed again with the same plane & another instructor, then he just wasn’t around anymore.
I am not equipped to deal with those who do not listen or deliberately refuse to follow directions. I am impressed by those that can. My sister could.
I have flown several old planes with inop friction locks. What a PITA.
I have twice had to tell a student / client that they should stop flying. Both disagreed and found other instructors, which is fine. I give them both a 50/50 chance of living if they continue to fly, and my conscience is clear because I feel I did the right thing.One of them was extremely angry with my assessment, and my last words to him were, “One day an instructor may tell me it’s time to hang it up, and I intend to listen.”
So far I’m following through on this. When I felt I was in over my head in training once, I gave the instructor the opportunity to counsel me out. He declined and it ended well, but am not going to be one of the people who doesn’t know when to quit.
Speaking of Champs, there’s one for sale on eBay right now. The seller is Wings of Hope, which is a very worthwhile charity.
On the instruction note, and I’ve told this before, my dad told me he would not teach me to fly. He’d instruct me, and sign my log book; but this was ‘extra’ training, and to get my license I’d have to fly with another instructor.
Dad was FAA. A friend taught his own daughter to fly. She was out on her first solo. A NORDO Stearman of some sort was approaching the field and didn’t see the Cessna 150 below him. He was going to land on top of her. The daughter panicked and stalled the Cessna. She crashed upside-down and suffered fatal injuries. The father, her instructor, could only watch it happen. Dad saw his anguish. In case anything happened to me, dad did not want to feel that there might have been one thing he failed to teach me.
Now I’m wanting a David Clark H10-60. Don’t need it. Want it. I have four H10-40s. One belonged to my dad, and one is mine that I bought at the same time. I had a helicopter cord put on it. A military H10-40 helicopter headset is at David Clark right now having civilian phones and electret mic. put on. The other one was made in March, 1983 and does not have the now-standard (on the now-discontinued H10-40) volume control. So I have two airplane headsets and two helicopter headsets. I can get adapter cords to use the helicopter ones in an airplane for $40 each. I absolutely do not need an H10-60.
Helicopter headsets use a coiled cord with a single U-174/U plug for the mic. and headphones. Airplane headsets use a straight cord with PJ-068 (mic.) and PJ-055 (phones) plugs.
To me, they’re like Fords and Chevys. They each have their strong points, and they each have their weak points. All airplanes are compromises, and I prefer Brand C. Others prefer Brand P.
